Behavior of librarians in school and public libraries with adolescents: Implications for practice and LIS education

A study of service encounters between adult library staff and adolescent us ers drawing on the communication theories of Erving Goffman, Michael Lipsky , and Hartmut Mokros is reported from three data sources: a content analysi s of professional guides to conduct, group interviews with adult library st aff and adolescents, and taped observations of professional and clerical en counters in a high school library. Professional guides to practice are pred ominantly prescriptive, advocating the avoidance of behaviors admittedly pr evalent in practice. Adults and adolescents are congruent on what they want out of ideal encounters, but admit to stereotypical views of the other bas ed on age and appearance. Service is found to be multidimensional, primaril y clustered in very short interactions when classes change, more predominan tly concerned with help with equipment, and less than half of what staff do in the high school library. An equal amount of time is allocated to enforc ement activities, none of which is alluded to in professional guides to con duct. Influences of technology on practice and rhetoric on reality are disc ussed.