Leslie joined the NMSU Library's Reference & Research Services in August 2023. Prior to this, Leslie held positions as a reference and instruction librarian, as well as an information literacy coordinator at St. Ambrose University, and as an Information Services supervisor at the Davenport Public Library. Both are in Davenport, IA. Leslie holds a BA in history and French from the University of Akron, an MA in library and information science from the University of Iowa, and a Master of Organizational Leadership from St. Ambrose University.

Research Interests

• The ACRL Framework for Information Literacy in Higher Education: Impact on student learning and cross-curricular faculty partnerships
• Asset-based pedagogies applied to Information Literacy Instruction
• Mindfulness practice as a tool to understand cognitive biases in information-seeking

Publications & Conference Presentations (selected)

Publications

• Miller, S., Ross, L., and Maye, K. (2026). The Framework's next chapter: An interview with ACRL’s Framework for Information Literacy for Higher Education Review and Revision Task Force leaders Sara Miller and Leslie Ross.  College & Research Libraries News, 87 (2).  
• Ross, L. (2025).  A slow approach to visual literacy in higher education: Lesson plans for critical discernment.  [Book Review]. Dana Statton Thompson and Stephanie Beene. ALA Neal-Schuman, 2025, xxii-202 pp., $49.99 (paperback), ISBN-13: 979-8-89255-568-5.
• Ross, L. (2024).  Unframing the visual: Visual literacy pedagogy in academic libraries and information spaces.  [Book Review]. Edited by Maggie Murphy, Stephanie Beene, Katie Greer, Sara Schumacher, and Dana Statton Thompson. Association of College and Research Libraries, [Review ] Public Services Quarterly, 20(3), 93–194.  https://doi.org/10.1080/15228959.2024.2361192.42
• Ross, L.M. (2020). From standards to threshold concepts, knowledge practices, and learner dispositions: Rethinking formal information literacy instruction in higher education. In H. Julien, M. Gross, & D. Latham (Eds.),  The Information Literacy Framework: Case studies of successful implementation  (pp. 65-77). Rowman & Littlefield.

Presentations

• Ross, L. ( 2025, Nov.14-15 ).  Supporting mindful living at the heart of the library community . [Conference presentation]. BRLA Annual Conference, Las Cruces, NM.  

• Ross, L. (2025, August 13).  Leveraging AI for equitable information literacy  [Online presentation]. Digital Pedagogy Institute Conference, Waterloo, Ontario, Canada.  

• Ross, L. & Karshmer, E. (2025, July 31).  Increasing equity in IL instruction: Leveraging AI tools to address gaps in learning  [Online presentation]. NMCAL Library Director’s Retreat. Gallup, NM.  

• Ross, L. (2024, November 7).  Incorporating information literacy principles in your instruction , [Online presentation]. NMSU Teaching Academy. Las Cruces, NM, United States.   

• Ross, L. (2024, October 24-25).  Slaying barriers to learning: Creating safe spaces to explore information literacy  [Conference presentation]. NMLA Annual Conference, Carlsbad, NM.  

• Ross, L. (2024, April 16-17).  Mindfulness practice: An oasis in the desert . NMSU Teaching Academy. Las Cruces, NM.  

• Ross, L. (2024, January 10).  Creating inclusive and engaging communities of learning for all students  [Online presentation]. Lifelong Information Literacy (LILi).  https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hpDxdUrUj44  

• Ross, L. (2016).  Shifting from standards to threshold concepts, knowledge practices, and learner dispositions to rethink formal information literacy instruction in higher education , American Library Association Annual Conference, Orlando, FL.