Below are topics and perspectives we are interested in exploring right now. We are dedicated to providing a diverse and representative view of the experiences of LIS research in libraries, and the questions below are examples of perspectives we feel are not yet represented.
However, these are simply meant to inspire ideas, so if your ideas don’t quite fit that is okay! Reach out to us and let us know. Review our Contribute page to find out how to submit your ideas.
Topics we’re interested in right now
- Perspectives about research from Digital Scholarship Librarians, Scholarly Communication Librarians, MLIS students, Public Library Workers, Technical Services Library Workers, and Special Collections and Archival Library Workers
- Inequities in publishing and research
- Mid project reflections and reports
- Reflections on how research changes over the course of a career
Questions to inspire ideas
MLIS Students
- What do you learn in your MLIS program regarding research and what do you wish you learned?
- What are experiences you’ve had where you were able to publish or develop a scholarly identity in graduate school?
- What kind of support are you hoping for when you graduate and enter into a role where you do research?
Public Library Workers
- How to make time to do research when you’re a public librarian?
- Do/should public librarians have academic freedom? What limitations do public librarians deal with regarding academic freedom?
- How does research in a public library differ from research in an academic setting?
- What kinds of research can public librarians do and what kind of research can they not do because of the way their positions are situated?
- What barriers do public librarians face when trying to do research?
- How do public librarians use research to inform their practice?
Technical Services Library Workers
- What unique challenges do technical services librarians face when trying to do research?
- How can technical services librarians break away from traditional norms of what technical services librarians are “equipped” and “allowed” to do when it comes to research?
- What are multidisciplinary topics in relation to technical services? How can work in multiple areas of the library inform a research agenda?
- How does research differ for a technical services librarian from a public services librarian?
- How does one’s status as a technical services library worker affect their ability to advocate for research time?
Special Collections and Archival Library Workers
- What unique challenges do special collections and archival library workers face when trying to do research?
- How can special collections and archival library workers break away from traditional norms of what librarians are “equipped” and “allowed” to do when it comes to research?
- What are multidisciplinary topics in relation to special collections and archival library workers? How can work in multiple areas of the library inform a research agenda?
- How does research differ for a special collections and archival library workers from a public services librarian?
- How does one’s status as a special collections and archival library workers library worker affect their ability to advocate for research time?
The Librarian Parlor 