2026 ALISE Annual Conference

Library professionals, who embody values of care, equity, justice, and trust, offer a strong foundation for exploring how academic institutions can cultivate empathy. Although the term empathy, first introduced by Titchener, has been widely studied, no single definition has achieved consensus, reflecting its multidimensional nature. This study, developed with an Empathy Studies scholar, proposes an experiential learning model for LIS students, emphasizing learning through real‑world engagement. Simulation—effective in health sciences education—offers similar promise for LIS. Inspired by the systems‑thinking design of C‑ROADS, we are exploring the feasibility of an online empathy simulator for the LIS students.