This special theme issue on emergent academic literacies grew from a curiosity around the implementation of the new ACRL Framework. The Framework is refreshingly un-prescriptive, challenging libraries and librarians to appreciate the intellectual and social arc of information. Libraries and librarians must recognize emergent theory, ideas, and paradigm shifts, along with their practical and logistical manifestations. What are libraries and librarians facing as they implement the Framework? Are there academic libraries and librarians that are implementing the Framework in innovative ways? More importantly for this special issue, are there new literacies that have emerged because of the Framework?