Professional Identity and Threats to Non-Normative Identities

One of the central aims of LIS curriculum is to socialize students into the professional identity of librarianship. However, attempts to do this often center around the identities of white workers. To effectively address the ways in which non-normative identities are targeted and threatened, LIS institutions need to identify new approaches. In this paper, we outline our empirical and participatory approach to this grand challenge, built on research with library workers. Despite the recent attacks on any consideration of identity, library education will need to continue centering the profession’s identity issues.