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'Relevant but Somewhat Outdated': Children's Librarians' Perspectives on Their Education and Training in the Southeastern United States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Title: 'Relevant but Somewhat Outdated': Children's Librarians' Perspectives on Their Education and Training in the Southeastern United States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have had to adapt and extend their roles and duties such that their education from 10 years ago is now somewhat outdated.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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  Value: <anid>AN0188368709;lii01oct.25;2025Oct03.06:49;v2.2.500</anid> <title id="AN0188368709-1">"Relevant but Somewhat Outdated": Children's Librarians' Perspectives on Their Education and Training in the Southeastern United States </title> <p>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.</p> <p>Keywords: children's librarianship; education; public libraries; training</p> <hd id="AN0188368709-2">Key Points:</hd> <p></p> <ulist> <item> This study examines the perceptions of five professionals in the southeastern United States who have extensive experience in youth librarianship concerning the value of the library education they received.</item> <p></p> <item> The results suggest that "traditional" library skills remain relevant to current youth librarianship; some content (particularly technology-related concepts) is now outdated and only broadly useful as a basis for understanding newer technologies.</item> <p></p> <item> LIS curricula need to undergo constant revision to remain "cutting edge" and serve the needs of the ever-changing marketplace.</item> </ulist> <p>The role of the children's librarian in the United States is changing. As the social support fabric of the nation frays and measures of social connectedness trend down (Kannan & Veazie, 2023), public libraries are being asked to take on more—and more varied—roles in society that move the collection far from its early-twentieth-century emphasis on print materials (i.e., by providing games, tools, seeds, toys, computers, sports equipment, musical instruments, art prints, cooking utensils, audiobooks, and Wi-Fi hotspots) and extend the responsibilities of the librarian well beyond the "traditional" services of programming, collection maintenance, and reference/readers' advisory (i.e., into conflict resolution, trauma-informed services, technologies, community-engaged practices, advocacy, activism). These changes require new knowledge, skills, and attitudes (KSAs) that must be acquired either during higher education experiences (typically a master's degree in library and information science, LIS) or as continuing education on the job.</p> <p>Many LIS schools offer coursework in children's librarianship; however, does this education truly meet the practical needs of children's librarians working in southeastern US public libraries in the twenty-first century? Are there additional KSAs that children's librarians need? Through in-depth interviews with five southeastern US librarians who have extensive experience in youth services, we aim to explore these questions. Specifically, we asked the following research questions:</p> <p></p> <ulist> <item> What courses and course content were the most relevant to their job responsibilities?</item> <p></p> <item> What training have they received post-graduation, and what are their perceptions of it?</item> <p></p> <item> What knowledge gaps exist that future education/training could fill?</item> </ulist> <hd id="AN0188368709-3">Literature review</hd> <p>Education for Library Service to Youth (ELSY) has been defined as "comprising those courses or subjects available through university study that deal with youth-oriented topics such as children's or young adult literature, youth services, or school librarianship.... In the United States ... formal youth-oriented library education has been available since 1899" ([<reflink idref="bib2" id="ref1">2</reflink>], pp. 33–34). The research in ELSY has employed several lenses to explore student learning, as addressed below.</p> <hd id="AN0188368709-4">Student educational background</hd> <p>[<reflink idref="bib4" id="ref2">4</reflink>] surveyed the motivation for entering the field of 96 master's students at the University of Alabama's School of Library and Information Studies. Demographically, 56% of their respondents held a Bachelor of Arts, 38% held a Bachelor of Science, and 14% held prior master's degrees. While most had "liberal arts backgrounds such as English or history, a substantial number ... come from fields such as business or science" (p. 239).</p> <p>[<reflink idref="bib40" id="ref3">40</reflink>] surveyed 240 practicing children's librarians to explore their perceptions of leadership and diversity. Part of their survey requested information on the participants' educational backgrounds. They found that 89.4% of respondents had completed their master's degree in library and information science and another 6.1% were in the process of completing it, but only 46% had completed a field placement of some kind. Participants' undergraduate educational backgrounds included a variety of majors: English 23.2%, education (18.7%), double majors (12.6%), history (10.1%), fine arts (5.1%), psychology (5.1%), sociology (3.5%), and communications/journalism (3%) (p. 32). Nearly 75% had "held other professional positions in libraries prior to their current positions" and "nearly three-quarters ... [had] worked with children in some volunteer or professional capacity" (p. 34).</p> <hd id="AN0188368709-5">Higher education curriculum</hd> <p>[<reflink idref="bib13" id="ref4">13</reflink>] summarized the education and training of librarians in children's librarianship around the world for the International Federation of Library Associations (IFLA). For example, the Fachschule für Bibliothekare "Erich Weinert" in Leipzig at that time had "no special training for children's librarians" (p. 53) in their three-year degree, though they did offer courses related to children's library work for all students, including such topics as children's literature, library work with children, and fieldwork (p. 54–55). In Norway, students focusing on public libraries were required to take a course in library work with children; children's literature, AV materials, and puppet theatre were optional (p. 85). Meanwhile, in Australia, courses were offered in resources for children and young adults, services for youth, and youth development and communication (p. 27). Library schools in Colombia and Nigeria offered courses predominantly addressing youth library administration and children's literature (pp. 39, 64–65).</p> <p>Nearly twenty years later, [<reflink idref="bib2" id="ref5">2</reflink>] surveyed "youth services instructors from five countries (Australia, Canada, New Zealand, the United Kingdom, and the United States) ... as to the content of youth-oriented classes they had taught between 2000 and 2003" (p. 33). The resulting coding scheme contained 100 codes for ELSY content, which fell into five overarching categories:</p> <p></p> <ulist> <item> Youth as Persons (culture; identity; youth development; multiculturalism; special needs; reading ability; caregivers' needs; and youth needs related to reading, information, and growth)</item> <p></p> <item> Youth Librarianship (advocacy; intellectual freedom; history and philosophy of youth services; professional resources; professional development; and youth services research)</item> <p></p> <item> Managing the Youth Library (general management; budgeting; developing goals and policies; and staff management)</item> <p></p> <item> Youth Materials (selection, promotion, evaluation, and use of materials; knowledge of various formats; history of youth publishing; literary characteristics; illustration techniques; author/illustrator studies)</item> <p></p> <item> Youth Services (general services; history of youth services; delivery, promotion, and evaluation of services; facilities; organizing materials; reader guidance; youth reference; outreach, collaboration, services for special groups; and programming) (p. 38)</item> </ulist> <p>[<reflink idref="bib24" id="ref6">24</reflink>] examined 53 ALA-accredited master's programs and 34 AASL-CAEP–certified school library programs to find 603 ELSY courses. They classified these courses into the following six subject types and tabulated the percentage of courses emphasizing each topic: literature (39%); services (26%); field experience (16%); management (8%); librarianship as a vocation (6%); research (5%) (p. 113). They conclude that "the knowledge of managing the youth library and youth librarianship has not received sufficient attention in the curriculum. The lack of courses on children as persons is a shortcoming of the content of ELSY, which shows the direction of content construction of ELSY curriculum in the future" (p. 114).</p> <p>Understanding how children acquire the skills of listening, speaking, reading, and writing, as well as being aware of how children cope with new experiences, is also crucial for children's librarians ([<reflink idref="bib10" id="ref7">10</reflink>]). Not only would these skills help children's librarians interact with children, but they would also help them assist parents in supporting their children in everyday life and educational contexts.</p> <hd id="AN0188368709-6">Higher Education/Practice Knowledge Gap</hd> <p>As early as 1937, Ethel M. Fair identified a gap between education and practice in terms of focus, claiming, "Until the curriculum preparing for library service leaps beyond the work of the library to its place and effectiveness in society, the profession will tread the endless belt of repetition" (p. 266-67). Nearly seventy years later, [<reflink idref="bib38" id="ref8">38</reflink>] suggested the disparity is pedagogical in that "Faculty should learn to practice what we profess. We often stand in front of silent note-taking students in sterile classrooms talking about active, empowered learners engaged in personalized or cooperative inquiries in resource-rich environments, using analytical and synthesis skills to go from data to information to knowledge. We talk about engaged learners taking ownership of their work, not as consumers of others' prepackaged ideas. What we are doing, however, belies our words" (p. 41). [<reflink idref="bib29" id="ref9">29</reflink>] frame the gap slightly differently, claiming that while "academics relentlessly push the profession toward theory and abstraction, practitioners pull with equal might toward day-to-day relevance" (p. 38).</p> <p>Margaret [<reflink idref="bib6" id="ref10">6</reflink>], in a book chapter for the Allerton Park Institute, expressed her concern over the schism between education and practice: "Though bonds between a significant number of library educators and other youth services professionals are indeed strong, it probably cannot be said that librarians in the specialties have any greater trust of library schools than their other librarian colleagues" (pp. 96–97). The solution she proposed is not to eradicate library education or the requirement for a master's degree (although that has been suggested by others, such as [<reflink idref="bib21" id="ref11">21</reflink>]) but instead: "As library schools have suffered declining enrollments and some have been closed in recent years, a growing number of writers have suggested that the professional schools ought to become individually more specialized rather than each trying to serve the broad spectrum of librarianship" (p. 97). This action would decrease competition between schools, increase the depth of education students receive in the specialty, and build stronger professional networks between students interested in similar LIS specialties.</p> <p>Through interviews with eight children's librarians, [<reflink idref="bib3" id="ref12">3</reflink>] found that many of their Swedish participants also experience a gap between their education and professional practice, including missing skills and knowledge. Their participants emphasized the lack of training in book talking, storytelling, and story times, effectively pointing to the lack of performance or public speaking skills. Other participants felt unprepared for cataloging, for knowing the myriad possible reference sources, and for being knowledgeable of children's literature.</p> <p>[<reflink idref="bib34" id="ref13">34</reflink>] analyzed the cooperative activities of children's librarians and school librarians in public libraries in rural areas of the United States and proposed that "pre-service school librarians and public librarians should be encouraged to interview or read literature about librarians who excel in developing community partnerships. Librarianship students also need to learn more strategies for coping with the challenges of networking with community stakeholders" (p. 171).</p> <p>[<reflink idref="bib28" id="ref14">28</reflink>] explained how the University of Illinois's Mix IT Up! project was begun to try to address the need for curricular reform. It was an educational innovation blending children's services librarianship with community engagement to further social justice agendas. This call for curricular reform recurs in a more recent study. [<reflink idref="bib32" id="ref15">32</reflink>] gathered data from a national survey, seven focus groups, and three informal virtual meetups to explore the perceptions of participants (youth library staff, state library youth consultants, library administrators, out-of-school-time service providers, and LIS faculty) regarding the changes occurring in the field and the skills needed to address them. Their findings corroborate [<reflink idref="bib30" id="ref16">30</reflink>] findings that the current work is people focused rather than materials focused; it involves more attention to mental health and social work than in prior years, which, along with scope creep, leaves youth librarians feeling overwhelmed (see [<reflink idref="bib11" id="ref17">11</reflink>]); diversity and social justice are an increasing emphasis in their work; community engagement and partnerships are vital KSAs in youth library practice; and programming and instruction for learning, particularly in STEAM disciplines, is a focus rather than literacy through story times and summer reading programs. They conclude that "clearly, now is the time to reimagine the LIS curriculum to ensure that YS students have the KSAs they need to successfully work with youth, families, and communities in public libraries.... If the LIS curricula can change to prepare these students for people-focused, equity-centered, trauma-informed praxis, children and teens across the nation will realize the benefits" (pp. 345–46).</p> <hd id="AN0188368709-7">Professional education/training</hd> <p>The tension around the responsibilities of higher education versus the profession (public libraries or library associations) for the training of children's librarians has its roots in the early development of public libraries in America in the late 1800s. While the first library school was founded by Melville Dewey in 1887 at Columbia College (now Columbia University) as the School of Library Economy, it offered no classes in children's librarianship; indeed, none were needed, as children were only beginning to be allowed in public library buildings. Early children's librarians, therefore, had no access to formal higher education coursework in children's librarianship; instead, they gained their specialized knowledge through an apprenticeship model working with an experienced, practicing children's librarian. As children began flooding into their spaces, public libraries began offering more formal training sessions of their own, such as the Carnegie Library of Pittsburgh's Training School for Children's Librarians, which offered a two-year course of study and a "diploma" of completion ([<reflink idref="bib8" id="ref18">8</reflink>]). The New York Public Library began its training course in 1906 ([<reflink idref="bib18" id="ref19">18</reflink>]). Universities quickly realized the educational opportunity, and, in 1899—three years after the Pratt Institute Free Library opened its children's room—the Pratt Institute became the first higher education institution to offer a course in librarianship for youth; it included "the study of children, the study of children's books, [and] the study of methods to be used in children's libraries" ([<reflink idref="bib9" id="ref20">9</reflink>], p. 38).</p> <p>And this tension remains. [<reflink idref="bib39" id="ref21">39</reflink>] suggested that the "children's librarians who are privileged to spend their workdays with young people also must be given the support and opportunities to do their jobs well" (p. 28). A children's librarian should be "directed to on-the-job training and continuing education opportunities in addition to their specialized formal coursework to achieve and maintain the skills, orientations, and understandings encompassed in the Competencies" (p. 26), since an "ALA-accredited MLS program may not deliver the best foundation for the future development of the ALSC competencies" (p. 27). She foregrounds how the Pennsylvania Commonwealth Library developed an innovative, five-year training program called Preschool Connections to build capacity and augment employees' higher education experiences.</p> <p>[<reflink idref="bib7" id="ref22">7</reflink>] found that "storytime providers, even with a master's in library and information science typically lack specialized training in child development, early literacy, and early learning that could expand understanding of how to incorporate and support alphabet principle and writing skills" (p. 383). This underscores the need for specialized training for librarians conducting these programs and emphasizes the gap between theoretical education and practical application.</p> <hd id="AN0188368709-8">Methods</hd> <p>For this exploratory study, we recruited via snowball sampling five librarians in the southeastern United States who were experienced in youth services and conducted semi-structured video interviews via Zoom from October 9 to December 12, 2023. These interviews lasted 40 to 60 minutes. Four of our respondents had professional master's degrees in library science, all from different LIS programs, and one had a Bachelor's in elementary education. We gathered basic information about the respondents, including their libraries, positions, and educational backgrounds. Then we requested their perspectives on their preparatory education and any post-graduation training they had received. Finally, we explored whether their educational and training experiences adequately met the needs of their daily work and, if not, what changes they would suggest.</p> <p>After receiving University of North Carolina Institutional Review Board approval and obtaining the consent of the interviewees, we recorded the Zoom interviews in both audio and video formats to ensure that the interview could be fully captured. We then transcribed the audio interview data into text through a combination of automatic machine transcription and manual transcription (reviewing the captured video to clarify our understanding when audio quality was low) and used NVivo ([<reflink idref="bib41" id="ref23">41</reflink>]) for qualitative analysis and coding. To reduce potential shortcomings associated with individual coding, we implemented a collaborative coding approach. Two researchers worked together to extract the core content from the interview texts. After one researcher completed the coding, a second researcher reviewed the codes for incorrect inferences and missed concepts ([<reflink idref="bib37" id="ref24">37</reflink>]). In-depth discussions led to consensus on the coding content. Ultimately, we extracted 567 references (chunks of text that are coded; e.g., we coded 154 specific data segments from the interview transcript of participant N1) that we distilled into 210 nodes (collections of references on a specific theme; e.g., 50 different thematic nodes were used to code participant N1's data.), as shown in Table 1 below.</p> <p>Table 1: Sample information and coding</p> <p> <ephtml> <table><colgroup span="1"><col align="left" span="1" /><col align="left" span="1" /><col align="left" span="1" /><col align="left" span="1" /><col align="left" span="1" /><col align="left" span="1" /><col align="left" span="1" /><col align="left" span="1" /></colgroup><thead><tr><th align="left" rowspan="1" colspan="1">Respondents</th><th align="center" rowspan="1" colspan="1">Library type</th><th align="center" rowspan="1" colspan="1">Position</th><th align="center" rowspan="1" colspan="1">MSLS</th><th align="center" rowspan="1" colspan="1">Post-grad training</th><th align="center" rowspan="1" colspan="1">Work experience</th><th align="center" rowspan="1" colspan="1">Nodes</th><th align="center" rowspan="1" colspan="1">References</th></tr></thead><tbody><tr><td align="left" rowspan="1" colspan="1">N1</td><td align="center" rowspan="1" colspan="1">State library</td><td align="center" rowspan="1" colspan="1">Youth services consultant</td><td align="center" rowspan="1" colspan="1">Yes</td><td align="center" rowspan="1" colspan="1">Yes</td><td align="center" rowspan="1" colspan="1">19 years</td><td align="center" rowspan="1" colspan="1">50</td><td align="center" rowspan="1" colspan="1">154</td></tr><tr><td align="left" rowspan="1" colspan="1">N2</td><td align="center" rowspan="1" colspan="1">Town library</td><td align="center" rowspan="1" colspan="1">Youth & family experiences manager</td><td align="center" rowspan="1" colspan="1">Yes</td><td align="center" rowspan="1" colspan="1">Yes</td><td align="center" rowspan="1" colspan="1">23 years</td><td align="center" rowspan="1" colspan="1">42</td><td align="center" rowspan="1" colspan="1">95</td></tr><tr><td align="left" rowspan="1" colspan="1">N3</td><td align="center" rowspan="1" colspan="1">County library</td><td align="center" rowspan="1" colspan="1">Youth services coordinator</td><td align="center" rowspan="1" colspan="1">Yes</td><td align="center" rowspan="1" colspan="1">Yes</td><td align="center" rowspan="1" colspan="1">10 years</td><td align="center" rowspan="1" colspan="1">48</td><td align="center" rowspan="1" colspan="1">156</td></tr><tr><td align="left" rowspan="1" colspan="1">N4</td><td align="center" rowspan="1" colspan="1">County library</td><td align="center" rowspan="1" colspan="1">Library supervisor</td><td align="center" rowspan="1" colspan="1">Yes</td><td align="center" rowspan="1" colspan="1">Yes</td><td align="center" rowspan="1" colspan="1">15 years</td><td align="center" rowspan="1" colspan="1">41</td><td align="center" rowspan="1" colspan="1">90</td></tr><tr><td align="left" rowspan="1" colspan="1">N5</td><td align="center" rowspan="1" colspan="1">County library</td><td align="center" rowspan="1" colspan="1">Department supervisor - Youth services</td><td align="center" rowspan="1" colspan="1">No</td><td align="center" rowspan="1" colspan="1">Yes</td><td align="center" rowspan="1" colspan="1">13 years</td><td align="center" rowspan="1" colspan="1">29</td><td align="center" rowspan="1" colspan="1">72</td></tr></tbody></table> </ephtml> </p> <hd id="AN0188368709-9">Limitations</hd> <p>The sample size for this exploratory study was small, and the results should not be interpreted as representing any generalized consensus or perspectives. We selected our respondents so that they had at least 10 years of experience in the field, making their educations at least that old and perhaps not indicative of current educational curricula; however, academic curricula tend to change slowly, and, as [<reflink idref="bib17" id="ref25">17</reflink>] found in her dissertation work examining the relationship between the education and work life of youth librarians, "it is not surprising that newer expectations for all youth services librarians are ... not given space in courses" (p. 40). Our respondents were also all from the southeastern United States.</p> <hd id="AN0188368709-10">Results</hd> <p></p> <hd id="AN0188368709-11">Educational content valued by children's librarians</hd> <p>Children's librarians are multifaceted, not only undertaking daily work such as program management, organization and coordination, collection development, and circulation but also fulfilling broader professional missions such as ensuring information equity, aiding children's development, and respecting and maintaining cultural diversity. This necessitates that children's librarians receive specialized education in children's librarianship to be equipped with the professional knowledge and skills to adequately serve children and their caregivers.</p> <p>Our respondents generally believed that their degree education and post-degree training were commendable. There is a sense that "it's going in really good places" (N1) and "it is useful to have the master's degree" (N3). One respondent expressed feeling somewhat privileged, noting, "I feel a little spoiled that everybody who comes to me, whether for a field experience, a part-time job, or eventually a full-time job, has been great. So, I think very highly of the current curriculum" (N2). Positive assessments also included sentiments like "I feel like the foundation was there from everything that I learned; I didn't feel completely unprepared for anything" (N3) and "the library curriculum, the library school, the MLS curriculum is pretty comprehensive at this point" (N2). One respondent lauded the theoretical breadth of the MLS, stating, "It's hard to explain sort of the big picture that is a little bit more theoretical, but it helps put things into perspective when you come across it in your everyday life" (N2).</p> <p>Librarians are the most vital assets of a library, and without professional staff who welcome children and caregivers, the library experience may not be as positive as it could be ([<reflink idref="bib16" id="ref26">16</reflink>], p. 101). One of our interviewees stated, "Our patrons connect themselves and attach themselves to us as human beings, as children's librarians. They do not attach themselves to the library" (N5).</p> <p>Despite more than a decade having elapsed since their graduation, our participants were able to recall some of the course content that made a lasting impression on them (see Table 2). Notably, courses related to technology literacy, such as HTML, coding, and website development, as well as information storage and retrieval, were frequently mentioned. Courses in youth literature—encompassing children's literature, teen literature, and young adult literature—were also highlighted, indicating a nuanced segmentation of literature courses tailored to different age groups within the youth demographic: "I guess the most helpful was that children's literature course (N4)."</p> <p>Table 2: Coding for the educational content valued by children's librarians</p> <p> <ephtml> <table><colgroup span="1"><col align="left" span="1" /><col align="left" span="1" /><col align="left" span="1" /></colgroup><thead><tr><th align="left" rowspan="1" colspan="1">Level Ⅰ</th><th align="center" rowspan="1" colspan="1">Level Ⅱ</th><th align="center" rowspan="1" colspan="1">References</th></tr></thead><tbody><tr><td align="left" rowspan="1" colspan="1">Course content</td><td align="center" rowspan="1" colspan="1">Technology literacy</td><td align="center" rowspan="1" colspan="1">6</td></tr><tr><td align="left" rowspan="1" colspan="1" /><td align="center" rowspan="1" colspan="1">Youth literature</td><td align="center" rowspan="1" colspan="1">6</td></tr><tr><td align="left" rowspan="1" colspan="1" /><td align="center" rowspan="1" colspan="1">Public libraries course</td><td align="center" rowspan="1" colspan="1">4</td></tr><tr><td align="left" rowspan="1" colspan="1" /><td align="center" rowspan="1" colspan="1">Programming class</td><td align="center" rowspan="1" colspan="1">4</td></tr><tr><td align="left" rowspan="1" colspan="1" /><td align="center" rowspan="1" colspan="1">Administration and management</td><td align="center" rowspan="1" colspan="1">4</td></tr><tr><td align="left" rowspan="1" colspan="1" /><td align="center" rowspan="1" colspan="1">Collection and cataloging</td><td align="center" rowspan="1" colspan="1">3</td></tr><tr><td align="left" rowspan="1" colspan="1" /><td align="center" rowspan="1" colspan="1">Youth development</td><td align="center" rowspan="1" colspan="1">2</td></tr><tr><td align="left" rowspan="1" colspan="1" /><td align="center" rowspan="1" colspan="1">Research methods</td><td align="center" rowspan="1" colspan="1">2</td></tr><tr><td align="left" rowspan="1" colspan="1" /><td align="center" rowspan="1" colspan="1">Other school class</td><td align="center" rowspan="1" colspan="1">1</td></tr><tr><td align="left" rowspan="1" colspan="1" /><td align="center" rowspan="1" colspan="1">Education class</td><td align="center" rowspan="1" colspan="1">1</td></tr></tbody></table> </ephtml> </p> <p>One respondent believed the most important content was event programming: "I would probably say the big programming class that I took just because it was a chance to see like what traditional programs were. There was a lot of talk about how you format a story time and how do you do this, and how do you do book clubs... It was great for ideas and seeing what traditional library and library programming was like" (N3). Yet another mentioned school media courses: "So, a couple of those classes were somewhat useful to just kind of understanding some of the challenges that school librarians face.... Now, in my role as the liaison to the schools, I'm able to speak with the school librarians and have a little bit of a better understanding of what they're going through" (N4).</p> <p>The respondents also discussed foundational courses in public libraries: "it was primarily about things like Ranganathan's laws, and library ethics, and that sort of stuff" (N1). There were also various reference courses, as well as classes focused on special populations. Program-related courses, particularly children's programming and storytelling classes, were repeatedly mentioned. One interviewee noted, "I didn't even know what programming entailed in libraries until I took that class" (N3). Administration and management courses, especially those related to managing youth services, were emphasized for their role in preparing students to take on administrative and leadership roles.</p> <p>While most cataloging is now done centrally, knowledge of information organization and collection development were considered important. Additionally, courses in research methods and school media were mentioned. One respondent had the opportunity to conduct an independent study course, enabling participation in international conferences, a unique experience.</p> <p>The respondent with a BA in elementary education (N5) spoke of basic education classes focused on working, communicating, and interacting with children. She believed that education courses on youth development and engaging with youth were immensely beneficial in her practical work.</p> <hd id="AN0188368709-12">Post-graduation training for children's librarians</hd> <p>Once children's librarians enter their professional positions, participating in training activities serves as a crucial means for continuing education and advancing their professional qualifications.</p> <p>As Table 3 shows, our interviews revealed these children's librarians most often attended training centered on events programming, with a particular emphasis on story-time programming, including the design of bilingual story times, as the needs of diverse communities compel libraries to enrich their program offerings. One of our respondents organized and attended training in multigenerational or intergenerational programming "so that the service population isn't completely ignored until we get somebody else in that position (N1)."</p> <p>Table 3: Coding for the post-graduate training content</p> <p> <ephtml> <table><colgroup span="1"><col align="left" span="1" /><col align="left" span="1" /><col align="left" span="1" /></colgroup><thead><tr><th align="left" rowspan="1" colspan="1">Level Ⅰ</th><th align="center" rowspan="1" colspan="1">Level Ⅱ</th><th align="center" rowspan="1" colspan="1">References</th></tr></thead><tbody><tr><td align="left" rowspan="1" colspan="1">Training content</td><td align="center" rowspan="1" colspan="1">Events programming</td><td align="center" rowspan="1" colspan="1">6</td></tr><tr><td align="left" rowspan="1" colspan="1" /><td align="center" rowspan="1" colspan="1">Collection</td><td align="center" rowspan="1" colspan="1">3</td></tr><tr><td align="left" rowspan="1" colspan="1" /><td align="center" rowspan="1" colspan="1">Information ethics</td><td align="center" rowspan="1" colspan="1">2</td></tr><tr><td align="left" rowspan="1" colspan="1" /><td align="center" rowspan="1" colspan="1">Children's development</td><td align="center" rowspan="1" colspan="1">2</td></tr><tr><td align="left" rowspan="1" colspan="1" /><td align="center" rowspan="1" colspan="1">Others</td><td align="center" rowspan="1" colspan="1">7</td></tr></tbody></table> </ephtml> </p> <p>Training also covered collection development, encompassing selecting and displaying books, developing collections, and addressing book challenges. Given the diversity and uniqueness of library service populations, librarians are increasingly acting as guardians and advocates for social equity and justice. This mission is also reflected in the training content for children's librarians, including racial equity training and social justice training. Recently, the view that librarians should become radical positive change agents within their community has become more evident ([<reflink idref="bib23" id="ref27">23</reflink>]). Libraries and librarians are encouraged to take action to achieve social change ([<reflink idref="bib26" id="ref28">26</reflink>]), especially in the LGBTQ+ movement and the climate movement ([<reflink idref="bib15" id="ref29">15</reflink>]; [<reflink idref="bib20" id="ref30">20</reflink>]). Interestingly, one participant expressed her concern over this increasingly politicized role of children's librarians, saying, "I'm a little worried that we might be looking a little too much into wanting librarians to be more activists and really tackling social issues and taking a stand on different sides as opposed to supporting brain development and literacy and welcoming everyone and focusing on doing our job so well that everyone's comfortable coming in and receiving our help" (N4).</p> <p>Other training topics included child physical and mental development, maintaining cultural traditions, using online resources, enhancing librarian collaboration skills, supervision skills, writing skills, and maintaining the physical and mental health of librarians. From the perspective of training formats, online resources (e.g., Web Junction, Niche Academy) and webinars were the most frequently mentioned. Additionally, workshops, conferences, books, and courses offered by the ALA were highlighted.</p> <hd id="AN0188368709-13">Knowledge gaps for future education/training</hd> <p>Based on their many years of experience in children's services, our interviewees discussed the kinds of education and training they still need to best fulfill their occupational requirements (Table 4).</p> <p>Table 4: Coding for additional education and training needs</p> <p> <ephtml> <table><colgroup span="1"><col align="left" span="1" /><col align="left" span="1" /><col align="left" span="1" /><col align="left" span="1" /></colgroup><thead><tr><th align="left" rowspan="1" colspan="1">Level Ⅰ</th><th align="center" rowspan="1" colspan="1">Level Ⅱ</th><th align="center" rowspan="1" colspan="1">Level Ⅲ</th><th align="center" rowspan="1" colspan="1">References</th></tr></thead><tbody><tr><td align="left" rowspan="1" colspan="1">Additional education and training needs</td><td align="center" rowspan="1" colspan="1">Customer service</td><td align="center" rowspan="1" colspan="1">Children's development</td><td align="center" rowspan="1" colspan="1">5</td></tr><tr><td align="left" rowspan="1" colspan="1" /><td align="left" rowspan="1" colspan="1" /><td align="center" rowspan="1" colspan="1">Collection</td><td align="center" rowspan="1" colspan="1">4</td></tr><tr><td align="left" rowspan="1" colspan="1" /><td align="left" rowspan="1" colspan="1" /><td align="center" rowspan="1" colspan="1">Trauma informed practice</td><td align="center" rowspan="1" colspan="1">4</td></tr><tr><td align="left" rowspan="1" colspan="1" /><td align="left" rowspan="1" colspan="1" /><td align="center" rowspan="1" colspan="1">Reference</td><td align="center" rowspan="1" colspan="1">4</td></tr><tr><td align="left" rowspan="1" colspan="1" /><td align="left" rowspan="1" colspan="1" /><td align="center" rowspan="1" colspan="1">De-escalation techniques</td><td align="center" rowspan="1" colspan="1">1</td></tr><tr><td align="left" rowspan="1" colspan="1" /><td align="left" rowspan="1" colspan="1" /><td align="center" rowspan="1" colspan="1">Elementary education</td><td align="center" rowspan="1" colspan="1">1</td></tr><tr><td align="left" rowspan="1" colspan="1" /><td align="center" rowspan="1" colspan="1">Self-improvement techniques</td><td align="center" rowspan="1" colspan="1">Critical Literacy</td><td align="center" rowspan="1" colspan="1">4</td></tr><tr><td align="left" rowspan="1" colspan="1" /><td align="left" rowspan="1" colspan="1" /><td align="center" rowspan="1" colspan="1">Research</td><td align="center" rowspan="1" colspan="1">3</td></tr><tr><td align="left" rowspan="1" colspan="1" /><td align="left" rowspan="1" colspan="1" /><td align="center" rowspan="1" colspan="1">Public speaking</td><td align="center" rowspan="1" colspan="1">2</td></tr><tr><td align="left" rowspan="1" colspan="1" /><td align="left" rowspan="1" colspan="1" /><td align="center" rowspan="1" colspan="1">Time management</td><td align="center" rowspan="1" colspan="1">1</td></tr><tr><td align="left" rowspan="1" colspan="1" /><td align="left" rowspan="1" colspan="1" /><td align="center" rowspan="1" colspan="1">Supervisory</td><td align="center" rowspan="1" colspan="1">1</td></tr><tr><td align="left" rowspan="1" colspan="1" /><td align="center" rowspan="1" colspan="1">More practical</td><td align="center" rowspan="1" colspan="1">The disconnect between education and real library world</td><td align="center" rowspan="1" colspan="1">6</td></tr><tr><td align="left" rowspan="1" colspan="1" /><td align="left" rowspan="1" colspan="1" /><td align="center" rowspan="1" colspan="1">Practical training</td><td align="center" rowspan="1" colspan="1">3</td></tr><tr><td align="left" rowspan="1" colspan="1" /><td align="left" rowspan="1" colspan="1" /><td align="center" rowspan="1" colspan="1">Community engagement and co-design</td><td align="center" rowspan="1" colspan="1">1</td></tr></tbody></table> </ephtml> </p> <p>Our interviewees recognized that customer service skills are crucial for children's librarians, especially for handling situations where patrons may be upset or confrontational; however, one respondent felt the educational tool of role-playing such confrontations "was the most awkward experience ever" (N3). We need innovative approaches that can effectively prepare staff while being sensitive to their learning preferences. Perhaps we could explore the power of immersive technologies to provide these simulated experiences? Immersive technologies are assumed to have many benefits for learning ([<reflink idref="bib31" id="ref31">31</reflink>]), including improving students' academic performance and motivation ([<reflink idref="bib36" id="ref32">36</reflink>]). After intensive use of VR software and final project development, some students believe that the experience changed their thinking about education and future career opportunities ([<reflink idref="bib27" id="ref33">27</reflink>]). Perhaps allowing LIS students to experience their future careers in advance through immersive technology, including specific conflict management situations, may benefit students more than general role-playing.</p> <p>Our respondents believe that equipping children's librarians with knowledge and skills related to the physical, social, and cognitive development of children is a crucial component of their education and training: "I think that some combination of library science and kind of like children's development and education is beneficial" (N3); "Something I've been really interested in lately is not just the benefit of reading with children, but the importance of talking with children and meaningful talk" (N4). The inclusion of classical theories of child development (such as those proposed by Piaget, Erikson, and Vygotsky) is important, particularly in how these theories can be integrated into the practice of children's services. Including content from the field of linguistics and children's literature in the curriculum also helps in providing appropriate picture books for parents and children ([<reflink idref="bib25" id="ref34">25</reflink>]). However, according to a recent Stanford University study ([<reflink idref="bib33" id="ref35">33</reflink>]), much of the psychological and developmental literature has a strongly white, Eurocentric bias, so children's librarians most likely have received an understanding of youth development that is accurate for only a part of their user population. Expanding students' knowledge of development for <emph>all</emph> children is vital, with increased attention to marginalized communities, gender identity formation, and equity.</p> <p>One respondent felt education and training related to collection development was also crucial: "I definitely need to do some more research into book selections because I feel like there have to be some really useful guides out there, or some really useful pearls of wisdom on how to really balance your collection" (N4). Further education and training in reference transactions and customer interactions were also deemed important: "How do you formulate questions to ensure that you receive the necessary answers to locate the information that is needed?" (N3). Classes on de-escalation techniques and training in elementary education related to customer service were also needed.</p> <p>Two respondents expressed the need for critical literacy and trauma-related education and training activities, specifically fostering awareness of information ethics, racial equity, sexual and gender identity, and understanding how to support these issues in their professional roles: "more training about racial equity and sexual and gender identity about how we are going to be allies around that in our work ... how we continue to make equitable access to information ... I think a lot more youth librarians need to do more work with trauma informed practice" (N1); "dealing with people in mental crisis, that is absolutely something, if that education could start in library school and then not be such a shock of the job for new librarians" (N2).</p> <p>Additionally, training related to technology and generative AI was recognized as necessary to stay abreast of evolving interactions: "We definitely need to be aware of it, so we know how to interact with it" (N4). The librarians also expressed enthusiasm for recent research in children's librarianship, "like the latest on sort of child development research, I think is really useful" (N2). However, the interviewees also mentioned, "I don't have time to read a textbook, but if there are specific articles that sort of summarize what's being learned, that would be ideal" (N2). Considering how to assist children's librarians, whose schedules are filled with practical work, in accessing the latest research trends through training is something that requires further exploration.</p> <p>Some interviewees highlighted the necessity of public speaking training for more youth services librarians, "I want to see youth services staff talking directly to local stakeholders and telling stories of impact, [so those ideas are] not just coming from the director themselves" (N1). Training related to time management and supervisory skills was also deemed useful, as was further training in event programming. As their communities' needs change, programming skills also need to adjust; there are "more STEM opportunities" (N4), and "a lot of libraries are embracing multigenerational and intergenerational programming" (N1). Specifically, they feel that children's librarians need to be capable of designing programs that align with the library's mission and the needs of the community. They also must learn how to initiate outreach and cultivate collaborative partnerships with schools, LIS universities, and other professional organizations and personnel, such as child-health nurses ([<reflink idref="bib5" id="ref36">5</reflink>]). Our interviews suggest that program evaluation also poses a significant challenge for children's librarians today, despite years of professional development on outcomes assessment provided by the ALA. This is a real opportunity for LIS programs to help future librarians gain a deeper understanding of the value and techniques of outcomes assessment.</p> <p>Four interviewees expressed the hope that future LIS education would be more practical. They felt that current LIS education generally suffers from the problem of being disconnected from the real library world: "Every class was kind of like in a perfect world" (N3), but "whenever you're faced with the parent in front of you, those big theories aren't really helping you" (N4); "It would be great to require a field experience or some practical on the job training for librarians in library school" (N2); "I think that we could place more emphasis on actual real world, kind of trainings like more emphasis on internships" (N3); "figuring out how to make your program better by working with the librarians doing the work, is the best approach as opposed to that coming down from a body who certifies your program" (N1).</p> <hd id="AN0188368709-14">Conclusions</hd> <p>While some of our respondents felt the master's degree's main value was to "punch the ticket" to get a job or that they "hadn't found a good reason to pay the money to get my master's because I don't plan to leave this library" (N5), most found value in the education they had received. They explained that the "traditional" skills in reference, collection management, and readers' advisory are still fundamental to job success, but they placed particular emphasis on programming as a skill set vital to children's librarianship. Participants also expressed knowledge gaps they felt higher education should address more proactively, including generative AI, youth development for marginalized identities, advocacy and public speaking, outcomes evaluation, and conflict resolution. While some of these can be (and are being) addressed in university curricula, continuing professional education also plays a role. Both higher education and continuing education in children's librarianship are indispensable and complementary. Our participants suggested the ultimate goal of children's librarians was to help make libraries a safe and welcoming place in society, and the education they receive should foreground the KSAs needed to accomplish this goal: "That's our main kind of goal is we want them to keep coming back so that they feel like they have a safe place here" (N5); "we'll still be trying to make sure that we are a place where everybody is welcome, a place where everybody is accepted" (N3), "a place that people know that they can come to, that's safe, that will be welcoming, that will have maybe not everything they possibly could want, but something for everyone" (N2).</p> <p>As we look forward to educating youth librarians for the current and future responsibilities of the profession, LIS schools need to ensure their continued relevance to the profession, continue to enrich their curricula and strengthen their connections to practice, help future children's librarians and their administrators understand the theoretical underpinnings of the field, explore the library's multifaceted role in the community, and develop the professional skills to face real-world challenges.</p> <p>Perhaps it is time we revisit the suggestions of our prescient predecessors. [<reflink idref="bib12" id="ref37">12</reflink>] suggestion to focus education on the role of the library in society and [<reflink idref="bib6" id="ref38">6</reflink>] suggestion to have LIS schools specialize their curricular offerings seem particularly germane.</p> <hd id="AN0188368709-15">Future Research</hd> <p>Future research could expand the scope of this study to include not only a more national sample but also comparative interviews with children's librarians from other countries. Future work could include professors who teach courses in children's librarianship (like the work of [<reflink idref="bib2" id="ref39">2</reflink>]), children, children's caregivers, and other social institutions (such as [<reflink idref="bib35" id="ref40">35</reflink>] interviews with children, children's parents, members of institutions, and librarians, or [<reflink idref="bib22" id="ref41">22</reflink>] survey of caregivers), to gain deeper insights into their views on education and training in this field. One could also expand the work of [<reflink idref="bib24" id="ref42">24</reflink>] to include more global perspectives of the curriculum content, explore the post-graduate training content available to practitioners, and build on the assessment of youth librarian job descriptions ([<reflink idref="bib1" id="ref43">1</reflink>]). In addition, children are not the only users with whom youth services librarians work. 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Malaysian Family Physician: The Official Journal of the Academy of Family Physicians of Malaysia, 3(1), 14–20.</bibtext> </blist> <blist> <bibtext> What courses and course content were the most relevant to their job responsibilities?</bibtext> </blist> <blist> <bibtext> What training have they received post-graduation, and what are their perceptions of it?</bibtext> </blist> <blist> <bibtext> What knowledge gaps exist that future education/training could fill?</bibtext> </blist> </ref> <aug> <p>By Dr. Jinyi Lu; Dr. Brian W. Sturm; Dr. Pianran Wang and Dr. Yingying Wu</p> <p>Reported by Author; Author; Author; Author</p> <p></p> <p>Jinyi Lu, a postdoctoral scholar at Sun Yat-sen University in China, was a visiting scholar at the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill for the 2023–2024 academic year. Her research focuses on the duties and roles of children's librarians, with a particular interest in cross-cultural studies between China and the United States.</p> <p>Brian W. Sturm is a professor at the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill. His research focuses on immersion in information environments, and youth literature and librarianship.</p> <p>Pianran Wang is an assistant professor at Peking University, China. Her research focuses on youth services in children's engagement in public libraries and reading experiences, and academic libraries.</p> <p>Yingying Wu is an assistant professor at Shanxi Police College, Taiyuan City, China. Her research focuses on children's reading experiences with the purpose of enhancing children's library services and physical infrastructure design.</p> </aug> <nolink nlid="nl1" bibid="bib40" firstref="ref3"></nolink> <nolink nlid="nl2" bibid="bib13" firstref="ref4"></nolink> <nolink nlid="nl3" bibid="bib24" firstref="ref6"></nolink> <nolink nlid="nl4" bibid="bib10" firstref="ref7"></nolink> <nolink nlid="nl5" bibid="bib38" firstref="ref8"></nolink> <nolink nlid="nl6" bibid="bib29" firstref="ref9"></nolink> <nolink nlid="nl7" bibid="bib21" firstref="ref11"></nolink> <nolink nlid="nl8" bibid="bib34" firstref="ref13"></nolink> <nolink nlid="nl9" bibid="bib28" firstref="ref14"></nolink> <nolink nlid="nl10" bibid="bib32" firstref="ref15"></nolink> <nolink nlid="nl11" bibid="bib30" firstref="ref16"></nolink> <nolink nlid="nl12" bibid="bib11" firstref="ref17"></nolink> <nolink nlid="nl13" bibid="bib18" firstref="ref19"></nolink> <nolink nlid="nl14" bibid="bib39" firstref="ref21"></nolink> <nolink nlid="nl15" bibid="bib41" firstref="ref23"></nolink> <nolink nlid="nl16" bibid="bib37" firstref="ref24"></nolink> <nolink nlid="nl17" bibid="bib17" firstref="ref25"></nolink> <nolink nlid="nl18" bibid="bib16" firstref="ref26"></nolink> <nolink nlid="nl19" bibid="bib23" firstref="ref27"></nolink> <nolink nlid="nl20" bibid="bib26" firstref="ref28"></nolink> <nolink nlid="nl21" bibid="bib15" firstref="ref29"></nolink> <nolink nlid="nl22" bibid="bib20" firstref="ref30"></nolink> <nolink nlid="nl23" bibid="bib31" firstref="ref31"></nolink> <nolink nlid="nl24" bibid="bib36" firstref="ref32"></nolink> <nolink nlid="nl25" bibid="bib27" firstref="ref33"></nolink> <nolink nlid="nl26" bibid="bib25" firstref="ref34"></nolink> <nolink nlid="nl27" bibid="bib33" firstref="ref35"></nolink> <nolink nlid="nl28" bibid="bib12" firstref="ref37"></nolink> <nolink nlid="nl29" bibid="bib35" firstref="ref40"></nolink> <nolink nlid="nl30" bibid="bib22" firstref="ref41"></nolink> <nolink nlid="nl31" bibid="bib14" firstref="ref44"></nolink>
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  Data: 'Relevant but Somewhat Outdated': Children's Librarians' Perspectives on Their Education and Training in the Southeastern United States
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  Data: <searchLink fieldCode="AR" term="%22Jinyi+Lu%22">Jinyi Lu</searchLink><br /><searchLink fieldCode="AR" term="%22Brian+W%2E+Sturm%22">Brian W. Sturm</searchLink><br /><searchLink fieldCode="AR" term="%22Pianran+Wang%22">Pianran Wang</searchLink><br /><searchLink fieldCode="AR" term="%22Yingying+Wu%22">Yingying Wu</searchLink>
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  Data: <searchLink fieldCode="SO" term="%22Journal+of+Education+for+Library+and+Information+Science%22"><i>Journal of Education for Library and Information Science</i></searchLink>. 2025 66(4):406-421.
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  Data: 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
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  Data: 16
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  Data: 2025
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  Data: Journal Articles<br />Reports - Research
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  Data: <searchLink fieldCode="EL" term="%22Higher+Education%22">Higher Education</searchLink><br /><searchLink fieldCode="EL" term="%22Postsecondary+Education%22">Postsecondary Education</searchLink>
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  Label: Descriptors
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  Data: <searchLink fieldCode="DE" term="%22Librarians%22">Librarians</searchLink><br /><searchLink fieldCode="DE" term="%22Librarian+Attitudes%22">Librarian Attitudes</searchLink><br /><searchLink fieldCode="DE" term="%22Library+Education%22">Library Education</searchLink><br /><searchLink fieldCode="DE" term="%22Library+Schools%22">Library Schools</searchLink><br /><searchLink fieldCode="DE" term="%22Library+Science%22">Library Science</searchLink><br /><searchLink fieldCode="DE" term="%22Childrens+Literature%22">Childrens Literature</searchLink><br /><searchLink fieldCode="DE" term="%22Course+Content%22">Course Content</searchLink><br /><searchLink fieldCode="DE" term="%22Professional+Development%22">Professional Development</searchLink><br /><searchLink fieldCode="DE" term="%22Core+Competencies%22">Core Competencies</searchLink><br /><searchLink fieldCode="DE" term="%22Job+Skills%22">Job Skills</searchLink><br /><searchLink fieldCode="DE" term="%22Educational+Change%22">Educational Change</searchLink>
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  Data: 10.3138/jelis-2024-0054
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  Data: 0748-5786<br />2328-2967
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  Label: Abstract
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  Data: 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.
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      Pagination:
        PageCount: 16
        StartPage: 406
    Subjects:
      – SubjectFull: Librarians
        Type: general
      – SubjectFull: Librarian Attitudes
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      – SubjectFull: Library Education
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      – SubjectFull: Childrens Literature
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      – TitleFull: 'Relevant but Somewhat Outdated': Children's Librarians' Perspectives on Their Education and Training in the Southeastern United States
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