Inglorious Pedagogy: Difficult, Unpopular, and Uncommon Topics in Library and Information Science Education

Editors Dali (research methods and information science, Univ. of Denver) and Thompson (information science, Univ. of South Carolina) have assembled a unique set of essays utilizing conceptual and theoretical frameworks to examine less common pedagogies in library and information science. The contributors are LIS educators representing perspectives from Australia, Canada, China, New Zealand, the United Kingdom, and the United States. Each chapter is a case study written in a journalistic rather than academic style, intended for those currently teaching or aspiring to teach in the field. The work provides a snapshot of the challenges that instructors face and describes their strategies for overcoming obstacles. Notable topics include intellectual humility, navigating perceptions of social justice, LIS research and academic capitalism, experiences of disabled faculty and researchers in a COVID-era academic landscape, fostering creativity, and distance learning. The editors’ sensibilities are evident throughout, as they author or contribute to five of the 12 chapters (not including the introduction and conclusion), but this does not detract from the richness of the content.