Instruction and Pedagogy for Youth in Public Libraries

Book excerpt: There seems to be little resistance to the idea that children and teens learn in public library spaces. However, many public librarians do not see themselves as teachers. This implies that much of the learning that happens in public libraries is incidentalÑtangential to the ÒrealÓ purpose and design of these spaces and programs. In this book, we make the case that public librarians should embrace an explicit instructional role as a core part of their professional practice. Inside, youÕll find both a comprehensive review of what is known so far about instruction for youth in public libraries and a primer on core educational concepts and frameworks for current and future public librarians. Each chapter includes real-world examples of libraries and librarians who are already practicing powerful teaching.