What Does a Librarian Look Like?
Understanding Undergraduate Student Perceptions of Librarians
DOI:
https://doi.org/10.29173/cais1928Abstract
Enduring stereotypes and contemporary discourse surrounding librarianship as a profession may influence students’ decisions to use the library and to consider librarianship as a viable career path. This pilot study explores undergraduate students’ perceptions of librarians using a drawing activity. Participants were asked to draw a librarian and to provide a description of their drawing using the draw-and-tell or draw-and-write technique. They were also asked to complete a brief survey with questions focused on participant demographics and library use. Study findings may inform recruitment, marketing, and outreach efforts.
A quoi ressemble un·e bibliothécaire? Comprendre les perceptions des étudiant·e·s de premier cycle sur les bibliothécaires
Résumé
Les stéréotypes persistants et les discours contemporains entourant la profession de bibliothécaire influencent les décisions des étudiant·e·s pour utiliser la bibliothèque et pour considérer les postes de bibliothécaire comme un chemin de carrière durable. Cette étude pilote explore les perceptions des étudiant·e·s de premier cycle sur les bibliothécaires en utilisant une activité de dessin. On a demandé aux participant·e·s de dessiner un·e bibliothécaire et de fournir une description de leur dessin en utilisant la technique du dessiner-raconter et dessiner-écrire. On leur a également demandé de compléter une brève enquête avec des questions portant sur les données démographiques des participant·e·s et leur utilisation de la bibliothèque. Les résultats de l’étude peuvent informer sur les efforts de recrutement, de commercialisation et de sensibilisation.
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Copyright (c) 2025 Sarah Barriage, Beth Strickland Bloch, Ena Prskalo
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