Young Researchers: Collaborating With Youth and Libraries for Community Based Scholarship

Understanding the value and process of research is a crucial skill for youth, who navigate an information landscape that includes a significant amount of misinformation and disinformation. Literacy approaches highlight the ability to create and share content as key competencies of literacy, but youth have few opportunities to engage in the scholarly research process to develop these skills in this context. Researchers are increasingly recognizing the importance of including diverse voices in the development and implementation of research and are adjusting approaches to recruiting and retention. But these changes can take time to have impact, and young people need opportunities to see themselves in the roles of researcher and scholar now in order to imagine pursuing these kinds of interests and career paths. This project addresses these gaps. By training staff at five partner public library sites across the U.S., this project will involve as many as 100 youth as co-researchers who will help design, implement, analyze, and report on original research. This project will conclude by sharing a public curriculum and workshop series for LIS professionals on implementing co-research, and it will advance scholarship on designing informal learning opportunities in libraries and youth literacy development, especially as it relates to the research process.