The Politics of Theory and the Practice of Critical Librarianship

"Over the past fifteen years, librarians have increasingly looked to theory as a means to destabilize normative discourses and practices within LIS, to engage in inclusive and non-authoritarian pedagogies, and to organize for social justice. "Critlib," short for "critical librarianship," is variously used to refer to a growing body of scholarship, an intellectual or activist movement within librarianship, an online community that occasionally organizes in-person meetings, and an informal Twitter discussion space active since 2014, identified by the #critlib hashtag. Critlib "aims to engage in discussion about critical perspectives on library practice" but it also seeks to bring "social justice principles into our work in libraries" (http://critlib.org/about/). The role of theory within librarianship in general, and critical librarianship more specifically, has emerged as a site of tension within the profession. In spite of an avowedly activist and social justice-oriented agenda, critlib-as an online discussion space at least-has come under fire from some for being inaccessible, exclusionary, elitist, and disconnected from the practice of librarianship, empirical scholarship, and on-the-ground organizing for socioeconomic and political change. At the same time, critical librarianship may be becoming institutionalized, as seen in the Framework for Information Literacy for Higher Education, the January 2015 editorial in College and Research Libraries that specifically solicited articles using critical theory or humanistic approaches, and the publication of several critical librarianship monographs by the Association of College and Research Libraries. This book features original research, reflective essays and conversations, and dialogues that consider the relationships between theory, practice, and critical librarianship through the lenses of the histories of librarianship and critical librarianship, intellectual and activist communities, professional practices, information literacy, library technologies, library education, specific theoretical approaches, and underexplored epistemologies and ways of knowing." -- Publisher's description Over The Past Fifteen Years, Librarians Have Increasingly Looked To Theory As A Means To Destablize Normative Discourses And Practices With Lis, To Engage In Inclusive And Non-authoritarian Pedagogies, And To Organize For Social Justice. Critlib, Short For Critical Librarianship, Is Variously Used To Refer To A Growing Body Of Scholarship, An Intellectual Or Activist Movement Within Librarianship, An Online Community That Occasionally Organizes In-person Meetings, And An Informal Twitter Discussion Space Active Since 2014, Identified By The #critlib Hashtag. Critlib Aims To Engage In Discussion About Critical Perspectives On Library Practice But It Also Seeks To Bring 'socal Justice Principles Into Our Work In Libraries' (http://critlib.org/about/). --back Cover. Introduction / Karen P. Nicholson And Maura Seale -- In Resistance To A Capitalist Past: Emerging Practices Of Critical Librarianship / Lua Gregory And Shana Higgins -- Ruthless Criticism Of All That Exists: Marxism, Technology, And Library Work / Sam Popwich -- Making The Case For A Sociocultural Perspective On Information Literacy / Alison Hicks -- Critical Systems Librarianship / Simon Barron And Andrew Preater -- Disability At Work: Libraries, Built To Exclude / Jessica Schomberg -- Ordering Things / Sarah J. Coysh, William Denton And Lisa Sloniowski -- Indigenous Information Literacy: Nêhiyaw Kinship Enabling Self-care In Research / Jessis Loyer -- Envisioning A Critical Archival Pedagogy / Michelle Caswell -- Reflections On Running A Critlis Reading Group / Penny Andrews, Elizabeth L. Chapman, Jessica Elmore, Dan Grace, Emily Nunn, And Sheila Webber -- Reflections On Reistance, Decolonization, And The Historical Trauma Of Libraries And Academia / Nicola Andrews -- Critical Librarianship As An Academic Pursuit / Ian Beilin -- Each According To Their Ability: Zine Librarians Talking About Their Community / Violet Fox, Kelly Mcelroy, Jude Vachon And Kelly Wooten -- Quantitative Researchers, Critical Librarians: Potential Allies In Pursuit Of A Socially Just Praxis / Selinda Adelle Berg -- Interrogating The Collective: #critlib And The Problem Of Community / Nora Almeida. Editors, Karen P. Nicholson And Maura Seale. Includes Bibliographical References And Index. Introduction / Karen P. Nicholson and Maura Seale In Resistance to a Capitalist Past: Emerging Practices of Critical Librarianship / Lua Gregory and Shana Higgins "Ruthless Criticism of All that Exists": Marxism, Technology, and Library Work / Sam Popowich Making the Case for a Sociocultural Perspective on Information Literacy / Alison Hicks Critical Systems Librarianship / Simon Barron and Andrew Preater Disability at Work: Libraries, Built to Exclude / Jessica Schomberg Ordering Things / Sarah J. Coysh, William Denton and Lisa Sloniowski Indigenous Information Literacy: nêhiyaw Kinship Enabling Self-Care in research / Jessis Loyer Envisioning a Critical Archival Pedagogy / Michelle Caswell Reflections on Running a CritLIS Reading Group / Penny Andrews, Elizabeth L. Chapman, Jessica Elmore, Dan Grace, Emily Nunn, and Sheila Webber Reflections on Resistance, Decolonization, and the Historical Trauma of Libraries and Academia / Nicola Andrews Critical Librarianship as an Academic Pursuit / Ian Beilin Each According to Their Ability: Zine Librarians Talking About Their Community / Violet Fox, Kelly McElroy, Jude Vachon and Kelly Wooten Quantitative Researchers, Critical Librarians: Potential Allies in Pursuit of a Socially Just Praxis / Selinda Adelle Berg Interrogating the Collective: #Critlib and the Problem of Community / Nora Almeida. Cover 1 Title Page 2 Contents 6 Foreword 8 Introduction 12 Librarianship and the Practicality Imperative 30 In Resistance to a Capitalist Past: Emerging Practices of Critical Libraria 32 “Ruthless Criticism of All that Exists”: Marxism, Technology, and Library Work 50 Theory at Work: Rethinking our Practice 78 Making the Case for a Sociocultural Perspective on Information Literacy 80 Critical Systems Librarianship 98 Disability at Work: Libraries, Built to Exclude 126 Ordering Things 140 Indigenous Information Literacy: nêhiyaw Kinship Enabling Self-Care in Research 156 Theory and the iSchool 168 Envisioning a Critical Archival Pedagogy 170 Reflections on Running a CritLIS Reading Group 178 Reflections on Resistance, Decolonization, and the Historical Trauma of Libraries and Academia 192 Critlib and Community 204 Critical Librarianship as an Academic Pursuit 206 Each According to THeir Ability: Zine Librarians Talking About THeir Community 222 Quantitative Researchers, Critical Librarians: Potential Allies in Pursuit of a Socially Just Prax 236 Interrogating the Collective: #Critlib and the Problem of Community 248 Author Biographies 270 Index 274 Blank Page 1 Cover Title Page Contents Foreword Introduction Librarianship and the Practicality Imperative In Resistance to a Capitalist Past: Emerging Practices of Critical Librarianship “Ruthless Criticism of All that Exists”: Marxism, Technology, and Library Work Theory at Work: Rethinking our Practice Making the Case for a Sociocultural Perspective on Information Literacy Critical Systems Librarianship Disability at Work: Libraries, Built to Exclude Ordering Things Indigenous Information Literacy: nêhiyaw Kinship Enabling Self-Care in Research Theory and the iSchool Envisioning a Critical Archival Pedagogy Reflections on Running a CritLIS Reading Group Reflections on Resistance, Decolonization, and the Historical Trauma of Libraries and Academia Critlib and Community Critical Librarianship as an Academic Pursuit Each According to Their Ability: Zine Librarians Talking About Their Community Quantitative Researchers, Critical Librarians: Potential Allies in Pursuit of a Socially Just Prax Interrogating the Collective: #Critlib and the Problem of Community Author Biographies Index Blank Page