This paper uses six books to investigate the early history of information literacy (IL) teaching to school-aged young people in the UK. The work was inspired by Neil MacGregor's Radio Four programme, "A History of the World in 100 Objects," which explored humankind's development via a series of artefacts. In my project, the items were…

According to the American Library Association (ALA), organizational sustainability requires social equity, and serving diverse populations is mandated in the ALA Library Bill of Rights and its Policy Manual on Diversity. Preparation to serve diverse and marginalized populations is a key ingredient in creating the type of resilient leaders needed…

This review offers a critical analysis of the library and information science (LIS) literature on first-generation students (FGS) from the last 40 years. This literature demonstrates an interest in understanding the needs of FGS to serve them better, but it is often grounded in a deficit model of education that focuses on what first-generation…

Although cited reference studies are common in the library and information science literature, they are rarely performed in nonacademic institutions or in the atmospheric and oceanic sciences. In this paper, we analyze more than 400,000 cited references made by authors affiliated with the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration between…

This article explores the questions to what extent educational research addresses library use in education and how the library can contribute to intercultural education. The focus is primarily on elementary education in Europe. Analysis of research publications was based on searches for peer-reviewed journals in international databases, literary…

Information literacy, 40 years since the term was coined, remains a conceptually contested aspect of library and information science research. This paper uses a review of the literature related to the concept of information literacy to identify three different perspectives, their historical origins, and connection to library and information…

While increasing the diversity of the library profession has been a long-running concern of Library and Information Science (LIS), the diversity of LIS doctoral students and faculties has received far less attention. This paper argues that libraries will be best equipped to provide inclusive services and outreach to diverse populations when LIS…

Discusses the potential value that library science collections hold for the profession. Methods of describing and identifying collections are discussed along with their locations, uses, and functions. (RAA)

Reviews and describes the current crisis in science literacy and formulates an information-based definition of the term. Library issues and concerns are discussed, including the role of librarians in defining the information-seeking behavior of science-literate users, describing users' characteristics, and evaluating and applying appropriate…

For well over a decade, the "graying" of the library profession has been the subject of much discussion. To examine this issue the Library Research Service (LRS) initiated the study, "Retirement, Retention, and Recruitment: The Future of Librarianship in Colorado." During the last quarter of 2003, 1,241 librarians,…

This review of the literature discusses theories of information with emphasis on the views of Dervin and Popper on subjectivity and objectivity as they relate to information use. Classification and indexing as applied in information retrieval systems and libraries are also discussed, and 78 references are provided. (LRW)

Three fundamental problems underlie most research in health sciences librarianship: determining what therapies are effective and of good quality, delivering information when and where it is needed, and in forms that will increase its use. Developments in health information research will be advanced through collaboration across disciplines and…

Considers how research in collaborative technologies can inform research and development in library and information science. Topics include computer supported collaborative work; shared drawing; collaborative writing; MUDs; MOOs; workflow; World Wide Web; collaborative learning; computer mediated communication; ethnography; evaluation; remote…

Reviews the research and commentary on individuals' questions and specific reference queries that characterize two general approaches in librarianship and other disciplines: question itself as phenomenon of questioner's behavior, linguistic performance, or cognitive state; interaction between question and answer focusing on appropriateness of…

This report presents the research and findings of the 16-member Task Force on the Role of the Special Library in Nationwide Networks and Cooperative Programs. Four working groups studied the following issues: constituencies; network legislation; benefits, barriers, and constraints to and from special library participation in networks; and the…