Journal Article: “What are Library Graduate Students Learning about Disability and Accessibility?: A Syllabus Analysis”
The article linked below was recently published by Urban Library Journal.
Title
What are Library Graduate Students Learning about Disability and Accessibility?: A Syllabus Analysis
Author
JJ Pionke
University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign
Source
Urban Library Journal, 29(1)
March 2023
Abstract
A study was conducted that examined readily available syllabi from library and information sciences graduate programs to discover what their instructors taught library graduate students about accessibility and disability through an analysis of the structure and topics of their syllabi. Of the 149 courses identified, 77 syllabi were available to examine. Findings include a lack of consistency and accuracy across syllabi structure, as well as components like poor citations, an emphasis on digital accessibility above all other types as a topic, and a lack of learning assessment on the topics of accessibility and disability. This syllabi analysis indicates that while accessibility and disability is being taught in library and information science programs, it is relatively spotty in terms of diversity of content, with a generally narrow focus on digital objects and web materials, as well as generally poor syllabus design which sends the message that accessibility and disability issues are generally unimportant.
Direct to Full Text Article
12 pages; PDF.
About Gary Price
Gary Price (gprice@gmail.com) is a librarian, writer, consultant, and frequent conference speaker based in the Washington D.C. metro area. He earned his MLIS degree from Wayne State University in Detroit. Price has won several awards including the SLA Innovations in Technology Award and Alumnus of the Year from the Wayne St. University Library and Information Science Program. From 2006-2009 he was Director of Online Information Services at Ask.com.
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