Course Information
| Session |
|---|
| Credits | 1.5 CEUs or 15 PDHs |
|---|---|
| Registration dates | We accept registrations through the first week of classes, unless enrollment is full, and unless the class was canceled before it started due to low enrollment. |
Exploring and Applying Critical Theory: An Introduction for Librarians
$250.00
Credits: 1.5 CEUs or 15 PDHs
Critical approaches to librarianship help us think about the ways that our work is fundamentally political and theoretical. These approaches firmly assert that social justice and critique should be a central goal and professional responsibility of librarianship and are used, therefore, to inform more inclusive policy, curriculum, and communication. As critical librarianship gains in popularity and visibility there is a growing demand for spaces where beginners can explore and unpack what it means to be ‘critical.’
This course will aim to provide such a space, focusing specifically on the field of critical theory as a foundation of critical librarianship. “Theory” in general is often perceived as a barrier to entry for participation in critical conversations and practices, so this course will aim to explore what (critical) theory is and what it does, introduce some fundamentals of critical theory, and discuss how to identify theories and epistemologies that resonate with each practitioner. In the course of exploring the basics of critical theory in this way, we will also critique how theory is often conceived of and used in scholarly discourse. We will end the course by exploring how critical theory has been, and could be, actualized in librarianship.
Learning objectives:
This course will help students work toward:
- Identifying foundational critical theory concepts.
- Articulating their own theoretical point of view.
- Meaningfully integrating critical theory into their everyday practice.
Course Description
Critical approaches to librarianship help us think about the ways that our work is fundamentally political and theoretical. These approaches firmly assert that social justice and critique should be a central goal and professional responsibility of librarianship and are used, therefore, to inform more inclusive policy, curriculum, and communication. As critical librarianship gains in popularity and visibility there is a growing demand for spaces where beginners can explore and unpack what it means to be ‘critical.’
This course will aim to provide such a space, focusing specifically on the field of critical theory as a foundation of critical librarianship. “Theory” in general is often perceived as a barrier to entry for participation in critical conversations and practices, so this course will aim to explore what (critical) theory is and what it does, introduce some fundamentals of critical theory, and discuss how to identify theories and epistemologies that resonate with each practitioner. In the course of exploring the basics of critical theory in this way, we will also critique how theory is often conceived of and used in scholarly discourse. We will end the course by exploring how critical theory has been, and could be, actualized in librarianship.
Learning objectives:
This course will help students work toward:
- Identifying foundational critical theory concepts.
- Articulating their own theoretical point of view.
- Meaningfully integrating critical theory into their everyday practice.
Jessica Critten
Jessica Critten (she/her) currently works as an Instructional Designer at the University of Colorado Denver. A bit of a theory nerd, her approach to teaching and learning reflects an appreciation for criticality and justice, access, and student empowerment. She was previously the Pedagogy and Assessment Program Lead Librarian at Auraria Library in Denver, CO and Associate Professor and Instructional Services Librarian at the University of West Georgia. She is a graduate of Florida State University, where she received a Master of Library and Information Science (MLIS), and an MA in Interdisciplinary Humanities.
How to Register
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