Karen Kaufmann

Karen Kaufmann is an Assistant Professor of Instruction at the University of South Florida's School of Information, focusing on information literacy, user relevance, and the interplay between theory and practice in information science. She brings over 12 years of academic librarianship and teaching experience to her role.

• Ph.D., Queensland University of Technology
• MLIS, University of South Florida
• B.S. & B.A., West Virginia Wesleyan

Her research explores:

• Transdisciplinary nature of information literacy
• Academic library support for transfer students
• Information ecologies and international dimensions of information science

Recent publications emphasize cross-institutional studies on information literacy assessment, crisis librarianship during the pandemic, and disciplinary identity in information literacy. These works reflect her commitment to bridging theory with practical implementation.

Scientific Awards

• Beta Phi Mu Eugene Garfield Doctoral Dissertation Fellowship (2017)

She is actively involved in international collaborations, currently co-leading the Information Literacy is a Discipline (ILIAD) group and co-editing a book project on information literacy.