A Critical Review of LIS Literature on First-Generation Students

Darren Ilett
2019 portal: Libraries and the Academy  
This review offers a critical analysis of the library and information science (LIS) literature on first-generation students (FGS) from the last 40 years. This literature demonstrates an interest in understanding the needs of FGS to serve them better, but it is often grounded in a deficit model of education that focuses on what first-generation students lack instead of what they have. This review identifies four predominant themes in the literature: FGS as outsiders, as a problem, as reluctant
more » ... brary users, and as capable students. Then it suggests possible avenues of future research, such as using a "funds of knowledge" approach to build on the learning and skills that students bring from their families and communities.
doi:10.1353/pla.2019.0009 fatcat:athol2ocznhbzpqt54fyd6yt6m