• Background and motivation for the research
The field of library and information studies (LIS) attracts varied candidates to graduate programmes every year. Among these are mature students* seeking to change careers. However, the perspectives of older students with existing educational and career experiences prior to their LIS studies may well differ from those of younger students.
For example, though it is impossible to generalize based on age alone, mature students may be more likely to have had a significant work history, and to have families, including children. They are also more likely financially self-supporting, and may even be supporting and/or caring for elderly parents. In short, the lived experience of mature students may well create a very different lens through which graduate studies in LIS is then viewed. However, it should be added that mature student perspectives are not necessarily negative. After all, in addition to the challenges that attending school later in life might present, mature students with life experience who have been in the workforce also have the potential to bring with them great strengths--for example, project management and organizational skills allowing them to schedule their time well, or specific abilities that lend themselves to LIS settings.
On a personal note, this research was inspired by my own experience as a mature student, after having completed a B.A. and communications/advertising certification, and after operating a professional writing/editing business. This was followed by both a Master's degree and a Ph.D. in the Humanities, and the all-too-common experience of graduating into a sparse academic job market. In response to this, I sought out career advising and vocational testing, and this led me to librarianship as a career that matched my background and aptitudes to a tee. I applied to the M.I.S. programme in my city, and have been delighted with its theory-rich approach, as well as the potential job prospects.
However, the process hasn't been without its challenges. As someone with a family and a part-time job as a university lecturer, for example, I need to be well-organized in order to effectively juggle my responsibilities. (I often refer to Google Calendar as my "backup brain.") As well, as I'm self-supporting while completing my degree, let's just say that I won't be buying that awesome Hybrid car any time soon.
Finally, although the experience of no longer being in my twenties in a graduate setting sometimes feels like a minority experience, I don't believe in ageism; I firmly believe that everyone has something to teach us at every age. And my fellow classmates are kind, fun, and lovely; it's an honour to study with them as colleagues, and it will be a privilege to work alongside them in the field. It's crystal clear to me that younger Millennials and members of GenZ are well-primed to do important things in the workforce and in the world at large. They've also taught me how to use Google Docs. Properly. Most importantly, like my fellow students, I'm also a new learner in the LIS environment, working through the same material as everyone else. This calls for humility and flexibility on my part as I absorb an entirely new-to-me field. With this in mind, and having heard much anecdotal information about mature students pursuing LIS graduate degrees, I think that this is a phenomenon very much worth studying. Why? Firstly, because although there are numerous studies about second and third career LIS students, I have noted a gap with respect to the experiential dimension of LIS graduate school for mature students (more about which in the literature review section of this blog posting). And secondly, it's my contention that we need to hear the voices of minority student groups of all kinds. Indeed, the minority cohort of mature LIS graduate students almost certainly has something to teach us about divergent experiences of the LIS graduate school environment--and this should ideally be expressed in their own words.
*I have chosen to define mature students as students who have already graduated from a program of higher education and have some work experience.
• Research questions and objective
The primary objective of this study is to more fully understand the experiences of mature students enrolled in full-time LIS graduate programs, training for a second career.
Furthermore, the sub-questions that this study will seek to address and more fully unpack include the following:
1. What experiences led to their decision to transition to a second (or third) career in the LIS field?
2. How did these subjects decide on a graduate program in LIS?
3. What was it like for these mature students to return to school?
4. What were some of the challenges that they have faced during their studies?
5. What experiences have been enjoyable or beneficial during their studies?
6. What are the participants’ career goals, and how do they feel that the program is preparing them to reach those goals?
7. How do female participants’ experiences differ from those of male participants?
Indeed, the minority cohort of mature LIS graduate students almost certainly has something to teach us about divergent experiences of the LIS graduate school environment--and this should ideally be expressed in their own words.
• Short literature review
Most existing studies related to mature students in LIS environments refer to students embarking on second (or third) careers in the context of broader studies on career change, reasons for making the transition to LIS studies, the work and educational backgrounds of second-career librarians, and librarians' perspectives on the profession.
However, there was a demonstrated gap in the literature with respect to the specific topic of the experiential dimension of mature students' perspectives on graduate study in LIS programmes.
Based on the existing literature retrieved in databases including LISTA, JSTOR, the University of Ottawa library catalogue, and Google Scholar, the following trends and themes comprise the majority of the extant studies: 1. LIS is a popular second (and third) career among professionals wishing to transition to a new field. So much so that one author referred to such professionals as "the new refugees," and called upon LIS professors to both help them adjust, and to welcome the talents mature students bring with them (J.N. Berry 2009, passim).
2. Study subjects' previous educational degrees and careers have an impact on the types of library work the subjects engage in, and upon their evaluation by prospective employers.
3. Mature students must learn to navigate new social and educational realities, and this has an impact on relationships and identity.
4. Several studies on the factors and motivations leading to candidates choosing LIS as their new field
5. The relevance of specific educational and job backgrounds (e.g., teaching degrees, Ph.D.s) to later LIS training at the graduate level.
This proposed study aims to address the identified gap in the literature and complement the above studies, which are comprised primarily of journal articles, and complemented by grey literature where appropriate.
• Methodology
I will take a qualitative approach in this proposed study, combining naturalistic observation, as articulated by N.J. Salkind, with an emphasis upon narrative research as described and elucidated by L. McAlpine and M. Butina.
This two-stranded approach of complementary qualitative methodologies allows for both observation of study participants in their educational environments, as well as an exploration of the study participants' own stories about their experiences transitioning back to a higher education environment as mature students. This approach also enables us to more fully examine what their LIS study experiences mean to them from their own perspectives, as well as the elements of their stories they themselves have chosen to focus on and highlight in their interview responses (McAlpine 2016, 32-33).
As I currently conceive of the research methodology, the plan is to follow a model similar to that presented by M. Butina, which I have adapted to meet the needs of my proposed study. The revised model consists of the following steps:
1. Select sampling strategy -- recruitment (current goal is ten representative mature student candidates; however, I am open to reader input).
2. Identify specific study sites and arrange access to candidates and learning environments (ethical sign-offs/paperwork, will be part of this process.)
3. Prepare data collection materials and procedures
4. Collect data via naturalistic observation and narrative interviews (audio recordings and notes)
5. Preliminary analysis of the data, including coding of based on recurrent themes, ideas, or words generated by the narratives and observations themselves. (Butina 2015, 194; N.J. Salkind 2010, passim).
6. Ensure secure storage of the data
7. Synthesize data, and write up study results. This will employ the most common variation on narrative research, which is narrative thematic analysis of the text transcriptions (Butina 2015, 193). Once again, I invite input and suggestions regarding my qualitative methodology. What else might I consider?
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