Key papers in Library and Information Sciences
Pofolia’s corpus holds 72 papers from the Library and Information Sciences subfield (2012–2025). The list below starts with the most cited.
Most cited
Ranked by citation count. Because citations accumulate over time, this list naturally leans towards work published a few years ago; for where the field is now, see “recently added”.
Applications of Social Research Methods to Questions in Information and Library Science
Libraries Unlimited eBooks · 2016 · FWCI 69.32 · 1,104 citations
This textbook's second edition updates guidance on social research methods specifically for information and library science, incorporating new chapters on mixed methods, visual data, and social network analysis.
Question-Negotiation and Information Seeking in Libraries
College & Research Libraries · 2015 · Q1 · FWCI 196.86 · 728 citations · Open access
Librarians can help information seekers clarify their needs through a four-stage negotiation process, moving from a visceral need to a compromised, actionable one.
Looking for Information: A Survey of Research on Information Seeking, Needs, and Behavior
Studies in information · 2016 · 472 citations
This book surveys research on information-seeking behavior over the last two decades, highlighting its complexity and the shift towards user-centered studies.
Library Anxiety: A Grounded Theory and Its Development
College & Research Libraries · 2015 · Q1 · FWCI 179.49 · 469 citations · Open access
A grounded theory of "library anxiety" was developed, revealing that 75-85% of students perceive their own library research skills as inadequate, a feeling they find shameful and fear will be exposed by asking questions.
Annals of Library and Information Studies
Annals of Library and Information Studies · 2022 · Q3 · 379 citations
The Annals of Library and Information Studies is a quarterly journal that publishes original research, reports, reviews, and communications in library and information science.
Library & Information Science Research
2013 · FWCI 72.55 · 290 citations
This article provides an overview of the quarterly periodical, Library & Information Science Research (LISR), detailing the types of articles it publishes and its review process.
Connecting with new information landscapes: information literacy practices of refugees
Journal of Documentation · 2013 · Q1 · FWCI 93.51 · 267 citations
Refugees face significant barriers navigating complex information landscapes in their new communities, hindering social inclusion.
Library Use and Undergraduate Student Outcomes: New Evidence for Students’ Retention and Academic Success
portal Libraries and the Academy · 2013 · Q2 · FWCI 129.65 · 235 citations · Open access
First-time, first-year undergraduates who used the university library achieved higher first-semester GPAs and better fall-to-spring retention rates compared to non-users.
Queering the Catalog: Queer Theory and the Politics of Correction
The Library Quarterly · 2013 · Q2 · FWCI 30.59 · 218 citations
Applying queer theory to library cataloging reveals that classification systems, despite attempts at correction, can never be fully neutralized due to their inherent ideological nature.
Exploring information experiences through phenomenography
Library and Information Research · 2012 · FWCI 79.39 · 214 citations · Open access
This paper outlines phenomenography, a qualitative research method, and illustrates its application in understanding how students experience web-based information searching.
Association of College and Research Libraries (ACRL)
2017 · 207 citations
This abstract describes the Association of College and Research Libraries (ACRL) as the largest division of the American Library Association, representing academic and research librarians and libraries since 1890.
Do People Overestimate Their Information Literacy Skills? A Systematic Review of Empirical Evidence on the Dunning-Kruger Effect
Communications in Information Literacy · 2016 · Q2 · FWCI 11.44 · 203 citations · Open access
A systematic review of 53 studies reveals that individuals commonly overestimate their information literacy skills, a phenomenon consistent with the Dunning-Kruger effect.
Scholarly Use of Information: Graduate Students' Information Seeking Behaviour
INDIGO (University of Illinois at Chicago) · 2018 · FWCI 61.43 · 198 citations · Open access
Graduate students primarily rely on professors and peers for research direction and resources, with the internet and print materials playing significant roles, though convenience and resource-finding sophistication influence their choices.
A Decade of Critical Information Literacy: A Review of the Literature
Communications in Information Literacy · 2015 · Q2 · FWCI 78.72 · 195 citations · Open access
This review synthesizes a decade of research on critical information literacy, which challenges traditional assumptions and emphasizes the political nature of information engagement.
Patterns of graduate students' information seeking behavior: a meta‐synthesis of the literature
Journal of Documentation · 2013 · Q1 · FWCI 80.96 · 194 citations
Graduate students typically start research online, consult faculty advisors first, and use libraries differently based on their field, according to a meta-synthesis of studies from 1997 to the present.
COVID-19 and digital library services – a case study of a university library
Digital Library Perspectives · 2020 · Q1 · FWCI 182.47 · 188 citations
A university library adapted its services to a fully digital format in response to the COVID-19 pandemic, implementing new initiatives to support online teaching and learning.
Ancient Libraries
Cambridge University Press eBooks · 2013 · FWCI 10.73 · 182 citations
Ancient libraries were central to Greco-Roman intellectual life, serving as key hubs for book circulation despite books being expensive and rare.
International Journal of Library and Information Science
International Journal of Library and Information Science · 2025 · 179 citations
A case study of the University of Nigeria, Nsukka (UNN) Library System identified significant challenges in managing electronic information resources (EIRs), primarily stemming from university policies, funding, staffing, and IT infrastructure.
Three Theoretical Perspectives on Information Literacy
Borås Academic Digital Archive (University of Borås) · 2012 · FWCI 98.75 · 174 citations
This article proposes a shift from 'information literacy' to 'information literacies' in the plural, arguing that understanding is shaped by theoretical perspective.
The Untold Story of the Talking Book
Harvard University Press eBooks · 2016 · FWCI 12.40 · 171 citations
This book presents the first comprehensive history of recorded literature, tracing its evolution from early phonographic books to modern audiobooks as a distinct art form.
Recently added
International Journal of Library and Information Science
International Journal of Library and Information Science · 2025 · 179 citations
A case study of the University of Nigeria, Nsukka (UNN) Library System identified significant challenges in managing electronic information resources (EIRs), primarily stemming from university policies, funding, staffing, and IT infrastructure.
Library and Information Science Research
ComFin Research · 2022 · FWCI 1.51 · 113 citations · Open access
This article outlines how basic research methods are essential for librarians to conduct rigorous applied research, such as cost studies or user surveys.
Annals of Library and Information Studies
Annals of Library and Information Studies · 2022 · Q3 · 379 citations
The Annals of Library and Information Studies is a quarterly journal that publishes original research, reports, reviews, and communications in library and information science.
Operation management of academic libraries in Hong Kong under COVID-19
Library Hi Tech · 2022 · Q1 · SJR 1.00 · FWCI 69.41 · 92 citations
Hong Kong academic librarians faced challenges balancing staff/user safety with service continuity during COVID-19, leading to increased digitalization and a likely hybrid service model post-pandemic.
Information inequality
2021 · 98 citations
Herbert Schiller argues that privatization and the corporate economy are inflicting 'data deprivation' on democratic institutions like schools, libraries, and media.
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