An Exploratory Study of School Librarians’ Advocacy for Equitable Access During a Pandemic
Submission Type
Paper Abstract Submission
Symposium Selection
A “new normal” agenda in a COVID-affected world
Keywords
Title I Schools, Open Education Resources (OER), Learning Management Systems (LMS), human and social capital, equitable access, and homework gap
Abstract
School librarians are advocates for access and equity and work for all students and recognize the inequities of access to school librarians, intersectional books and resources, broadband, and technology devices. The challenges of covid19 have brought about a greater awareness and need that many students have experienced since the transition to online learning. Understanding beliefs and behaviors surrounding activities which may impact student learning during the covid19 school closing has been a concern for educators including school librarians. Many school librarians and their school library programs encountered the challenges of providing all students with equitable access to materials and digital services. This study shares the experiences of public-school librarians and their library programs' response to advocate for equitable access. This exploratory case study will identify factors that provide opportunities to address limitations and present barriers that involve partnering with teachers, campus administrators, families and the community in order to redesign and create new school library initiatives and new practices in order to support students, teachers, and learning during a time of crisis.
An Exploratory Study of School Librarians’ Advocacy for Equitable Access During a Pandemic
School librarians are advocates for access and equity and work for all students and recognize the inequities of access to school librarians, intersectional books and resources, broadband, and technology devices. The challenges of covid19 have brought about a greater awareness and need that many students have experienced since the transition to online learning. Understanding beliefs and behaviors surrounding activities which may impact student learning during the covid19 school closing has been a concern for educators including school librarians. Many school librarians and their school library programs encountered the challenges of providing all students with equitable access to materials and digital services. This study shares the experiences of public-school librarians and their library programs' response to advocate for equitable access. This exploratory case study will identify factors that provide opportunities to address limitations and present barriers that involve partnering with teachers, campus administrators, families and the community in order to redesign and create new school library initiatives and new practices in order to support students, teachers, and learning during a time of crisis.