On target or missing the mark? Instruction courses in LIS graduate programs

Abstract

The literature on academic librarians’ teaching experience consistently reflects a disconnect between the education Library and Information Science (LIS) graduates receive and the knowledge and skills they need to perform their jobs. The goal of this study is to assess the current state of instruction and user education courses in graduate programs accredited by the American Library Association (ALA). After reviewing the websites of 60 schools, a qualitative content analysis of 80 course descriptions was conducted. The study revealed that 57 of 60 ALA-accredited programs, or 95%, offer at least one course in information literacy, user education, and library instruction. While this finding indicates that LIS instruction courses are more widely available than they have ever been, the state of instruction courses in LIS programs is more complicated. Only a handful of schools require students to take a course in instruction, and three programs do not offer any classes related to teaching in a library setting. While LIS programs have come a long way when it comes to providing instruction courses, there is still considerable room for improvement.