Schedule

Faculty, staff and students are increasingly conducting evidence-based research outside of medical and applied health sciences (1). Our original research study (2) documents the upward trend in the biological and natural sciences, with the number of citations for evidence synthesis research designs increasing 114% since 2010, and 47% from 2000 to 2025. To accommodate this acceleration, librarians need to proactively consider how to support evidence synthesis researchers outside of the health sciences – including interdisciplinary researchers in other STEM disciplines. 

Our research study explored the confidence levels, training experiences, research gaps, and disciplinary challenges experienced by evidence synthesis researchers in the biological and natural sciences. Notably, we found that these researchers relied on evidence synthesis resources designed for the health sciences. This crossing of disciplinary boundaries posed challenges to the researchers surveyed and interviewed – particularly that health sciences standards were not well-suited to accommodate the variability of biological and natural science studies and data. In this presentation, we will explore this challenge, arguing that the gap it reveals is also pertinent to those conducting and/or supporting interdisciplinary evidence synthesis research projects. Here, we suggest that it is also necessary to tailor resources, trainings, and standards for interdisciplinary research projects. 

This presentation will focus on the key teaching skills needed and salient research issues to be explored when supporting interdisciplinary evidence synthesis researchers. Drawing on knowledge justice (3) principles, co-presenters will explore some limitations of traditional evidence syntheses, suggesting that framing these syntheses as the gold standard of information can harmfully reinforce academic hierarchies of knowing. Exclusively validating the knowledge produced within academia, a system that is known to marginalize and exclude, overlooks key perspectives and information. We will advocate in favour of developing interdisciplinary evidence synthesis supports that recognize the value of non-academic expertise (e.g., lived experience). 

Equipped with an increased understanding of several key equity and pedagogy challenges and how to address them, attendees will come away from this presentation more confident and capable supporting all STEM evidence synthesis research communities – a Bootcamp experience not to be missed!   

1 Nowell, L., Paolucci, A., Dhingra, S., Jacobsen, M., Lorenzetti, D. L., Lorenzetti, L., & Oddone-Paolucci, E. (2022). Interdisciplinary mixed methods systematic reviews: Reflections on methodological best practices, theoretical considerations, and practical implications across disciplines. Social Sciences & Humanities Open, 6(1), 100295. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.ssaho.2022.100295   

2 Flindall, I., Vlahiotis, K., & Gordon, I. D. (in press). Evidence synthesis in the biological and natural sciences: Discipline-specific challenges and opportunities for librarian engagement. Science & Technology Libraries, 45.   

3 Campbell, H., McKeown, A., Sansom, L., Holmes, K., Lengyell, M., Dilkes, D., Leyland, Z., & Glasgow-Osment, B. (2025). Knowledge justice in the helping professions: From theory to practice. Western University. https://doi.org/10.5206/TTYQ9415

STEM librarians occupy a unique position to teach rigorous research methodologies that bridge disciplinary boundaries. This lightning talk describes a nine-week undergraduate evidence synthesis course I developed and taught at Carnegie Mellon University, demonstrating how librarians can lead substantive research training beyond traditional information literacy instruction. The pedagogical framework emphasized authentic research experience. Rather than simulating research for learning purposes, students contributed to actual knowledge gaps. Each team developed protocols following PRISMA guidelines, executed comprehensive database searches across Scopus, Web of Science, and ERIC, and systematically screened literature using the Sysrev platform. Teams documented their processes through PRISMA flow diagrams, extracted data from included studies, and synthesized findings into evidence-based conclusions. The course leveraged librarian strengths in information organization, database searching, and research methodology while addressing a gap in undergraduate STEM education: systematic approaches to evidence evaluation. Most undergraduates learn to find information but rarely learn to comprehensively synthesize bodies of literature following transparent, reproducible methods. This model demonstrates how librarians can teach advanced research methods typically reserved for graduate education, positioning evidence synthesis as a transferable skill applicable across STEM disciplines. The approach extends librarian instructional roles beyond literature searching toward comprehensive research training, particularly valuable for emerging interdisciplinary topics requiring systematic evidence integration.

Information literacy sessions are generally taught as one-shot guest lectures in classrooms.  One-shots have been discussed at length in the library literature, and various solutions have been offered as ways to improve these sessions for students; a frequently employed method is linking the sessions directly to assignments in the class in order to demonstrate the direct value of information literacy instruction.  However, this is not always possible, and has the potential to limit perception of the utility of information literacy to a single assignment or type of work.  Librarians may wish to instead, or in addition, provide contextual linkages between the subject matter of the course and information literacy.  History of science has long been employed as a contextualizing technique in science education, from elementary school through to university, and can be employed effectively in information literacy sessions as well.  This lightning talk will discuss the benefits of incorporating the history of science into one-shot library instruction sessions, including how it can help students understand why information literacy is valuable.  Examples of history of science instruction in one-shots will be provided.

Liaison, subject and functional team librarians that support STEM research and instruction face unique challenges whether serving in smaller undergraduate, comprehensive, or larger doctorate and research-intensive universities. Many librarians, new or old, either thrown into the mix, filling in for others on leave, or picking up disciplinary teaching and instruction assignments for subjects they have no real expertise - may feel inadequate and challenged. Research and common experience show that academic librarians lacking these disciplinary skills, expertise, or background may be reluctant to assume essential roles. This need not be the case!  This talk is based on a scholarly peer-reviewed 2025 research study1 that investigated how STEM librarians provide chemistry instruction and research within academic libraries. The study's three research questions included (1) To what extent do liaison librarians feel anxious, or experience the imposter phenomena (lack of appropriate subject knowledge), how does this make them feel, and how do they compensate? (2) How do librarians serving in smaller institutions, on functional teams, or those that experience additional and administrative duties fill these disciplinary gaps? and, (3) What strategies can academic liaison librarians use to become and remain confident in their roles?  This talk will present data and research findings in an enlightening manner to support TNSBC participants that too often may experience the imposter syndrome in a variety of STEM subject areas. The talk will help shed light on the importance of liaison librarians’ disciplinary knowledge, expertise, experience, and most importantly confidence when partnering with researchers. This study also affirms that most liaisons are confident in their abilities to provide instruction and support research, but would welcome further opportunities and strategies to remain current and fill disciplinary gaps. Ultimately, this talk will share that STEM librarians are not alone and there are resources and strategies that can help academic librarians feel confident in their roles and offer mutual support.   Come be changed by the testimonies!  1 Caspary, K., Colosimo, A. L., Gerbig, M., & Gordon, I. D. (2026). How do you measure up? A study of experience, confidence, and expertise by Canadian academic librarians supporting chemistry instruction and research. Science & Technology Libraries, 45(1), 1–32. https://doi.org/10.1080/0194262X.2025.2590020

Academic institutions are increasingly looking for opportunities to extend their local impact through civic engagement. While many college campuses have resources readily available to students, teaching faculty, and staff to pursue civic-related activities, it is not always clear to academic librarians how they can contribute in their professional roles. However, librarians often have a vast range of expertise that could benefit civic engagement projects.  This session will present a case study of a civic engagement project that I initiated within my community called Sprout & About. Sprout & About is in partnership with the local public library system and seeks to cultivate science and climate-based literacy through loanable environmental education kits. This grant-funded project focused on the creation of six themed, loanable environmental education kits designed for preK-aged children. Each kit combines children’s literature, tactile learning materials, lesson plans, and guided activities to support programming that integrates early science learning with hands-on exploration. Each themed kit also comes with a list of related local resources, organizations, and contacts.   The main goal of my civic engagement project is to bring together early literacy concepts and community resource-sharing to introduce environmental and scientific concepts to children, in the hopes of leading to long-term environmental literacy and stewardship. This goal is crucial within my own community, which has experienced natural and man-made environmental disasters over the past fifty years that have economically devastated the area. I will discuss the context of my local town and how BIPOC communities suffer the most from environmental disasters and climate change. I will highlight how these kits were made to address accessibility issues and build environmental justice into climate resiliency within my community. Overall, I hope my case study serves as an example of how librarians, particularly STEM librarians, can leverage their unique expertise and skills to actively engage in community-based projects that are both meaningful to them and their communities. Attendees will also learn how to develop practical strategies for integrating civic engagement into science literacy efforts, how to build cross-institutional partnerships with their local communities, and how to design projects that connect learning with real-world community impact.

The University’s Faculty of Science educators were invited to participate in a research study, which included a survey and follow-up interviews, to inform academic library services and programmatic offerings in support of evidence-based instructional practices (EBIPs). The survey first asked them to self-report their awareness of EBIPs and the adoption of EBIPs in their courses. They were then asked questions designed to assess their engagement with the education literature and their involvement in research in teaching and learning. Finally, participants were prompted to consider where they would benefit from support in these areas. The study was approved by the University's ethics board, and the survey was tested before being sent out to 376 individuals in December 2025. A total of 41 responses were received by closure in January 2026. An invitation to one-on-one, semi-structured interviews was included in email invitations. During interviews, educators from eight departments offered their perspectives on disciplinary and interdisciplinary practices, elaborated on what constitutes evidence for them, and explored where the expertise of library workers might play a role. An analysis was also conducted of contributions to education-related publications, identified through database searches, from those in the participant pool. Taken together, the findings offer insight into the awareness and adoption of EBIPs across scientific disciplines, a look into informal pedagogical initiatives on campus, and a recognition of contributions being made to the literature. They also outline opportunities for library workers to support education research and evidence-based teaching in science.

The ICICS/Computer Science Reading Room is one of the UBC Reading Rooms and operates independently from the UBC Library system. For decades, it has supported the education, research, and development needs of faculty, students, and staff; however, its user base has declined, particularly due to the COVID-19 pandemic and the increased availability of e-resources. To revitalize user engagement, we launched a book club at the end of 2022. In this lightning talk, I will introduce this initiative, along with usage statistics over the past five years, to share how it has impacted library usage and helped foster an inclusive space within the department and beyond. It originally started as “CS Grad Students Book Club,” targeting exclusively graduate students within the department. However, having received inquiries from undergraduate students and also students from other STEM departments, we opened it to a broader audience. After more than two years since its launch, attendees now include not only students but also staff and faculty members across departments and disciplines such as Math, Statistics, Engineering, Commerce, Botany. The Book Club is promoted through various channels, including Slack, the Reading Room’s website, social media, posters and listservs. Monthly book titles are selected collaboratively by attendees with diverse interests and backgrounds. The selections are expected to have some connection to computer science, but it is flexible. They are culturally enriching works, and include a variety of topics and genres, such as literature, popular science, history, biography, philosophy, ethics, and professional development. The Book Club is co-facilitated and organized by graduate students and Reading Room staff on a monthly basis. Over time, it has also led to higher circulation and increased user registrations, and more user-centred collection development. The student-led discussions create a welcoming and inclusive atmosphere where everyone is encouraged to participate without pressure. Most importantly, the initiative has strengthened diversity, equity, inclusion, and accessibility within the department and the broader community by creating opportunities for meaningful connections, encouraging the exchange of ideas, and supporting learning from diverse perspectives.

It is increasingly important for students to build their science literacy skills as they navigate real world situations such as public health crises and global climate change. Students from all academic disciplines must strive to be scientifically literate beyond the classroom to participate in society as thoughtful and engaged citizens. Building a solid foundation of science literacy skills is also necessary to understand the scientific principles and technical information students will explore later in their academic careers. Exploring scientific subject matter alongside social science subject matter, such as human psychology and persuasion, is a valuable way to expand a student’s science literacy and add critical thinking skills to their toolkit. With background knowledge in science and expertise in information literacy, science librarians are uniquely positioned to assist students in this way. This presentation will include insights and ideas from a recent sabbatical project on researching and developing a science literacy curriculum for undergraduate students.