Document Type
Conference Paper
Publication Date
2023
DOI
10.21900/j.alise.2023.1376
Publication Title
Proceedings of the Association for Library and Information Science Education Annual Conference: ALISE 2023
Pages
1-13
Abstract
Library and information science (LIS) graduates are expected to serve patrons from diverse backgrounds, including disabled patrons. While serving patrons with disabilities is a core value of librarianship, graduates often feel unprepared to serve disabled patrons, suggesting that programs inadequately train students to design accessible services. This study’s authors analyzed hundreds of course descriptions and 73 syllabi from 20 North American LIS programs to determine how often accessibility and disability topics are covered and how educators teach accessibility. Findings indicate that accessibility and disability topics are mostly covered in electives, meaning students may never develop accessibility competencies during their programs. Additionally, a lack of disability-focused assessments may create the impression that serving disabled patrons is less important to LIS than addressing the needs of other underserved communities. Recommendations for educators include creating or revising learning objectives and assessments to prioritize accessibility education and support disabled patrons.
Rights
Copyright 2023 by the authors.
Published under a Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike 4.0
International (CC BY 4.0) License.
Original Publication Citation
Mallary, K. J., Simons, R. N. S., Copeland, C., Nikiema, J., & Dorman, E. (2023). Are library and information science educators teaching accessibility? Content analysis of syllabi. In A. H. Poole & O. Zavalina (Eds.), Proceedings of the Association for Library and Information Science Education Annual Conference: ALISE 2023. (pp. 1-13). Association for Library and Information Science. https://doi.org/10.21900/j.alise.2023.1376
ORCID
0000-0001-6312-0497 (Mallary), 0000-0002-1872-8775 (Simons), 0000-0003-3841-288X (Nikiema),
Repository Citation
Mallary, Kevin J.; Simons, Rea N.; Copeland, Clayton A.; Nikiema, Jackie; and Dorman, Evan J., "Are Library and Information Science Educators Teaching Accessibility? Content Analysis of Syllabi" (2023). STEMPS Faculty Publications. 347.
https://digitalcommons.odu.edu/stemps_fac_pubs/347