Researchers from the university of illinois chicago and university of wisconsin-madison will investigate academic library leader decision-making around technological adoption and create a tool to…

The Institute of Museum and Library Services awarded the University of Illinois $580,232 on September 1, 2026, under the Laura Bush 21st Century Librarian Program (CFDA 45.313) to investigate academic library leader decision-making around technological adoption and create a decision-support tool for evaluating emerging technologies.

Researchers from the University of Illinois Chicago and University of Wisconsin-Madison will conduct applied research comprising a literature review, interviews with academic library leaders, and tool development and testing. The project addresses the gap between rapid technological cycles—including blockchain, virtual reality headsets, and online badges—and library leaders' lack of practical, evidence-based resources to guide adoption decisions. The resulting tool will support library leaders in making technology decisions informed by documented guidelines and resources rather than reactive speed.

Place of performance is Chicago, Illinois. The period of performance runs from September 1, 2026, through August 31, 2029. The funding is classified as a Project Grant under the Laura Bush 21st Century Librarian Program, which supports recruitment, development, and retention of library and archives professionals and builds institutional capacity of libraries and library science graduate programs.

Researchers from the university of illinois chicago and university of wisconsin-madison will investigate academic library leader decision-making around technological adoption and create a tool to support evidence-based decisions around future technologies. As technological trends such as blockchain, virtual reality headsets, and online badges cycle through mainstream media and professional discussions, academic library leaders are continually challenged to make smart bets on these technologies, often at rapid speed. However, library leaders lack practical evidence-based tools to support this decision making and there is little known about the guidelines and resources they use to support or reject emerging technology adoption. This applied research project will include a literature review, interviews with academic library leaders, and tool development and testing, to support library leaders in making technology decisions.