Preparing Librarians for Data Literacy Leadership Project

IMLS RE-97-18-0109 -18

   

Project Team

  • Dr. John Marino (formally University of North Texas)
  • Dr. Barbara Schultz-Jones (University of North Texas)
  • Dr. Sarah Evans (University of North Texas)
  • Dr. Jennifer Moore (Texas Women’s University)
  • Dr. Aaron Elkins(Texas Women’s University)
  • Dr. Daniella Smith (University of North Texas)

Data literacy is necessary to make use of the available data for informed decision-making in schools and communities.

There is a sizable gap between the available data to make informed decisions in schools and communities and the necessary expertise of professionals in those contexts. Librarians connect people with tools and information, empowering individuals and communities to make decisions, solve problems, and improve situations; they are the logical leaders in providing services that support data-informed decision-making. The Data Literacy Leadership Project puts the focus on service at the staff and organizational levels through the development of competencies and leadership skills. Librarians as data-literate leaders serve as coaches with colleagues in data use for differentiated instruction and the development and evaluation of programs and services, and as collaborators with administrators in using data for organizational improvement, in school and community public library settings.

Project Goals

The University of North Texas College of Information (UNT) and Texas Woman’s University School of Library and Information Studies (TWU) will work with stakeholders to design a pre-service library professional preparation program that develops competencies in data literacy leadership. This training addresses the need for data use services in school and public libraries. This initiative, the DataLeadPrep Project, puts the focus on service at the staff and organizational levels.

Librarians as data-literate leaders will be prepared to serve as coaches with colleagues in data use for differentiated instruction and the development and evaluation of programs and services, and as collaborators with administrators in using data for organizational improvement, in school and community public library settings. Building this capacity for data literacy leadership in these settings contributes to the goal of establishing libraries as community anchors with services to navigate the challenges faced by individuals and communities.

During this phase of the project, stakeholders are participating in the design of the content and format of the training in three stages. These stakeholders include school and public library administrators, teachers, librarians in both settings, pre-service librarians, and faculty members in library professional preparation programs. In the first stage, the design of the training program was informed by a state-wide survey of data use and service needs; in the second stage, a summit of key stakeholders engaged in the creation of a vision for data use services, the identification of data literacy competencies; in the third stage, a design team of stakeholders will create a prototype for the training format, to include a curriculum for competency development and the development of a pilot training program. Reports of proceedings and an evaluation of the pilot program will provide recommendations for implementing effective training in data literacy leadership within the master’s degree library professional preparation program at both institutions.

Project Reports