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Youth Librarians: Add your voice to new research on children’s literature, scholarship and inclusion

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Image of librarian reading to children as they look at a book sitting on the floor of a library, with a fluffy therapy dog.

Reading in a Permacrisis: Building Critical Literacies with Children’s Literature

Are you an educator or youth librarian who is passionate about children’s books? Are you curious about the potential of accessible scholarship to assist your work in contexts of cultural and political pressure? CILIP members have been invited to join a study co-led by researchers at the University of Glasgow (UK) and the University of Connecticut (USA).

In a time of book bans, disinformation, the rise of AI, and falling literacy levels, teachers and librarians need new tools to help young people read critically and democratically. This project uses a popular Oxford University Press book series on children’s literature as a research-led intervention, testing how it supports professional practice in the UK and USA. The project explores how accessible scholarship can bridge research and practice, equipping educators to handle contested texts and strengthen democratic engagement for the next generation of readers.

Eligibility:

• Current teacher (K-8; primary-level) or youth librarian in the United Kingdom or United States.
• Availability to participate via video conference.

What will taking part involve? (Feb-April 2026)

• A 30-45-minute one-to-one interview (video conference) about your experiences teaching contested texts, navigating censorship/disinformation, and using research in practice.
• Read two short books from the Children’s Classics, Critically series (sent to you at no cost).
• Join two online cross-cultural focus groups (60-75 minutes each) with educators from the UK and USA to discuss the book, its accessibility, and its value for teaching.
• Take part in a two- to three-week asynchronous Padlet discussion, where you can respond to short weekly prompts, share reflections on the CCC readings, and read contributions from educators in both countries.

A small optional activity: A subset of volunteering participants (2-4 educators across both countries) may trial a brief classroom or CPD activity based on ideas from the book and share a short written or audio reflection.

Compensation:
• Two books from Oxford University Press in the series Children’s Classics, Critically.

Optional: Upon request, researchers can offer attestation of participation for professional development purposes.

To volunteer, please fill out the form by January 25 2026: Reading in a Permacrisis: Building Critical Literacies with Children’s Literature – Fill out form

For questions, contact Prof. Melanie Ramdarshan Bold (Melanie.RamdarshanBold@glasgow.ac.uk) or Prof. Katharine Capshaw (capshaw@uconn.edu).