Essential and Dedicated: Discursive Practices of Librarians Serving Teens in Fall 2020 of the COVID-19 Pandemic

This article explores the discursive practices of librarians serving teens in school and public libraries during a specific span of the COVID-19 pandemic, the period from August through October 2020. A methodology of discourse analysis was applied to three multi-author blogs published by professional library organizations. The research examined how the discursive practices of librarians serving teens in school and public libraries suggest what the librarians value around teens and library services;and how librarians serving teens in school and public libraries use language to construct beliefs on their role(s) in providing teens access to information and reading materials. Through their language, the librarians show they value library services for teens, especially in times of crisis;they assume teens want and need library services such as book circulation;and they believe that libraries are social goods, essential for continued distribution in the pandemic. The librarians' language suggests the belief that librarians are responsible for, and follow through in, devising creative ways to serve teens upon library closures or in circumstances of limited library access.