PALNI-funded research explores information literacy needs of religious leaders

Photo by Brittany Purlee, courtesy of Anabaptist Mennonite Biblical Seminary

INDIANAPOLIS—The Private Academic Library Network of Indiana (PALNI) is pleased to announce the completion of the research project “Information Literacy Assessment of Religious Leaders,” supported by a $4,405 PALNI Library Innovation Research Grant. The project was coordinated by Karl Stutzman, former Director of Library Services at Anabaptist Mennonite Biblical Seminary, in collaboration with research consultants Ruth Szpunar and Eric Bradley, co-founders of Aestiva Solutions.

The study explored how faith leaders seek, evaluate, and share information in an era of rapid technological and social change. Through surveys and interviews with clergy across denominations, the research offers new insight into the information behaviors of religious leaders—and how libraries and educators can better support them in navigating today’s complex information landscape.

Key findings highlight:

• A need for better source evaluation frameworks. Faith leaders often struggle with the reliability of online content and the challenge of guiding others toward credible information. Many expressed concern about misinformation and media bias in their communities.
  
  
• Digital literacy and media engagement skills. Leaders are adapting to fast-paced, digital information environments. Smartphones and online searches are now routine tools, but they also contribute to information overload and distraction. Leaders voiced interest in toolkits to help them responsibly engage with the media and digital platforms.
  
  
• The importance of diverse perspectives. Many leaders acknowledged the value of incorporating voices from marginalized communities to broaden their own understanding and better serve diverse congregations.
  
  
• Information sharing as a communal act. Rather than treating information evaluation as an individual task, clergy described processing information collaboratively with colleagues and congregants.
  
  
• Gaps in academic resource access and training. Some leaders were unaware they could use theological or university libraries. Improved outreach and support from libraries could help bridge this gap.

“Our team started with some hypotheses about ways religious leaders are approaching information literacy in a time of rapid technological and social change, but there was scant research to help us identify ways librarians could collaborate with them,” says Stutzman. “We now know that religious leaders prize information literacy skills and model them in various ways. At the same time, we learned that these same leaders need toolkits for building up information literacy in their communities.” 

This research provides new opportunities for librarians to work collaboratively with clergy in equipping them with information literacy skills that ripple outward through their congregations and broader networks.

PALNI deep collaboration

A panel of PALNI librarians collaborated with Stutzman to lead this research. The project team included James Bell, Director of Libraries at Anderson University; Amy Bryant, Library Director at Earlham College; Tonya Fawcett, Library Director at Grace College & Seminary; and Roger Peters, Assistant Director of Library and Information Services at Concordia Theological Seminary. Their interdisciplinary expertise and the diverse religious affiliations of their institutions significantly informed this research.

A detailed report highlighting the research findings will be shared with broader academic and faith-based communities. This report will provide valuable insights and serve as a foundational resource for developing information literacy models applicable to faith community leadership.

For more information about “Information Literacy Assessment of Religious Leaders,” see the original announcement on the PALNI website. For more information about PALNI, visit the consortium online.

###

About Aestiva Solutions

Aestiva Solutions exists to help academic libraries make a big impact. Founded in 2019 by Eric Bradley and Ruth Szpunar, the company specializes in library support solutions for library websites, analytics, usability and user needs assessments, and reference and user services. They seek to be an energetic and fun, yet focused and goal-oriented team for your organization. Visit https://aestivasolutions.com/ to learn more and subscribe to the quarterly Aestiva Solutions Campfire newsletter.

About the Private Academic Library Network of Indiana

The Private Academic Library Network of Indiana (PALNI) is a non-profit organization that supports collaboration for library and information services for 23 colleges, universities and seminaries throughout the state. From its inception in 1992, the PALNI collaboration has been a key avenue for its supported institutions to contain costs while providing more effective library services. More recently, PALNI has adopted a model of deep collaboration that pools resources and people as a tool to expand services while containing costs. Simultaneously, PALNI is expanding collaboration within its institutions and with external library partners to address challenges and build cost-effective services. Visit http://palni.org for more information.

PALNI Supported Institutions 

Anabaptist Mennonite Biblical Seminary | Anderson University | Bethel University | Butler University | Concordia Theological Seminary | Christian Theological Seminary | DePauw University | Earlham College | Franklin College | Goshen College | Grace College | Hanover College | Huntington University | Manchester University | Marian University | University of Saint Francis | Saint Mary-of-the-Woods College | Saint Mary’s College | Saint Meinrad’s Seminary and School of Theology | Taylor University | Trine University | University of Indianapolis | Wabash College