Association For Library And Information Science Education Research Articles

Teaching and Learning the Ninth Principle of the ALA Code of Ethics

In 2021 the American Library Association (ALA) Council approved a ninth principle to be added to the ALA Code of Ethics. The principle reads, “We affirm the inherent dignity and rights of every person. We work to recognize and dismantle systemic and individual biases; to confront inequity and oppression; to enhance diversity and inclusion; and to advance racial and social justice in our libraries, communities, profession, and associations through awareness, advocacy, education, collaboration, services, and allocation of resources and spaces.” This principle is in keeping with the Association for Library and Information Science Education (ALISE) Ethical Guidelines for Library and Information Science Educators: “As LIS educators, we respect and uphold academic freedom and protect the freedom to learn and to teach. We resist censorship and actively promote access to diverse points of view.” In both instances the primary thrust is equity, diversity, inclusion, decolonization, and justice. This panel addresses the ALA Code of Ethics, with special attention to the ninth principle. The panelists will address the core meaning of the principle to determine what it portends for education for library and information professionals. The principle is designed to guide action though praxis. The panelists will examine the degree to which that objective is met by the principle, as well as a set of questions related to the principle: How praxis can address systemic inequity and oppression; how diversity and inclusion manifests itself in praxis; how the advancement of racial and social justice through education can be introduced in the workplace; and how the insertion of these goals can be made into the institutions in which graduates work. The matter of the pressures in which educators work related to racial and social justice work will also be brought up.
 Throughout the investigation of these matters, the overarching concern of the panelists will be the insertion of the matters into the educational milieu. The panelists will bring to the fore their extensive knowledge and experience in their examination. They will not only provide analyses of the elements of the ninth principle, but will raise questions about the implementation of the principle into the education of professionals. The panel presenters and their talk titles are: (1) John Budd, The Ninth Principle and Global Ethics: The Case for Global Ethics; (2) Suliman Hawamdeh and Michele A. L. Villagran, Multiculturalism and the Role of Information Ethics in Dealing with Academic Integrity Issues; and, (3) Bharat Mehra, “White Pricks” (a.k.a. Inoculations Against Racism) to Decenter Shades of White Privilege in a Professional Association’s Leadership Networks of LIS Educators. Facilitated by John Burgess, delegate for Information Ethics SIG convenor Toni Samek, the panelists will engage the audience in a discussion of the meaning of the ninth principle, but will also have the opportunity to compare it with the ALISE guideline and to offer suggestions regarding the implementation of the tenets of the principle into education (including which kinds of curricular elements are best suited to the insertion of the ALA Code of Ethics into instruction and discussion).

Ensuring More Inclusive Hiring Processes

Ensuring More Inclusive Hiring Processes Carmen Cole (bio) and Emily Mross (bio) The American Library Association (ALA) considers demonstrating “the principles of effective personnel practices and human resource development” a core competency of librarianship.1 Yet, few librarians receive specific training to serve on hiring committees as part of their degree studies, though most find themselves asked to participate in searches, sometimes frequently, depending on their institution. As early career librarians, the authors have served on multiple committees in a large academic library, gaining more experience about the process each time. Their work on search committees sparked an interest in implementing best practices to ensure a good experience for job candidates and successful searches that improve services to the university community. Their experience also inspired a research interest. Search committees are gatekeepers. Who is kept out, and why? Exploring library hiring from an academic perspective brings to light uncomfortable truths. Each person on a search committee has biases that must be confronted to minimize preconceived ideas, and the group must work together so that each candidate receives a fair evaluation based on objective criteria. This decision-making can be complicated and challenging, depending on many factors.2 A successful search not only means that a good candidate is hired but also requires that the search committee works together, communicates well, develops and uses a fair rubric to assess the applicant pool, gives candidates proper and equal consideration, and chooses a well-qualified finalist who accepts the job offer. It is not impossible, but it is not easy. What further complicates the hiring task is the lack of diversity in librarianship. Homogeneous libraries create homogeneous search committees. Without thoughtful, introspective work, such committees can perpetuate a homogeneous library rather than a diverse, inclusive one.3 The authors are not experts in diversity or hiring. They are practitioners who strive to improve the library hiring process for everyone involved, toward the goal of equitable, inclusive libraries for employees and users. Their responsibilities necessitated much questioning, reading, and research. Members of current and future search committees [End Page 507] at any library should take a similar perspective toward their work. Without a collective understanding of the barriers to equity, diversity, and inclusion in library hiring, nothing will change—and change is far overdue. “Fit” and Academic Librarianship The need to diversify librarianship and the lack of progress toward this goal are common topics of conversation in formal and informal spheres of the profession.4 Similar conversations take place throughout academe as well. A culprit often examined in the literature and in practice is the nefarious yet ubiquitous concept of “fit” in hiring.5 Those who serve on search committees have tried to quantify the notion in nonsubjective ways, but the perennial problem is that fit tends to be ineffable. Committee members may declare that a candidate “feels right,” but they often say so because the applicant shares many similarities to them.6 These resemblances tend to reinforce homogeneity and hegemony because librarianship, much like academe as a whole, is overwhelmingly White. The problem does not begin at the hiring stage.7 The notion of fit tracks back much further and can cause people who do not conform to that image to decide against librarianship as a career long before they would ever apply for a job.8 The Librarian Pipeline Frequently, librarians blame the pipeline of new librarians for lacking diversity. The pipeline myth is the persistent idea that diversity remains a challenge for library hiring because of a shortage of qualified, degree-holding persons from historically minoritized groups to fill vacancies.9 Most students pursuing a master of library and information science (MLIS) degree and most recent MLIS graduates are White. In 2020, approximately 60 percent of MLIS students were White, even though the number has dropped approximately 15 percentage points since 1990; currently nearly 40 percent of degree candidates come from other racial or ethnic groups.10 Data from the Association for Library and Information Science Education (ALISE) show that in 2020, 62 percent of those receiving a master’s degree from an ALA-accredited program were White.11 The overall percentage of Whites holding a graduate degree in library...

How have LIS school curricula evolved over the past twenty years?

This study analyzed the Association for Library and Information Science Education (ALISE) statistical reports from 1997 to 2020. This study demonstrated that over the past twenty years, the LIS trends of diversity and interdisciplinary work have all been well reflected in the LIS curricula both in iSchools and non-iSchools, and LIS schools are preparing their graduates for evolving information environments.

Diversity of LIS School Students: Trends Over the Past 30 Years

Using the Association for Library and Information Science Education (ALISE) 2018 statistical reports, this study reports the current diversity status of LIS students. The findings are as follows: (1) overall LIS graduates’ diversity has improved from 6.79% to 17.47% over the past 30 years, and particularly, the increase in the number of Hispanic graduates is noticeable; (2) however, LIS graduates’ diversity does not follow the trends of the US population diversity: whereas 37% of the US population is minority, 17.43% of LIS graduates are minority students; (3) the ratio of LIS minority graduates (17.43%) is lower than the ratio of LIS minority students (20.70%); (4) larger disparities among LIS students are noticed in the most ethnically diverse states; and (5) the rate of minority students among the top ten LIS schools is lower than those of overall LIS schools, except the Asian group.

Cataloging and Classification: Back to Basics: Introduction

An idea was born at the 2019 Technical Services Education Special Interest Group session of the Association for Library and Information Science Education (ALISE) annual conference. Presenters and a...

ALISE 2019: Exploring Learning in a Global Information Context

The 2019 Association for Library and Information Science Education (ALISE) annual conference was held in Knoxville, Tennessee from September 24-26th.This year’s conference theme is Exploring Learning in a Global Information Context.

Still Breathing: History in Education for Librarianship / History in the Library and Information Science Curriculum: Outline of a Debate

Only a small minority of library and information science (LIS) schools now schedule courses with a historical focus, and LIS faculty whose research specialty is history seem to be a vanishing breed. Yet some educators are committed to finding ways to preserve historical perspectives in the master’s degree curriculum. At the 2004 conference of the Association for Library and Information Science Education (ALISE) the Historical Perspectives Special Interest Group (SIG) discussed strategies and subsequently carried on the debate in an online forum. Theoretical justifications for including history in the curriculum appealed to both generalist and specific rationales that argued for “history as story” as well as “history as process,” while practical suggestions included focusing on the preservation of documents, adopting the principles and methods of public history, and creating stronger avenues for collaboration among all historians of libraries and information science, no matter what their disciplinary affiliation. Overall, participants felt that in the current economic climate modestly scaled efforts stood the best chance of success.

Research Roundup: Learning about Library Research

Since this column seeks to highlight all aspects of research, in this issue we are going on a field trip to a place where researchers gather to share their findings, collaborate, learn, and celebrate—the most recent ALISE (Association for Library and Information Science Education) conference. According to its website, ALISE “is the global voice of library and information science education. ALISE leads innovative and high-quality research, teaching, and service for educators and scholars in library and information science and cognate disciplines internationally through engagement, advocacy, and knowledge creation and dissemination.” ALISE’s membership consists mostly of library school professors and doctoral students and has a few practicing librarians with their doctorates. This column will share current research by LIS faculty and doctoral students relevant to children’s librarians and showcased at the ALISE conference in Denver.

Looking Back, Moving Forward

Diane H. Sonnenwald has had a distinguished career as an LIS educator and scholar. As the milestone of the centennial anniversary of the Association for Library and Information Science Education (ALISE) in 2015 moves into history, Sonnenwald’s editorial for the centenary edition is reprinted here, in slightly modified form, to coincide with our first edition with the University of Toronto Press. Sonnenwald asks the following questions: Have our understanding and practices regarding teaching and learning changed, and if so, in what ways? Have we solved specific challenges or do they remain? What lessons of the past can still inform our understanding today?

Understanding Twitter use by major LIS professional organisations in the United States

Although Twitter has been widely adopted by professional organisations, there has been a lack of understanding and research on its utilisation. This article presents a study that looks into how five major library and information science (LIS) professional organisations in the United States use Twitter, including the American Library Association (ALA), Special Libraries Association (SLA), Association for Library and Information Science Education (ALISE), Association for Information Science and Technology (ASIS&T) and the iSchools. Specifically explored are the characteristics of Twitter usage, such as prevalent topics or contents, type of users involved, as well as the user influence based on number of mentions and retweets. The article also presents the network interactions among the LIS associations on Twitter. A systematic Twitter analysis framework of descriptive analytics, content analytics, user analysis and network analytics with relevant metrics used in this study can be applied to other studies of Twitter use.

Diversity in LIS Education Resources

In light of events in several countries that were instigated by values that are contrary to those held by the Association for Library and Information Science Education (ALISE), the ALISE Board of Directors reaffirms its commitment to, and promotion of, diversity, equality and inclusion in the library and information science (LIS) education and professional community, and condemns racism, hate, bigotry, and violence. Diversity and inclusion are core elements of the LIS curriculum. To help LIS instructors teach and promote diversity, equality, and inclusion in their curriculum, we have compiled a list of recent works. This list is intended to serve as a living document. We encourage LIS educators, professionals, and students to use these resources in relevant learning settings to further promote these values within the communities we serve. (August 24, 2017)

President's Page

EDITOR'S SUMMARYNadia Caidi, 2016 ASIS&T president, reported on attending conferences of the Council of Scientific Society Presidents (CSSP), the American Library Association (ALA) and ALISE (Association for Library and Information Science Education), highlighting the groups' intersecting interests and overlapping challenges. Information issues were present across much of the CSSP conference, including a focus on human behavior and interaction, adapting to changes in scholarly publishing and maintaining data integrity and security. The Midwinter Meeting of ALA, of which ASIS&T is an affiliate, included developments in library and information services and demonstrated the strong ties between the organizations and our goals. At the ALISE meeting training and accreditation were focal points; ASIS&T will participate in ongoing discussions on the topic. Planning for the ASIS&T 2016 Annual Meeting in Copenhagen continues, certain to deliver a stimulating mix of views on the fields of library and information science and technology.

Igniting Diversity: Actionable Methods and Ideas for Advancing Diversity in LIS Education in the US

The Association for Library and Information Science Education (ALISE) appointed a five-member Taskforce in 2011 to pursue the development of an ALISE Statement on Diversity. Two years later, the ALISE membership voted unanimously to adopt the statement. In an effort to move the statement from mere words on paper, the Taskforce provided actionable models and ideas in an “ignite” session on diversity. In this collaborative piece, four members of the ignite diversity panel share their ideas, experiences, and methods for advancing diversity in the classroom and beyond. Professors Renate Chancellor, Clara Chu, Howard Rodriguez-Mori, and Loriene Roy provide ideas and real world examples that can be readily implemented in the classroom, in research, and at the institutional level. While the United States provides the context for these discussions, many of these methods and ideas are readily adaptable to countries across the globe

Innovations and Challenges in Teaching Information Ethics Across Educational Contexts

Renewed attention to integrating information ethics within graduate library and information science (LIS) programs has forced LIS educators to ensure that future information professionals – and the users they interact with – participate appropriately and ethically in our contemporary information society. Along with focusing on graduate LIS curricula, information ethics must become infused in multiple and varied educational contexts, ranging from elementary and secondary education, technical degrees and undergraduate programs, public libraries, through popular media, and within the home. Teaching information ethics in these diverse settings and contexts brings numerous challenges and requires new understandings and innovative approaches. In keeping with the 2011 Association for Library and Information Science Education (ALISE) conference theme of “Competitiveness and Innovation,” a diverse panel of educators and researchers were convened to foster a discussion in how to best incorporate information ethics education across diverse contexts, and how to develop innovative educational methods to overcome the challenges these contexts inevitably present. This article reports on that panel discussion and offers recommendations towards achieving success in information ethics education.

Where Will They Be in the Future? Implementing a Model for Ongoing Career Tracking of Library and Information Science Graduates

This article provides an overview of Workforce Issues in Library and Information Science 2 (WILIS 2), a study aimed at developing a career-tracking and program evaluation system that can potentially be used by all library and information science (LIS) programs. Such a system could enable stakeholders at all levels to collect data on an ongoing basis, informing their planning process and resulting in more effective ways to educate, manage, and retain the LIS workforce. WILIS 2 is informed by the experience of the research team in developing WILIS 1, an in-depth career retrospective study conducted between 2005 and 2009. WILIS 2 is using a community-based participatory research approach that involves members of the LIS community in the major aspects of project design and implementation. Three working groups on survey design, data reporting, and sustainability have been formed to increase the likelihood that the data collection system will meet the needs of a wide range of LIS programs. Members of the working groups are being drawn from the WILIS project advisory committee and representatives of the participating LIS programs as well as stakeholder groups such as the Association for Library and Information Science Education (ALISE), the American Library Association (ALA), and the Institute of Museum and Library Services (IMLS). Eight programs are participating in a pilot test of the survey, and an additional thirty-five programs will join in the full launch. Results from a WILIS survey of LIS program administrators regarding their existing alumni-tracking practices as well as key results from the recent graduates section of the WILIS 1 survey are included in this paper. The administrators' survey found a high level of interest in a shared approach to alumni tracking, and the results from the recent graduates section of WILIS 1 serve to illustrate the type of data that programs can gather through a recent graduates' survey.

An Interview with 2006–07 ALISE President Connie Van Fleet

Connie Van Fleet is well known to RUSO readers. She edited the journal (in conjunction with Danny P Wallace) for twelve years. Upon completing her final term as editor, she assumed leadership for the Association for Library and Information Science Education (ALISE). ALISE is the premier organization for faculty teaching in graduate programs in library and information science in North America. Connie graciously took time out of her busy schedule to respond to my questions about library education and LIS students. All of a sudden librarianship is becoming portrayed as a hot occupation. Last spring, U.S. News & World Report (see Best Careers for 2007, in the issue dated March 19, 2007) ranked librarianship as one of the top twenty-five careers for 2007. This summer, the New York Times (see A Hipper Crowd of Shushers, in the July 8, 2007 issue) ran a story on how librarianship is becoming a career choice for Generation Xers. Have library schools noticed a marked increase in applications over the last year or two? I loved those articles and really got quite a kick out of sharing the NYT piece with my students. It's great to see librarianship getting attention and respect. I think those articles, however, reflect recognition of a trend, rather than drive enrollment figures. Enrollment in ALA-accredited programs has been increasing steadily since an inexplicable dip in 1999. In fact, according to the ALISE statistics, enrollment in accredited masters' programs grew by about 8% per year between 1999 and 2006, resulting in an increase of over 65%. The 2007 statistics have just been collected from the schools and have not yet been analyzed, but it is my sense that this upward trend is continuing. Who is attending graduate programs in library and information science these days? Is there a demographic profile of the typical student enrolled in a master's degree program? Is librarianship a second career for many individuals? There is a very diverse group of individuals who attend graduate programs in library and information science for a variety of reasons. The profession may still be overwhelmingly female and white, but we are seeing more men and ethnic groups represented in the program. I think the data gathered in Fall 2006 probably gives a pretty accurate picture of this year's class. It shows that enrollment in MLIS programs was 71% female and 29% male. Of those students for whom ethnicity data is reported (such reporting is illegal in Canada), 74% of the students were identified as white, with about 4.4% black, 4.34% Hispanic, and 3.37% Asian. Nearly 5% were international students. Perhaps the most dramatic change is in the age of those attending graduate programs in library and information science: 40% were under the age of 30; 69% were under 40; and 87% under 50 years old. The majority (73.7%) of students reside in the state or province in which they attend school. Librarianship still remains a second career for many individuals. We don't have statistics on students who come into our programs with advanced degrees or from other careers, but my experience at three different universities and my impression from speaking with other faculty indicate that a number of students come to us from a variety of professions, including law, music, education, business, and retail sales. We also see a number of library workers who enroll in school for advancement or professional development. It appears that there has been an explosion in online course offerings in library and information science. Are there data on how many students are enrolled in distance versus residential programs? Are there some master's degree programs that are a hybrid? Has ALISE or any other body sponsored research evaluating the quality of online programs? We don't have figures that indicate the balance of enrollment in distance and residential programs that have been aggregated on the national level, nor do we have directly comparable data on those enrollments. …

The Association for Library and Information Science Education (ALISE): Past, present, future

The Association for Library and Information Science (ALISE) is now over 90 years old. Recently recommitted to a focus on research in library and information science teaching and pedagogy, and support for educators in the field, ALISE serves its members with a range of publications, awards, and services. Membership is strong and conference attendance is relatively high. Content analysis of the Association journal, the Journal of Education for Library and Information Science, indicates consistency with ALISE goals. One potential area of growth is internationalization; ALISE membership, leadership and journal content reflect a North American bias.

Recruiting and Retaining Students of Color in LIS Programs: Perspectives of Library and Information Professionals

The study was conducted to identify effective strategies for recruiting and retaining students of color in library and information science (LIS). Using a Web-based survey, the study collected data from librarians of color, enrolled in, or graduated from, ALA-accredited LIS programs. Study Findings help reassess the efforts that LIS programs made in recruiting and retaining students of color, and shed light on some key areas of focus and improvement for such efforts. Suggestions are made to develop strategies for diverse LIS community and programs. Introduction According to the Association for Library and Information Science Education (ALISE) statistical reports, the student population in Library and Information Science (LIS) schools/programs has not been as ethnically diverse as the U.S. population. Among the students enrolled in American Library Association (ALA)-accredited LIS schools, only 1 1 .3% are ethnic minorities including the four main groups, African Americans, American Indians, Asian Americans, and Hispanic Americans.1 This proportion at LIS schools is significantly lower than the proportion of minorities enrolled in graduate programs (26.4%)2 and those in the U.S. population (31.3%).3 The under-representation of ethnic minorities is also reflected in the library community. Librarians of color constitute about 12-12.5% of academic and public librarian populations.4 More recently, the ratio of librarians of color among credentialed librarians has actually dropped from 1 2% in 1 990 to 1 0% in 20O0.5 As in the LIS student population, the proportion of ethnic minorities in the librarian population (10-12.5%) is significantly lower than the proportion in the U.S. population (31.3%) (See Figure 1 ). Recent projections of the U.S. population indicate that, by 2050, the four ethnic minority groups will represent almost half of the U.S. population.6 As Josey has pointed out, unless the LIS schools and other related organizations develop and support a more comprehensive and aggressive recruitment program, the gap between LIS and U.S. populations will widen even further.7 Such a gap could be a serious issue, especially to public organizations like libraries. The mission of libraries is to serve the public, and the public is becoming more ethnically and culturally diverse. The increasing diver- sity in the user population requires changes in library services including reference, collection management, and outreach.9 Libraries whose staff is not as diverse as their users might not be able to serve the public effectively, as their employees' lack of expertise in different cultures and languages could be a barrier in understanding and helping users. Another issue is re- lated to users. Research suggests that interpersonal similarity can increase the ease of communication, foster relationships of trust and reciprocity, and also create a sense of belonging and membership. I0 Ethnicity is a key factor for interpersonal similarity, as it is closely related to the cultural as well as physical connections between individuals. In libraries, as in other public organizations, it is important to have enough librarians of color so that all users, regardless of their ethnic and cultural background, can see authority figures (such as librarians and teachers) who look like them. This would make the users feel comfortable and affirmed that they are in the right place. Furthermore, ethnic diversity is important because it enriches a society by offering all citizens more opportunities to experience, learn, and understand one another. Over the last few decades, LIS schools/programs have worked diligently to recruit people of color into the information profession, and other related organizations also have been stalwart in supporting recruitment programs. ALA, for example, created the Spectrum Initiative in 1997, to promote diversity in the library community and recruit minority librarians by providing scholarships, mentoring, and training programs. …

LIS Education and Multidisciplinarity: An Exploratory Study

Library and Information Science (LIS) education has a long tradition of multidisciplinarity. Faculty from a wide variety of subject disciplines staffed professional library education programs prior to the establishment of the LIS doctorate at the University of Chicago in 1928. In the mid-twentieth century faculty in LIS schools commonly possessed the LIS doctorate as well as the master's degree in library and information science. But by the late twentieth century, more subject specialists with doctorates from outside the field of LIS were hired as LIS school faculty, contributing to the multidisciplinarity of the field. This study reviews Association for Library and Information Science Education (ALISE) statistics and analyzes selected faculty and doctoral student characteristics relevant to multidisciplinarity. The question is raised as to whether the trend toward multidisciplinarity among faculty and doctoral students in LIS professional education programs will result in the enhancement or the disintegration of the discipline of library and information science. Suggested criteria for measuring the outcome of the trend are discussed.

History in the Library and Information Science Curriculum: Outline of a Debate

Only a small minority of Library and Information Science (LIS) schools now schedule courses with a historical focus, and LIS faculty whose research specialty is seem to be a vanishing breed. Yet some educators are committed to finding ways to preserve historical perspectives in the master's degree curriculum. At the 2004 conference of the Association for Library and Information Science Education (ALISE) the Historical Perspectives Special Interest Group (SIG) discussed strategies and subsequently carried on the debate in an online forum. Theoretical justifications for including in the curriculum appealed to both generalist and specific rationales that argued for history as story as well as history as process, while practical suggestions included focusing on the preservation of documents, adopting the principles and methods of public history, and creating stronger avenues for collaboration among all historians of libraries and information science, no matter what their disciplinary affiliation. Overall, participants felt that in the current economic climate modestly scaled efforts stood the best chance of success.