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A literacy ecosystem can be described as the overlapping, multilayered sectors that support literacy development in a specific region that individual teachers or parents might not achieve alone. Informal learning organizations (ILOs) such as public libraries, literacy nonprofit organizations, afterschool programs, and educational media organizations provide structured but voluntary literacy services to a community. Identifying and leveraging the collective roles of ILOs may be especially important for advancing equity and edging literacy ecosystems toward democratic ends. This study uses qualitative analysis to explore the roles ILOs collectively play in their literacy ecosystems and the extent to which ILOs perceive themselves as part of a larger community ecosystem.

Public library storytimes provide rich learning opportunities for young children and their caregivers, yet little is known about how inclusive they are for children with disabilities and developmental delays (CwD/DD). The purpose of this study was to identify and describe ways that librarians support the inclusion of CwD/DD and their caregivers in storytime programs. We conducted semi-structured interviews with 34 librarians who provide storytime programs in public libraries in three states and analyzed them using iterative and inductive coding processes. Findings indicate that librarians are aware of the acute need to support diverse populations within their service communities and are collectively using a wide range of accommodations and strategies to facilitate their inclusion. However, on an individual level, they feel under-equipped to do so. Findings from this study highlight the need for further training and raise important questions regarding the equity of storytime programs for children with invisible disabilities, the potential reduction of diversity within storytime programs, and the potential value of establishing formal avenues of knowledge sharing.

Public libraries constitute an important part of social life and are crucial for supporting the educational system in any society. However, in many African countries, awareness of the role that public libraries can play in strengthening the social contract is largely unrecognized. This may be partly due to the social background that was/is based on oral tradition, to which libraries can adapt in order to sustain the tradition. In the current era, with the fast advancement of technologies, the library's role has changed from a passive institution to an active one by creating new interactive services and activities. The human right for each and every person to have access to information, education, and knowledge plays a significant role in the inclusion and integration of citizens for their lifelong learning and continuous development. Countries' development relies on the participation of each citizen, who needs equal opportunities and quality education, including the right to benefit from public institutions such as libraries. Hence, this article explores the roles of public libraries in enhancing educational systems and social inclusion in Africa and provides some of the challenges and obstacles faced in this concern. It also examines some remedies and recommendations that can help strengthen social inclusion, particularly in certain African developing countries, as they aim to support the development of educational systems in isolated areas.

Public libraries offer a wide range of developmental support and learning opportunities for young children with and without disabilities. Libraries in many communities function as hubs and places of support for parenting, literacy, education, technology, as well as general local, and health information. A research team recently conducted focus group interviews with early intervention service coordinators (SCs) in three states to capture their perspectives on how libraries serve families with young children with disabilities. Findings from those conversations suggest a need for more collaborative efforts between librarians and early childhood (EC) professionals to support young children with disabilities. For the benefit of EC professionals, libraries, and families of young children with disabilities, this article proposes that EC professionals and librarians concentrate their collaborative efforts on two fronts: (a) extending professional collaboration and partnerships and (b) increasing community awareness of library programs and services.

In this qualitative research we employed the case study method to identify the factors that affect Turkish fifth to eight graders' selection of books to read and the reasons that cause them to stop reading the books they have selected. To identify those factors and reasons, data were collected from a total of 32 participating students who were selected using stratified purposive sampling. A group was formed for each grade. Each grade group included 8 students who borrowed books from public libraries and voluntarily participated in the study. The participants were interviewed using open-ended questions. Interviews revealed that in selecting books to read, the students considered theme, genre, and structural features such as title, cover design, author, publisher, and recommendations made by peers, teachers, and family members as criteria. The students also stated that the events and themes in the books, language features, font size, insufficient time to read, and the library's requirement to return a book in 15 days were the reasons to give up reading a selected book.

This article introduces the Health in All Policies (HiAP) approach to the LIS community to propose a new way of thinking and teaching about how health is supported in public libraries. The topic of consumer health literacy has been a mainstay in the discourse of public librarianship, but we argue that this approach has not fully supported public librarians seeking to find uniquely local ways to support public health. Health in All Policies (HiAP) was developed by public health researchers and policy makers as a mechanism to promote health by facilitating action across sectors, including those where health is not a primary organizational focus. HiAP's focus on multi-sector community health systems opens a conceptual space for thinking about how to strategically and proactively support and advocate for public libraries and public librarians as one sector among many that contribute to community health. This approach could be a positive alternative to the sometimes negative experiences of public librarians being asked, or ordered, to fulfill public health duties, particularly during the COVID-19 pandemic, when public librarians were pressured to take on new public health roles as perhaps never before. After introducing the concept, the article discusses some of the ways in which it could be incorporated into LIS education, particularly for public librarians, as well as some of the topical areas that need further development to fully bring this perspective into the teaching and research of LIS.

One hundred popular children's books for ages 0-6 were selected from a local metropolitan library system with data from 10 library branches. These frequently checked out books were then analyzed for how disabilities were represented in the books. This study found that only a few books checked out of the library represent children with differing abilities. Out of one hundred books, only thirty-six books show differing abilities with all of them depicting visual impairment (e.g., glasses) and four depicting a mobility impairment (e.g., wheelchair) in addition to the visual impairment. Understanding that children's literature influences children's attitudes, it is vital to find opportunities to engage children in books depicting children with disabilities as children begin to develop their understanding and attitudes at a young age. [Note: The volume number (7) shown in the header on the PDF is incorrect. The correct volume number is 8.]

At the 2023 American Library Association (ALA) Annual Conference, the International Relations Committee, Americas Subcommittee invited panelists from academic, research, and public libraries to discuss various ways of sharing Indigenous-made materials from the United States and Latin America in the panel, "Sharing Knowledge: Projects and Outreach for Indigenous Patrons, Languages, and Documents." Collectively, the panel addressed various topics ranging from collecting and digitizing Indigenous materials for teaching, returning Indigenous materials, and crafting facsimiles of Indigenous pictorial manuscripts. For "Global Perspectives," the authors have provided written summaries of four presentations by individuals from the Phoenix Public Library, Indiana University-Bloomington, Library of Congress, and Arizona State University. What follow are individual summaries by Alex Mada, Heather Sloan, Giselle M. Aviles, and Seonaid Valiant.

This article describes the partnership between Metro Nashville Public Schools (MNPS) and the Nashville Public Library (NPL) called Limitless Libraries. Through this resource-sharing partnership, learners can access the NPL collection, connecting them to books and other materials outside the walls of their schools. This breaks down barriers to access by allowing learners to have even more print and digital items at their fingertips, right when they need them, and supports efforts to promote lifelong reading and learning. Limitless Libraries has the impact of boosting engagement and is shown to be a model for how school and public libraries can work together for the benefit of learners, staff, and patrons.

Purpose: By examining types of literacies taught by public libraries and the modes through which these programs were offered, this study aims to explore how public libraries might integrate data literacy training for the general public into existing library educational programs. Design/methodology/approach: This study examined programs offered in 30 US public libraries during 2019 and 2020 to better understand types of literacy education announced to the public through library website listings and Facebook Events pages. Findings: While public libraries offered educational programs in literacy areas ranging from basic reading and writing to technology, vocational skills, health literacy and more, data literacy training was not widely offered. However, this study identified many already-existing programs highly compatible for integrating with data literacy training. Originality/value: This study offered new insights into both the literacies taught in public library programs as well as ways for public libraries to integrate data literacy training into existing educational programming, in order to better provide data literacy education for the general public.

Digital disparities have been a concern among different communities across the U.S. The lack of an integrated approach to evaluate digital connectivity limits our understanding of where and what the differences are to address digital equity. This research utilized broadband internet open data and other government datasets to evaluate the status of digital connectivity across the U.S. where K-12 schools and public libraries are located. This work is funded by the University of North Texas Libraries' Dean's Innovation Grant (DIG) 2021-2022 award. The research data and products are open for others to use and replicate.

This study explores a Japanese-Korean-English trilingual Asian-American child's identity negotiation in a multicultural book club. Drawing upon the conception of "figured world" (Holland et al. 1998. "Identity and Agency in Cultural Worlds." Cambridge, MA: Harvard University Press), it investigates how the book club as "a space of authorship" offers the 9-year-old girl of migrants opportunities to negotiate her multiple identities while responding to the books and interacting with the book club members. The weekly multicultural book club was held in a local public library for 34 weeks. The data included field notes of the book club sessions, transcripts of the book discussions, interviews with the child's mother, and the child's journal entries. The data were analysed on a weekly/monthly basis with interpretative approaches. The findings revealed that the child appreciated diversity and fortified her identity as an activist self who stood against social practice that marginalised people from different backgrounds. However, the identity was questioned and challenged by the book club members. The book club pushed her into a space where she encountered different perspectives and negotiated conflicting identities.

Recent semi-structured interviews with 28 librarians and branch managers on the placement of social workers in public libraries revealed a need for library and information science (LIS) programs to better prepare students for their role as social service information providers and to provide models for working with and supervising social workers in the library. It is clear that libraries are experiencing increasing demands to respond to the social-service information needs that users bring to the library, and the importance of libraries to communities in times of uncertainty and crisis is clear. In response, some libraries are including social workers on staff, but this trend does not completely relieve librarians of the need to serve the public's social-service information needs. LIS students need to understand the professional boundaries of librarianship and social work and to develop the ability to feel confident in their interactions with users who have been traumatized, are in crisis, or are struggling with challenges such as the need for credible health information; home and food insecurity information; legal aid; access to the Internet for individuals and families from low-income situations; accessible adult education programs; and more. Interview participants offered a number of suggestions for how to incorporate social work concepts into LIS education and asked for several specific skills such as training in mental-health first aid, de-escalation techniques, and greater knowledge of social-service resources.

Purpose: The purpose of this study was to bring library practitioners and researchers together to develop two co-designed tools for helping library practitioners gain a more holistic understanding of families in underserved groups and identify their values with the goal of developing more relevant learning experiences for them. The co-designed tools were then tested with Master's of Library and Information Science (MLIS) students at two universities, whose feedback yielded several valuable findings and informed revisions to the tools. Design/methodology/approach: A participatory, design-based approach was used throughout the study, both with engaging library practitioners in the co-design of different tools and processes introduced in the Toolkit, and to help MLIS students and library practitioners test the tools and provide feedback on the tool revisions. Findings: Students indicated that the tools helped them develop a deeper understanding of underserved groups and their values and gave the students the time and space to reflect on their understanding of the socio-cultural and value contexts of their communities and the values they hold. Originality/value: This study can help libraries more effectively design strengths-based learning experiences that are meaningful and relevant to underserved groups and their values, particularly for children and families from underserved communities.

Access to books and storybook reading contribute to children's language, literacy and academic development. Homeless children often experience delays in these areas of development; however, their access to books and storybook reading is understudied. This study of 24 children in a family homeless shelter and 27 housed children in the same urban neighborhood found homeless children had fewer books, visited libraries less often, were unlikely to have library cards, and fewer were read to daily. Identifying these disparities has implications for reducing the inequalities and developmental risks often associated with childhood homelessness and associated challenges for schools that educate them.

Purpose: The purpose of this study is to explore teen-adult dialogic interactions during the co-design of data literacy activities in order to determine the nature of teen thinking, their emotions, level of engagement, and the power of relationships between teens and adults in the context of data literacy. This study conceives of co-design as a learning space for data literacy. It investigates the teen - adult dialogic interactions and what these interactions say about the nature of teen thinking, their emotions, level of engagement and the power relationships between teens and adults. Design/methodology/approach: The study conceives of co-design as a learning space for teens. Linguistic Inquiry and Word Count (LIWC-22), a natural language processing (NLP) software tool, was used to examine the linguistic measures of Analytic Thinking, Clout, Authenticity, and Emotional Tone using transcriptions of recorded Data Labs with teens and adults. Linguistic Inquiry and Word Count (LIWC-22), a natural language processing (NLP) software tool, was used to examine the linguistic measures of Analytic Thinking, Clout, Authenticity and Emotional Tone using transcriptions of recorded Data Labs with teens and adults. Findings: LIWC-22 scores on the linguistic measures Analytic Thinking, Clout, Authenticity and Emotional Tone indicate that teens had a high level of friendly engagement, a relatively low sense of power compared with the adult co-designers, medium levels of spontaneity and honesty and the prevalence of positive emotions during the co-design sessions. Practical implications: This study provides a concrete example of how to apply NLP in the context of data literacy in the public library, mapping the LIWC-22 findings to STEM-focused informal learning. It adds to the understanding of assessment/measurement tools and methods for designing data literacy education, stimulating further research and discussion on the ways to empower youth to engage more actively in informal learning about data. Originality/value: This study applies a novel approach for exploring teen engagement within a co-design project tasked with the creation of youth-oriented data literacy activities.

Through analysis of the language, this study aimed to investigate the current practice of using songs in public library storytimes. Language interactions in 68 storytime programs involving 652 child participants were observed and transcribed. Then, textual analysis was conducted to examine the language of singing songs, focusing on how language used in singing songs differs from spoken language in storytime programs. Specifically, the study compared sentence and grammar structure between singing and non-singing language and explored how topics and themes covered in singing language compare with those of spoken language. In addition, the study examined singing accompanied by use of props and movements. The findings of this study indicate that the language of singing in storytime programs is rich; thereby, signaling the power of singing with young children as means to advance language development. Practical implications and strategies for maximizing integration of singing in storytimes and other informal learning activities for young children are discussed.

Public libraries have embraced the popularity of maker education and makerspaces by integrating maker education in their program offerings, and by developing makerspaces that enable patrons to tinker and create products. But less attention has been paid to supporting librarians and maker educators in assessing the impact of these spaces. To expand assessment scholarship and practices related to public library makerspaces, we offer two contributions. First, we share findings from a qualitative research study in which we analyzed how 17 library staff and maker educators define success and identify evidence of success in their maker programs. The findings from that study, in conjunction with our collective experience as research partners working with public library makerspaces, laid the foundation for a series of analysis tools we developed to help stakeholders identify the assessment needs of such learning environments. The Properties of Success Analysis Tools (PSA Tools) represent our second contribution; these tools invite library staff and maker educators to reflect on and unpack their definitions of success in order to identify what features a relevant assessment tool should have.

This unit activity describes a series of lessons designed to enhance STEM students' technical communication abilities. The lessons culminate in two separate yet interconnected projects: (1) the development of a children's book explaining a complex topic and (2) presentations of those books to members of the local community. Students learn the characteristics defining communication for problem solving and are allowed to apply that knowledge across multiple modalities, focusing primarily on the interplay between audience analysis and the simplification of scientific concepts. Courses: Technical Writing and Communication, Advanced Public Speaking. Technical Writing and Communication, Advanced Public Speaking. Objectives: By the end of this activity, students should be able to (1) translate complex technical knowledge for the general public effectively, (2) conduct audience analysis, and (3) adapt messages based on the identified objectives of the communicative situation. By the end of this activity, students should be able to (1) translate complex technical knowledge for the general public effectively, (2) conduct audience analysis, and (3) adapt messages based on the identified objectives of the communicative situation.

The structural inequalities perpetuated by the caste system are a grave challenge to creating a just society. The education system pays short shrift to this topic and caste discrimination is spoken about without holding caste privilege accountable. Historically, social justice is a core mission of libraries. This project worked closely with a selective sample of seven library educators--most with caste privilege--to (a) examine their knowledge, attitudes and practices on caste issues through reading caste literature, reflective discussions and introspective journaling and (b) understand their preparedness to engage in discussions on caste with children from privileged backgrounds. Children's responses to caste-themed stories and library activities showed a readiness to engage with the topic. This study found that a more robust pedagogy for the privileged is needed to face caste.

This article describes a graduate seminar on Content Strategy taught in the Fall of 2020 during the height of the COVID pandemic. Students worked totally online with a real client to develop a content strategy plan. This class was noteworthy because, unlike most classes that end up designing a logo, identity package, and look-n-feel approach to content strategy, this course ended up focusing on the much-overlooked emphasis on governance in an already well-established content strategy plan. Students conducted a persona research study (using Redish's approach) and built a UX journey map (using Kalbach's approach). They conducted a content audit (using Halverson's approach) and then used the data to determine what problems in content development really needed to be solved. These analyses showed that the client's principal needs actually dealt with governance issues rather than logos, branding, and content, so students researched and recommended suitable governance systems (primarily following Welchman's approach). Finally, they produced templates, sample content, and a content development plan for PCLS based on the new governance model provided.

The authors surveyed public libraries to learn about the opportunities for play they offered and children's freedom to engage in such play without adult supervision. The authors conclude that, in recent years, public libraries in the United States have increasingly created spaces and programs enabling free play for children and teens. These include "maker spaces" (for constructive play), playrooms with toys and games for young children, and rooms where teens can socialize and play games. The authors describe the survey results and three especially successful library play programs in detail. These results, they conclude, illustrate how librarians have welcomed children and enabled free play in the library through policies of nonintervention and by emphasizing nonintervention by care givers who might otherwise intervene in such play.

Public libraries in Hamilton provide countless services to different users, particularly older immigrants. The library system proves to be an inclusive learning space, promoting lifelong learning for all. The paper explores the relationship between public library use, lifelong learning and community development. In addition, it demonstrates the function of the library in the provision of equal and universal access to information and learning. This paper focuses on a qualitative interview materials. In-depth interviews were conducted with 25 participants (13 females and 12 males) in six public libraries in Hamilton, Ontario. In addition, we interviewed six library staff in the six public libraries (three in the lower Hamilton and three in the suburban Mountain) and conducted observations of the day-today practices in the six public libraries. Purposive sampling was used to ensure diversity in library use. Using the grounded theory (GT) method, interviews were transcribed, coded, categorized, and analyzed using NVivo 10. The interviews explored the viewpoints of participants accessing public libraries in Hamilton. The findings reveal that public libraries are sources of educational, informational, and well-being -- providing lifelong learning through library activities and programs. Specifically, the acquisition of new skills and new friendship through the library space is a vibrant resource for developing the adult learner's capacity for social development in the community and the world at large. The study would be one of a kind to deploy library users' narrations for interrogating public library spaces as a tool for understanding spaces of lifelong learning in Ontario, Canada. It highlights the many ways in which social relationships through library use shape perception, attitude and learning. Different users of public libraries attain a sense of accomplishment for different reasons. This paper, therefore, calls for a policy approach in which the diverse experiences of public libraries are more widely recognized and nurtured.

In the present article, the educational needs of Iranian rural librarians are investigated. The rural libraries are the only cultural centers of rural communities, and the librarians of these libraries have limited contact with other librarians as well as professional communities. On the other hand, the rural library is one of the few institutions that try to reduce the gap in taking advantage of job opportunities and education in first-class universities and therefore has a moral duty. The trained rural librarian can play an important role in benefiting villagers with the opportunity of both university education and employment. For this reason, educating rural librarians is of great importance in rural development and benefits villagers through social opportunities. For this purpose, first, an attempt was made to extract and categorize the educational needs of rural librarians through interviews with them. Then, another attempt was made to extract and categorize the educational themes of rural librarians by reviewing international literature in the field of rural libraries. A total of 33 educational themes were obtained from interviews, and 36 themes were extracted from reviewing the literature. Finally, using a questionnaire, librarians were asked to prioritize these 69 educational themes and rank them between 1 and 20, where a score of 1 indicated the highest priority and a score of 20 showed the lowest priority. The findings showed that 10 educational themes are of priority for Iranian rural librarians: (1) child psychology, (2) puppet games and handicraft skills, (3) knowledge of children's and adolescent literature, (4) mentoring and educational guidance, (5) digital literacy, (6) information search and retrieval, (7) content production soft skills, (8) family counseling skills, (9) conflict management skills, and (10) life skills.

Despite evidence suggesting that current LIS curricula might be inadequate to prepare students for the realities of today's public library youth services work, little research has addressed potential changes to the LIS curricula in this area. This paper reports findings from the second phase of an IMLS-funded project exploring how LIS programs might better prepare students to work in public libraries with youth. Through a combination of surveys, informal virtual meet-ups, and focus groups, we collected data addressing two primary research questions: What is the job of a public youth services librarian today, and how has that job changed in recent years? What do practitioners, library administrators, LIS faculty, and other youth services providers perceive as the gaps in current LIS graduate curricula for pre-service youth services librarians? Findings indicate significant changes to the nature of public library youth services work in recent years, as well as misalignment between traditional LIS curriculum and the actual knowledge and skills required to succeed in this work.

The cultural domain may be defined as a sphere of influence that involves all cultural activities, whether economic or social in nature. In the context of lifelong learning, cultural and artistic environments represent tools and media of significance for formal and informal adult learning. The availability of learning opportunities in the cultural domain, the achievement of cultural competence by all individuals, and their cultural participation are strongly associated with lifelong learning. The research study employed a descriptive review model intending to establish the data available in Turkey with respect to cultural productivity and participation. These data span the period between 2000 and 2018. The study was structured on the basis of the data in Turkey as pertains to the budget allocated to culture and cultural expenditure, as well as performing arts, printed media, libraries, and museums. In summary, a general evaluation of the present state of productivity and participation in the cultural domain and its course over the years gives way to the argument that the cultural domain in Turkey is far from offering a source of possibilities and tools that would allow for the broader dissemination of the culture of learning. The data indicate that cultural participation in Turkey is limited to a relatively low population rate in many respects. [Paper presented at the International Eurasian Educational Research Congress (6th, Ankara, Turkey, Jun 19-22, 2019).]

Libraries may serve as a way to bridge educational equity gaps through informal learning programs. This is especially true in the United States where inequality is a growing concern at local, state, and federal levels. While the informal learning literature within the United States highlights innovative practitioner reflections and design cases, few articles have attempted to synthesize empirical trends that outline cognitive and affective learning outcomes. To address this gap, this systematic review explored empirical studies of K-12 informal learning programs within United States libraries. The findings suggest a focus on initiatives within public libraries and STEM learning, especially in urban settings. That said, many studies presented qualitative data and reported on affective learning outcomes, which leads to questions as to the extent of learning gains and replicability. Implications for practice are discussed.

Patronage of public libraries in Nigeria has declined over the years and is in urgent need of revitalization. Outreach efforts would revitalize the interest of university students in the patronage of public libraries in Nigeria because they need access to resources, especially when on holidays. The study investigates the outreach programs used to revitalize the patronage of public libraries in Nigeria. A descriptive survey research design was utilized in the study. The population comprised a sample of 3,457 Adeleke University undergraduates. Descriptive statistics were employed to analyze the data. The findings revealed that public libraries in Nigeria are underutilized by Adeleke University undergraduate students. This low patronage may be ascribed to poor outreach efforts, outdated technology, distance, inadequate facilities, and a poor road network. Outreach programs such as developing and producing library mobile applications, providing free internet access, virtual reality availability, hosting health talks, free streaming services, and making kinetic bikes available to charge phones can be effective in revitalizing public library patronage. As a result, the study suggests that outreach efforts be included in public library initiatives to engage younger users. This includes updating the public library's aging technology, notably by incorporating mobile applications into its operations.

El Parnaso is an interesting cultural center in the small city of Young, which is located a bit north of Trinidad, Uruguay. This center is a non-profit organization dedicated to meeting the information needs of its population, and it contains a children's library and a music library. El Parnaso hosts a wide variety of activities for children and young people, including music, origami, and even Greek language. Anabel Negrín is the librarian of El Parnaso, and she is responsible for managing the library's resources and offers information services to users who visit. A native Youngenese, Negrín has returned to her birthplace after working in various academic libraries in Uruguay. In this interview, she introduces her library, gives an overview of various education issues in Uruguay, and provides interesting stories about her experience at El Parnaso.

Librarians play an active, though often unintentional, role in the out-of-school time (OST) field. Libraries are safe spaces, resource hubs, and community centers for children and teens during OST hours; they are places for young people who otherwise might not have anywhere to go. As young people pour into libraries in the afternoons, on weekends, and during school breaks, librarians find themselves by default participating in OST programming, though not all are trained in child development, educational programming, or behavior management. By recognizing the valuable role public libraries play for thousands of children and teens every day, a broader picture of what OST looks like in the US. Libraries can offer a unique perspective on OST. They can be points of refuge for children and teens who are not able to attend formal afterschool programs for one reason or another. Perhaps a new category of OST entities is in order, one where libraries are free to remain true to their nature while simultaneously qualifying as legitimate OST sites. In order for this to happen, data needs to be collected on OST from librarians' perspectives and through the lens of library and information sciences (LIS). Librarians need to be aware both of the role they play in OST and of the OST world at large. The similarities between OST and LIS are many, but none is greater the desire to help kids stay safe and succeed. The article also describes how libraries are fulfilling the need for OST in Colorado.

Diversity has been shown to improve the ability of groups to problem solve and make predictions, as well as guarding against groupthink and overconfidence. Marginalized groups within the Science, Technology, Engineering, and Mathematics (STEM) fields are still largely underrepresented despite various efforts to increase diversity in STEM. This study focused on the gap in representation of Hispanics/Latinxs in the STEM fields. While most science programs focus on directly encouraging students to pursue STEM careers as a way to increase Latinx representation, our study focused on Latinx parents. This study explored the types of informal science activities Latinx parents engage in with their children. In order to connect with Latinx parents, we organized 15 family science night events in a small city in central Texas that has a large Hispanic population. At the events, parents completed a parental involvement survey to find out what types of informal science activities they are involved in with their children. We utilized common household items or materials that were inexpensive in designing the activities for the family science events to ensure they were accessible to all families. Eighteen Latinx parents participated in the study. On the parental involvement survey, Latinx parents identified 27 science activities that they have performed with their children, with 63% of those being structured and indoor activities and 59% being free activities. In terms of parent participation, the majority of Latinx parents (73%) preferred free activities. This study outlines the design of family science events and can help inform school districts, principals, teachers, and informal science education organizations on strategies for increasing Latinx parents' involvement in their childrens' science education.

Most professions experience at least some real or perceived divide among practitioners who engage in the work of the profession daily and those who train practitioners. As a result, practitioners question the value of this training. The goal of the current study was to learn more about this divide in Library and Information Science (LIS) and uncover potential solutions. In six focus groups (FGs), practicing academic and public librarians discussed curriculum in light of the requirements of the profession. Findings suggest that practitioners still perceive a divide among themselves and LIS educational institutions. Participants generally viewed the MLIS as little more than "the ticket that you get punched" to get a job. A consistent concern across participants was the irrelevance of skills training, suggesting the need for MLIS programs to engage often with local practitioners to identify workplace trends and required skills. Participants also noted that the communities served by the profession exist as an abstract idea in the MLIS, because students do not interact directly with the people who make up these communities. Findings suggest that the MLIS can reassert its value through a renewed emphasis on core values of the profession, which are not learned on the job. Therefore, while the divide persists, the conversation with practitioners outlined in the current study is itself a means of closing it. This study contributes to the literature on LIS education by highlighting the value of FGs as a method within this literature.