Academic Basis for LIS Practice
Developed initially for my MLIS graduate portfolio, this page covers Program Learning Objective 2, “Use evidence to inform library and information practices,” I chose the Literature Review and Evidence-Based Practice Statement assignment from Research Methods (LS 502) and the Graphic Novel Research Poster and Handout assignment from Graphic Novels in Libraries Serving Youth (LS 620).
Literature Review and Evidence-Based Practice Statement (Link to PDF)
For the first assignment, my literature review focused on book bans in prison libraries to evaluate the inconsistences in these practices compared to the reasoning given by prisons. This review also had the goal of highlighting the need for further research on this aspect of book banning to aid in efforts to promote fair, consistent standards that support intellectual freedom for incarcerated patrons. Not only does this paper attempt to contribute to the broader LIS discussion on book banning but it also helps to inform my information practices on an individual level as someone who works as a prison librarian. I took this assignment as an opportunity to do a deeper dive into this challenging part of my chosen field to gain a better understanding of its current state as well as where research is still lacking.
Graphic Novel Research Poster and Handout (Link to Poster PDF) (Link to Handout PDF)
For the second assignment, my research poster and supplemental handout explored theme of death in graphic novels and the question of if they are a good tool to help support grieving youth. This question was rooted in my own experiences as someone who lost their grandparents at a young age as well as my observations of how this is experienced by many children growing up. I wanted evidence to help support or refute my hypothesis that books (specifically graphic novels in this case) exploring death could support the process of youth working through their grief and wrestling with their feelings on death. In my selected samples, I noticed a variety of depictions of death and the relationships the protagonists had with the deceased which helps support my theory that with better informed reader’s advisory practices, this could be incorporated to help support grieving youth. This assignment, as well as the class as a whole, helped me better understand the methods for collecting and evaluating evidence to help inform library practices.