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Abstract

In an interview with the Student Research Journal (SRJ), Prof. Jennifer Ferretti discusses the principles and impact of critical librarianship—an approach grounded in critical theory that interrogates power and inequity within libraries and archives. Drawing on her experience as a practitioner, educator, and student, she reflects on the role of critical theory in shaping library pedagogy, professional ethics, and institutional practices. Prof. Ferretti, an artist and information professional, formerly taught a course called “Building a Critical Culture: Information Ethics, Diverse Communities, and Critical Librarianship” at San Jose State University’s iSchool. She is currently the Documentation and Archives Director at the After Violence Project.

About Author

Prof. Jennifer Arévalo Ferretti (she/her) is an artist and information professional living and working on the unceded land of the Susquehannock, Nentego (Nanticoke), and Piscataway peoples (Baltimore, Maryland). Jennifer is the Documentation and Archives Director at the After Violence Project and has been part of the libraries, archives, and museums communities for over 15 years. She is a first-generation American Latina/Mestiza who is guided by critical praxis, not neutrality. With a firm belief that art is information, she is interested in the research methodologies of artists and non-Western forms of knowledge making and sharing. In 2016 she founded We Here®️, a supportive community for library and archives workers who identify as Black, Indigenous, and People of Color. She’s also We Here’s Creative Director.

Pearl Kim is the Editor in Chief of the Student Research Journal.

Recommended Citation

Kim, P. (2025). Faculty spotlight with Prof. Ferretti: Q&A on critical librarianship. School of Information Student Research Journal, 15(1), Article 3. https://scholarworks.sjsu.edu/ischoolsrj/vol15/iss1/3

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