Twenty‐eight University of Michigan students (12 first‐generation/low‐income and 16 from more educated, affluent families) were invited online to provide open‐ended responses and photographs representative of their experiences during COVID‐19, in a modified Photovoice approach. Given the literature, we expected that cultural mismatch, class stereotypes, and relative deprivation would be relevant features of the accounts of self‐identified first‐generation/lower‐income students’ experience, in contrast to their peers. Using thematic analysis, three themes differentiated the written accounts of the experiences of the two groups of students: changed environmental demands, comparison to similar or different other students, and change or continuity in the availability of institutional support. Both groups of students shared concerns about issues with mental health, and concern for family. While first‐generation/lower‐income students reported that they experienced less access to space and quiet for their schoolwork, their counterparts reported that their conditions for studying were better. Additionally, when comparing themselves to others, first‐generation students mentioned their best guesses about the experiences of more affluent students, while nonfirst‐generation students tended to compare themselves to those like themselves. Finally, while nonfirst‐generation students wrote of continued institutional support and dedication to schoolwork, first‐generation students reported having fewer resources for academic success.

Purpose Reflecting on the new ACRL Framework, a deficiency was observed in literature on the assessment of information literacy instruction in chat reference. An evaluation of recent chat transactions was undertaken and the purpose of the study was twofold. The purpose of this study is to discover if and how librarians were teaching information literacy skills in chat reference transactions and identify best practices to develop training and resources. Design/methodology/approach To start, a literature review was performed to identify current industry standards. A rubric, influenced by the ACRL Framework, was developed to evaluate chat transactions from one semester. Results from the assessment were compiled and interpreted to determine current practices. Findings This study identified the necessity of balancing customer service and instruction to manage student expectations and encourage successful chats. Best practices and strategies that librarians can use to provide a well-rounded service were culled for the development of training and resources. Originality/value Reference assumes a large portion of the services that academic librarians provide to students. As technology advances, librarians are relying on virtual platforms, including chat reference, as convenient and useful tools to provide reference services to the academic community. While face-to-face reference encourages information literacy instruction, it is challenging to perform the same instruction in a virtual setting where expectations are based on retail models. With the growing use of virtual services, evaluating the success of chat reference based on industry standards is imperative.

Using an intersectional framework, we assessed how gender stereotypes applied to women with different race and class identities who experienced gender-based mistreatment. Thematic content analysis of 238 responses to a woman in a vignette, who varied in terms of race and class, revealed three themes: action or inaction, living conditions, and education. Sexual assault drew significantly more comments about the woman’s actions and inaction than sexual harassment, as did a middle-class versus a working-class woman. Conversely, living conditions surfaced more for the working-class woman. Finally, education came up most in sexual harassment accounts. Qualitative features of the responses are also discussed.

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