Field Experience in LIS Education
Field Strength: Enhancing Collaboration in LIS Education through Field Experience
https://publish.illinois.edu/fieldstrength
Scott Walter (2011-12); Susan E. Searing (2012- )
Principal Investigators
Background
o The goal of the “Field Strength” project is to explore and
document how students, librarians and LIS educators perceive the
value of field experience in preparing new professionals.
Linda C. Smith and Beth Sandore Namachchivaya
Co-Principal Investigators
Survey of Site Supervisors
A survey is in progress to gather data and opinions from librarians who’ve supervised student field
experiences at Illinois and Maryland. To date, 62 people have responded, about equal numbers from the
two universities. Some preliminary descriptive data:
o The research identified specific benefits of field experience
programs to bridge the gap between theory and practice.
Survey of LIS Graduates
A 31-item online questionnaire was administered to 388 graduates (20062012) of the Graduate School of Library and Information Science at the
University of Illinois. 102 people completed the survey (26% response rate).
Findings
Research Partners:
o The most common field experience was the paid graduate assistantship.
98% had worked as GAs in UIUC libraries.
o University Library, University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign
o Graduate School of Library and Information Science, UIUC
o The iSchool and University Library, University of Maryland
o Reference (68%), instruction (31%), and collection development (23%) are
the most common duties. IT positions – programmer, technical support,
web developer – accounted for 16%.
o Many students had multiple types of field experiences, but 89% identified
paid assistantships as most significant.
Methods & Tools
What skills do new field experience students lack?
o Respondents strongly agreed with statements about the value of their
field experiences as a practical counterpart to classroom-based learning.
o The survey was repeated with University of Maryland graduates, with
similar, but not identical, results.
The “Field Strength” project is a multi-phase study. The first phase
applied a mixed-method approach to develop a clearer picture of LIS
field experiences at two institutions.
Bibliography
o Literature review
o Survey of recent LIS graduates regarding their field experiences
in academic libraries (UI Webtools)
Ball, M. A. (2008). Practicums and Service Learning in LIS Education. Journal of
Education for Library & Information Science, 49(1), 70–82.
o Comprehensive review of field experience opportunities at ALAaccredited LIS programs
Berg, S. A., Hoffmann, K., & Dawson, D. (2009). Integrating Research into LIS Field
Experiences in Academic Libraries. Journal of Academic Librarianship, 35(6), 591–
598.
o Content analysis of student learning outcomes identified by ALAaccredited LIS programs
o Interviews with LIS educators who coordinate field experience
programs at other institutions (n=5)
Krichten, M., Stohr, S., & Warlick, S. (2009). Practicum and Internship Experience in
LIS Education: A Perspective from ALA Emerging Leaders. In: Service Learning:
Linking Library Education and Practice
ed. by L. Roy, K. Jensen & A.H. Meyers, 185–90 (Chicago: ALA Editions).
o Survey of academic librarians who supervised field experiences
(Survey Monkey)
McGurr, M. J., & Damasco, I. T. (2010). Improving the Practicum or Internship
Experience in Cataloging. Technical Services Quarterly, 27(1), 1–16.
Acknowledgements
The Field Strength project is made possible by a grant from the U.S.
Institute of Museum and Library Services through its Laura Bush 21st
Century Librarian program.
Next Steps
An application was submitted to the IMLS Laura Bush 21st Century Librarian
program, Masters Program category. If funded, it will create new GA slots
and practicum opportunities at Illinois for three years, permitting us to design
and evaluate new on-campus and virtual field experience opportunities in
emerging areas of practice.
Medaille, A. (2011). Field Experiences Provide Value for Library Students, but More
Research Is Needed into their Administration. Evidence Based Library and
Information Practice, 6(2), 69–71.
Nutefall, J. E. . (2012). Structuring a Successful Instruction Internship. College &
Undergraduate Libraries, 19(1), 80–94.
Searing, S. & Walter, S. (2013). Is Experience the Best Teacher? Field Experience
and Student Learning in LIS Education Programs. Presented at the Library
Assessment Conference, November 2012.