Librarians’ Views on Critical Theories and Critical Practices

Abstract

This study was conducted to investigate levels of familiarity that librarians have with critical theory, to determine the extent to which it informs professional practices, and to examine how the social justice issues related to critical theory inform the practices of librarians who are unfamiliar with it. A survey found that librarians were versed not only in the critical theory of the Frankfurt School, but also in poststructuralism, feminism, queer theory, critical race theory, and postcolonialism. Many librarians, lacking familiarity with critical theory, were also shown to be concerned with social justice and these issues significantly affect these librarians' professional practices. Based on these results, the authors propose the plausibility of incorporating more critical theory into library and information science programs.

The Practice and Promise of Critical Information Literacy: Academic Librarians' Involvement in Critical Library Instruction

“…23 A recent survey found that a number of librarians have familiarity with one of a number of critical theories, from postcolonialism to queer theory, and moreover, that many librarians are concerned with social justice issues as they relate to libraries. 24 At the same time, examples of how critical IL is and can be practiced, as well as how different factors facilitate or inhibit critical IL work, are lacking from the existing literature. The gap between an increasing interest in critical IL and its application to one's work is what this research intends to address.…”

We Will Not Be Silent: Amplifying Marginalized Voices in LIS Education and Research

“…To prepare LIS students and graduates to confront oppression, to understand "how power and privilege shape LIS institutions and professional practice" (Cooke et al 2016, 107), to embrace social justice as an LIS value (Pawley 2006;Schroeder and Hollister 2014;Cooke et al 2016), and to understand the ethical implications of their decisions and practices requires that faculty intentionally help students develop the theoretical, practical, and ethical foundations they will need to engage with marginalized and silenced communities in ways that prioritize community needs and uphold the values of the profession. It requires faculty to prepare students to employ critical theories and methods as they incorporate the perspectives and values of marginalized and silenced communities, examine how libraries participate in systems of oppression, explore ways for librarians to dismantle these systems, and guide their efforts to work with "patrons and communities to co-investigate the political, social, and economic dimensions of information, including its creation, access, and use" (Tewell 2016, par.…”

The We Need Diverse Books Campaign and Critical Race Theory: Charlemae Rollins and the Call for Diverse Children's Books

“…They should prepare their students so that when they go out into their communities, a diverse collection is a naturally occurring phenomenon. Schroeder and Hollister (2014) worked with various types of librarians to understand their level of fluency with the concepts of critical theories, including CRT. They found that whether or not librarians understood what it was, they still identified advocating for social justice in their information communities as one of their main goals.…”