Abstract:
Library and Information Science (LIS) as a discipline is guided by core values that emphasize equal access
to information, freedom of expression, democracy, and education. Importantly, diversity and social
responsibility are specifically called out as foundations of the profession (American Library Association,
2004). Following from this, there has been a focus in LIS on educating librarians from a social justice
perspective. In this essay we will discuss some of the strategies we use for training librarians to practice
librarianship using a social justice framework as a way to help social studies teachers and other
educators critically think through their role in educating for social justice in their classrooms. Some areas
of particular transference from LIS to K-12 educators that we focus on include locating classroom
technologies as sites of power and privilege, prioritizing print and digital materials representative of
culturally diverse populations and relevant contexts, and expanding the notion of literacy to include
multiple literacies. These strategies lay a foundation for a critically-oriented classroom as a step towards
teaching for social justice, and provide opportunities for collaboration between social studies educators
and librarians.
