'Relevant but Somewhat Outdated': Children's Librarians' Perspectives on Their Education and Training in the Southeastern United States
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| Title: | 'Relevant but Somewhat Outdated': Children's Librarians' Perspectives on Their Education and Training in the Southeastern United States |
|---|---|
| Language: | English |
| Authors: | Jinyi Lu, Brian W. Sturm, Pianran Wang, Yingying Wu |
| Source: | Journal of Education for Library and Information Science. 2025 66(4):406-421. |
| Availability: | Association for Library and Information Science Education. Available from: University of Toronto Press. 5201 Dufferin Street, Toronto, ON, M3H 5T8 Canada. Tel: 416-667–7929; Fax: 416-667–7832; e-mail: journals@utpress.utoronto.ca; e-mail: office@alise.org; Web site: https://www.utpjournals.press/loi/jelis |
| Peer Reviewed: | Y |
| Page Count: | 16 |
| Publication Date: | 2025 |
| Document Type: | Journal Articles Reports - Research |
| Education Level: | Higher Education Postsecondary Education |
| Descriptors: | Librarians, Librarian Attitudes, Library Education, Library Schools, Library Science, Childrens Literature, Course Content, Professional Development, Core Competencies, Job Skills, Educational Change |
| DOI: | 10.3138/jelis-2024-0054 |
| ISSN: | 0748-5786 2328-2967 |
| Abstract: | As the social support network in the United States struggles to address the myriad needs of the public, libraries are being asked to shoulder an increasingly varied set of responsibilities. Are they educated appropriately to meet these needs? We conducted in-depth, semi-structured video interviews with five experienced youth services professionals in the southeastern United States, transcribed them, and used NVivo to facilitate qualitative, collaborative coding. Our analysis revealed that, while they felt confident when entering the field years ago, children's librarians have had to adapt and extend their roles and duties such that their education from 10 years ago is now somewhat outdated. The "traditional" skills in reference, collection management, and readers' advisory are still fundamental, but our participants identified a particular emphasis on programming as a skill set vital to children's librarianship. Others expressed current needs for more knowledge of generative AI, youth development for marginalized identities, advocacy and public speaking, outcomes evaluation, and conflict resolution that were not covered in their degree programs. Interviewees also expressed more general concerns about the ongoing relevance of the master's degree. While LIS educators are constantly updating their curriculum content, we hope our research will inspire them to reflect on--and further adapt--the content and methods in the children's librarianship curriculum. |
| Abstractor: | As Provided |
| Entry Date: | 2025 |
| Accession Number: | EJ1485537 |
| Database: | ERIC |
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| Abstract: | As the social support network in the United States struggles to address the myriad needs of the public, libraries are being asked to shoulder an increasingly varied set of responsibilities. Are they educated appropriately to meet these needs? We conducted in-depth, semi-structured video interviews with five experienced youth services professionals in the southeastern United States, transcribed them, and used NVivo to facilitate qualitative, collaborative coding. Our analysis revealed that, while they felt confident when entering the field years ago, children's librarians have had to adapt and extend their roles and duties such that their education from 10 years ago is now somewhat outdated. The "traditional" skills in reference, collection management, and readers' advisory are still fundamental, but our participants identified a particular emphasis on programming as a skill set vital to children's librarianship. Others expressed current needs for more knowledge of generative AI, youth development for marginalized identities, advocacy and public speaking, outcomes evaluation, and conflict resolution that were not covered in their degree programs. Interviewees also expressed more general concerns about the ongoing relevance of the master's degree. While LIS educators are constantly updating their curriculum content, we hope our research will inspire them to reflect on--and further adapt--the content and methods in the children's librarianship curriculum. |
|---|---|
| ISSN: | 0748-5786 2328-2967 |
| DOI: | 10.3138/jelis-2024-0054 |
