Hello there -
I’m the Head Librarian (Acting) for Faculty Engagement in the Social Sciences & Humanities at the University of Alberta in Edmonton, Canada.
I also hold an appointment as Adjunct Senior Industry Fellow with the Social Equity Research Centre at RMIT University in Melbourne, Australia.
I share updates with this page.
To reach out: sarah.polkinghorne@ualberta.ca
I'm a librarian and information science (LIS) researcher with a longstanding focus on people’s everyday interactions with information, technology, institutions, and systems. My interests include information practices, critical perspectives on “generative AI,” embodiment, food life, and methodological advancement in LIS.
The dispersed practice of trial and error: Understanding adaptation, improvisation and change across food practices. (2026). Health Sociology Review [open access]
“I think I misspoke earlier. My bad!”: Exploring how generative artificial intelligence tools exploit society’s feeling rules. (2025). Lisa M. Given, Sarah Polkinghorne, & Alexandra Ridgway. New Media & Society [open access]
Describing the ephemeral: Facilitating rich search experiences with performing arts video collections. (2024). Lisa M. Given, Sarah Polkinghorne, Joann Cattlin, & David Carlin. Proceedings of the 2024 Annual Meeting of the Association for Information Science & Technology (ASIS&T)
Transdisciplinarity: An imperative for information behaviour research. (2024). Sarah Polkinghorne, Paul Bowell, & Lisa M. Given. Information Research [open access]
Structural elements and spheres of expertise: Creating a healthy ecosystem for cultural data initiatives. (2023). Lisa M. Given, Sarah Polkinghorne, Joann Cattlin. Journal of the Association for Information Science & Technology [open access]
Information practices, plural: Exploring multiplicity and mutual constitution of practices. Proceedings of the 2023 Annual Meeting of the Association for Information Science & Technology (ASIS&T) [Award: 3rd Prize, Best Short Paper]
Getting past “approachability”: What cultural humility brings to library and information education. (2023). Lilliana Montoya & Sarah Polkinghorne. In Hopeful visions, practical actions: Cultural humility in library work, eds. Sarah Kostelecky, Lori Townsend, and David Hurley. ALA Editions (USA) and Facet (UK/Europe) [open access]
Love is a lens: Locating love in library and information studies. (2022). Mary Greenshields & Sarah Polkinghorne. Library Trends.
Holistic information research: From rhetoric to paradigm. (2021). Sarah Polkinghorne & Lisa M. Given. Journal of the Association for Information Science & Technology.
Recent Publications
Going down a Wikipedia rabbit hole? Science says you’re one of these three types.The Conversation
The State Library of Victoria controversy shows what can happen when institutions cling to “neutrality.”The Conversation
Librarians have good reasons to ‘weed’ books from their shelves. Why is book removal so controversial?The Conversation
Cumberland Council’s book ban has been overturned, but what is really happening in Australian libraries? Australian Broadcasting Corporation (from The Conversation)
50 years on, Dungeons & Dragons is still a gaming staple. What’s behind its monumental success?The Conversation
Is AI coming for our kids? Why the latest wave of pop-cultural tech anxiety should come as no surprise.The Conversation
Other Writing
Commentary & analysis
Presentations
Upcoming & recent
Working with library collections in the health sciences. Guest lecture for LIS 520: Health Sciences Librarianship, School of Library and Information Studies, University of Alberta (May 2025)
“Transformative” agreements between publishers and libraries. Guest lecture for LIS 591: Publishing, School of Library and Information Studies, University of Alberta (February 2024)
What does it mean to engage in transdisciplinary research? Preparing for future collaborations. Workshop with Lisa Given for the QUT Digital Media Research Centre / ARC Centre of Excellence for Automated Decision-Making and Society Summer School, Queensland University of Technology (February 2024)
Building a bigger table: Food research, methods, policy, and action in library and information science. A panel chaired by Xiaotong Du, with Melissa Ocepek and Kaitlin Costello, for the 86th Annual Meeting of the Association for Information Science and Technology (October 2023)
Teaching
Recent experiences
Human Information Interaction for the University of Alberta’s School of Library and Information Studies. An exploration of how people experience information [link to Winter 2021 syllabus]
Information Resource Discovery for the University of Ottawa’s School of Information Studies. An introduction to information services, information interaction and practices, and advanced search concepts and techniques (for Fall 2020 — I adapted and built the course for online)
Practice
The core of my current librarian work is leading a team of faculty engagement librarians. Relationships are at the core of our work. We raise awareness and understanding of the library with researchers and students, and we advocate for their needs in the creation of library collections and services.
Service
Current and recent commitments
Co-chair, Papers, Information Seeking in Context 2026, Montréal.
2024-2026 Award Jury Chair, Best JASIST Paper, Association for Information Science & Technology
On-Site Event Manager, Taylor Swift Fanposium, Capitol Theatre, RMIT University, Melbourne (Media: BBC, The Guardian, ABC Radio National)
Past President (2021-2022), Canadian Association for Information Science/L'association canadienne des sciences de l'information (CAIS/ACSI)
Reviewing for Journal of the Association for Information Science & Technology, Library Trends, Evidence-Based Library and Information Practice, Journal of Documentation, and others