Proceedings of the First National Joint Conference of Librarians of Color - 21

Practica are quite similar to on-the-job training (OJT), where the library student works in the field invoking what was learned in the classroom. These may be paid or unpaid. Often the potential librarian chooses the site of the practicum closest to the subfield of librarianship s/he will pursue upon graduation. The practicums "goal of a field experience is achieved through quality professional experience in libraries and information centers, coupled with reflective feedback from cooperating information professionals. Such field experiences allow library science students to: experience the "real" world of the Information Age; observe a variety of role models within the profession; test their own skills in library and information science and receive professional input and feedback about their performance; and integrate theory and practice while examining their assumptions about the art and science of librarianship” (Claggett, Chindlund, 2002). If a student so chooses, the practicum can be an enriching experience through exposure to the methodology understanding of others, in other words learning to interact with those other than members of the hegemonic culture. One can choose to perform a practicum in what is now termed an 'urban environment,' in order to see how others view the notion of learning. During my research I remembered and found references for the obligatory time education majors must “student-teach.” One such reference was of science teachers in England where Angela Barton noted that recently, service learning has been given attention in teacher education programmes as one way to help preservice and inservice teachers learn, through experience, about the complex social problems encountered in schools (DeJong and Groomes 1996). Such learning is enabled by opportunities for preservice teachers to explore education in out-of-school settings, develop relationships with children and families in non-school contexts, learn about children as children rather than as students (Barton, 2000). The practicum can be a vehicle for change within the prospective librarian, when and if the student chooses to experience events/day-to-day life among those not usually experienced. Those who choose to do so may be apprehensive about placing themselves in an enclave never experienced before and/or one that was to be avoided by all means necessary. One such practicum took place at a homeless shelter. One library school took a chance and partnered with a homeless shelter for its potential librarians. Peterson wrote of those who made that choice that there may be a manifestation of suburban fear of the city. Many of our students are white suburbanites with limited experiences who proudly state their fear, loathing, and ignorance of the city, and I feared they might say or do things that would be disrespectful. All students registered in this course were white. I asked the executive director of Homespace to report to me any improprieties and thankfully there were none. The executive director was very impressed by the students' openness, respectfulness, helpfulness, comfort, and willingness to learn (Peterson, 2005). This collaboration between a homeless shelter and library students seems to have been a success. In another practicum within the education field, potential science teachers found “in particular Michelle suggested that, as a teacher, she had to take responsibility for understanding and integrating student experience into science and that she had to learn how to do this" (Barton, 2000). This woman, Michelle, found during her student teaching exactly some of what will be needed to impart knowledge once she becomes a professional: the collaboration of methodologies of understanding brought to her by the young students and her own. This junction of methodologies brought about through student teaching or practica can enable new teachers and librarians alike to competently promulgate the resources available within the confines of the classroom and the library, to each and all that enter. A win-win situation is obtained, because "in short, the service-learning project provided these preservice teachers with opportunities to develop ties with the community, develop social and interaction skills, and gain greater awareness of other cultural and social norms and values as well as their own beliefs, strengths, and weaknesses," (Barton, 2000). 21

Proceedings of the First National Joint Conference of Librarians of Color

Table of Contents for the Digital Edition of Proceedings of the First National Joint Conference of Librarians of Color