School Library Research Chats
By Joyce Valenza
School Library Research ChatsMar 08, 2023
Episode 4: Dr. April Dawkins
Dr. April Dawkins discusses self-censorship, evidence-based practice, and more.
Episode 3: Dr. Margaret Merga
We chat with Dr. Margaret Merga about building school reading cultures.
Dr. Merga is a consultant, researcher, and author in literacy, research communication, libraries, and research methods and an honorary adjunct at the University of Newcastle, NSW.
Creating a Reading Culture in Primary and Secondary Schools, November 2023
Dr. Merga's contributions to The Conversation:
https://theconversation.com/profiles/margaret-kristin-merga-155099/articles
Includes translations Indonesian and French as well as this piece:
Every Teacher Needs to be a Literacy Teacher, The Conversation
Episode 2: Dr. Carol Kuhlthau and Dr. Leslie Maniotes
In this episode, Dr. Valenza and Dr. Boyer are honored to welcome Dr. Carol Collier Kuhlthau and Dr. Leslie Maniotes to the podcast. Dr. Leslie Maniotes, PhD, is author and owner of BLV Consulting, LLC. She earned her master’s in Reading K12 from the University of North Carolina, Greensboro and has PhD in Curriculum and Instruction. Leslie has authored several books on Guided Inquiry Design, and you will see, joyously provides coaching and professional development for educators worldwide. Dr. Carol Kuhlthau is Professor Emerita of Library and Information Science at Rutgers University where she directed the graduate program in school librarianship. A Distinguished Professor, Dr. Kuhlthau also chaired the Department of Library and Information and was the founding director of the Center for International Scholarship in School Libraries (CISSL). Dr. Kuhlthau is internationally known for her groundbreaking research on the Information Search Process and for the ISP model of affective, cognitive and physical aspects in six stages of information seeking and use. She is widely published and heavily cited.
Dr. Kuhlthau has authored multiple research studies and books including her seminal work, Seeking Meaning: A Process Approach to Library and Information Services and Teaching the Library Research Process. She published the Guided Inquiry Design series with her daughters Leslie K. Maniotes and Ann K. Caspari. Resources: *Seeking Meaning: A Process Approach to Library and Information Services (Libraries Unlimited Guided Inquiry) 2nd Edition by Carol Kuhlthau https://www.amazon.com/Seeking-Meanin... *Video of Dr. Carol Kuhlthau discussing the Information Search Process (CISSL Institute) *Guided Inquiry Design Framework: https://guidedinquirydesign.com/gid-p... *Guided Inquiry Design tools and the 6 C’s https://guidedinquirydesign.com/gid-t... *Articles on Guided Inquiry Design: https://guidedinquirydesign.com/gid-a... *Curated Research articles by Dr. Carol C. Kuhlthau: https://guidedinquirydesign.com/gid-r...
Episode 1: Deb Kachel and Keith Curry Lance discuss the IMLS-funded SLIDE Study.
The School Librarian Investigation Decline or Evolution?
UPDATE: SLIDE Voices of Decision-Makers Report
From the SLIDE About page:
SLIDE: The School Librarian Investigation—Decline or Evolution? is an exploratory project submitted by Antioch University Seattle and funded by the Institute for Museum and Library Services for $348,905, to be conducted from September 2020 through August 2023. (See Grant Announcement.) The research will determine patterns in the continuing, national decline in school librarian positions and how school districts decide to staff library, learning resources, and instructional technologies programs for K-12 students. The SLIDE project will:
- Determine trends over time in school library employment from the National Center for Education Statistics, factoring in school district characteristics and student demographics;
- Interview decision-makers in school districts that have reported the greatest librarian gains and losses over the past five years;
- Examine job descriptions for librarians and related positions from interview sites; and
- Compile related state contextual data regarding school librarian certification, requirements, and support for school library programs.
RESEARCH QUESTIONS
- How equitable is the distribution of school librarians by enrollment, district setting (urban, suburban, rural), race/ethnicity, poverty, and per pupil spending?
- What job titles, skills, and responsibilities are valued and sought by school leaders who decide staffing patterns that provide students and teachers with access to and instruction about learning resources, including library and educational technologies?
- What factors affect how school decision-makers choose to staff learning resources?
- What advantages do decision-makers perceive in their chosen models for achieving district goals compared to other alternatives they considered?
PROJECT GOALS
- Analyze school librarian employment trends since 2014-15 in NCES data, assessing geography, enrollment, district setting, race/ethnicity, poverty, and per pupil spending.
- Create a website with interactive tools allowing users to select various geographic views of school librarian staffing and associated variables.
- Identify staffing models chosen by decision-makers—including school librarians and related positions—and factors that influence their thinking.
- Interpret and share findings to LIS educators, library and education associations, school librarians, and school leaders who make difficult K-12 staffing choices.