Fostering equity and inclusion in LIS education: a qualitative phenomenological approach

Purpose Social justice pertains to the allocation of essential rights, responsibilities and resources among individuals within a community. Equity, diversity and inclusion are fundamental concepts of social justice and seen as essential ideals of librarianship. This study aims look at what library and information science (LIS) faculty members think about social justice-related topics in the curriculum and what key stakeholders should do to promote social justice in LIS education. Design/methodology/approach A qualitative research approach with a phenomenological design was adopted to explore and interpret the lived experiences of participants. Data were collected through interviews with 15 faculty members from all library schools in Pakistan using purposive sampling. The data analysis approach was thematic, and NVivo software was used for analysis and coding. Findings Four major themes related to the curriculum contents were identified as “lacking inclusive content,” “accessibility and disability in LIS,” “market-based content” and “western-based content.” The findings identified key stakeholders’ roles in promoting social justice in LIS education in Pakistan through “association’s roles” and “govt. and HEC policies and legislations”, “library school’s roles” and “collective and collaborative working among stakeholders”. Besides, the participants opinioned to effectively integrating recruitment strategies with inclusivity principles, the LIS profession can significantly contribute to the dynamic and diverse professional environment. Originality/value This study addresses the gap in the literature and investigate LIS education with the lens of social justice principals. Various strategies and key stakeholder’s role were highlighted to promote social justice in the LIS profession.