Assimilation or Humiliation? An Analysis of Professional Identities after Critical Events in the Workplace

Abstract

Many studies have analyzed the occupational socialization of public school educators, including principals and school teachers; however, very few studies have documented or synthesized the experience of novice school librarians. This study contributes to the understanding of novice school librarians’ professional identities by analyzing their critical events in the workplace. Participants’ critical events were identified using a modified version of the narrative inquiry tool Mystory. After an examination of three novice school librarians’ critical event narratives, this paper explores the significance of those critical events on participants’ professional identity formation. Common findings relate to professional impact, professional respect, and professional confidence.