School Library Roles in Civic Education

Résumé

Especially in democratic societies, youth have the right and the responsibility to participate in civic life. However, youth need civic education that supports the knowledge, skills, communication tools and access to public spaces in order to civically engage effectively. School librarians can support such efforts through physical and intellectual access to civicrelated resources in several ways: in collection development, reference and information services, civic education curriculum support, instruction in relevant literacies, mentoring, and connecting with the community at large. These efforts also model school librarians’ own civic engagement.