Lynne McKechnie

Ethnographic Observation of Preschool Children

Methods commonly used in public library research such as interviews and questionnaires are not suitable for use with young children whose oral and written language skills are not well developed. Effective alternatives may be found in methods associated with ethnographic field observation. Using examples from an ethnographic study of public library use by 30 preschool girls, this article describes three methods appropriate for studying the information-seeking behavior and library use of preschool children: audio-recording of naturally occurring talk, participant observation, and key informant diaries. Selected issues important for ethnographic field research with young children are discussed, including gaining access and informed consent, observer effect, and young childrens understanding of research. Relying on data arising from the naturally occurring talk and actions of the children, it is argued that these methods are unique in reflecting the perspective of the children themselves.

Gaining access to everyday life information seeking

Abstract The discursive viewpoint adopted by many researchers who study everyday life information seeking allows for a shift in focus away from the individual as a unit of analysis toward a more general understanding of the broader cultural conditions within which individuals operate. However, the data employed by such researchers often consist of the testimony or observed actions of individuals. This paradox provides a point from which to reflect on the process of gaining access or entry to everyday life information seekers as research participants. This article presents the authors’ reflections on their experiences of conducting separate library and information science studies of three diverse populations: pregnant women, members of a self-help support group, and preschool children. The article’s premise is that theory and research practice are intertwined and that attending to issues of gaining access is essential for the development of both. Access is an emergent process dependent on the characteristics of the researcher, the participants, and the research context.

Observations of Babies and Toddlers in Library Settings

Participant observation, unlike the more traditional approach of querying adults about childrens experiences, is identified as an appropriate and effective method for studying babies and toddlers in public library settings in order to explore these experiences from the childrens own perspectives. In an observation study of eleven, thirty-minute baby storytimes conducted at two branches of a large public library system, the naturally occurring behavior of the children captured through observation field notes and audio-recording and transcription of the program successfully revealed numerous incidents of emergent literacy activities and social interaction. This article discusses the practicalities of implementing participant observation in storytime programs for very young children. Special requirements related to informed consent, the need to protect baby and toddler participants, and the challenge of gaining and maintaining access are addressed. Included is an appendix of recommended observation, child development, and research methods texts.

Gay and lesbian fiction for young adults: a survey of holdings in Canadian public libraries

The purpose of this study was to determine if young adults, or others interested in literature for teens, have access through public libraries to novels with homosexual content. A random sample of 40 English language young adult novels with gay/lesbian content was checked against the holdings of 40 medium and large Canadian public libraries having remotely accessible catalogs. The average number of titles held by all libraries was 16.2 (40.4 percent). There was no significant relationship found between library size and number of titles held (r = 0.302; CV0.05 (38) = 0.311). The results of this study suggest that, while some libraries seem to be doing a good job of providing these potentially controversial titles, others are not. Suggestions for further research are included.

The treatment of gay and lesbian fiction for young adults in selected prominent reviewing media

Content analysis was used to determine how a sample of 32 gay and lesbian novels for young adults were treated in 158 reviews from five prominent reviewing journals. Findings indicate that most reviews (84.8 percent) were favourable, many (79.7 percent) contained clear reference to the homosexual content, and there were few differences between the individual reviewing journals. Some reviews contained cautions and warnings about the gay and lesbian content, some denied or downplayed it, some justified the content if it was used to teach a lesson, and most described these stories as “problem” novels. Analysis also showed that gay and lesbian fiction is now regarded as a distinct genre of young adult literature. While librarians wishing to identify gay and lesbian fiction for collection development will be able to do so through the reviewing media, ambivalence about this literature and the young adults it represents was also evident in the reviews.