Design partnerships for participatory librarianship: A conceptual model for understanding librarians co designing With digital youth

Abstract

Libraries play a central role for youth and digital learning. As libraries transition to learning spaces, youth librarians can engage in aspects of democratic design that empowers youth. Participatory design (PD) is a user‐centered design method that can support librarians in the democratic development of digital learning spaces. However, while PD has been used in libraries, we have little knowledge of how youth librarians can act as codesign partners. We need a conceptual model to understand the role of youth librarians in codesign, and how their experiences are integrated into youth design partnerships. To generate this model, we examine a case study of the evolutionary process of a single librarian and the development of a library system's learning activities through PD. Using the idea of equal design partnerships, we analyzed video recordings and stakeholder interviews on how children (ages 7–11) worked together with a librarian to develop new digital learning activities. Our discussion focuses on the development of a participatory librarian design conceptual model that situates librarians as design partners with youth. The article concludes with recommendations for integrating PD methods into libraries to create digital learning spaces and suggestions for moving forward with this design perspective.

A novel methodology for surveying children for designing library services: A case study of the Municipal Library of Prague

“…Further research will be focused on child readers and their relationship to digital library services (Djordjevic and Brkic, 2017; Wu et al, 2019). As noted by Yip et al (2020), libraries play a vital role in youth digital learning, and incorporating children into the participatory design of digital library services is an effective tool to develop digital learning activities. In addition, the creation of digital games by youth reportedly promotes their media and information literacy (Costa et al, 2020).…”

“…The lack of special methodology for surveying children is an obstacle to scientists in the field of child reading and children as consumers of library services. Many authors (for example, Chandrasekar and Sivathaasan, 2016; Morris et al, 2002; Imholz and Arns, 2007; Linhartová and Stejskal, 2017; Merga and Roni, 2017; Sumsion et al, 2002; Yip et al, 2020) perceive children as consumers of services in their studies but cannot adequately manage the quantification or evaluation of children’s services. Therefore, they treat children as ‘adults’ (for example, the number of library visitors is given as a sum total, without specifying each visitor as an adult or a child).…”

“…However, it should not be forgotten that even younger readers have their own preferences and wishes, about which library management often has no knowledge. Current methods most often consider children to be consumers belonging to a group of adults, or exclude them from empirical findings (for example, Chandrasekar and Sivathaasan, 2016; Morris et al, 2002; Yip et al, 2020). Their preferences are estimated from the provider’s experience.…”

The Meaning of “Participation” in Co‐Design with Children and Youth: Relationships, Roles, and Interactions

“…Subramanian suggests that methods of cooperative inquiry, an approach commonly practiced in technology design but also associated with action research, can be applied to the co‐design of youth‐focused library services, with teens and librarians working collaboratively (Subramaniam, 2016). Exploring this further, Yip et al (2019) modeled participatory librarianship, informed by the four dimensions of interaction set out in their earlier work— facilitation , relationship‐building, design‐by‐doing , and elaborating together . The librarian role reflected degrees of interaction, from supportive to co‐design.…”

Persona profiles of Latinx living in Boston: Applications for information organizations

“…Information organizations actively try to have patrons participate in the process of not just consuming information services and products, but also of having ownership of these by designing products which respond to their needs and interests (Clarke, 2018; Yip et al, 2019). This is similar to what Nielsen (2019) refers to as the Scandinavian design tradition, defined as “… a theory of design and a set of design methods that involves user participation in the design process to democratise the design.” (p. 4).…”