Education for the Common Good: A Student Perspective on Including Social Justice in LIS Education

Abstract

This paper was produced as a collaborative project by a Progressive Librarianship class at an ALA-accredited Masters of Library and Information Science (MLIS) program located in Canada. Recent research in LIS has identified a need for issues of social justice to be discussed more prominently in LIS education. From a uniquely student perspective, the authors suggest how MLIS programs can incorporate social justice as a key component in LIS education. Specifically, they encourage pedagogy that supports critical thinking on issues of social justice and provides scaffolding for progressive change for the common good within a library context. This includes where social justice should appear in the LIS curriculum, who should teach about social justice, what topics are currently of relevance, and suggestions on key strategies for progressive change that can be taught in LIS education.