Demonstrating how learning theories are applicable to a variety of real-world contexts, this book will help library workers better understand how people learn so that they can improve support for instruction on their campuses and in their communities. From makerspaces to book clubs, from media facilities to group study spaces, from special events…

At a recent conference on technology and education, the theory of connectivism was a hot topic. Proponents of this educational theory argue that technology has changed so substantially in the past several decades that they must review previous learning theories to ensure that they accommodate new processes that technology makes possible.…

Effective school libraries provide services that are based on meeting each individual's need for information. Information needs arise from both immediate and global communities--from the school building to the "flat world" of online connections. The strategy for successfully engaging individuals as lifelong learners begins with acknowledging the…

The re-envisioning of libraries as information leaders in higher education requires an examination of the decisions made in the acquisition and adoption of library technology. The Critical Theory of Library Technology offers a framework for viewing technology decisions through a social, economic and political perspective. This paper uses the…

The late rapper Tupac Shakur wrote a poem called "The Rose that Grew from Concrete" that serves as a good metaphor for helping educators, including school librarians, to disrupt stereotypical metanarratives they might have about urban youth and replace them with new narratives of hope, compassion, and high expectations for all students. Tupac's…

The authors develop a framework for addressing the question of truth in librarianship and in doing so attempt to move considerations of truth closer to the core of philosophical debates within the profession. After establishing ways in which philosophy contributes to social scientific inquiry in library science, the authors examine concepts of…

Gathering qualitative information about usage behavior of library Web sites is a time-consuming process requiring the active participation of patron communities. Libraries that collect virtual reference transcripts, however, hold valuable data regarding how the library Web site is used that could benefit Web designers. An analysis of virtual…

Library schools may be teaching some of the theoretical framework necessary to perform the duties of electronic resource librarianship. However, a gap remains "between practical needs, as expressed in position descriptions, and the theoretical way in which library school courses address those needs." To fill this gap, professional associations…

Librarians need to work with classroom teachers and college faculty to find ways to help students become more intrinsically motivated to learn. They can do this by providing challenging learning experiences that promote feelings of competence and mastery. It is the intrinsically motivated student that becomes a lifelong learner. In this article,…

Discusses the need for reference desk orientation for newly hired or reassigned librarians and presents an outline of a suggested orientation program. Orientation conducted by a supervisor is discussed, practical and philosophical aspects of reference service are addressed, and written materials that support the training are recommended. (nine…

Past studies that apply the sociological definition of professionalism to librarianship are summarized, and recent criticisms of this definition are investigated. Alternative models of professionalism and concepts of theoretical knowledge and service are discussed, and a reexamination of the professional nature of librarians' work is proposed. (23…

Discusses sources of conflict between teaching and nonteaching librarians and identifies theoretical and practical contributions of library instruction to reference service. Arguments against library instruction, library applications of learning theory, improving reference services, conflicts in reference department, and future of library…

Libraries have long been pivotal community institutions--public spaces where people can come together to learn, reflect, and interact. Today, information is rapidly spreading beyond books and journals to digital government archives, business databases, electronic sound and image collections, and the flow of electronic impulses over computer…