Course Information
| Session |
|---|
| Credits | 2.25 CEUs or 22.5 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. |
Critical Concepts in LIS: Research, Teaching, and Practice
$375.00
Dates: May 5 - June 15Credits: 2.25 CEUs or 22.5 PDHs
This course is an exploration of various concepts of criticalness in library and information science, paying special attention to how criticalness can and should influence our research, teaching, and practice. Concepts covered include critical theory, critical pedagogy, and critical action in direct relation to research, teaching, and practice respectively. Other critical concepts will also be explored including critical librarianship, critical information literacy, and critical consciousness. These are all explored from a BIPOC perspective and highlight minoritarian thought such as Black critical theory, Indigenous thought, feminist pedagogies, queer theory, disability studies, social justice work, etc. Each unit looks to examples of research that exemplify the incorporation of critical theory emerging from marginalized voices. While there are courses that discuss one or two of these concepts, this course is different in that it provides an overview of several critical concepts and how they can be used to improve LIS scholarship while interrogating inequitable systems of power within LIS.
Participants will:
- Understand how critical theory can be incorporated into their research
- Understand how critical pedagogy can be applied to their teaching
- Understand how critical action can inform their practice
- Learn about critical theories, pedagogies, and actions that privilege minoritarian intellectual thought and perspectives
- Explore other concepts of criticalness in LIS including critical librarianship, critical consciousness, critical information literacy
Course Description
This course is an exploration of various concepts of criticalness in library and information science, paying special attention to how criticalness can and should influence our research, teaching, and practice. Concepts covered include critical theory, critical pedagogy, and critical action in direct relation to research, teaching, and practice respectively. Other critical concepts will also be explored including critical librarianship, critical information literacy, and critical consciousness. These are all explored from a BIPOC perspective and highlight minoritarian thought such as Black critical theory, Indigenous thought, feminist pedagogies, queer theory, disability studies, social justice work, etc. Each unit looks to examples of research that exemplify the incorporation of critical theory emerging from marginalized voices. While there are courses that discuss one or two of these concepts, this course is different in that it provides an overview of several critical concepts and how they can be used to improve LIS scholarship while interrogating inequitable systems of power within LIS.
Participants will:
- Understand how critical theory can be incorporated into their research
- Understand how critical pedagogy can be applied to their teaching
- Understand how critical action can inform their practice
- Learn about critical theories, pedagogies, and actions that privilege minoritarian intellectual thought and perspectives
- Explore other concepts of criticalness in LIS including critical librarianship, critical consciousness, critical information literacy
Jamillah R. Gabriel
Jamillah R. Gabriel is Critical Pedagogy Research Librarian at Harvard University and a PhD student in the School of Information Sciences at the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign. She holds a Master of Arts in Museum Studies from Indiana University Purdue University Indianapolis and a Master of Library and Information Science from San Jose State University. Her professional experience includes 21 years in public and academic libraries as a librarian and library paraprofessional. Her research focuses on issues at the nexus of information and race and interrogates how these issues, along with information and cultural heritage institutions and policies, impact Black people and communities. Jamillah is also the founder of Call Number, a book subscription box, and co-host of the podcast, LibVoices.
How to Register
To enroll yourself or other participants in a class, use the “Register” button that follows the description of each course. If the “Register” button does not show up, try loading the page in a different web browser. Contact us if you have technical difficulties using our shopping cart system or would like to pay for an enrollment using another method. On the payment page in the shopping cart system, there is a place to add notes, such as the names and email addresses of participants you wish to enroll. We will contact you to request this information in response to your processed payment if you do not include it in the “notes” field. Prior to the start of the workshop, we will send participants their login instructions.Payment Info
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TaChalla –
As a librarian of color, I come across many DEI workshops that seem to speak more to my caucasian colleagues. I really appreciate the collection of reading Jamillah provided which helped me find similar literature and engage in DEI discussions with my LOC colleagues.
Ana Ramirez Luhrs –
I really enjoyed the readings and variety of assignments in this course. I appreciated the instructor’s encouragement, feedback and their knowledge of criticality in librarianship. I would recommend this course to any librarian interested in DEI in libraries or critical librarianship.
Annie Larson –
This was a wonderful course that provided a solid structure for exploring critical topics. We had opportunities to discuss topics across the profession, and the instructor was incredibly supportive and encouraging in our discussions.
Jennifer Hadley –
The instructor provided an excellent introduction to the topic through her lectures, well-chosen readings, and assignments. Her insightful feedback in the class discussions challenged us to think even more deeply about the material and how we can carry our learning back into the profession.
Sonia Pacheco –
A very well-planned and executed course with the right combination of theory and praxis. The assignments were directly applicable to the course content and to the LIS field.
Amber –
I really felt I benefitted from the readings, videos, and discussions we had throughout this course. It covered both the theoretical concepts and ways to practically embed them into our professional lives. I would recommend this course to anyone ready to take a more critical look at themselves and their librarianship.
Katerina –
A well-designed course with an engaging instructor. Course readings and activities address theory and many areas of librarianship. If you’re interested in critical librarianship or in JEDI more broadly, I highly recommend this course.
Janet –
This course made me really wish these concepts were taught in MLIS programs. They’d be so helpful in pushing forward more understanding in the field and looking to future ideas. This course however was very engaging and anyone who takes it will come out with a new understanding of librarianship and interests to explore.