IOPN Journals (Illinois Open Publishing Network)
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К истории концепта “Общество как государственное установление”: Памяти Дитриха Гайера (1928-2023)
Full text linkDietrich Geyer’s article “‘Gesellschaft’ als staatliche Veranstaltung. Sozialgeschichtliche Aspekte des russischen Behördenstaats im 18. Jahrhundert,” had a significant impact on both German and American historiography, which is not the case with the Soviet historiography of the 1960-1980s. Nevertheless, late Soviet and early post-Soviet historiography was preoccupied with the same problems of the relationship between “state” and “society” in Imperial Russia and sometimes followed the line of D. Geyer’s thinking. In the 1990s, when the “grand narrative” of modernization was called into question, historians engaged in a polemic about the very productiveness of the opposition of “state” and “society” as categories of historical knowledge. They turned to the local level of late imperial Russian society, or adopted new methods of examining legislative sources, avoiding access to “backwardness” or “underdevelopment,” preferring to examine the language and rhetoric of eighteenth-century documents.Dietrich Geyer’s article “‘Gesellschaft’ als staatliche Veranstaltung. Sozialgeschichtliche Aspekte des russischen Behördenstaats im 18. Jahrhundert,” had a significant impact on both German and American historiography, which is not the case with the Soviet historiography of the 1960-1980s. Nevertheless, late Soviet and early post-Soviet historiography was preoccupied with the same problems of the relationship between “state” and “society” in Imperial Russia and sometimes followed the line of D. Geyer’s thinking. In the 1990s, when the “grand narrative” of modernization was called into question, historians engaged in a polemic about the very productiveness of the opposition of “state” and “society” as categories of historical knowledge. They turned to the local level of late imperial Russian society, or adopted new methods of examining legislative sources, avoiding access to “backwardness” or “underdevelopment,” preferring to examine the language and rhetoric of eighteenth-century documents
Structuration Theory as a Lens for Examining Agency and Constraints in Information Literacy Pedagogy
Full text linkGiddens’ structuration theory is used to demonstrate to pre-service librarians how to consider structural constraints in their future work and develop agency in the face of institutional and political barriers. A rich example is provided by empirical findings over decades of research on information literacy instruction in academic libraries. Structuration theory provides an opportunity to reconsider these findings, to think about the constraints under which librarians struggle, and to identify those points of structuration where they exercise agency despite the seemingly intransigent organizational arrangements and political contexts limiting their instructional work. Instructional librarians are confronted by a range of structural constraints relating to campus power dynamics and resource allocations. However, understanding that opportunities exist to challenge existing institutional arrangements can motivate librarians to persevere in their critical professional efforts.
Critical Framework for Data Ethics and Justice Curriculum
Full text linkIn the evolving landscape of our data-driven society, integrating ethical considerations with practical problem-solving is crucial. This project incorporates data ethics and justice into undergraduate Data Science (DS) and masters-level Library and Information Science (MLIS) curriculum. Current efforts to include ethical content in technical courses often face challenges, including inconsistent understanding of ethics, difficulties in selecting appropriate topics, and a lack of effective teaching and assessment strategies. To address these challenges, this project 1) develops a pedagogical framework, 2) creates and tests assignments, and 3) ensures diversity, inclusivity, and accessibility in course content and assignments.
Memes: The Representation of Cultural Agency and Identity across the Boundaries
Full text linkThis study explores how memes represent cultural agency and identity across international and sociocultural boundaries and how they can impact sociocultural discourses in online spaces. Based on the theoretical framework of Burnett’s information domains, this study examines three specific examples to introduce how memes can traverse diverse contexts, adapt to local norms, and reflect global tensions. The examples underscore the need for critical and broader approaches in information literacy education along with contextual analysis and cultural awareness, suggesting that memes can serve as an effective tool
The Use and Instruction of High-Level Programming Languages in Online ALA-Accredited MLIS Programs
Full text linkThis dissertation investigates the instruction and use of high-level computer programming languages in online American Library Association (ALA) accredited Master of Library and Information Science (MLIS) programs. While prior studies have shown that high-level programming skills are in demand for MLIS graduates, this study addresses the gap between the skills taught in MLIS programs and those needed in the workforce.
A mixed-methods approach was employed, with qualitative data gathered from one-on-one interviews with MLIS program administrators and faculty, as well as focus group interviews with MLIS program students. A follow-up quantitative online Qualtrics survey was then completed by each audience to build on what was learned. Three theoretical frameworks guided the research: the Technology Acceptance Model (TAM), Technology, Pedagogy, and Content Knowledge (TPACK), and the Theory of Self-Efficacy. Themes from the research include the challenges of integrating high-level programming skills into the curriculum, student and faculty satisfaction with program offerings, and the perceived importance of learning high-level programming.
While results varied, the study found that most online ALA-accredited MLIS programs teach high-level programming skills, at least in elective courses. All audiences recognize the importance of learning high-level programming skills but must balance this with the barriers they face. This study offers recommendations for ensuring the MLIS curriculum more adequately meets the demand for high-level programming skills in the field
They Are Like Us: Designing a Human-Centered Public Library Curriculum to Prepare Students for Working with Vulnerable Populations and the Unhoused
Full text linkWith homelessness affecting over 582,000 individuals in the U.S., according to the 2022 Department of Housing and Urban Development, libraries are increasingly relied upon as safe havens for unhoused populations. In response, some libraries have embedded social workers to provide critical services, yet Library and Information Science (LIS) programs have not kept pace in preparing students for these expanded responsibilities (Chancellor & Crooks, 2024; Dali et al., 2022). This paper examines how collaborations among librarians, social workers, and community organizations are reshaping service provision and argues that LIS education must be reconceptualized to meet these challenges. Using the They Are Like Us lens—an interpretive framework that emphasizes shared humanity over difference—it proposes curricular exemplars that integrate empathetic pedagogy, social work principles, and experiential learning. Such innovations aim to equip future librarians with the skills and emotional intelligence to serve marginalized communities with dignity and compassion
Decolonizing Community-based Teaching and Learning in LIS: A Path to Equity Literacy
Full text linkLibrary and information science (LIS) education has long relied on traditional needs assessment models that often reinforce and perpetuate institutional biases inherent in the process. This poster demonstrates how contemporary LIS pedagogy can be changed to reframe this practice as a critical, reflective process that challenges systemic inequities and amplifies marginalized voices. Within the context of a graduate-level course offered at an ALA-accredited Master of Library Science program serving the needs of rural, economically disadvantaged, and otherwise at-risk communities, the author details efforts to conceptualize community information needs analysis as an act of resistance that engages students in structural critique and participatory action to recognize and eradicate systemic inequities in library service design. The poster provides specific examples of assignments and pedagogical tools that have been implemented across five sections of the course to help students identify and challenge exclusionary library practices and their impacts on marginalized groups. The effectiveness of each strategy will be discussed, such as auditing library policies, particularly regarding access restrictions and neutrality rhetoric, developing asset-based community-led assessment models, and analysis of language justice barriers at a local library serving immigrant communities. The poster concludes with a discussion of how LIS education must evolve with a greater focus on fostering student agency in learning and future professional practice. These necessary changes are discussed through the equity literacy lens to highlight the impact of anti-oppressive frameworks on information access and moving beyond urban-centric models of both education and service in the field
Student-Led Resistance: A Model for a Critical Librarianship Reading Group in Uncertain Times
Full text linkThis paper examines the formation, implementation, and impact of a student-led Critical Librarianship Reading Group (CLRG) initiated in a graduate Library and Information Science (LIS) program in the U.S. South. Designed to fill gaps in formal curriculum related to diversity, equity, and inclusion (DEI), the CLRG became a transformative space for students to critically engage with social justice theory and practice. The significance of this intervention is heightened by recent political attacks on DEI efforts, most notably, Donald Trump’s moves to dismantle federal DEI initiatives and defund related programming (Haberman & Karni, 2020; White House, 2025). As higher education institutions face increasing scrutiny and censorship around critical race theory and queer inclusion, the CLRG offers a case study of resilience and student-driven curricular repair