@article {Brunvand:2020:0090-7324:49,
title = "Researching Bears Ears: reference practice for civic engagement",
journal = "Reference Services Review",
parent_itemid = "infobike://mcb/240",
publishercode ="mcb",
year = "2020",
volume = "48",
number = "1",
publication date ="2020-02-10T00:00:00",
pages = "49-61",
itemtype = "ARTICLE",
issn = "0090-7324",
url = "https://www.ingentaconnect.com/content/mcb/240/2020/00000048/00000001/art00006",
doi = "doi:10.1108/RSR-09-2019-0061",
keyword = "Civic engagement, Empowerment, Stakeholders, Social justice, Government information, Reference services",
author = "Brunvand, Amy",
abstract = "Purpose The purpose of this study is to describe practical, generalizable competencies for reference librarians to promote civic engagement and social justice while assisting with politicized queries. <title
content-type="abstract-subheading">Design/methodology/approach Working through an example of tension between land development and protection of an indigenous sacred place illustrates reference strategies that model an ideally inclusive community dialogue. <title
content-type="abstract-subheading">Findings To promote civic engagement, librarians have a role to teach basic civics and to help identify opportunities for public comments and other leverage points in a system. An information trail for civic engagement is
generated though an interaction between government planning, industry lobbying and citizen activism; it is supported by online and gray literature sources that typically fall outside of typical library collections and databases. A way to grapple with contentious and distorting political claims
is to model ideal stakeholder inclusivity, a strategy that also helps to bring marginalized voices into the civic dialogue. Sources from the humanities express cultural and spiritual considerations that are absent from typical political discourse. Research
limitations/implications Strategies are based on experience as a staff writer for a community magazine. Practical implications Specific strategies and competencies promote civic engagement during the
time period allowed by a typical extended reference dialogue. Social implications An overly sunny view of community problem-solving glosses over some messy realities. To promote civic engagement, librarians must develop
competencies to help citizens grapple with marginalization and distorting claims. Originality/value Calls to promote civic engagement and social justice in libraries require librarians to develop new competencies. Working
through a case study illustrates specific knowledge and reference practices that support strong democracy.",
}