Lijuan Xu

Lijuan Xu is a distinguished researcher and information literacy specialist at Lafayette College's Skillman Library, where she manages all aspects of research and instructional services. Recognized with the Marquis Distinguished Teaching Award, she has pioneered innovative approaches to information literacy that move beyond traditional models to critically examine power dynamics in knowledge creation.

Her research focuses on critical information literacy, epistemic justice, and the examination of positionality in scholarly communication. Xu's work consistently centers on amplifying marginalized voices and challenging reductive thinking in academic discourse. She has developed a non-discipline based approach to information literacy that has been implemented across Lafayette College without formal curriculum mandates, as detailed in her 2020 chapter in The Hidden Architectures of Information Literacy Programs.

Xu's recent publications reveal a strong trend toward critical approaches that interrogate assumptions, intentions, and silences in knowledge production. Her 2024 article in the New Review of Academic Librarianship examines information literacy through the lens of epistemic justice, while her 2025 LILAC Conference presentation reimagines first-year seminars by analyzing 'Clean Stoves in India and Bill Gates' Chickens' as a case study in problematic problem-solving approaches.

• Marquis Distinguished Teaching Award (Lafayette College)
• 2005 Publication of the Year, ACRL Instruction Section
• ALA Library Instruction Round Table Top 20 Articles (2017, 2024)

As an active leader in the field, Xu serves on the Information Literacy Standing Committee of the International Federation of Library Associations (2023-2026) and chairs the Research and Scholarship Committee of the ACRL Instruction Section. She has developed significant collaborations across disciplines, notably with mechanical engineering faculty on first-year seminars and with art faculty on studio course integration. Her grant initiative work supports faculty in incorporating information literacy concepts throughout the curriculum through assignment redesign, recommended readings, and co-led class discussions.

Xu leads no formal research lab but directs Skillman Library's information literacy program and grant initiative, fostering collaborative scholarship through research curation projects and digital exhibitions as documented in her 2024 Canadian Journal of Academic Librarianship article 'Extraction on Display.'