‘I don’t know what literacy is’: Uncovering hidden literacies in a community library using ecological and participatory research methodologies with children

Abstract

This article describes an ecological study in Eastside, a particular area of Rotherham, a town in the north of England, UK. The purpose of the study was to collect information about literacy practices in a community setting, focusing on a library. The researchers used an ecological approach to data collection. The methodology included approaches such as a community walk around; using Flip video cameras, to record literacy practices; an audit of leaflets and literacy materials in local shops, libraries and other places; a visual log using photographs of the library and its surroundings; and fieldnotes, including observations of parent groups and craft groups, which were written up after each visit by two researchers. Following this, a regular weekly meeting called Research Rebels was set up by a group of young people aged between 6 and 13. This was a participatory project researching literacy in the community and in the library. The project was part of a longer study assessing the impact of a community literacy project in Rotherham. Analysis of the data revealed that the children’s perceptions of literacy included some practices that were less visible to adults. We argue that an understanding of space and place is critical to recognise the way in which children inhabit and use the spaces of literacy practices.