Changes in public library youth services : a content analysis of youth services job advertisements.

This article investigates requirements and responsibilities for public library youth services librarians. Position advertisements were published in American Libraries in five-year increments, from 1971 to 2001. Youth services librarian positions were analyzed as to changes in position titles, education requirements, job responsibilities, and personality characteristics. Findings suggest that the number of advertised youth services positions is increasing, and job titles are changing from the specific “children’s services” to the more generalized “youth services.” Advertised responsibilities of the youth services librarian have consistently emphasized collection management and administrative duties, and many advertisements place a heavy emphasis on personality traits.Post-printIncludes bibliographical references

Reading sources and reading spaces in Honduras

Though literacy is often presented as a universal and monolithic achievement, it is in fact context-dependent, and largely dependent upon the kinds of texts available in a particular community. This paper presents an observer's study of reading in Honduras, focusing particularly on the availability of reading materials and spaces dedicated to reading and literacy practices. Environments studied included bookstores, libraries, schools, and Internet cafes, as well as streets and shops. Reading books was observed to be relatively uncommon and primarily done in an educational context. Other reading materials, including newspapers, magazines, and text messages, were far more commonly used and far better integrated into the Honduran society. My observations suggest that libraries could play an important supporting role in Honduras' efforts to establish universal literacy.Includes bibliographical references

Latino librarians on becoming LIS educators : An exploratory investigation of the barriers in recruiting Latino faculty

LIS schools have produced a limited number of Latino MLS graduates, but they have not attracted them back to pursue doctoral studies and teaching positions. Using a semistructured interview technique, eight “expert” Latino librarians were interviewed for their perspectives on the barriers preventing Latino LIS professionals from pursuing positions as LIS faculty. This exploratory investigation identified four specific barriers which were perceived as contributing to the lack of Latino LIS faculty: isolation from the academy, ethnocentrism within LIS education, financial concerns, and personal concerns.LIS schools have produced a limited number of Latino MLS graduates, but they have not attracted them back to pursue doctoral studies and teaching positions. Using a semistructured interview technique, eight “expert” Latino librarians were interviewed for their perspectives on the barriers preventing Latino LIS professionals from pursuing positions as LIS faculty. This exploratory investigation identified four specific barriers which were perceived as contributing to the lack of Latino LIS faculty: isolation from the academy, ethnocentrism within LIS education, financial concerns, and personal concerns.Post-printIncludes bibliographical references

Literature and technology skills for entry-level children's librarians : what employers want

Public libraries are increasingly advertising for children's librarians with "technological savvy." In a field that used to be dominated by books and reading, this new focus on technology has been somewhat unexpected. This article uses two methods to investigate the role that technology and juvenile literature play in hiring new children's librarians: a content analysis of children's services job announcements and interviews with public library employers about hiring children's librarians. The content analysis, which looked at children's librarian job announcements over a 30 year period, suggests that knowledge of juvenile literature is no longer the sine qua non of youth services librarianship, and that technological skills are in the ascendant. Interviews confirmed the importance of basic technological skills. However, these interviews also reinforce the notion that children's librarians need to have a love of the literature in order to effectively work as a children's librarian.Post-printIncludes bibliographical references

The Library in the Lives of Latino College Students

Libraries share a perception of embracing and providing for all users. However, they also share a common philosophical stance shaped by librarians' individual discursive formations and the dominant cultural hegemony that values some users over others. Latinos constitute one of the fastest-growing, nondominant populations in the United States, and the literature suggests that libraries do not always serve them adequately. This was reinforced by interviews with seven Latino undergraduate students that suggest ambiguous feelings toward libraries and a strong need for some sort of cultural reinforcement. This study of users' perceptions of libraries may help librarians and policy makers consider more pluralistic approaches to library services.Publisher's PDF (Embargo Over)Includes bibliographical references

Education for library service to youth in five countries

Youth services instructors from five countries (Australia, Canada, New Zealand, the United Kingdom, and the United States) were surveyed as to the content of youth-oriented courses they had taught between 2000 and 2003. A content analysis of those course descriptions revealed that youth-oriented library curriculum was heavily dominated by literature and materials, while management of the youth library and foundations of youth library services were less frequently emphasized. Course content is remarkably similar between regions, but looking at the content with regard to national differences suggests additions to curricula based on the needs of each country.Post-printIncludes bibliographical references

An exploratory survey of reference source instruction in LIS courses

We surveyed 40 reference instructors at 28 North American ALA-accredited programs of library and information studies about instructional methods they used in teaching about reference sources in print and electronic formats. Results indicated that instructors spent more time teaching students about electronic than about print sources. General reference courses included a larger variety of instructional methods for teaching print sources than did subject-specific courses. Commonly-used instructional methods for print sources included instructor-led discussion of the sources and hands-on assignments completed outside of class time. For electronic reference sources, commonly-used instructional methods were instructor-led discussions and modeling searches. The study identified an apparent conflict between instructors’ desires to develop a deeper knowledge of print and electronic sources, and their ability to ensure access to sources, work with technology, and manage changing interfaces. We conclude with three options that LIS practitioners and educators might take to address this conflict.Post-printIncludes bibliographical references

Library anxiety among international graduate students

This pilot study investigated the level of library anxiety among 15 international graduate students in the United States, using a modified version of Bostick’s(1992) Library Anxiety Scale (LAS) with a proposed Language & Culture Barriers sub-scale. Findings from the pilot study revealed that mechanical barriers were the smallest source of library anxiety, and affective and staff barriers were the greatest sources of library anxiety.Posted presented in 2012 at the American Society for Information Science & Technology 75th Annual Meeting Proceedings

Unintentional recruiting for diversity

Based on interviews with Latino undergraduate students, Latino and Native American graduate students in library and information science, and Latino librarians, this paper documents some techniques librarians unintentionally use to persuade or dissuade students from becoming librarians. These techniques include developing relationships with library patrons, helping patrons become familiar with the library, demonstrating librarianship as a service profession, and demonstrating librarianship as a respectful profession. When used intentionally, those techniques become strategies which can help librarians recruit for future generations.Post-printIncludes bibliographical references

Library and information needs of Latinos in rural Dunklin County, Missouri.

Libraries in rural Missouri are struggling to provide adequate services to a growing number of Spanish-speaking residents. This article examines the barriers to effective library services through the evaluation of a survey conducted among Latinos in Dunklin County, Missouri in 2002. Successful library outreach to the Spanish-speaking in other areas of the country have included Spanish language materials, child-friendly programs in Spanish and promotion of the library services through media outlets which target the Hispanic population.Post-printIncludes bibliographical references