Eresource censorship study

A recent study examined censorship of e-resources used by students for classroom research. It details the targeting of educational databases and the rise of legal challenges against libraries, reminding readers to look beyond the print books that are the tangible symbols of the freedom to read. False or unsubstantiated accusations of obscenity leveled at libraries foment fears of legal risk, sometimes resulting in the so-called soft censorship of e-resources, in which digital content providers or libraries apply system-wide filters and “stopwords” that block results from a user’s search.

Reed, M., & Halper, J. (2025).  Neo-censorship in U.S. Libraries: An investigation into digital content suppression. Library Futures.  

https://www.publishersweekly.com/pw/by-topic/industry-news/libraries/article/97237-library-futures-investigates-content-bans-in-research-databases.html

Social media relationship study

 A new study found that when young people reframe their relationship with social media, they reduce its negative impact on their mental health. "It's not just about the total amount of time you use social media," says Amori Yee Mikami, the study’s lead author. "It's also about what you're doing on social media.” (from Tech & Learning).

Mikami, A. Y., Khalis, A., & Karasavva, V. (2025). Logging out or leaning in? Social media strategies for enhancing well-being.Journal of Experimental Psychology: General, 154(1), 171–189. https://doi.org/10.1037/xge0001668

AI and Screen Media Use Study

 A survey by Common Sense Media reveals that nearly one-third of children age 8 and younger use AI for school-related learning, with 23% of parents noting a mostly positive impact. The study also highlights that children spend an average of 2.5 hours daily on screen media, with a significant increase in gaming since 2020.

Among parents who said their child has used AI tools, 23% said the impact of AI on their child's understanding of school-related material was mostly positive. Fifty-five percent said AI had no impact at all; 16% reported both positive and negative impacts; and 5% called the impact mostly negative.

Other findings from the survey include:

• Children aged 8 and younger spend about two-and-a-half hours a day with screen media. Sixty percent of that time is spent on TV/video viewing; 26% on gaming. Just 1% of screen time is spent on homework.
• Gaming time has increased by 65% since 2020, while TV/video viewing has fallen by 18%. Within that TV/video category, short-form video platforms like TikTok, Instagram Reels, and YouTube Shorts are on the rise.
• By age 2, 40% of children have their own tablet. By age 4, that number goes up to 58%.
• By age 8, one in four children have their own cell phone.
• Roughly one in five children use devices for comfort, meal times, or to fall asleep. (https://thejournal.com/Articles/2025/03/11/Research-1-in-3-Kids-Use-AI-for-Learning.aspx)

The 2025 Common Sense Census: Media Use by Kids Zero to Eight. (2025). Common Sense Media. https://www.commonsensemedia.org/research/the-2025-common-sense-census-media-use-by-kids-zero-to-eight

Diversity in Librarianship Study

 A new study highlights areas of growth for improving diversity across the library field. The study draws on qualitative research from 50 library professionals representing various genders, race, tenures, ages, and geography.

"Seven key findings emerged:

1. For library professionals, “diversity” is a complex term. Understanding its nuances can help focus and advance the diversification of librarianship.
2. Increasing awareness and education about librarianship can create a stronger foundation — and, theoretically, a more diverse pipeline — for the future of the profession.
3. Mentorship is invaluable. Developing more and larger networks of mentorship can support librarians and break down navigational challenges that traditionally — and disproportionately — impact underrepresented communities.
4. Creating a positive workplace culture and providing managerial training can strengthen onboarding experiences, foster inclusion and encourage culture change within libraries.
5. Librarians need support from leadership, both from their direct supervisors and their institutions.
6. Professional development and compensation must be considered when evaluating retention efforts.
7. Future diversity efforts should consider both micro- and macro-level approaches. Micro-level approaches follow a bottom-up framing with support from individuals and local-level libraries. Macro-level approaches rely on a top-down framing with more organizational and institutional support."

American Library Association and Gallup. (2025). Empowering voices, inspiring change: Advancing diversity within librarianship. American Library Association. https://www.ala.org/news/2025/02/american-library-association-and-gallup-release-new-diversity-study

influences on LGBTQ+ library collections study

 A small but mature body of literature around LGBTQ+ library collections is available to researchers and practitioners. Using a novel method – the parallel synthesis scoping review – the authors have incorporated artificial-intelligence-enabled topic modelling into the traditional scoping review method to explore the underlying factors influencing the collection of LGBTQ+ materials in libraries. Parallel synthesis led to a framework charting stakeholders against an Outreach ↔ Censorship Continuum. It includes 16 forms of censorship and outreach, and 8 underlying influences that encourage behaviors towards either censorship or outreach. The authors further find that the framework is a manifestation of a struggle between two competing visions of safe spaces, in which librarians have used many strategies to resist censorship and ensure that their collections provide a safe space for LGBTQ+ library patrons.

Morris, M., Stevens, G., & Siegal, J. (2025, Feb.). I can’t even read straight’: Exploring the influences on LGBTQ+ library collections through an artificial-intelligence-mediated parallel-synthesis-scoping-review approach. IFLA Journal. DOI: 10.1177/03400352241310614

Cell phone use in school studies

 

A recent study reveals that teens spend an average of 1.5 hours on their phones during school, with 25% exceeding two hours. This represents a significant increase from previous studies, which reported only 43 minutes of phone use during school.

Christakis D., et al. (2025). Adolescent smartphone use during school hours. JAMA Pediatrics.  doi:10.1001/jamapediatrics.2024.6627

Schools implementing cellphone bans have seen significant improvements in student behavior and engagement. The North Adams school district in Massachusetts reported a 75% drop in disciplinary referrals, while the Bentonville district in Arkansas saw a 57% reduction in aggression and a 51% decrease in drug-related offenses.
Banerji, O. (2025). What schools look like without cellphone distraction. Education Week. 
https://www.edweek.org/technology/what-schools-look-like-without-the-cellphone-distraction/2025/02
 

This report  looks at statewide laws and policies on cellphones in schools. 
Prothero, A., Langreo, L., & Klein, A. (2024). Whit states ban or restrict cellphones in school? Education Week. https://www.edweek.org/technology/which-states-ban-or-restrict-cellphones-in-schools/2024/06

February Classical Piano Composers

 

There is a lot to love about these classical piano composers who were born in February.

Michael Praetorius was born in 1571 in Creuzburg, Germany. His father was a Lutheran pastor, so it is not surprising that Praetorius served as an organist. His compositions were published as 17 volumes of music, mainly of sacred music such as chorales,

George Frideric Handel was born on February 23, 1685 in Halle, Germany. His organ concertos may have been inspired by his home town, which attracted famous musicians. Even small churches had good organists. Handel’s father hired one of those organists to instruct Handel – and he was Handel’s only teacher.

Gioachino Rossini was born on February 29, 1792, in Pesaro, Italy. While he is most known for his 39 operas, such as Guillaume Tell, he also wrote songs for piano. Rossini and his wife launched a weekly evening salon, which featured more than 150 pieces he wrote for them, such as solo piano pieces.

Felix Mendelssohn was born on February 3, 1809, in Hamburg. Mendelssohn served as a pianist and organist as well as composing for those instruments. His mother gave him piano lessons starting when hie was six years old. His first published works were three piano quarters.

Leopold Godowsky was born on February 13, 1870, in Vilnius, Lithuania. He proficiently played the  piano and composed by age five. Godowsky was a virtuoso pianist, and his technical knowledge informed his compositions for the piano in terms of hands’ movements. He also taught at the Chicago Conservatory.

Our hearts go out to them.

Large Print Books Study

 In an era when students and teachers alike spend hours a day reading on screens, large print books are an easy-to-implement alternative that increases reading engagement and comprehension for a vast majority of students. New research found that 87% of teachers saw a positive impact on their students’ reading success when they made the switch to large print books. Read the blog on the study results.

Effects of large print on student literacy development. (2024). Project Tomorrow.  

https://www.gale.com/thorndike/ylp-research/2024-project-tomorrow-study

Screen Use in Classroom Attitudes Study

Students and educators are expressing concerns about the extensive use of screens in classrooms, with kindergartners watching lessons on YouTube, middle-schoolers using Chromebooks for writing drills and high-schoolers collaborating on Google Docs. Some students say the reliance on technology is distracting and hinders learning, while teachers say it is challenging to keep students engaged.

Media Use and Screen Time - Its Impact on Children, Adolescents, and Families. (2020). American College of Pediatricians.

https://acpeds.org/position-statements/media-use-and-screen-time-its-impact-on-children-adolescents-and-families

 

Student ChatGPT Use Survey

 

Twenty-six percent of US teens ages 13 to 17 say they are using ChatGPT for schoolwork, doubling the figure who reported that use in 2023, a recent survey indicates. The survey also reveals that 54% of respondents consider using the AI tool acceptable for researching new topics, while 18% say the same about using it to write essays. 

Black and Hispanic teens (31% each) are more likely than White teens (22%) to say they have used ChatGPT for their schoolwork. 

Sidoti, O., Park, E., & Gottfried, J. (2025). About a quarter of U.S. teens have used ChatGPT for schoolwork - double the shrae in 2023. Pew Research Center. 

https://www.pewresearch.org/short-reads/2025/01/15/about-a-quarter-of-us-teens-have-used-chatgpt-for-schoolwork-double-the-share-in-2023/https://www.pewresearch.org/short-reads/2025/01/15/about-a-quarter-of-us-teens-have-used-chatgpt-for-schoolwork-double-the-share-in-2023/

Student and Teacher AI Use Report

 A recent report shows a significant increase in AI use among students and teachers during the 2023-24 school year, with 70% of high school students and 67% of teachers using generative AI. However, two-thirds of teachers have not received guidance on handling AI-related plagiarism, although 39% use detection software.

Laird, E., Dwyer, M., & Woelfe, K. (2025). Out of step: Students, teachers in stride with edtech threats while parents are left behind. Center for Democracy & Technology.

https://cdt.org/insights/out-of-step-students-teachers-in-stride-with-edtech-threats-while-parents-are-left-behind/

Student Engagement in School Report

A recent report reveals that while more than 70% of parents believe their children are learning a lot, less than half of high-school students agree. The report highlights that students become more disengaged as they age, with only 29% of 12th graders saying they love school compared to 74% of third graders.

Fewer than one-third of middle and high schoolers said they felt that what they learned was relevant to life outside the classroom, that their classmates persevered “when the work gets hard,” or that they had any say over what happened to them during the school day.

Older students were also more likely to report a sense of disconnection from their learning environments, with less than half saying they felt like they were part of a community or that adults respected their suggestions. Overall, only 36% of respondents from grades 6–12 said they were able to develop their own ideas at school.

Winthrop, R., Shoukry, Y., & Nitkin, D. (2025). The disengagement gap: Why student engagement isn't what parents expect. Brookings Institute.

https://www.brookings.edu/articles/the-disengagement-gap/