Drs. Darra Hofman and Michele Villagran present their ALISE Research Grant Competition Award “Educating for Equity?: Sexual and Gender Minority Privacy in Library and Information Studies Education.” This project examines whether students are equipped to handle complex questions of information policy by examining an urgent information problem facing libraries: the privacy of sexual and gender minority (SGM) individuals in the face of COVID-19 surveillance. Sexual and gender minorities face significant information risks that differ from those of cis-gender, heterosexual people; improper information disclosure can lead to the loss of employment, housing, access to health care, and social support for SGM due to outing. This study asks, “Are LIS programs preparing their students to meet the needs of LGBTQ+ patrons and stakeholders from a policy perspective in the workplace?” It will answer that question with a mixed-methods study, including a survey of LIS faculty, a content analysis of ALA-approved masters programs’ learning outcomes and syllabi, a document analysis of the privacy policies of a purposive sample of libraries, and interviews with library employers.

Presenters: Dr. Darra Hofman and Dr. Michele Villagran
Date: Thursday, September 23, 2021
Time: 4:30 p.m. – 6:00 p.m. (Eastern Time)
Location: Virtual https://ali.memberclicks.net/alise-2021-schedule