The Harvard Family Research Project separated from the Harvard Graduate School of Education to become the Global Family Research Project as of January 1, 2017. It is no longer affiliated with Harvard University.
Falling Short of Their Profession’s Needs (Inside Higher Ed, October 17, 2016)
October 17, 2016
Over the years, public libraries have played important roles in communities across the country. In this article from Inside Higher Ed, Wayne A. Wiegand uses stories from the lives of prominent citizens—from Barack Obama to Justice Sonia Sotomayor to Martin Luther King, Jr.—to explore the three primary reasons people have loved and valued public libraries. Libraries provide access to information, showcase the transformational potential of reading, and serve as a welcoming public space for all.
Educators and researchers in the library and information science field have traditionally focused their attention on information access. Wiegand argues that a stronger focus needs to be placed on both research and library education on reading and place. Research on such topics as the impact of summer reading programs on student reading levels and the effects of library programming on communities would benefit the field tremendously. In library education, courses on reading and place would enhance the education of future library practitioners.
In addition, Wiegand draws attention to the work on reading and place that has been done by researchers in other fields and by library practitioners. Harvard Family Research Project’s new report on family engagement in public libraries is one of the many resources and initiatives presented in the article.