Pick Me! Pick Me! LIS research struggles with its place in the world.

[Note: this is adapted from a posting for a doctoral seminar I am currently taking, but it made me think about where I would like to see LIS researcher headed]

The journal articles we have read in the last two weeks have both focused on the challenges facing research in the Library and Information Sciences.

In Budd’s article for Library Quarterly, An Epistomological Foundation For Library and Information Science, we learn that LIS research struggles to find an epistemology that addresses it’s needs and has historically adopted a positivist stance in a bid to be seen as a “real” field.

In Pettigrew and McKechnie’s 2001 article, The Use of Theory in Information Science Research in JASIST, we see that even when theory is viewed broadly (all you had to do was say you were using theory or use a key term), the instances of incorporating theory were relatively low. This is attributed, in part, to the fact that LIS research has grown out of a practical, professional field. It is practitioner based in the way that much other research is not.

Pettigrew and McKechnie defined theory so broadly incorporating not only direct references to theory but also any use of certain key terms that act as signifiers for theoretical constructs including “framework,” “grounding,” and “underpinnings” in an attempt to heed the warnings of Budd and avoid the historical positivist slant of LIS research. [Aside – as a new researcher, it was interesting to see how these two articles fit together and to begin to see which authors are often cited.]

Some of the findings of Pettigrew and McKechnie suggest a field that is still in it’s early stages and/or a field that is open to practitioners engaging in researcher resulting in articles that depart from accepted norms in other fields. In general, I think the acceptance of practitioners is a strength even when it results in challenges.

Pettigrew and McKechnie point out that authors frequently refer to theories without citing them, perhaps assuming that concepts such as Bates’ Berry Picking are common knowledge to anyone reading Library Quarterly. They also observe that authors occasionally would cite the theory back to a textbook or review article instead of an original source. To me, this sounds like the mistake a young researcher or a practitioner would make. It also seems like the type of thing an editor should catch. It is a bit shocking to me that a field devoted to studying information use would do such a poor job on such a foundational skill as citation. Indeed, for those engaged in school librarianship, teaching citation is one of our mandates. It is critical for practitioners and academics alike to lead by example and cite their articles fully and properly.

In their final paragraphs, Pettigrew and McKechnie set the agenda for future research in this area. I was amused to note that they point out that simply listing theories is not the same as engaging with a theory. Suggesting that Sutton and Straw’s 1995 article What Theory Is Not was not a “shot heard round the world” as one might hope.

All of this suggests to me a field that is still struggling with its place in academia. It is growing, but in fits and starts. It is seeking to establish its credibility, while in the midst of what appears to be tremendous change. As a new researcher, I am amazed at the range of fields contained in LIS and not at all surprised that the field struggles with growing pains. As a proud librarian, I wish we would stop pretending what we do and what we study should be approached in the same was as, say, Astronomy. To do so does a disservice to the work we do.

We need to stop being the kid in the back of gym class begging to be chosen. We need to make our own team and move on.



Budd, J. M. (1995). An epistemological foundation for library and information science. The Library Quarterly, 65(3), 295-318.

Pettigrew, K. W., & Mckechnie, L. (2002). The use of theory in information science research. Journal of the American Society for Information Science and Technology, 52(1), 62-73.

MASL 2011

It's hard to remain skeptical when surrounded by passionate practitioners. The presenters at MASL this year (and it is the Maryland Association of School Librarians conference) are so positive, so full of ideas and innovation, I am hopeful for a profession that has been battered in recent years.

So how do we do it? We think innovatively, creatively, link to standards and advocate for what we do strategically.

Philosophy of a School Library

This was created for a class, but it reflects what I think.


I believe in the power of a good story to transform a life.
At one point I would have said I believe in the power of a book and meant a traditional novel. But stories have been freed from the sole provenance of books and transmuted into audio books, graphic novels and video – and it is all to the good. Students now have so many options to get the transformative power of literature that we should be able to reach them where they are at.

Will they need to learn to read, understand and digest a novel? Absolutely. In our increasingly visual world, they will also need to be able to read and digest visual information through websites, graphic novels and as yet undiscovered formats. In our ever smaller global community, students will need access to audio books to give them time to learn to read English without losing the ideas contained in literature.

A strong library program will have many and diverse stories for students to read for pleasure and for knowledge. A strong library program will be open to new formats if they have the potential of helping their students gain access to the transformative power of literature.


I believe in the power of information to change a direction.
Without information we are not capable of being good citizens, thoughtful consumers and engaged students. The power of the school library is to not only provide access to information, but more importantly teach skills to seek information out and judge its validity. Information can take a myriad of forms, and those forms will be very different in the future. The ability to seek, question and evaluate is universal. This is what a strong library program can give a student.


I believe in the power of technology to revolutionize the world.
Who knows what lies ahead? We cannot hope to teach our students one set of skill and think it will last them a lifetime. Instead, a library program must teach current skills and embed techniques for learning future skills.

When Gil Scott Heron wrote “The Revolution Will Not Be Televised” he was right: it will be tweeted. The students of today will be the innovators of tomorrow. A strong library program can give students a glimpse of the possibilities.


I believe in the power of a teacher to shape a student.
A library is only as strong as its librarian. The role of a librarian to teach students all these skills, to expose them to new works and formats, is fundamental to a strong library program. A librarian needs to seek out opportunities to work with other teachers and students and to embrace projects as they come. The librarian needs to wisely and carefully assess the student’s knowledge to craft a lesson that meets their needs and then evaluate the lesson for its impact.

 
I believe a library is more than a place, it is the heart of a school community
While much of learning is going virtual, I still believe in the bricks and mortar of a library facility. A busy library, humming with students, where resources are in demand and circulating and where teaching is meeting the needs of the community, is a successful library.

A library is more than just the librarian and media assistant and some books; it is the sum of its partnerships with students, teachers, parents and the larger community. I will know a successful program when there is involvement across the board and at all levels.


I believe in the library.

I don't want your organs and I won't disappear, no matter how much you beg

As I am conducting a review of popular YA science fiction I felt I had to title the post as I did.

Kids, I don't want your organs. Despite what The House of the Scorpions and Unwind imply, I really am not breeding you for the sole purpose of stealing your kidney.

I also don't plan on disappearing and leaving you stranded on
A. A desert island (Beauty Queens)
B. An alternate reality/your own town (Gone)
C. A maze/psychological experiment. (Maze Runner)
Really, I don't.

But it wouldn't hurt to be nice to me.

First Post

I have been dubbed the "Skeptical Librarian" by my peers because I have my doubts, want to see the evidence and ask a lot of questions.

This space is a place to explore the trends in librarianship and children's literature and ask the questions we are all thinking:

* Is [insert trend] all it's cracked up to be?
* Will it really work in my library?
* What's next?

I won't claim to have all the answers, I am a baby librarian. But I will ask the questions and research the answers.