Institutions of higher education, academic libraries, and the Latinx student population have changed greatly over the last two decades. The number of Latinx students enrolled in higher education has increased 142% between 2000 and 2017, and there are now 523 Hispanic Serving Institutions (HSI).

The University of Nevada, Las Vegas (UNLV) is an HSI where 30.2% of undergraduates are Latinx. The presenters, both UNLV alumni, wanted to build upon and expand on previous research about Latinx undergraduate students and academic libraries. They specifically modeled their research on Denice Adkins and Lisa Hussey’s article “The Library in the Lives of Latino College Students.” Adkins and Hussey conducted 7 interviews in 2002 that asked students: Do [Latinx students] feel alienated from the library as an institution? What do they think about the library and about librarians? Does the library serve a cultural role for [Latinx students]?

In spring 2020, the presenters administered surveys and conducted interviews to see how (or if) views of the library and librarians had changed. This presentation will contextualize previous research, share preliminary findings, and offer suggestions for academic librarians working in HSIs.