Reading Freire for First World Librarians

Abstract

Librarians in the nascent critical information literacy movement have embraced the dialogical, problem-posing educational model that Paulo Freire described in Pedagogy of the Oppressed. But less well known are Freire's later works addressed specifically to First World educators, in which he clarifies and expands upon his earlier writing as if in dialogue with this particular audience. These pieces can help the critically-minded librarian think through important issues surrounding authority, expertise, and our relationships with students, faculty, and administrators.