Looking at the Socialization of LIS Students Through a Pop Culture Lens

The LIS field is filled with pop culture images, seen and learned by our students. Learning about these images relevant to our students is indeed a task worthy of our time. We are preparing student to enter a profession with their own identity as a professional; pop culture may provide a useful tool in equipping them to do this successfully. We surveyed library students across the country to discover the LIS images they knew before starting their LIS studies and those they know now. Then we looked at sources, to discover what images they are drawing from their student life, and specific lessons they learned. Instead of turning our backs on this imagery form popular culture, we can focus more deliberately on shaping it to meet the needs of the profession and the students, to help this process of entry to the profession