Alicia G. Vaandering, MLIS, MA

  • Associate Professor, University Libraries - Head of Instruction
  • Office: 125 Library
  • Phone: 401.874.5086
  • Email: avaandering@uri.edu

Biography

Alicia G. Vaandering is an Associate Professor and the Head of Instruction at the University Libraries. As Head of Instruction, Alicia oversees the Library’s information literacy program and instructional services, teaches credit-bearing courses, and collaborates with Public Services faculty to improve student research and information literacy skills and to support student success across campus. Her teaching is student-centered, aiming to increase student agency and learning through inclusive pedagogy and active learning opportunities.

Before joining the URI faculty in 2020, Alicia was the Education and Instruction Design Librarian for McKillop Library at Salve Regina University. She also worked for the Talent Development Program as an instructor (2017-2020), the South County History Center (2014-2019), the URI Department of History as a teaching assistant (2014-2016), and the URI 125th Steering Committee as Special Projects Coordinator (2016-2017).

Pronouns: she/her

Research

Information literacy, Reflective teaching, Alternative grading methods, LGBTQIA+ representation in children’s literature

Education

M.A. in History, University of Rhode Island, 2019
M.L.I.S., University of Rhode Island, 2016
B.A. in History, Willamette University, 2007

Selected Publications

Articles

Vaandering, A.G., & Crego-Emley, A. (2025). The library instructor as learner: A survey of reflective teaching practices in US academic libraries. Communications in Information Literacy, 19(2), 220–241. https://doi.org/10.15760/comminfolit.2025.19.2.5

Vaandering, A.G., & Rosenzweig, J.W. (2023). Every color of the rainbow: A framework for analyzing LGBTQIA + representation in children’s picture books. Journal of LGBT Youth, 21(1), 150-179. https://doi.org/10.1080/19361653.2023.2182395 

 

Papers Published in Conference Proceedings

Vaandering, A.G. (2024).  Sowing seeds for success: Equitable grading in the information literacy classroom. In LOEX Conference proceedings 2024 (pp. 195-204). Eastern Michigan University. https://commons.emich.edu/loexconf2024/33/ 

Vaandering, A.G., Melilli, A., & Rosenzweig, J.W. (2023). Sharing pride through curriculum materials collections: The evolution of LGBTQIA+ representation in picture books. In D.M. Mueller (Ed.), Forging the future: The proceedings of the ACRL 2023 Conference (pp. 251-263). Association of College and Research Libraries. http://www.ala.org/acrl/conferences/acrl2023/papers 

 

Book Chapters

Vaandering, A.G., & Crego-Emley, A. (2026). Unloading the brain for student success: Navigating cognitive load in a first-year information literacy course (pp. 63–76). In C. McAllister, E.C. Rose, & S.C. Kern (Eds.), From chaos to order: Addressing cognitive overload in the learning journey.  Bloomsbury Publishing.

Vaandering, A.G., Izenstark, A., Braun, C., Cunningham, E., Kirkendall, R., & Marasco, L. (2024). Introducing emerging library instructors to information literacy instruction through programmatic instruction. In M.W. Johnson (Ed.), Training library instructors, Vol 1: A guide to training graduate students (pp. 83-103). ACRL Press. https://digitalcommons.uri.edu/lib_ps_pubs/83/    

Vaandering, A.G. (2023). Build on what you have: Developing strategic information literacy through curriculum mapping. In A. Nichols Hess (Ed.), Instructional identities and information literacy: Transforming our profession, our institutions, our programs, and ourselves.  ACRL Press. https://digitalcommons.uri.edu/lib_ps_pubs/84/   

Vaandering, A.G. (2023). Encouraging curiosity and experimentation with ungrading. In T. Walsh & C. Tysick (Eds.), Intellectual curiosity and the role of libraries: The first and second year college experience. SUNY Pressbooks. https://intellectualcuriosity.pressbooks.sunycreate.cloud/chapter/encouraging-curiosity-and-experimentation-with-ungrading/

 

Presentations

Crego-Emley, A., Vaandering, A.G., Allbee, M., Hobin, L., & Olson, H. E. (2026, May 21). Growing together: Building communities of practice for MLIS students and librarian instructors [Conference session]. Rhode Island Library Association (RILA) Annual Conference 2026, Kingston, RI, United States. https://digitalcommons.uri.edu/lib_ps_presentations/33/ 

Vaandering, A.G., & Crego-Emley, A. (2025, June 29). Reflective teaching as a catalyst for change: Inspiring new approaches in library instruction [Conference session]. American Library Association Annual Conference 2025, Philadelphia, PA. https://digitalcommons.uri.edu/lib_ps_presentations/28/ 

Melilli, A., Vaandering, A.G., & Rosenzweig, J. (2025, February 21). Reading the rainbow: Exploring themes and identities in LGBTQIA+ picture book [Conference session]. Children’s Literature Assembly Online Research Conference, online. https://digitalcommons.uri.edu/lib_ps_presentations/26/ 

Crego-Emley​, A., Vaandering, A.G., & Cassaday, C. (2024, June 3). Teaching there…and back again: Building a practice of reflective teaching [Conference session]. Association of College & Research Libraries–New England Chapter (ACRL-NEC) and New England Library Instruction Group (NELIG) Annual Conference 2024, Worcester, MA.  https://digitalcommons.uri.edu/lib_ps_presentations/19/ 

Vaandering, A.G. (2024, May 4). Sowing seeds for success: Equitable grading in the information literacy classroom [Conference session].  LOEX 2024, Naperville, IL. https://digitalcommons.uri.edu/lib_ps_presentations/23/ 

Melilli, A., Vaandering, A.G., & Rosenzweig, J.W. (2023, June 25). Stories to empower our communities: Promoting diverse LGBTQIA+ narratives in picture book collections [Conference session]. American Library Association Annual Conference 2023, Chicago, IL. https://digitalcommons.uri.edu/lib_ps_presentations/24/

Vaandering, A.G. (2023, March 17). Increasing equity in the classroom through ungrading [Conference workshop].  ACRL 2023, Pittsburgh, PA. https://digitalcommons.uri.edu/lib_ps_presentations/25/