NEW! Understanding the New College Freshman: Supporting Gen Z Learners in Academic Libraries
Sally Stieglitz
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Today’s incoming college students, often identified as Gen Z, bring distinct strengths, expectations, and challenges that are reshaping higher education and library services. This conference explores the evolving academic, technological, social, and information literacy needs of new college students. Participants will consider practical strategies academic libraries can use to engage, teach, and support this emerging generation of learners.
SPEAKERS:
Silas W. Kelly, LMSW, EJWSA,
Presentation: Gen-Z: Mental Health and Belonging in the Age of AI
Gen Z arrives on campus digitally fluent, AI-aware, and facing unprecedented mental health challenges. As tools like ChatGPT reshape learning, academic libraries have a unique opportunity to foster belonging, critical inquiry, and human connection in an increasingly automated world.
Debra Bernstein, Special Assistant Professor of Library Services, Hofstra University, Axinn Library
Presentation description forthcoming
Christine Fena, Undergraduate Success Librarian, Stony Brook University Libraries and Chris Kretz, Head of Academic Engagement, Stony Brook University Libraries
Presentation description forthcoming
Morning refreshments and lunch are included with registration.
The 12th Annual Herbert Biblo Academic Libraries Conference is open to all in the profession.
Sally Stieglitz (she/her)
Communications & Outreach Coordinator | Long Island Library Resources Council
Editor-in-Chief, Association of Jewish Libraries News and Reviews
Chair, Jewish Information Committee, EMIERT/ALA
sstie...@lilrc.org | 631-675-1570 x2005
LILRC is a member of the Empire State Library Network (ESLN)
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Sally Stieglitz
.jpg?part=0.1&view=1)
Today’s incoming college students, often identified as Gen Z, bring distinct strengths, expectations, and challenges that are reshaping higher education and library services. This conference explores the evolving academic, technological, social, and information literacy needs of new college students. Participants will consider practical strategies academic libraries can use to engage, teach, and support this emerging generation of learners.
Lessons from TikTok: Using Popular Social Media Platforms to Engage Gen Z
Debra Bernstein, Special Assistant Professor of Library Services, Hofstra University, Axinn Library
As Gen Z students increasingly engage with social media, academic libraries are exploring new ways to connect with them. This presentation will share findings from a study of five academic libraries in the New York City and Long Island area and analyze which TikTok videos generate the most engagement. Results show that humorous, lighthearted content performs best, while instructional videos often gain less traction. The presentation will also outline practical strategies libraries can use to build and maintain a TikTok presence that increases visibility, strengthens connection, and supports meaningful engagement with today’s students.
From High School to Higher Ed: Lessons on Gen Z from Collaborations Between SBU Libraries & Local High Schools
Christine Fena, Undergraduate Success Librarian, Stony Brook University Libraries and Chris Kretz, Head of Academic Engagement, Stony Brook University Libraries
Gen Z comes to college with the research experience they’ve gained in high school, yet their ability to conduct college-level research is an open question. The Ready for Success Project partnered SBU Librarians with teachers and librarians from a local high school to explore and strengthen how research skills are taught. In this talk, the presenters draw on their research from the project, as well as their observations and experiences with current high school and SBU students, to address the complicated and diverse information literacy skill sets of incoming university students.
Gen-Z: Mental Health and Belonging in the Age of AI
Silas W. Kelly: LMSW, EJWSA,
Gen Z arrives on campus digitally fluent, AI-aware, and facing unprecedented mental health challenges. As tools like ChatGPT reshape learning, academic libraries have a unique opportunity to foster belonging, critical inquiry, and human connection in an increasingly automated world.
Morning refreshments and lunch are included with registration.