Two challenges facing 21st century librarians are the rapid growth in information and technology and the growing population of diverse students who lack access to information and technology. While most LIS students are aware of disparities in society through classroom-based coursework, “real-life” experiences are needed for a deeper understanding of issues such as the digital divide and equity of access for diverse populations. This study examined LIS students’ understanding of equity of access issues through a service-learning course designed to connect course content with service-learning experiences in schools and public libraries serving large populations of Latinos. The research questions addressed include: (1) Does service-learning contribute to a better understanding of course related issues? (2) To what extent does service-learning contribute to the depth of understanding of issues related to the course content? (3) To what extent does service-learning contribute to increased cultural understanding? and (4) To what extent are social capital and civic involvement developed through service to the community?

Keywords: service-learning, equity of access, latinos, LIS curriculum, diversity, cultural competence, qualitative analysis

Two challenges facing 21st century librarians are rapid growth in information technology and the growing population of diverse students (U. S. Census Bureau, 2006), many of whom lack access to information and technology (Fairlie, 2005; Fairlie, London, Pastor, Rosner, 2006). Most LIS students are aware of disparities in society through classroom-based coursework on topics such as the digital divide, limited access to technology, and inadequate availability of linguistically and culturally relevant content (American Library Association, 2004). However, the reality of these social inequities is often beyond LIS students’ experiences, even though the likelihood is great that they will need to understand issues involving access for diverse populations during their professional career (Josey & Abdullahi, 2002).

The challenge is particularly significant for librarians who are culturally and ethnically distinct from the populations they    serve    (Lynch, 1998).    For    example, the majority of school librarians are older, monolingual, and do not generally come from the same ethnic background as their students (American Library Association, 2007). Efforts to prepare LIS students for    challenges of  today’ s society have been undertaken by LIS schools through incorporating courses on diverse populations into the general curriculum. However, the complexity of issues raised in these courses requires more than a theoretical understanding that comes from classroom instruction. Firsthand experience with diverse populations is often needed, particularly when those populations are from linguistic, cultural, ethnic, and socio-economic backgrounds that are different from that of the students.

Background

Service-Learning

Service-learning, a pedagogy which integrates professional learning experiences and academic curriculum (Billig, 2002; Eyler & Giles, 1999; Furco & Billig, 2002; Kraft, 1996; Pritchard, 2002), has been used to improve learners’ understanding of course content through service to communities. Real-life experiences become a learning and teaching tool to help students develop a deeper understanding of information (Rhoads, 1998). Students learn to work with rather than for communities (Weah, Simmons, & Hall, 2000) to develop interpersonal skills and social responsibility (Eyler, 2000; Eyler & Giles, 1999), two essential attributes required of LIS professionals to adequately provide service to communities (American Library Association, 1999).

Service-learning was introduced as a course requirement into an LIS graduate course taught by the author to narrow the gap between theory and practice (Bransford, Brown, & Cocking, 1999). The course, “Equity of Access for Diverse Populations,” examines the debate on the digital divide and other issues involving access to information and technology, such as availability of culturally diverse content for diverse populations including Latinos whose access is often limited. By providing students with greater awareness of sociocultural issues related to the course, a deeper under- standing of issues was anticipated (Valerius &   Hamilton, 2001). The requirement of service within a diverse community was seen as a way to provide LIS students firsthand knowledge and experience with populations different from themselves. Such experiences are seen as a way to help students develop cultural competence and respect for cultural differences (Montiel-Overall, 2009).

Equity of Access

Equity of access refers to equality in opportunities for diverse groups to access in- formation including access to library collections, library resources, and instruction. An aspect of discussions about equity of access involves the digital divide, which refers primarily to access to technology. Lack of access to resources, information and computer technology has been found to be high among minority and underserved populations (e.g., Native Americans, African Americans, Latinos, poor, elderly, and disabled), and is highest among growing populations of Latinos (Pew Hispanic Center, 2006). The increase in this population has resulted in an effort by LIS schools to prepare students to better understand Latinos and their information needs.

Two required components of the equity of access course are a written cultural heritage autobiography (CHA) and a required fieldtrip. The CHA is submitted electronically before the first class session, and provides an opportunity for students to discuss their cultural backgrounds. Rosaldo’ s (1989) definition of culture as daily activities shared by individuals and groups is used in conjunction with assigned course readings related to culture.

The second requirement is a fieldtrip at the beginning of the semester to a state-of-the-art elementary school library. The fieldtrip library is a two-story facility with 40,000 books, 25 computers, an electronic blackboard and document camera, and active participation of parents as library volunteers. The fieldtrip library is located in a geographic and socioeconomic area that differs from the service-learning communities.

Theoretical Framework for Experiential Learning

Service-learning is grounded in experiential learning and works of John Dewey (1938), David Kolb (1984) and others (e.g., Bruner, 1966), which provide a framework for incorporating experiential opportunities into instruction for LIS students. Kolb (1984) defines learning as a “process whereby knowledge is created through the transformation of experiences” (p. 38). Applying these theories to learning provides a lens to examine learning as “an intimate and necessary relation between the process of actual experience and education” (Dewey, 1938, p. 20), and “a continuous process grounded in experience” (Kolb, 1984, p. 27). Experiential learning also provides individuals with opportunities to contribute to society (Bruner, 1966, p. 167) and to build social capital within community groups and organizations. These multiple theoretical frameworks provide a broad background for studying the effect of service-learning with Latino and Spanish-speaking populations on library and information science (LIS) graduate students.

Problem Statement and Purpose

Equity of access is a major concern to LIS professionals inasmuch as populations of library users are increasingly those who are from underserved and underrepresented populations. Under- standing issues related to equity of access is critical for those graduating from LIS programs. This study examines graduate students’ understanding of equity of access issues by connecting content and service-learning to experiences in schools and public libraries serving large populations of Latinos. The research questions addressed include: (1) Does service-learning contribute to a better understanding of course related issues? (2) To what extent does service-learning contribute to depth of understanding of issues related to course content? (3) To what extent do service-learning experiences contribute to increased understanding of equity of access issues and cultural understanding? and (4) To what extent are social capital and civic involvement developed through service to community?

Procedures

Student Participants

Following approval from the Institutional Review Board, seven students who had enrolled in a 15 week course at a large university in a southwest metropolitan area consented to participate in the study in the fall of 2007. Students were at various stages in their graduate program in LIS and the course was one of several courses available to students to fulfill a diversity requirement for graduation. A total of four female and three male students participated in the study. One male student was a native Spanish speaker from South America. The remaining students spoke English only and had no previous experience working in libraries or with Latinos.

Procedure

Students agreed to complete 30 hours of service-learning with librarians at elementary schools or public libraries serving large populations of Latinos. Seven sites were selected by the instructor, two public libraries and five K–8 school libraries. Libraries were selected because the populations served were predominantly Latino. Schools selected had approximately 90% of children on free or reduced lunch.

Data Sources and Collection

LIS students met once a week during the semester for a two and a half hour face-to-face class where they participated in discussions of course readings and group activities. Students also engaged in online discussions and kept logs and fieldnotes of their service-learning activities. These were posted to a private space on an electronic course management tool, Desire to Learn (D2L). Students also submitted self-reflections and took pre- and postsurveys on service-learning. Questions on a 44-item service-learning survey were adapted from questionnaires developed by Simons and Cleary (2005) and Cram (1998). At the end of the semester, six students were interviewed. Various qualitative data were used to achieve triangulation. See Appendix A for sample pre-survey questions.

Data Analysis

Qualitative data for this study were grouped into four sets of items for analysis: (1) fieldnotes, (2) interviews, (3) self-reflections, and (4) pre- and postsurveys on service-learning. This article reports on data derived from these four sets. Analysis proceeded in the manner described by Miles and Huberman (1994). Coding of data was carried out by the researcher and two research assistants who identified broad a priori categories based on the research questions. Coders independently coded a student self-reflection based on categories to determine interrater reliability. A comparison of coding yielded high results. Each set of items was then coded independently; however, discussion between coders was ongoing. Preliminary categories identified included culture (CUL), equity of access (EQ), connection between SL and course content (CON), and change over time (COT), social capital (SC) and civic engagement (CE).

Member check occurred at weekly class meetings during discussions regarding the service-learning experiences and course readings. At that time issues and questions that appeared on online logs and fieldnotes were clarified. Small group discussions of course content also took place weekly with a focus on ongoing findings and conclusions involving assigned readings and service-learning experiences. Throughout this process, coders discussed stability of categories across data as findings emerged. Several categories were divided further into sub-categories and additional categories were added. This procedure was equivalent to “surfacing” and “filling-in” discussed in Lincoln and Guba (1985). Several iterations of coding occurred on each set of data to identify information that clustered together into categories. Recoding continued and tables and summaries were made for further analysis. When coders thought categories had reached saturation and no new categories could be identified, the four data sets were compared. Themes emerged from the final list of categories, from which further interpretation of data could be made. Results are reported in following section.

As with all studies, there are limitations to this study that must be considered in interpreting results. A limitation of this study was the length of time students were involved in service learning, which was limited by the duration of the course.

Results

From the extensive analysis discussed above, recurring themes emerged to address research questions regarding students’ understanding of course content (equity of access for diverse populations) and knowledge of the effect of Latino language and culture on equity of access, and the development of civic responsibility and social capital. Table 1 illustrates overarching themes and categories, including: technology and computers, economic disparities, language and literacy, culture, and social benefits. Themes are identified on the left side of the table. Categories appear in the center. Summary statements from multiple data sets appear on the right side.

Table 1: Themes and Categories Related to Equity of Access Based on Qualitative Data Analysis.

Theme	Categories	Summary Statements from Multiple Data Sets
Technology	Computers	Insufficient number of computers at schools and public libraries. Students had to share library computers, and patrons at public libraries had long waits to get on a computer. Inadequate time to use computers (patrons only 15 or 45 minutes (one time daily)). Computer illiteracy (e.g., keyboarding, typing, knowledge of formatting, knowledge of basic components of a Web site or Word document, knowledge of which box to insert a search term). Lack of timely maintenance of computers. Inadequate software. Old non-intuitive software. Spelling errors limited what library users could find. Librarians spent a lot of time helping students spell. Search terms had to be specific (e.g., skateboard not skateboards). Technical support was lacking for teachers. Lack of adequate and quality training for teachers and their limited access to new equipment affected students (e.g., use of electronic whiteboard as an overhead projector screen). Technical support at public libraries serving Latino populations focused on basic computer literacy. Lack of innovation–students doing the same things over and over again and not learning new techniques, strategies, and procedures. Computer access in the library mostly for playing games, and some class research.
Economics	Disparities	5 percent of population within a community served by a public library owned a computer. 90 percent of students on free or reduced lunch. Inadequate space in library for technology instruction. Latino clients lacked funds to pay library fines or to replace library cards ($1.50). This prevented them from checking out books. School library budgets were limited. Librarians without assistants (volunteers) lacked time to teach students because they spent all their time checking out books.
Cultural Awareness	Examples of Cultural Differences	There were cultural differences between the LIS student and patrons. LIS students developed a better understanding of culture and background of library users. “The boy just wouldn’t speak up or look me in the eye, instead mumbling his request. I’m always disappointed when a patron walks away from a reference interview with such a downcast look . . .” “all girls had ears pierced” even babies. “Latino families came in to the library together. That was different from the experience of students who went to the library alone.” “Cultural background of community and librarian was important because they understood each other.”
Cultural Awareness (continued)	Language Proficiency and Literacy	Latinos lacked basic English proficiency. Basic literacy lacking (i.e., spelling, reading and writing in English and Spanish). Focus on English proficiency in schools limited learning content. Spanish speaking patrons needed translators. Latino families visited library together and children translated for parents. Language can create a barrier to access when librarian doesn’t speak the language of the community. Language divide is somewhat responsible for digital divide. Spanish was not spoken in the library because it was discouraged. Students thought speaking Spanish was against the law. A concept that was foreign to some of the librarians was “Reading is reading. It doesn’t matter what language it’s in.”
Cultural Awareness (continued)	Spanish Language Collections	Spanish language collections not always visible. Spanish language collections were isolated (not integrated into main collection). Books in Spanish were often difficult to find. Checking out Spanish books drew attention to Latinos students who were teased by English speaking students. Insufficient number of books in Spanish in school library collections (only 6 chapter books in Spanish, all for girls). Students weren’t allowed to check out books considered “higher level books.” At some schools students were encouraged to check out books in English even though they were Spanish speakers.
Social Impact	Civic Engagement	LIS student felt that she was helping. LIS student helped lady working on a job application. Empathy developed–LIS student was encouraged by being able to help a woman with her resume. Working with Latinos developed a better understanding of their needs.
Social Impact (continued)	Social Capital	Social capital was built by a spirit of sharing and cooperation. Gratified when students “catch on.” Gratified by clients’ receptiveness. LIS students encouraged despite limitations when there’s a feeling of usefulness. Librarian made LIS student feel useful. Service learning enhanced the work and relationship. LIS students became more sympathetic to those without access. LIS student reported that she would follow access issues in the future.

Technology

LIS students noted similar issues involving computers and technology at school and public libraries. These included insufficient computers, insufficient time on computers, inadequate computer literacy, and lack of maintenance of computers. For example, an LIS student assigned to a public library serving a predominantly Latino community noted that a request to repair computers submitted three weeks before he began his service-learning had still not been acted upon by the end of his service-learning several months later. “I understandably got a lot of [patrons’ ] questions (four the first hour) about when the computers would be up and running again, and if the library maintenance had been contacted.”

Another LIS student at a large midtown public library explained that although only 5% of the population in the neighborhood served by the library owned their own computers, the library had only eight computers for public use. These were in constant demand and required time limitations be placed on the computers. High demand resulted in many computers being available for only 15 minute periods, and a few computers being available for 45 minutes. An additional restriction on 45-minute computers was that they could only be used by a patron once a day. Patrons were often seen waiting up to one hour to use a computer. The student reported “. . . the neighborhood heavily uses the technology and could easily fill ten more computers in the evenings if they were available.”

At school libraries, systems were old and outdated, and when newer technology was made available, there were in- sufficient new applications to accommodate all students. Consequently, students simultaneously worked on old and new systems resulting in considerable wasted time for those using newer systems waiting for students to complete their work on older operating systems.

Another common situation was lack of basic and computer literacy skills demonstrated by Latinos in public and school libraries. Latino children at schools lacked basic keyboarding ability and seemed unfamiliar with “basic site for- mat.” For example, students were uncertain which box to put search information in (i.e., box for URL or search box). Catalog searches required a high level of spelling ability. A student looking for books on skateboards would be unsuccessful if the word were misspelled or entered incorrectly (e.g., skatebord). Consequently, the librarian spent much of her time spelling search terms for students.

Classes were offered at the public branch but were “rudimentary,” which surprised the LIS student who wondered if “illiteracy [made] using computer work difficult.” He noted that a library user took almost 20 minutes to write a sentence on a computer.

At schools, computer use was highly variable. During lunchtime, large numbers of students used computers to play games. At other times, computers were not used at all, suggesting the need for improved scheduling. Another reason computers were not used was that students were not allowed to use computers unless a teacher or librarian was present. At one site, computers were vacant much of the time for this reason.

Another commonly observed phenomenon at school libraries was inadequate space for computer use. School libraries, which were generally described as large open spaces, served multiple purposes including serving as a computer lab. However, libraries often served as multipurpose rooms. When libraries were used for other purposes such as staff meetings or testing (e.g., DIEBLES or speech therapy testing), computers could not be used. Libraries were also closed when they substituted as classrooms. An LIS student noted that a school library was closed for several months when a classroom air conditioning unit was being repaired and when a classroom was being painted. During that time, students had no access to computers or to the library. An LIS student noted differences between the library at her service-learning site and the fieldtrip school library, which had several rooms for different uses. It “had a room for just picture books and a room for all the other books, and a room upstairs where the older kids can feel separate. There wasn’t that kind of separation of space at [the service-learning school].”

Finally, adequate technical support was noted by LIS students as a challenge at both public and school libraries. While public libraries offered classes to patrons, lack of computer literacy of library users was daunting to volunteers who taught computer classes. At elementary schools, while librarians demonstrated a high level of technical ability, both students and teachers lacked the ability to use innovative technology. As an example, a teacher used an electronic board as a screen for an overhead projector (“She was projecting onto a SMART board ironically to use as the projector screen.”).

Economic Disparity

A second theme in Table 1 is economics, which was highlighted by disparities that emerged from the data. Students observed daily examples where equity of access was limited by the economic situation of library users. For example, LIS students noted that most students or patrons at their libraries did not have home computers although literature discussed in class indicated the digital divide had been bridged (U.S. Department of Commerce, 2002, 2004). Also noted was that patrons at public libraries were unable to pay even small fines, and replacement costs of $1.50 for lost library cards were also difficult for patrons. At a school, a child printed a homework assignment in the library because her family could not afford the cost of ink for a printer.

Another aspect of economic disparity identified was transiency of students. An LIS student noted that up to 20 students who were in one school at the beginning of the year couldn’t be found in that school two months later. LIS students observed that many students traveled back and forth from the United States to Mexico. Also, some students moved frequently. Others lived out of their cars.

The economic situation of Latino families affected the amount of time parents were able to volunteer in classrooms. At some schools, unless parents were in paid positions as cafeteria helpers or crossing guards, they rarely participated at school. A student commented “. . . in an inner city environment, the parents are busy with providing for their family, . . . they don’t have the time to invest into supporting the school as opposed to [the fieldtrip school] where [there were] 27 to 29 volunteers, almost all of them are parents . . .”

The result of economic disparities was noted by an LIS student who stated,

“Those without access are prevented from participating in social and political activities and events, such as finding voter information, witnessing debates, finding the location of their voting place, or being able to communicate with government members on a regular or daily basis.”

Cultural Awareness

A third theme identified in Table 1 is cultural awareness. This theme emerged from the data in statements by LIS students about cultural differences between themselves and Latinos. Cultural differences included practices LIS students identified as different from what they did (e.g., how Latino families used the library, attire of Latinos who used the library, and language and literacy needs of Latinos). Examples of cultural differences are discussed below. To preface the discussion, the term culture is defined.

Culture was defined as the daily activities that were evident in the lives of groups or organizations. Throughout the course, students were asked to explain what they thought culture meant and to provide examples of cultural differences. Through discussions in class and assigned readings, students who had initially equated culture with ethnicity began to separate these terms. Ethnicity was defined as the historical roots of groups of people from different geographic areas.

Examples of cultural differences were noted by LIS students in their fieldnotes. An entry noted that whole families came into the library together even though only one individual in the family used resources in the library. Several LIS students noted that families who had recently arrived from Mexico were not familiar with school or public libraries. They were not accustomed to checking out books from the library, and thought they needed to pay to check out books. Other cultural differences were noted. For example, an LIS student noted that “all [Latina] girls had ears pierced,” even baby girls, which she described as different from her own family’s practice. Another LIS student noted lack of direct eye contact, which caused some concern to the LIS student who stated, “The boy just wouldn’t speak up or look me in the eye, instead mumbling his request. I’m always disappointed when a patron walks away from a reference interview with such a downcast look . . .” Possible reasons for downcast eyes, other than misunderstanding, were discussed in class.

Three closely connected and overlap- ping aspects of the theme of Cultural Awareness, which were   prominent in the data, were language proficiency and literacy, and availability of Spanish language collections.

Language proficiency and literacy were identified as factors affecting access to information at school and public libraries. Lack of English language proficiency was noted as a factor affecting Latinos’ basic literacy in English including the ability to spell, read, and write. An LIS student noted that “the language divide was somewhat responsible for the digital divide.” Lack of English proficiency in adult Latinos was evident at school and public libraries, where adult Latinos who did not speak English used their children to translate written material for them. Children were also used as interpreters of conversations with English speaking librarians who did not speak Spanish. When public librarians were not able to communicate with Latino clients, their information requests could not be met and they were unable to access materials or information needed.

At school libraries, LIS students found similar literacy problems with students. For example, second graders had problems with alphabetical order, and few children were reading over grade level. An LIS student commented that perhaps Latino children who did not speak enough English to understand what was being taught “should be in a bilingual classroom.”

LIS students also commented on the effect of Spanish language use policies on access to information by parents at schools. For example, one elementary school used both English and Spanish during awards assemblies where parents were present. At another school a teacher translated for parents and instructions were provided in Spanish for parents. However, Spanish could not be used for instruction of Spanish speaking students. The misperception by some teachers and librarians at these schools was that using Spanish would delay children’ s acquisition of English.

At one school library students would not speak Spanish. “A student “…just wouldn’ t speak [Spanish] at   school because he thought he wasn’t supposed to because of the laws.” At the same time, other LIS students observed “Children spoke Spanish to each other sometimes and it seemed to make them more comfortable.” Children also seemed to feel more comfortable speaking Spanish with the Latino LIS student. “Being Latino . . . speaks to . . . the importance of having people with similar background [as the students] . . . especially within elementary schools and education.”

An LIS student noted that she had never worked with children who switched from one language to another. She commented, “Today, two girls playing a game would switch to Spanish for some words/phrases/sentences. I couldn’ t  discern a pattern    (they weren’ t  consistent in which words were spoken in which language), but they switched smoothly between English and Spanish without hesitation.”  The LIS  student’ s comment sparked a class discussion and the instructor used the opportunity to introduce research on first and second language acquisition and the phenomenon described by the student, which is called code-switching. Code-switching is a term used in linguistics to describe switching from one language to another language within the same sentence or during a conversation. It is a natural linguistic occurrence in areas where two or more languages are spoken, and requires a high level of linguistic competence in both languages contrary to the generally negative perception of code-switching held by many individuals. Some students admitted that they too had misconceptions about using Spanish and English together and had not considered code-switching an asset but a deficit in a person’ s    ability   to speak either language well.

At a public library, an LIS student who did not speak Spanish explained that he had gained a better understanding about what it felt like not to understand what others were talking about. He explained that he realized that “language barriers have a limiting effect on working with others [and] functioning productively.”

Spanish language library collections also emerged as a category, which included Spanish language books and other resources (e.g., newspapers) available to Latinos in school and public libraries. LIS students at public libraries noted adequate Spanish language materials in public libraries including books, magazines and newspapers. At one public library, older Latino men regularly used the public library to read newspapers. However, even though the public library had a large collection of Spanish language books, an LIS student wondered if some patrons could read at all. He said that for the first time in his life he dealt with semi-literate adults.

Access to library collections at schools was more complicated for Latino students. An LIS student commented that there were only three or four shelves of Spanish or bilingual books, despite a large Latino population. At another site with a large population of Spanish speaking students, only five percent of the collection was in Spanish. Also, there were only six chapter books in Spanish and these were targeted at girls.

Some school libraries had separate Spanish and English collections depending on the philosophy of the librarian or school. For example, at some schools, Spanish children’ s books were integrated into regular school library collections be- cause the librarian wanted Spanish language books to be more accessible, while at other schools Spanish language books were in a separate section. During a class discussion, an LIS student noted that when Spanish collections were separated from the regular collection, some children were embarrassed to check out At a public library, an LIS student who did not speak Spanish explained that he had gained a better understanding about what it felt like not to understand what others were talking about. He explained that he realized that “language barriers have a limiting effect on working with others [and] functioning productively.” Spanish language library collections also emerged as a category, which included Spanish language books and other resources (e.g., newspapers) available to Latinos in school and public libraries. LIS students at public libraries noted adequate Spanish language materials in public libraries including books, magazines and newspapers. At one public library, older Latino men regularly used the public library to read newspapers. However, even though the public library had a large collection of Spanish language books, an LIS student wondered if some patrons could read at all. He said that for the first time in his life he dealt with semi-literate adults.

Observations such as these were discussed in class, and misconceptions about language use in developing literacy were clarified during class discussions and course readings, which provided further information about language issues. An LIS student commented she thought that having Spanish language collections would be detrimental to developing English, but that “a real light bulb” had gone off during the discussion when she realized that “reading was reading in any language.”

Other issues discussed in this category included a wide range of issues that had presented themselves to LIS students during their service-learning. In one in- stance a parent would not allow her child to check out books in Spanish because she wanted her children to learn English. In another library, an LIS student noted that a first grade student checking out a book from the library  didn’ t know whether the book was in English or Spanish. Another LIS student commented that she often asked students to read the title of a book before checking it out and found that there were some students who couldn’ t speak English but   could read English. These situations were discussed in class and addressed in course readings.

Social Awareness, Civic Engagement and Social Capital

Civic involvement and social capital, which are considered essential elements of service-learning (Toole, 2002), emerged as themes and were labeled social awareness. LIS students felt they were helping to make a difference in the lives of the individuals they worked with in libraries whether in filling out job applications, or introducing children to literature. LIS students noted that they “developed empathy,” and that working with Latinos helped them develop a better understanding of their needs. Also, students noted that they became more sympathetic to those without access. Only one student stated that she “could see a lot of the problems . . . [but was] not particularly self motivated to go out and fix any of them.”

LIS students noted the need for librarians to be civic minded and contribute to underserved communities. These comments reflected an understanding of social capital discussed by Putnam (1995, 1996, 2000). Specific examples of students’ understanding of social capital included statements about providing clients with networking opportunities, building trust among community members and library patrons, and cooperating with individuals served (e.g., Latino children and adults).

Discussion

The service-learning experience appeared to provide LIS students with experiences that helped transform course content from theory to reality. Findings from pre- and post-surveys as well as other qualitative data provided evidence of changes in LIS students’ understanding of equity of access, and in students’ perceptions about diversity issues related to equity of access issues from the beginning of the semester to the end of the semester. Students indicated that the service-learning experience had helped them develop a deeper understanding of the type of access to information and technology Latinos had. LIS students also demonstrated a broader understanding of reasons for limited access (economic, language, lack of experience) and future needs of Latinos (having enough computers, time on computers, Spanish resources).

Students indicated they would “definitely recommend service-learning to other classmates” and that service-learning had been an ideal environment in which to experience first-hand what it will be like to be a librarian.” A student stated, “. . . I learned so much that I do not think I could have just ‘read’ about it.”

Service-learning was also valuable in providing first-hand knowledge of how disadvantaged Latinos were. A student commented,

“They needed library access to computers. The neighborhood was a bit scary in terms of crime and vandalism. The patrons were in lower income brackets. Lots of families who came together. Library used as safe place for children/teens after school. All ages used library.”

LIS students also gained experience with culturally different situations from service-learning as well as the fieldtrip. A student stated, “I have observed how people in other cultures see and experience things differently. I have more [of a] perspective about other perspectives.” Another student stated, “I had a “culture shock” visiting [the fieldtrip library]— that place was a palace in comparison with tons of technology, bright, well painted, and lots of books!”

Table 2 provides additional key experiences from service-learning during the course.

Table 2: Summary of Key Service-Learning Experiences.

• Students interacted with people they would never have otherwise dealt with. • Students found themselves on the other side of the language divide. • Students realized that language barriers have a limiting effect on working with others— functioning productively with others. Reason for effective bilingual education (public library experience). • Students came away with the impressions that they contributed to children’s sense of community and made some contribution to human capital. • Students found technology challenges were broader than anticipated. • Student had eye opening experiences (e.g., “just living day to day having the limited resources . . .”). • Students realized that access issues happen globally, not just because they don’t have a computer. • Students’ preconceived notions changes (e.g., “. . . this semester has been very enlightening for me as a learning experience as well as a growing experience and examining my pre-conceived attitudes toward technological access issues as well as how I viewed those with access and those without. . . . I will continue to read and monitor the state of affairs in this area for a long time.”). • Students felt the class helped them understand issues better (e.g., “. . . understand the breath of the disparity and the importance of overcoming these things and how to overcome these things.”).

Value Added

Finally, data indicate that service-learning indeed helped students gain an understanding of course content, which supports the growing body of literature on the benefit of service-learning (Billig, 2002; Billig & Eyler, 2003; Eyler & Giles, 1999; Eyler, Giles, Stenson, & Gray, 2001; Welch & Billig, 2004). As a student poignantly noted,

[We learned] what equity of access was. It’s not just a yes or no. It is the quality of access, the kind of access, how long you have it, how often you have it, where you have it, all those kinds of issues really play into what kind of access to information . . . technology that you have.

Students clearly became more aware of the community and all but one thought they had contributed to social capital of library and community. A student explained that she “thought it was helpful to talk about the inequalities in libraries— but see it played out in the two libraries [the fieldtrip library and my library] was priceless.” The fieldtrip clearly was an important part of the learning process that provided students with an example of equity of access from which they could compare their service-learning experience. A student summarized the experience by stating that he realized “there [was] a direct relationship between educational achievement and computer ownership . . .” and that it was a major factor in the digital divide. But other factors such as having a well-equipped library with WiFi, adequate space, enough functioning and current computers, adequate help at the desk, regular open library hours (not closed because of staff meetings, testing, special instruction, the library is serving as a backup classrooms) were essential to equal access to information.”

The service-learning experience appeared to support the notion of “value added” as introduced by Simons and Cleary (2005). Figure 1 illustrates two paths for teaching course content: a traditional path and a service-learning path.

The “value added” for the course is captured in a student’ s comment:

“[I]t gave a real-world example of how low funding affects disadvantaged populations” and “[o]bservation at the school reinforced what I was learning in class. I saw real life examples of the issues we were discussing as part of the course.”

Conclusions

This study adds to the body of knowledge about the effectiveness of service-learning to improve instruction for students (Bringle & Hatcher, 2005), about “facilitating cultural and racial understanding” (Eyler et al. 2001, para. 3), and about improving the depth of LIS students’ understanding of course content and its issues related to equity of access for Latino populations. The study also contributes to the growing body of information about service-learning in LIS studies (Roy, Jensen & Meyers, 2009).

Finally, this study supports findings of others that when service-learning is established as a vital and integral component of students’ education, students’ understanding of content is enhanced. This study provides evidence that service-learning does contribute to a better understanding of course related issues and leads students to a deeper level of examination of course readings. It is clear that students gained increased understanding of equity and cultural issues, which they will inevitably have to deal with as future library and information science professionals. Although not all students indicated that they would become more involved in civic endeavors in their community, an awareness of community issues among students was apparent.

For the LIS field, service-learning provides a bold new direction for instruction, which may better prepare students for their careers in librarianship by providing real-life experiences in settings with diverse populations where the themes identified in this study are the norm. Service-learning appears to be a strategy with tremendous potential for preparing future LIS professionals and should be considered as an essential component of the LIS curriculum.

Appendix A

Sample Questions for Presurvey:

Q1 What is service-learning?
Q2 What kinds of activities do you anticipate doing?
Q4 How do you think service-learning will help those you are going to work with?
Q5 How might service-learning help you understand or apply course content to “real life” experiences?
Q6 What experience do you have working with Latinos?

Sample Questions for Postsurvey:

Q1 Tell me about your service-learning experience?
Q7 What did you like least about your service-learning assignment?
Q15 Describe some of the needs you identified in the population where you did your service-learning.
Q16 Describe some of the resources you identified in the population where you did your service- learning.
Q23 Were there any changes in you as a service learner? If so, describe.
Q26 How can we improve the service-learning assignment?
Q28 Did service-learning give you a better understanding of the professional role of librarians? Explain.
Q29 Have your attitudes and perspectives toward diversity changed? If so, describe.
Q30 Do you feel more competent in relating to people with culturally different backgrounds, especially working with Latino students? Explain.
Q34 Has service-learning helped shape your perceptions of yourself and the community? If so, explain.
Q36 Do you feel more comfortable and competent in working with a population different from your own? Explain.
Q38 Explain if and how service-learning helped you understand course content.
Q39 Would you recommend your service-learning experience to any of your friends or classmates? Explain.
Q43 Describe what (if anything) you gained from participating in service-learning.
Q44 Do you feel more connected to the community compared to the beginning of the semester? If so, explain.

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