Academic Library Insights: January 2026

Discover the latest resources to enhance your knowledge and stay on top of developments in the library community.

Clarivate Library Innovation Awards Launch to Celebrate Global Library Excellence

In a time when libraries face unprecedented challenges – from evolving digital demands and budget constraints to shifting community needs – the Clarivate Library Innovation Awards will demonstrate the resilience, creativity, and impact of library professionals. The awards will celebrate inspiring projects, innovations, or transformational initiatives that have made a tangible impact on librarians, patrons, students, or communities.

Yariv Kursh, Senior Vice President and General Manager, Academia & Government at Clarivate said: “Libraries have always been catalysts for progress — connecting communities, ideas, and opportunities. At Clarivate, we see it as our mission to empower these changemakers and the Clarivate Library Awards shine a spotlight on the remarkable achievements of libraries that are redefining access to knowledge.”

Submissions are encouraged to highlight achievements in community outcomes, patron engagement, student success, operational excellence, digital inclusion, accessibility, sustainability, or other areas central to library missions.

Finalists in each category will receive all-expenses-paid attendance for two library staff members at Clarivate international user group conferences in 2026, where they will be announced and recognized on stage.

News: Read here

Explore 2025’s Most Downloaded Whitepaper

One of the most attention-grabbing papers of 2025 explores the essential role libraries play in supporting research, teaching and learning. At The New School, the library has become a trusted partner in driving these priorities forward.

By reading this paper, you’ll discover how innovative tools and strategies that align with institutional goals place the library at the core of the university’s mission.

Why should you also download this whitepaper?

• Discover real-life examples of library integration in the university ecosystem, enhancing engagement across departments. 
• Learn about tools and methods that increase efficiency by automating workflows and improving metadata quality for smarter decision-making. 
• Explore how libraries can innovate by aligning technological capabilities with institutional goals, ensuring relevance in today’s rapidly changing landscape. 

Whitepaper: Download here

University of Rochester - Pioneering Discovery with the NDE UI

The University of Rochester, one of the nation’s leading private research universities and a proud member of the Association of American Universities (AAU), is renowned for its dedication to innovation and academic excellence. The institution’s Sibley Music Library—the largest music library affiliated with any U.S. college or university—recently became one of the first early adopters of the Next Discovery Experience (NDE UI) for Primo VE.

At the forefront of this initiative was Ken Wierzbowski, Discovery Services Librarian, who led the university’s transition in collaboration with Ex Libris, part of Clarivate.

“Knowing Ex Libris was invested in our success made us more confident that any roadblocks would be resolved promptly,” Ken Wierzbowski, Discovery Services Librarian

The University’s library system is a complex ecosystem, encompassing River Campus Libraries, Miner Medical Libraries, and the Sibley Music Library at the Eastman School of Music. Historically, all libraries shared a single Primo VE view—a unified system that, while efficient, didn’t fully serve the specialized research needs of the music-focused Sibley community.

Seeing a need, Wierzbowski and the Discovery Functional Oversight Group set out to create a separate Primo VE view for Sibley. When Ex Libris announced the NDE UI early adopter program, the team combined both projects to improve Sibley's experience and gain early NDE exposure.

Learn about the advantages of early adoption of the Primo NDE UI for libraries, students, and faculty at Rochester, and explore further details by reviewing the complete case study here.

Case study: Read here

[New and available on demand] How Academic Librarians are Leading with Academic AI

The rise of Academic AI is transforming how libraries manage metadata, streamline workflows and connect users with the resources they need.

“AI can’t replace the expertise of librarians, but with thoughtful community feedback and careful design, it becomes a powerful partner—helping catalogers start faster, reduce manual effort, and unlock access to hidden collections.” Lili Daie, Alma Product Manager and librarian, Academia & Government and moderator of the webinar.

But what does this look like in practice? How can academic librarians utilize these innovations to achieve meaningful outcomes in a reliable manner?

Discover answers in this on-demand webinar “Developing Custom AI Workflows for Metadata Management” featuring expert teams from the University of Texas at Austin and the University of Toronto.

Webinar on demand: Watch here

Build your AI literacy, one week at a time

Sign up now: Free AI literacy series for library professionals

Clarivate and ACRL Choice have teamed up to offer a free, eight-week newsletter course for librarians who are AI curious and short on time. Based on the ACRL AI Literacy Framework, each weekly issue delivers bite-sized explainers, multimedia content, interviews and real-world use cases from academic libraries.

Newsletter: Explore here

Subscribe to the Academic Library Insights newsletter for monthly updates.