Published: Aug 14, 2026 by Dr. Michele A. L. Villagran

As I reach the halfway point of my sabbatical, I’m excited to share an update about the work I’ve been doing on Culturally Competent Research in Library and Information Science, or CCRLIS.

This project has been many years in the making, and in 2026 it has truly taken off. My sabbatical, along with my acceptance into the CQ Fellows Program, has given me the time and space to redesign and expand CCRLIS internationally with a stronger focus on cultural competence, cultural intelligence, and cultural humility in LIS research.

At its core, CCRLIS is about developing evidence-based interventions that can help improve how researchers and practitioner-researchers approach diversity, equity, and inclusion throughout the research process. This includes how research teams are formed, how research questions are developed, how methods are selected, and how we interpret the communities and cultures represented in our work.

Since January, I have been working through the year-long CQ Fellows Program to refine the CCRLIS framework and develop several new resources, including an online course, workbook, podcast series, and scholarly book. The course is being designed for researchers, practitioner-researchers, faculty, and others who want to bring a more culturally competent lens to their research. It will include a framework, exercises, and materials that can also be incorporated into research methods courses.

The CQ Fellows Program has been especially valuable because it provides opportunities for monthly masterminds, individual coaching, and in-person retreats with cultural experts. These experts are contributing important perspectives that are shaping the development of the CCRLIS framework and related resources. They will also be part of surveys, interviews, and a new podcast series titled Bias By Us: Conversations on Culture and Research.

In February, I presented “Cultural Competence in LIS Research: Toward Inclusive, Sustainable Change” at the 10th International Conference on the Development and Assessment of Intercultural Competence, hosted by the Center for Educational Resources in Culture, Language, and Literacy at the University of Arizona. I also authored a related article for the SIETAR USA newsletter, which offers another look at the ideas driving this work.

The project is continuing to grow through publications and presentations. A publication has been submitted to American Libraries, and additional pieces are in progress for JELIS, Intercultural Connector, and Library & Information Science Research. I’m also looking forward to sharing this work at several upcoming conferences with students and alumni who have been involved in the project.

Presentations include events hosted by the Peralta Equity Conference, EBSS Virtual Research Forum, International Network for the Science of Team Science, American Library Association Annual, International Association for Conflict Management, International Association for Cross-Cultural Psychology, and the International Leadership Association.

I’m grateful for the opportunity this sabbatical has provided to deepen and expand CCRLIS, and I’m especially excited about how this work can support LIS researchers, educators, students, and professionals. For those interested in receiving future updates and following the continued progress of CCRLIS, please complete this form: https://forms.gle/CS8BAcUkvQvAXMHg8

The blog post will include a photo of the 2026 CQ Fellows March visit to a temple on Doi Suthep Mountain in Chiang Mai, Thailand where we had the opportunity to meet and ask questions of a current Monk: