Russell Michalak's Avatar

Russell Michalak

@rsmichalak.bsky.social

Library & Archives Director | Faculty | Consultant & Founding Partner at Inclusive Knowledge Solutions - https://www.inclusiveknowledgesolutions.com/

273 Followers  |  255 Following  |  203 Posts  |  Joined: 16.11.2023  |  2.4857

Latest posts by rsmichalak.bsky.social on Bluesky

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2026 ACRL Board of Directors Candidates ACRL is pleased to announce the slate of candidates for the association’s Board of Directors for the 2026 ALA/ACRL elections. Vice-President/President-Elect: Russell Michalak, Goldey-Beacom Col...

Thanks to everyone who’s supported me on this journey—it means the world.

More updates coming soon! 💬

🔗 Official announcement: acrl.ala.org/acrlinsider/...

07.08.2025 11:46 — 👍 0    🔁 0    💬 0    📌 0

I’m looking forward to continuing conversations that matter—about equity, access, innovation, and supporting the evolving role of academic libraries.

I’ll be listening, learning, and leading with intention.

07.08.2025 11:46 — 👍 0    🔁 0    💬 1    📌 0

🎉 Some big news to share!

I’ve been announced as a candidate for ACRL Vice-President/President-Elect for 2026! It’s an incredible honor to be considered for this leadership role with an organization that’s shaped so many of our careers in academic librarianship.

07.08.2025 11:46 — 👍 0    🔁 0    💬 1    📌 0
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Addressing Language and Ableism in Information Technology: A Call to Action for Academic Librarians This column explores the pervasive influence of information technologies in academic libraries and underscores the critical role of librarians and professional staff in navigating and thriving with...

5/5
📚 Want to take action on ableism in library tech, culture, and service design?

Read the full article here:
🔗 doi.org/10.1080/0193...

Let’s build libraries where everyone can participate fully. #AcademicLibraries #Accessibility #DEIA #LibraryTech #AIethics

05.08.2025 16:56 — 👍 0    🔁 1    💬 0    📌 0

4/5
Library leaders: Accessibility isn’t a checkbox.

It’s a leadership value.
An equity commitment.
And a long game.

We call for feedback loops, intersectional audits, and accountability—from the front desk to the director’s office.

05.08.2025 16:56 — 👍 1    🔁 0    💬 1    📌 0

3/5
We share practical strategies to:
• Audit policies and platforms
• Integrate UDL + cultural competence
• Support neurodivergent staff and students
• Design ethical, accessible AI services

(And yes—caption your Zooms. Always.)

05.08.2025 16:56 — 👍 0    🔁 0    💬 1    📌 0

2/5
From virtual meetings to DAMS, instructional design to reference services—ableism can show up in the systems we use and the language we normalize.

Inclusive tech isn’t just about screen readers—it’s about mindset, metadata, and mission.

05.08.2025 16:56 — 👍 0    🔁 0    💬 1    📌 0
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Addressing Language and Ableism in Information Technology: A Call to Action for Academic Librarians This column explores the pervasive influence of information technologies in academic libraries and underscores the critical role of librarians and professional staff in navigating and thriving with...

Are academic libraries unintentionally reinforcing ableism through our tech choices, metadata, AI tools, or even Zoom meetings?
Devon Ellixson & I ask: What does true digital accessibility look like?
🔗 doi.org/10.1080/0193...

05.08.2025 16:56 — 👍 0    🔁 1    💬 1    📌 0
Skill, Charisma, and Inclusion: Rethinking Leadership in Academic Libraries | Inclusive Knowledge Solutions In times of transformation, academic library leaders are asked to be both builders and bridge-makers—carefully managing details while cultivating trust, shared purpose, and community. Drawing on Alber...

Are you leading with structure—or with heart?

In libraries, the best leaders use both.
This reflection explores how skill + charisma shape real-life DEI work and leadership—especially in middle management.

Read + reflect 👇
🔗
#LibraryLeadership #DEI #AcademicLibraries

15.04.2025 14:46 — 👍 1    🔁 1    💬 0    📌 0
Gossip Isn’t Always Toxic: How Academic Librarians Can Use Informal Talk to Build Trust and Collaboration | Inclusive Knowledge Solutions Gossip has a bad reputation—and often for good reason. In academic libraries, as in any workplace, gossip can fracture teams, erode trust, and perpetuate bias. As we explored in our earlier blog post,...

7/ Let’s tell better stories together.

🎯 Reframe gossip as relationship-building
💡 Use it to surface what matters
💬 Celebrate the informal talk that builds cultures of trust

📖 Read more:

11.04.2025 13:43 — 👍 0    🔁 0    💬 0    📌 0

6/ Gossip is a cultural feedback loop.
It tells us what people are paying attention to—and what’s missing from formal conversations.

Are you listening? 👂

11.04.2025 13:43 — 👍 0    🔁 0    💬 1    📌 0

5/ On the flip side, character gossip can also uplift:

“She really listens.”
“He has your back.”
“They’re someone you can trust.”

These comments matter. They help shape our networks, build psychological safety, and support inclusive cultures. 🌱

11.04.2025 13:43 — 👍 0    🔁 0    💬 1    📌 0

4/ But not all gossip is kind.
Character-based gossip—especially negative—can erode teams and echo harmful stereotypes.

If your org is buzzing with personal critiques, ask: What’s not being said directly? What’s being allowed to fester?

11.04.2025 13:43 — 👍 0    🔁 0    💬 1    📌 0

3/ Informal admiration often precedes formal collaboration.

If you hear good things about someone’s leadership or innovation, say it to them. Invite them to co-present, co-author, or just chat.

It builds trust faster than formal recognition. 🤝

11.04.2025 13:43 — 👍 1    🔁 0    💬 1    📌 0

2/ “Did you hear their library rolled out AI tools?”
“I heard they went textbook-free and adopted all OER.”
“That director just secured funding for a community archive.”

These aren’t just rumors—they’re signals. 👀

11.04.2025 13:43 — 👍 0    🔁 0    💬 1    📌 0

1/ Gossip gets a bad rap—but what if it isn’t always toxic?

In our newest blog at Inclusive Knowledge Solutions, we explore how academic librarians can use informal talk to build trust and spark collaboration. 🧵

11.04.2025 13:43 — 👍 0    🔁 0    💬 1    📌 0
Screen capture of a Zoom call with images of four speakers: Rusty Michalak, David Mellor, COS, Aaron Tay, and Sara Rouhi

Screen capture of a Zoom call with images of four speakers: Rusty Michalak, David Mellor, COS, Aaron Tay, and Sara Rouhi

Thank you speakers @davidmellor.bsky.social @rouhiroo.bsky.social & @aarontay.bsky.social for a lively discussion of the future of #OpenAccess! Special shoutout to moderator @rsmichalak.bsky.social for coordinating the program. See niso.org/events for upcoming webinars in our monthly series!

09.04.2025 18:51 — 👍 6    🔁 1    💬 0    📌 0
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381 books removed from the Naval Academy Library Maya Angelou's "I Know Why the Caged Bird Sings" was among the 381 books that were removed.

Maya Angelou's "I Know Why the Caged Bird Sings" was among the 381 books that were recently removed from the U.S. Naval Academy's Nimitz Library, according to a list released by the Navy Friday.

www.axios.com/2025/04/06/n...

09.04.2025 10:51 — 👍 25    🔁 12    💬 1    📌 4
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How Iowa Flattened Literature With help from the CIA, Paul Engle’s writing students battled Communism and eggheaded abstraction. The damage to writing still lingers.

With CIA help, writers were enlisted to battle both Communism and eggheaded abstraction. The damage to writing lingers. chroni.cl/4iTCUaw

07.04.2025 20:54 — 👍 7    🔁 5    💬 0    📌 0
NISO logo. The Future of Open Access: Beyond the Nelson Memo. Wednesday, April 9, 2025. 11:00 am–12:00 pm EDT. Speakers: David Mellor, Senior Policy Analyst, Center for Open Science Russell Michalak, Library Director, Goldy-Beacom College Sara Rouhi, Director, Open Science & Publishing Innovation, AIP Publishing Aaron Tay, Head of Resource & Data Services, Singapore Management University. https://niso.org/events/

NISO logo. The Future of Open Access: Beyond the Nelson Memo. Wednesday, April 9, 2025. 11:00 am–12:00 pm EDT. Speakers: David Mellor, Senior Policy Analyst, Center for Open Science Russell Michalak, Library Director, Goldy-Beacom College Sara Rouhi, Director, Open Science & Publishing Innovation, AIP Publishing Aaron Tay, Head of Resource & Data Services, Singapore Management University. https://niso.org/events/

Join us Wednesday, April 9 (11:00 am EDT) to explore where #OpenAccess is headed post-Nelson memo! Featuring moderator @rsmichalak.bsky.social & speakers @davidmellor.bsky.social @rouhiroo.bsky.social & @aarontay.bsky.social FREE to NISO members: niso.org/events/futur...

07.04.2025 19:21 — 👍 7    🔁 3    💬 0    📌 0
“Sorry” Is Never Enough: Leading With Equity When Advocacy Is Ignored | Inclusive Knowledge Solutions There’s a unique frustration many academic library leaders know too well: you advocate for your department—student workers, temporary staff, frontline librarians—and the reply you get from senior lead...

”‘Sorry’ is never enough—especially when advocacy is ignored. Leaders and managers must do more than apologize. They must act.
Read our latest post on leading with equity even when your voice isn’t valued. 🔗👇

06.04.2025 17:15 — 👍 0    🔁 0    💬 0    📌 0
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If you are at ACRL, my poster on From Ethics to Execution: the role of Academic Librarians in AI policy making is up in the exhibit hall.

03.04.2025 14:22 — 👍 4    🔁 0    💬 0    📌 0
NISO logo. The Future of Open Access: Beyond the Nelson Memo. Wednesday, April 9, 2025. 11:00 am–12:00 pm EDT. Speakers: David Mellor, Senior Policy Analyst, Center for Open Science Russell Michalak, Library Director, Goldy-Beacom College Sara Rouhi, Director, Open Science & Publishing Innovation, AIP Publishing Aaron Tay, Head of Resource & Data Services, Singapore Management University. https://niso.org/events/

NISO logo. The Future of Open Access: Beyond the Nelson Memo. Wednesday, April 9, 2025. 11:00 am–12:00 pm EDT. Speakers: David Mellor, Senior Policy Analyst, Center for Open Science Russell Michalak, Library Director, Goldy-Beacom College Sara Rouhi, Director, Open Science & Publishing Innovation, AIP Publishing Aaron Tay, Head of Resource & Data Services, Singapore Management University. https://niso.org/events/

What initiatives are driving #OpenAccess in a post-Nelson Memo world? Join our next webinar (Wed April 9 @11 am EDT) to explore with @rsmichalak.bsky.social @davidmellor.bsky.social @rouhiroo.bsky.social & @aarontay.bsky.social! Monthly webinars are free to NISO members: niso.org/events/futur...

24.03.2025 16:10 — 👍 4    🔁 3    💬 0    📌 0

For #LegalWriting folks to look at. @lwionline.bsky.social

21.03.2025 11:05 — 👍 7    🔁 3    💬 0    📌 0
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Fostering Ethical AI Integration in First-Year Writing: A Case Study on Human-Tool Collaboration in Artificial Intelligence Literacy As artificial intelligence (AI) tools become integral to education, fostering ethical engagement and academic integrity is paramount. This column explores the integration of AI tools, including Gra...

6/ Read the full article here: www.tandfonline.com/eprint/NGNJA...

How is your institution handling AI in academic writing? Are you seeing debates over AI ethics in education? Let’s talk. #AI #AIEthics #AcademicWriting #HigherEd #Libraries

20.03.2025 21:26 — 👍 2    🔁 0    💬 0    📌 0

5/ This case study presents a scalable model for ethical AI use in education—one that preserves student agency while embracing innovation.

20.03.2025 21:26 — 👍 0    🔁 0    💬 1    📌 0

4/ Instead of punitive AI detection, we focused on ethics, critical thinking, and structured learning. The result? Students made more intentional, reflective choices about how to use AI.

20.03.2025 21:26 — 👍 0    🔁 0    💬 1    📌 0

3/ Key insights:

AI can enrich learning—but only when students are in control.
Equity matters—institutional licenses ensured all students had access.
Some students resisted AI, and we made space for that resistance.
AI doesn’t replace creativity—it’s a tool, not a shortcut.

20.03.2025 21:26 — 👍 0    🔁 0    💬 1    📌 0

2/ We integrated Grammarly, Scholarcy, and ImageFX into first-year writing courses, using Lo’s CLEAR framework to guide ethical AI engagement. Students learned to collaborate with AI, not rely on it blindly.

20.03.2025 21:26 — 👍 0    🔁 0    💬 1    📌 0

1/ Exciting news! Our latest article, Fostering Ethical AI Integration in First-Year Writing, is now out in the Journal of Library Administration! 🎉 We explored how AI tools can enhance student learning while preserving academic integrity. 🧵👇

20.03.2025 21:26 — 👍 1    🔁 1    💬 1    📌 1

@rsmichalak is following 20 prominent accounts