Information Technology and School Libraries: A Social Justice Perspective

Abstract

This research takes an emergent approach to data analysis (Charmaz, 2008) through the use of an emic/etic data coding process, and proposes a typology for understanding the connection between social justice principles and the provision of information technology services in school libraries. The study used data from seven school libraries in the state of New Jersey, obtained from focus groups consisting of forty-eight teachers, eighteen librarians, ten department supervisors, eleven principals/assistant principals, four district directors, and three librarian-teachers. The emergent process and typology employed in this research can aid school libraries in assessing how particular factors of the school/school library environment influence the provision of IT services to school library users. This study confirmed that school librarians and teachers rely on several social justice principles, such as distributive justice, utilitarianism, and egalitarianism, in making decisions regarding how to provide information technology services within the school environment. In particular, it was found that the type of social justice principle used in the school environment depended on the school librarians' and teachers' perceptions of the information competencies of their constituents and the availability of resources within the school environment. This research contributes to the study of social justice in the library and information science (LIS) professions in the following ways: first, by expanding ideas of "social justice" in LIS beyond traditional notions of "disenfranchised groups"-such as people having lower socioeconomic status, racial/ethnic or sexual minorities, and 330 library trends/fall 2015 individuals with physical or mental disabilities-to include any group that may experience injustice in the context of information, such as school teachers, librarians and students; second, by portraying how social justice principles are enacted as strategies in school librarianship and pedagogy that advance student information-seeking and learning objectives; third, by highlighting the value of social justice to both practice and scholarly research in school and school library environments; and fourth, by proposing a methodology for studying social justice in a library environment.

Coding in School Libraries: Considering an Ethical Approach

“…In some schools, the library may also be the only location where students can access coding activities. Many school libraries include coding as part of their STEM programming, particularly at the elementary level where coding supports digital literacy and provides equitable opportunities for students to learn a technical skill useful in the 21st century workforce (Dadlani & Todd, 2015).…”

“…An increasing body of research suggests that technology bias has significant social ramifications for those who are already socially disadvantaged (see Dadlani & Todd, 2015;Howard & Borenstien;Johnson, 2020;Naidoo & Sweeney, 2015;Noble, 2013). Digital media scholars, like Noble (2013), describe how technology companies prioritize commercial interests over fair representation, thus creating technological blind spots that fail to represent specific groups of people by race, gender, or religion.…”

Informational Justice: A Conceptual Framework for Social Justice in Library and Information Services

“…In 1990 the ALA adopted the "Policy on Library Services to Poor People" (Holt & Holt, 2010, p. 14), calling for, among other things, promoting equitable access, public awareness, and public policies to aid those who are poor (ALA, 2014). These social ideals are encompassed and extended in current discussions of social justice within the LIS professions (Britz & Blignaut, 2001;Dadlani & Ross, 2014;de la Peña McCook, 2001;Duff, Flinn, Suurtamm, & Wallace, 2013;Gilliland, 2011;McMenemy, 2012;Mehra, Rioux, & Albright, 2010;Pateman & Vincent, 2012;Usherwood, 2011). In order for this trend in LIS to have its promised impact, however, there is a strong need for LIS to develop its own understanding of social justice.…”

More than Lip Service

“…ocial justice has emerged as an important and growing topic in recent library and information science (LIS) scholarship with implications for research, teaching, and the direction of the information professions (Sweeney, et al, 2014;Sung & Parboteeah, 2017;Winberry & Bishop, 2021). Social justice in LIS has been described in numerous ways including as a pedagogy (Gregory & Higgins, 2017), metatheory , a conceptual framework , as an advocacy model (Froggatt, 2019), a perspective (Dadlani & Todd, 2015), and as a guiding principle (Jaeger et al, 2016) among other terms and near infinite definitions . The embrace of social justice and related terms such as equity, diversity, and inclusion, can be recognized beyond just research and practice; these terms have recently begun emerging in the themes and titles of numerous information-related conferences such as the ALISE, ASIS&T, and iSchool conferences.…”