Final Reflection: Reflective Practices I Can Implement Now

This semester has been an interesting journey for me. I started this course thinking I would mainly learn about tech I could incorporate into our library, but I am finishing with so much more. The tech I want to use and incorporate is not at all separate from the other parts of my job; tech and the emotional side of librarianship work together cohesively to create the kind of library I want to offer. Honestly, this is new to me, as are so many other ideas. For this last reflection, I will focus on my highlights from our final readings.

While moving through our final two modules, a few things really stuck with me. I loved Michael Thompson’s article on social intelligence (2020). I have found many courses to be incredibly useful in terms of professional knowledge and skills related to librarianship, but no other course I have taken through SJSU has really helped me understand the social-emotional skills I will need as this course has. We’ve read so many eye-opening pieces, and Thompson’s article is very concrete in the way he explores the professional importance of social intelligence and provides activities to strengthen these skills. I like the way he uses the acronym SPACE to explore exercises he suggests to strengthen these skills.

For example, “P” for “presence” will be important for me, as someone who gets distracted often and easily (Thompson, 2020). Thompson has three specific suggestions for being present with users:

Thompson also suggests practicing mindfulness meditation, which would be perhaps a little harder to achieve, depending on one’s personal life and commitments. It would be something I would like to try, though, particularly during winter break, when I have fewer commitments! In any case, the three steps listed above are things we can all begin to practice right away in order to be more present during interactions with our users.

I also loved the idea that is it “soft skills” (or “heart skills”) that help us deal with burnout (Stephens, 2019). Though this article was written before the pandemic, I couldn’t help but think of the burnout we’ve seen during the last couple of years. I’ve experienced and witnessed different levels of burnout, especially in the last couple of years, and I don’t think anyone has come this far unscathed. The ideas in this article are helpful and realistic, and they feel very achievable. One of my favorite suggestions is that 30 minutes per week of scheduled time to learn and be creative can help stave off burnout. This really speaks to me, as I know I have felt too burned out to be creative at times. But the idea of setting aside time during the work day to explore makes it feel achievable and therefore even more helpful. In fact, I plan to implement this practice next week. Here are a few tips to remember from this article:

Though I have loved several courses I’ve taken through SJSU, I think this will probably be my favorite. I’ve learned so much about librarianship and school librarianship over the last two years. But more so than in any other class, this course has pushed me to reconsider what libraries are and what I am truly capable of. I’ve felt inspired by our readings and lectures, but I’ve also definitely taken ideas from my classmates’ assignments (thanks, y’all!). I actually wish I could save our entire site, not just my own blog, because I am sure that I’ve missed exciting and innovative ideas, simply because of the amount of information we’ve all generated. Thank you all for a wonderful, inspiring semester!

 

References

Stephens, M. (2019). A wholehearted approach to service…and burnout…OR soft skills are heart skills [PDF file]. https://www.dropbox.com/s/j6imyze5vp8pzcv/WholeheartedApproachBurnout_Stephens.pdf?dl=0

Thompson, M. (2020, April 27). The 5 key traits of socially intelligent people. Personal Growth. https://medium.com/personal-growth/the-5-key-traits-of-socially-intelligent-people-79eb12da421b

Virtual Symposium

Throughout the semester I enjoyed learning about fresh perspectives on libraries and services today. I also particularly enjoyed considering everything from the perspective of my workplace. I’m a 6th-9th grade librarian at a 6th-12th grade school. We have two librarians, including me, and we’re both relatively new to our positions. Our library has been old fashioned (perhaps “traditional” is a kinder word to use) for so long and has definitely prioritized book storage over user experiences, research over joyful experiences in the space, and quiet over noise. The trouble is that learning can be noisy, especially when it involves tweens and teens! And learning in today’s world does not need to come from books; in fact, it is probably a disservice to our kids to limit them in that way. My takeaways come from the perspective of working at my school—I have my kids in mind when doing our coursework, and these takeaways reflect that. What I have taken from this course can be explored in my infographic and summed up in this way:

Libraries come from the heart, not from books. Libraries need to make space(s) for all kinds of users. And libraries need to look to the future.

 

Inspiration Report – The Third Space

For my inspiration report, I chose to explore global topics to satisfy competency O. There are so many options, of course, but I remembered feeling especially inspired by the idea of third places while traversing the resources available in module 8. This was an interesting topic for me, particularly because we are currently reconsidering our policies and approaches at my library, and we are preparing for a renovation as well. It’s an exciting time to at our library, and I’m always looking for inspiration!

In this report I am imagining that library staff and school leadership could use this resource to learn more about the ideas behind some of the changes that we hope to make (and for which we will need approval and support). Our library has historically been quite traditional in that it has mostly been prioritized as book storage (my phrasing, not theirs) and as a quiet study space. Our other librarian and I have been making some changes this year, and we look forward to making many more. Already our library is more active, even vibrant at times. I am excited to see what kind of third places we can nurture into existence over the next few years.

Please see this Canva presentation for my inspiration report.

Infinite Learning: Libraries as a Classrooms

Throughout my career as an educator, I have loved examining and incorporating new trends and practices in my classroom (be it a middle school English classroom or my library). Some trends pass quickly, of course, while others have more staying power. But in the process of exploring and experimenting, my students and I have learned much about ourselves. The ideas of infinite learning and a library as a classroom have me feeling energized and excited about approaching my library as a dream classroom. I’ll include some inspirational highlights I found in the readings.

“Looking forward, I want these spaces and services to grow. I imagine libraries of the future as spaces for infinite learning. People will visit, both in person or virtually, and discover something new and outside-of-the-box to satisfy their curiosity,” (Stephens, 2014).

In Cleveland, librarians have made available kid-centered spaces that offer very different experiences: ArtLab and Studio 470 (Bookey, 2015). In the ArtLab, kids have the opportunity to create works anytime the library is open. The librarians rotate offerings, giving kids fresh opportunities. In Studio 470 kids have the chance to play different kinds of video games and use a rotation of maker technologies. I love that these libraries are making space for different ages and kiddos with different interests to experience. Also, video games are so popular with tweens and teens, but financially speaking they can be so out of reach for so many kids. This gives kids a chance to participate in popular culture that so many of them probably hear about at school, regardless of income. And with winter holidays coming soon, I can’t help but think of kids asking for consoles as gifts and the panic felt by families who can’t afford it. How nice it would be for families in my area to be able to feel less pressure if such a thing were available in libraries!

In the same article, I adored reading about outdoor-themed programs in Saint Paul Minnesota. (Bookey, 2015).  In one case, kiddos can bring in items from nature that they can learn about, and they can also trade these items for other things from nature brought by other patrons. It’s such a sweet way to generate interest from kids who already tuned into nature. In the second case, kids can experience storytime while going for a walk outside. I love that the book is actually spread around the trail so anyone can stumble on it! These options bring me particular joy for a few reasons. First, I am continuously concerned about how much time kids (especially young kids) spend indoors, particularly with the way our education system is structured.

I enjoyed reading about librarians as teachers and collaboration partners, especially given my background as a classroom teacher and my current position as a school librarian (Lippincott, 2015). I love collaborating with teachers and enhancing their classes. I already see myself as a collaboration partner, but I like the way Lippincott fleshes this out in her article, including her justification for having technologies and spaces available in libraries. hey are generally one of the only places on campuses that serve all students, so it makes sense for libraries to offer such things for students and classes. Lippincott also has good advice for librarians at schools: learn about the classes and programs at your school so you can best support them, and help your students become, “…sophisticated content creators…,” (Lippincott, 2015).

I think it is easy for teachers and teacher-librarians to get bogged down in minutiae, paperwork, and projects, to perhaps feel trapped by “bureaucratic barriers” mentioned in The Heart of Librarianship (Stephens, 2016). I recently had a discussion with a friend who is a teacher at another institution, and it has been really sticking in the forefront of my mind, particularly while reading about creative classrooms and libraries. This teacher works at a massive public high school locally, and while he has been a passionate, creative teacher for many years, it becomes more and more challenging year after year when administrators and standardized testing chip away at one’s energy and enthusiasm. I feel very lucky to escape much of this in the library. In our library, I am free to explore and experiment as an educator in ways that it would be difficult for a classroom teacher to do. When considering educational opportunities for my kids, I don’t have to worry about testing or what the teachers in the next grade up will think when they get my kids (“Why don’t her kids know how to diagram sentences?!”). I have to consider budgets and reality, of course, but beyond that I simply have to consider what my kids need and how I can provide it for them. It’s a beautiful thing.

 

Resources

Bookey, J. L. (2015, April 29). 8 awesome ways libraries are making learning fun. HuffPost. https://www.huffpost.com/entry/8-awesome-ways-libraries_b_7157462

Lippincott, J. K. (2015, February 26). The future for teaching and learning: Librarians’ deepening involvement in pedagogy and curriculum. American Libraries. https://americanlibrariesmagazine.org/2015/02/26/the-future-for-teaching-and-learning/

Stephens, M. (2014) YLibrary? Making the case for the library as space for infinite learning [PDF file]. https://www.dropbox.com/s/p46kkmbkvwpdsng/YLibraryInfiniteLearning.pdf?dl=0

Stephens, M. (2016). The heart of librarianship. ALA Editions.

Innovation Strategy & Roadmap

For this assignment, I imagined that I have permission to implement a new makerspace in my school library, which I am calling our Tinker Lab. Our students are very lucky to have access to incredible tech resources through their computing courses, so this concept would include a mix of high-tech and low-tech options that would encourage our kids to play and explore.

In reality, we are currently very focused on a massive weeding project. After that, we will begin doing some renovations. I think that would be a great time to introduce some new spaces in our library, and I would love to create a space that my kids would feel passionate about. Though I am sure my budget would be more limited than what I have imagined here, the heart of the concept would be the same: get my kids to help us design a space they will value and use. Please view this presentation to see my ideas in full!

 

Reflection 4: New Horizons & The Power of Stories

[Photograph of Amazon Echo and Google Nest devices}. 2022, June 28.                                           https://www.pcmag.com/news/amazon-echo-vs-google-home-which-smart-speaker-is-best

 

In reading about new technologies and relationships between children and technology, I’m reminded of some of my favorite science fiction tales. Aside from a few notable exceptions, many science fiction novels and movies give warnings of the perils of new technologies or unchecked innovation, and especially the perils of artificial intelligence. How many times have we see stories about robots turning on humans? We are fed the same message over and over: do not trust artificial intelligence. However, Isaac Asimov’s stories, while giving some warnings, often cast technology, and AI specifically, in a positive light. In his stories, it is often the humans who cause the major issues and scrabble for power, not the robots.

I, Robot is one of my favorite novels. In the novel, Asimov explores potential issues related to artificial intelligence (2020). The frame of the story is that a young journalist is interviewing a famous, elderly robopsychologist (in other words, a psychologist who works with AI) who recounts several important memories from her career. In each memory she is confronting an issue with robots and solving the problem. Because of this structure, the novel almost feels more like a collection of short stories. In one of these stories, called “Robbie,” a mother becomes increasingly concerned about her little girl’s close relationship with her caretaker-robot, Robbie (Asimov, 2020, pp. 1-23). The mother has a deep distrust of AI, and when she feel the child and robot are simply too closely bonded she takes Robbie away from the girl, who pines heartbreakingly for her best friend. Without giving too much away about the rest of story, the family eventually crosses paths with Robbie again, who is able to demonstrate his goodness and the ways his presence benefits the little girl.

When reading Samantha Murphy Kelly’s article “Growing up with Alexa…,” (2018) I couldn’t help but think of Robbie, or think of my daughter as a toddler squawking, “Ay Guggle” to try to get Google’s attention. Once my daughter learned to pronounce it properly and got a response from my husband’s phone, she absolutely loved asking questions or asking it for a joke. As a parent, I am wary of the effects of too much technology on the development of my child, just as Kelly expresses in her article. However, I also understand that this new generation will grow and live with technology that I probably haven’t even daydreamed about yet; there is much for them to learn, and there is no time like the present. Encouraging positive and healthy relationships with technology seems like an important step in today’s world. I am encouraged by the idea that children view their devices as things that deserve similar treatment to that given to fellow humans (Kelly, 2018). There is something especially lovely about children’s ability to approach all kinds of different things with respect and openness.

At this point, she said, there isn’t enough research to offer parents guidelines when it comes to kids and Alexa,” (Kelly, 2018). 

In his article about AI in libraries, Jason Giffney examines the promise of AI, as well as potential privacy issues to consider (2019). AI is already incredibly useful for customizing and expediting processes on our personal devices; many people experience this daily with their smart phones or home devices. Unfortunately, this kind of convenience is a double-edged sword, in that it often leaves people open to privacy breaches they aren’t even aware of. Luckily, there are some options that can help to mitigate these issues, including saving and analyzing information on devices, rather than uploading people’s information to a database somewhere so it can be analyzed elsewhere. In other words, stay local! Giffney suggests that libraries will begin incorporating more and more AI in the next few years, which will absolutely benefit our patrons. He also suggests, however, that librarians closely examine our options and choose programs that protect our patrons’ privacy. As a parent and as a school librarian, protecting kids’ privacy is of the utmost importance.

It is exciting to read about advancing technologies that I will be able to incorporate and offer to my students, and even more exciting to consider the long-term possibilities that today’s young children will embrace and utilize decades down the road. While there are certainly issues to be aware of and to work around, overall, the information about these technologies is generally hopeful and positive. Though people may express concerns about the idea of AI, many may not realize they already use and enjoy some forms of AI. Though AI and other new technologies can feel strange at times, and perhaps we are part of an ongoing experiment in a lot of ways, it very much feels like an early chapter in a science fiction novel.

 

References

Asimov, I. (2020). I, Robot (Del Rey trade paperback edition. ed.). Del Rey.

Griffey, J. (2019, March 1). AI and machine learning: The challenges of artificial intelligence in libraries. American Libraries. Retrieved December 21, 2022, from https://americanlibrariesmagazine.org/2019/03/01/ai-machine-learning-libraries/

Kelly, S. M. (2018, October 16). Growing up with Alexa: A child’s relationship with Amazon’s voice assistant. CNN Business. Retrieved October 17, 2022, from https://www.cnn.com/2018/10/16/tech/alexa-child-development/index.html

 

 

Module 8 Readings: Human-Centered Design, Self-Service, & the Library as a Third Space

Human-centered design involves rethinking spaces and practices at a fundamental level so that patron needs and passions are at the heart of decisions and designs (Peet, 2016). Likely, decision makers should be working with patrons actively while working through these designs or redesigns. Like many schools, our school promotes student-centered design at every level, so human-centered design fits right in. Though human-centered design seems intuitive and natural, our library (and I would guess many other libraries) was staff-oriented. Having fiction organized by author’s last name makes it easier to shelve the books, but is it easier to browse? Many such structures and practices make our work more efficient, but the question should be: do they make a patron’s experience better?

For each issue that requires a re-design or new project that needs to be planned, library staff members will likely need several hours per week for several weeks to invest in the planning stages (Peet, 2016). The process of re-thinking the organization’s practices from a new perspective is time-intensive for staff, but it seems that the results are well worth the trouble. My own library has been relatively traditional in the past; as we have begun rethinking our practices and services to reflect students’ needs and passions, as well as offering more opportunities for engagement, I have definitely seen quite a payoff in the form of more visitors and more joyous activity in our spaces. We still have a long way to go, and I look forward to seeing what our students are doing in five years.

Self-service options are one example of user-centered changes that have appeared in libraries across the country. We have a self-service option at my school library that has become a popular option in the  last year. We do not offer anything like the “open library” situations mentioned in Jan Holmquist’s article, though I’m certainly intrigued by the idea (2016). In fact, if too many library staff members are out sick, we tend to run into an issue and have to close or ask someone from a different department to step in just to keep the space open for student use. After a quick Google search, I didn’t see any info about similar approaches in school libraries, though I would be very curious to know if other schools have attempted open library approaches. I can imagine that our administration would be concerned about student safety and behavior issues, as would I. But I would be curious to know whether other school libraries have experimented with radical trust in this way and what their experiences were.

“ Carnegie libraries exemplify what sociologist Ray Oldenburg calls a “third place”—neither work nor home, a universally accessible space where citizens are free to congregate and fraternize without feeling like loiterers.” (Agresta, 2014)

I love the concept of the “third space” described in Michael Agresta’s article, “What Will Become of the Library?” (2014). He essentially describes it as a place where you’re not a visitor, a place where you belong. In my school library, we have been developing more of a third space environment for our students, although I didn’t realize that’s what it was called. We’re open for three hours after the school day is over, and many kids hang out in our space during part or all of that time. We’ve easily tripled the number of students who hang out after school, and the kids seem highly engaged with us as a space. Some of our kids come to do homework, but many kids come to have fun and be with friends; those kids actually end up learning about manners, managing free time effectively, and being good community members. Though it can be work intensive for us, I’ve seen the kids develop their social skills and explore all kinds of activities that we put out.

“If the people want emerging technologies more than they want books, libraries have to respond to that, even if it means closing up shop and moving entirely online.” (Agresta, 2014)

As a teacher librarian, I need to think about the needs and passions of my students, in the same way that public librarians need to consider the needs and wants of their communities. I think there can be fears that books are going away, which probably speaks to a general fear about literacy or the state of the world. I hear people express concerns about kids only wanting technology and not appreciating analog experiences. I think our kids will have opportunities to use technologies we can’t even fathom, and we should prepare them for those opportunities. I also think the kids love analog experiences, including books!

“During the development of the DTL tool kit, CPL’s investigation into attracting teens resulted in a pop-up “Expression Lab” that incorporated both digital and analog media, from music-mixing stations to a manual typewriter and paints. During the pilot phase, the team was surprised to discover that digital media didn’t capture the teenagers’ attention as they’d imagined they would. Instead, the kids were fascinated by the typewriter and wanted to paint murals.” (Peet, 2016).

Libraries, especially school libraries, can be centers of immersive learning, which can include books and other resources. Books serve my kiddos well on their journeys to becoming literate adults, which is part of our mission as a school, and I know my readers do love to read physical books. Personally, I am not worried about books “going away,” at least not for now. And I’m definitely not worried about storytelling and information “going away”; people love them and use them too much. Access and formats will likely change, but I can’t imagine a world in which people don’t seek out good stories. I do wonder what kinds of story experiences or reading experiences might be around in, say, 100 or 500 years. Has anyone read about libraries of the future in science fiction novels? I would love to read about them, if anyone can suggest titles in the comments!

“Connections, relationships, and services—using technology but not driven by it—are the big themes that libraries are turning up as they look to their futures, and human-centered design may help uncover some answers.” (Peet, 2016)

 

Resources

Agresta, M. (2014, April 22). What Will Become of the Library? https://slate.com/human-interest/2014/04/the-future-of-the-library-how-theyll-evolve-for-the-digital-age.html

Holmquist, J. (2016, April 6). Open libraries: Self-service libraries – The Danish way. https://janholmquist.net/2016/04/06/open-libraries-self-service-libraries-the-danish-way/

Peet, L. (2016, September 13). The Future of futures: Designing the future. https://www.libraryjournal.com/story/the-future-of-futures-designing-the-future

Context Book Review: Quiet

I chose Susan Cain’s book Quiet: The Power of Introverts in a World That Can’t Stop Talking because I am an introvert myself and have been wondering about how introverts might engage (or not) with participatory spaces in our library. I think more traditional libraries have been seen as spaces for introverts, and it’s possible that changes to libraries brought through innovation may make patrons wonder whether a library is still a space for introverts. Cain explores what it means to be an introvert, the ways in which extroversion seems to be prioritized in American culture, and the benefits of making space for introverts and their skills in all settings. A few sections of the book felt especially applicable to library work, and even more so to school libraries.

(Duffy, 2012)

As part of the foundation of this book, Cain explores various definitions of introversion. While she never seems to have one sentence that clearly defines it, it is clear that being an introvert means having a well-developed interior life, and that spending time alone helps a person “recharge” (Cain, 2012, pp. 11-12). She also explores the differences in how introverts and extroverts work, which adds to her definition, and she takes time to differentiate between introversion and shyness.

Introversion is not only related to people and interactions, but also to novel situations and stimuli in general (Cain, 2012, pp. 99-104). In one longitudinal study, the researcher found that babies who reacted strongly to novel situations tended to become introverted children and adults who continued to react strongly to novel situations, although they did so internally (Kagan & Snidman, 2004, as cited in Cain, 2012). Clearly, introversion is not as simple as preferring alone time.

“…what we’re really observing is a child’s sensitivity to novelty in general.” (Cain, 2012, p. 102)

On a personal note, I am an introvert and found it challenging to bring balance to my life in my previous career as a teacher. I found that teaching was far too extroverted for me, particularly with the schedule at my school at the time. I was unable to recharge my batteries during the school day. This was a major factor in my decision to move to librarianship after only 10 years in the classroom (I had planned to make the transition further on in my career). While I desperately miss having my own classroom and working closely with my kids on a daily basis, I definitely feel I’ve found a healthier balance for myself in the library.

Of course, as an adult, I have the luxury of being able to change environments to suit my personality. Cain includes an entire chapter about working with introverted children, in which she discusses the fact that classroom sizes and school structures generally have been designed with childcare, budgets, and efficiency in mind, not with children’s best interest in mind (2012, p. 253).

We often marvel at how introverted, geeky kids “blossom” into secure and happy adults. We liken it to a metamorphosis. However, maybe it’s not the children who change but their environments. As adults, they get to select the careers, spouses, and social circles that suit them…kids stop learning when they feel emotionally threatened. (Cain, 2012, pp. 253-254)

As a school librarian, I felt especially interested in this chapter. It seems that school environments are often stressful for introverted children (and I would add introverted adults, though this is not addressed in the book), which comes as no surprise to me as an introvert and former teacher.

“But make sure that you’re not imposing your own longings, and remember that there are many paths to a satisfying life,” (Cain, 2012, p. 259)

Cain also provides advice to teachers and parents, much of which can be applied to a school library as well (2012, pp. 255-259). Above all, Cain seems to return over and over again to the point that introverts do not need to be fixed in order to thrive; they need to be encouraged to be themselves. She suggests that teachers need to be intentional and, “Mix it up,” when it comes to teaching methods and activities, ensuring a balance between approaches that appeal to introverts or to extroverts (p. 255). Approaches include things like group work, movement, lecturing, individual projects, etc. This could easily be applied to a library’s programming, for which we could intentionally plan to rotate through alternating introvert or extrovert-centric approaches. Giving opportunities for introverts (who tend to have deep, long-term passions) to explore their deeper interests is another piece of Cain’s advice. This is another piece of advice we could implement through programming, by eliciting suggestions of topics and activities from our students and rotating through their ideas. In general, the idea is to give all types of students opportunities to connect.

One way to further engage and harness the power of our school’s introverted students would be to have the kiddos help design some of our spaces and programming. This fits with another piece of advice from Cain, who suggests that providing specific jobs or roles to introverts during group work or collaboration (2012, pp. 255-256). We will be redesigning some of the spaces in our library within the next year or two, and while discussing ideas with campus adults, phrases like “collaborative spaces” have been thrown around a lot during conversations. We’ve already made a lot of changes to our library, resulting in more engagement, and frankly more noise and activity. This has been our goal, but the higher level of stimulation could potentially drive away introverted students, who likely found our previously-underused library to be a sanctuary in quieter times. Perhaps it will be important to invite more voices and personalities to planning conversations. Inviting teens to help design a library’s spaces worked wonderfully for The Mix, which we read about previously, resulting in spaces and activities that get a lot of use (Costanza, 2015). I can imagine the benefits of incorporating such a process at our library; perhaps we can specifically challenge the kids to design spaces or activities for both extroverts and introverts in our library. I wonder what our kids would come up with to make it a more welcoming space for all.

 

Resources

Cain, S. (2012). Quiet: The power of introverts in a world that can’t stop talking. Crown Publishers.

Costanza, K. (2015, August 28). In San Francisco, teens design a living room for high-tech learning at the public library. YOUmedia. https://youmedia.org/news/in-san-francisco-teens-design-a-living-room-for-high-tech-learning-at-the-public-library/

Duffy, L. (2012). Quiet: The power of introverts in a world that can’t stop talking [Image of book cover]. Crown Publishers. https://www.amazon.com/Quiet-Power-Introverts-World-Talking/dp/0307352153

Kagan, J. & Snidman, N. (2004). The long shadow of temperament. Harvard University Press.

 

Participatory Services–Reflections From an Evolving Library

As we delve deeper into the concept of hyperlinked libraries, I keep thinking of the library I work at and the changes we’ve undergone, particularly in the last year. I’m starting my third year as a school librarian, though I was a teacher at this same school for several years before. We have an impressive collection of books that many people adore, but I do think the library’s approach in the past was ultra-traditional; there also wasn’t really room for change or new ideas. We hired a new director last year, however, and she has made quite a few changes, some of which have impacted our library at a fundamental level. When I first started in this MLIS program in 2020, our library simply did not reflect most of the interesting approaches and theories I was reading about in my classes. In the last year, however, I have felt more and more connections between my work and my courses, and I have felt so proud of the work we are doing. We’ve been working hard to get more people engaged in the library, so a few concepts really stood out to me in this week’s reading.

 

Radical trust:

I love the concept of radical trust mentioned in our lecture for this module (Stephens, n.d.). My director has used the same phrase during some intense discussions, so it jumps out at me whenever I hear it. In the context of our library, concerns arose when she removed our security sensors at the doors, and again when she added an option for self-checkout. It’s a phrase I had not heard before, but I find it conveys a key concept at the heart of community building (itself an important part of school environments). Without knowing the term, it was also at the heart of my classroom practices, and I believe it brought out the best in my kiddos. Instead of teaching our kids (11-18 years old) that we’re watching them or we’ll know if they do something wrong, we can show them that we will trust them. And if they break our trust, which certainly happens when kids are learning about their boundaries, we’ll give still give them another chance to prove themselves. In doing this, I hope we model behaviors they can take into our wider community and model.

I mentioned the self-checkout issue above, and that too interested me in this module’s readings. We introduced a self-checkout option last year via an iPad and app. Many students loved it, but faculty and staff were horrified, including library staff. People wondered whether it would replace library staff, of course. Once again, people expressed concerns about books getting stolen, leading to more discussions about radical trust. I found the explanations in “Automatic for the People” to be especially helpful, and I wish I had read that article last year (Zulkey, 2019). Zulkey presents automation and self-checkout as a means of expanding services and making the patrons’ experiences better; it frees up the staff for other projects and other interactions with patrons, making the overall experience better: “I told that journalist, the conversation would regard whether we repurpose one of our staff, who is doing transactional work, to do more transformational work enhancing library resources and programs,” (Zulkey, 2019).

This (self-checkout) would be one time when I am actually glad that we didn’t immediately use feedback for decision making. Self-checkout has been quite unpopular with campus adults, though it’s widely popular with students. With time, I think our adult patrons and staff will see the benefits of this approach, though it wasn’t obvious to begin with. It’s an example of a time when feedback on what people would like to see in the library is useful (programming, interactive displays, etc.), though the feedback on our method of being able to provide those additional services (automation) is not yet useful. I suppose this is where leadership and expertise on the part of a librarian can temporarily take precedence, and perhaps the tone of the feedback will change over time.

 

Participation at all levels:

One thing we haven’t really done yet is incorporate students into our planning and formal feedback. My director and I have discussed it, but I think it just feels overwhelming at the moment, while we’re still trying to get a handle on some of the changes we’ve already begun to implements, particularly in regards to our collection. We’re in the middle of a massive weeding project (trying to trim down a never-before-weeded collection of 135,000), we’re moving towards genrefying, and we’ve been very focused on providing opportunities for interaction and engagement in the library through clubs, displays, programming, and a small amount of digital engagement as well. We’re starting from scratch on these projects, and we’ve made a massive effort to include faculty and staff in the weeding process as much as is possible. I’m really proud of our transparency and openness, but additional projects and engagement will probably expand down the road a bit, so to speak. I think once we have a handle on the collection later this school year, I’ll be looking to incorporate the kiddos into our planning processes more.

I particularly loved the idea of teens participating in designing library spaces (Costanza, 2015; Mack, 2013). The idea of passing control to teens is probably daunting for many, particularly when budgets and schedules are involved, but the results in The Mix in San Francisco are stunning (Costanza, 2015). I’ve seen our kids do so many incredible things when given the opportunity, and I love the idea of presenting our kids with a blank slate and seeing what they can come up with. I think it would be complicated process, but it looks so rewarding, particularly in terms of engagement! Once we’ve finished weeding, we are hoping to redo the carpeting, shelving, and some of the furniture in our library. I am not sure how our leadership would feel about allowing kids to control so much, but perhaps we would be allowed to invite the kids to redesign the Reading Rooms, which are two large spaces currently designated for them anyway.

I was also considering the merits of inviting the kids to help design interactive displays and activities. We already involve parent groups quite a bit throughout the year, but we haven’t invited the kids yet. As I finished working on an interactive display for Banned Books week, it occurred to me that I should have invited students to help with (or possibly take on) that process. The next few displays will be presented by parent groups, but the next time we are able to plan a display, I plan to invite the students to help suggest topics and plan activities.

 

eBooks:

I have one final topic for this module, mainly because it made me chuckle. I’ve had many conversations with teachers who worried that we were moving towards getting rid of all of the books, particularly because of the combination of offering a new eBook app one school year and implementing our large-scale weeding project during the next school year. The funny thing is that our eBook checkouts were acceptable during COVID-related shutdowns, but in general, they’re not great. Our kids prefer paper books, though the adults in their lives always have trouble believing me when I tell them that in an effort to assuage their fears of going digital. In “The User Is (Still) Not Broken,” Bryan Kenney discussed this exact issue, and even mentioned the fact that teens do not like eBooks, despite what others assume (Kenney, 2014). I’m going to keep this article handy and show it to people the next time I engage in such a conversation! I particularly like the way Kenney worded it: “And, no, there doesn’t seem to be any correlation between readers’ ages and format preferences, except that teens seem to really, really hate e-books (unless that’s the only format they can get Veronica Roth’s Divergent trilogy in),” (Kenney, 2014). It’s so funny to me that the assumption is always that kids prefer digital everything; whenever I offer eBooks as an option to my kids even the sweetest, most polite ones tend to sneer. Are eBooks cringe, to use their slang? They do love access to audiobooks, though. Between that and fleeting interest in eBooks for travel, the kids’ usage rates are only just high enough to keep the app around.

 

 

Resources

Casey, M. (2011, October 20). Revisiting participatory service in trying times. Tame the Web. https://tametheweb.com/2011/10/20/revisiting-participatory-service-in-trying-times-a-ttw-guest-post-by-michael-casey/

Costanza, K. (2015, August 28). In San Francisco, teens design a living room for high-tech learning at the public library. YOUmedia. https://youmedia.org/news/in-san-francisco-teens-design-a-living-room-for-high-tech-learning-at-the-public-library/

Kenney, B. (2014, January 27). The user is (still) not broken. Publishers Weekly. https://www.publishersweekly.com/pw/by-topic/industry-news/libraries/article/60780-the-user-is-still-not-broken.html

Mack, C. (2013, February 2). Crowdsourced design: Why Los Angeles is asking the public to create the library of the future. Good. https://www.good.is/articles/crowdsourced-design-why-los-angeles-is-asking-the-public-to-create-the-library-of-the-future

Stephens, M. (n.d.). Hyperlinked library participatory service & transparency [Lecture transcript]. Panopto. Retrieved September 10, 2022, from https://sjsu-ischool.hosted.panopto.com/Panopto/Pages/Viewer.aspx?id=2a19a4b6-e945-4d2e-abf1-aef3014172a5

Stephens, M. (2016). The heart of librarianship. ALA Editions.

Zulkey, C. (2019, September 3). Automatic for the people. American Libraries. https://americanlibrariesmagazine.org/2019/09/03/automatic-people-self-service-libraries/

Reflections on the Hyperlinked Library Model

I started working in my school library just over two years ago, though I taught middle schoolers at the same school for many years before that. Our library has been quite traditional in many ways, and our new director (who started about a year ago) has been steadily making changes and shaking things up, so to speak. It has been a pleasant process for me, as I already felt things were somewhat stale. While reading the assigned texts for the first two modules, I came to further appreciate what my boss is trying to do. A few readings stood out to me from the first two modules, so I’ll focus on those for this blog.

In “Do We Need Libraries?” I found inspiration for rethinking traditional practices, as well as some guidance as to practices that will not help. One particular passage that spoke to me included this quote: “Similarly, computerizing existing library services will result in redundancies that will limit any gains to be made from computerization. There is a need to rethink what services are possible with the new technology, as well as what is no longer needed,” (Denning 2015).

Past leadership of our library had fallen into the trap of providing redundant services digitally (forms for book suggestions, LibGuides full of book lists, etc.). Much of this seems lovely at first, but lead to a cluttered, confusing array of services that simply have not been getting any use for years. This next example doesn’t exactly match up with what the author was saying, but this passage also called to mind our efforts to promote eBooks. I have continually been surprised that eBooks are not more popular with our students. We provide access to Sora, which is definitely more popular among audiobook users. With continued promotion, I hope the eBooks will become more utilized, but so far, it isn’t promising. Our students simply prefer physical books for now.

The five questions the author suggests libraries should ask have given me food for thought. Overall, they promote a user-centered and innovation-minded approach to rethinking services. The first question (“How can we delight out customers?”) requires a lot of innovation and experimentation, I think (Denning 2015). We’ve have found opportunities to delight our patrons in new after-school programming we started offering once per month, for example. We’ve been offering simple crafts and activities, and our students seem to love the engagement. We also started offering unguided activities, such as sensory or building toys in our central space. Right now we have Keva planks (building blocks, essentially) out, and students of all ages are taking so much joy in the communal building experience! I thought it would be fun to offer such activities, but I honestly had no idea the kids would love it so much. I’m looking forward to offering other such activities, and would love suggestions in the comments, if anyone has ideas to offer!

As a new school librarian, I of course took a lot of interest in the article called, “The Hyperlinked School Library…,” (Stephens 2010). One quote that I found personally challenging was, “Today’s teacher librarian (TL) must…be knowledgeable in the emerging world of online social engagement.” At my school, we actually aren’t allowed to use social media for work. We can certainly have personal accounts, and we can “friend” our work friends. But we are not supposed to use our accounts for work, and we are not supposed to “friend” students or use our accounts for the purpose of interacting with them. Now, I actually do not want to share my personal life with my students. I never have. However, I see other school librarians creating social media accounts that they use to promote books to students. I would love to have an account for the library, but we simply aren’t allowed to do this. As an English teacher, I felt quite comfortable with that rule. As a teacher librarian now, I feel interacting with the kids online would help me teach them about social media more meaningfully. I can understand the school’s perspective, particularly as a private school that wants to limit negative interactions online. Also, as a school we utilize technology through classes and encourage students to learn and use various technologies each year. However, those tend to be limited in scope, as they are kept safer and more private. While I value students’ safety, I wonder whether we limit our ability to teach them about safe interactions online by only using such safe and limited platforms and technologies. I love the idea of inviting students to collaborate with the adults in their lives in other, more open spaces, like social media. While it’s incredibly difficult for a large organization to monitor social media activity, and discipline of students involving social media can be tricky, I think they (and we) have much to learn, which can’t be learned without trying.

Overall, I am loving this concept of a hyperlinked library so far. Some concepts are new to me, while others already feel familiar. In general, it feels patron-centered and innovative, which is clearly the best path forward for libraries today.

 

References:

Denning, S. (2015, April 28). Do we need libraries? Forbes. https://www.forbes.com/sites/stevedenning/2015/04/28/do-we-need-libraries/?linkId=13831539&utm_campaign=ForbesTech&utm_channel=Technology&utm_medium=social&utm_source=TWITTER&sh=579a47786cd7

[Image of Keva plank structure]. STEM Supplies. https://stem-supplies.com/keva-maple-plank-sets

Stephens, M. (2010). The hyperlinked school library: engage, explore, celebrate. Tame the Web. https://tametheweb.com/2010/03/02/the-hyperlinked-school-library-engage-explore-celebrate/

Stephens, M. (2016). Hyperlinked librarianship: Attentive, positive, and purposeful change. American Library Association. https://www.dropbox.com/s/gc9ecokb972xgil/HeartofLibrarianship.pdf?dl=0