TY - JOUR

T1 - The role of identity moderators and perceived degree of identity separation in librarian professional identity development

AU - Pierson, Cameron M.

N1 - Publisher Copyright: © The Author(s) 2023.

PY - 2024/6

Y1 - 2024/6

N2 - This paper examines in-depth processes of librarian professional identity negotiations impacting practitioners’ perception of, affiliation with, and behaviour within the profession. It outlines three key themes which moderate librarian professional identity and introduces the Relational States of Librarian Professional Identity, outlining variations of individual affiliation with the profession. This paper also offers a theoretical framework of identity negotiations with theoretical propositions relating to librarian professional identity development. Forty semi-structed interviews were conducted with practicing public librarians throughout Aotearoa New Zealand. Interviews were analysed with an inductive approach. NVivo was used to code and query interview data. Findings demonstrate identity negotiations as grounded in perceptions of profession through meaning ascribed to the profession and its manifestations (professional associations, etc.), respectively; and perceptions of practice as related to organisational/institutional contexts. Six theoretical propositions are offered detailing the relationship of the three themes moderating librarian professional identity and the Relational States of Librarian Professional Identity to this identity and its negotiations.

AB - This paper examines in-depth processes of librarian professional identity negotiations impacting practitioners’ perception of, affiliation with, and behaviour within the profession. It outlines three key themes which moderate librarian professional identity and introduces the Relational States of Librarian Professional Identity, outlining variations of individual affiliation with the profession. This paper also offers a theoretical framework of identity negotiations with theoretical propositions relating to librarian professional identity development. Forty semi-structed interviews were conducted with practicing public librarians throughout Aotearoa New Zealand. Interviews were analysed with an inductive approach. NVivo was used to code and query interview data. Findings demonstrate identity negotiations as grounded in perceptions of profession through meaning ascribed to the profession and its manifestations (professional associations, etc.), respectively; and perceptions of practice as related to organisational/institutional contexts. Six theoretical propositions are offered detailing the relationship of the three themes moderating librarian professional identity and the Relational States of Librarian Professional Identity to this identity and its negotiations.

KW - Identity negotiations

KW - librarianship

KW - professional identity

KW - public librarians

KW - theory

UR - http://www.scopus.com/inward/record.url?scp=85145888374&partnerID=8YFLogxK

U2 - 10.1177/09610006221142311

DO - 10.1177/09610006221142311

M3 - Article

AN - SCOPUS:85145888374

VL - 56

SP - 353

EP - 368

JO - Journal of Librarianship and Information Science

JF - Journal of Librarianship and Information Science

SN - 0961-0006

IS - 2

ER -