I had to complete a school library survey for the California Department of Education. Although most of the questions had to do with the services offered and state of the collection, it piqued my curiosity about other libraries and made me want to get some hard numbers regarding them.
This Los Angeles School Report revealed some repercussions regarding libraries, in light of our district giving more control over discretionary funds at the local level. Some level of autonomy is something that a lot of schools are seeking, especially in districts as large as LAUSD, where the needs of one school's population can be so vastly different from those of another. Instead of hiring teacher-librarians, or even library aides, those funds are going toward more administrators or facilities crews to better maintain aging campuses. I feel so lucky to have a job and angry that as a society, we're so screwed up.
The move to charter schools has created a competitive environment for public schools. That isn't how it should be. More students mean more dollars and charter schools become more selective in the students they take in. What's happening in other states? This article in The Delaware Daily County Times shares that as of February of this year, there are only eight full-time librarians serving in Philadelphia schools, down from 176 in 1991. Wow.
This Schools and Staffing Survey, conducted by the National Center for Education Statistics, shows how library media centers are staffed. As of 2011-2012, New York, the state with the largest public school district, had 78% schools with at least one full-time paid, state-certified library media center specialist. California, home of the second largest school district in the United States (LAUSD): 25%. Illinois, with the fourth largest: 54%. What is happening in California?
Wednesday, April 19, 2017
Sunday, April 16, 2017
Social Media and the Library
I have a confession to make - I don't like social media.
Perhaps it's because I have teenagers and I too intimately see their struggle with wanting to keep up and stay informed and how I must constantly encourage (read: nag) them to unplug and engage with people on a more personal level and to devote more of their attention to things that really matter. Perhaps it's because I think it conveys a false level of closeness. Or perhaps it's just too hard to keep up and it's a bit intimidating.
This entry on Scholastic's blog helped me become a little more open to Twitter. Most of the literature I've read about social media and the library concerns how to use it for advertising. Burleson helped me see how it can expand my network and create more opportunities for growth.
Feeling a little more open, I read Potter's article in Library Journal. He had a lot of great, practical tips on etiquette and what to tweet.
Is there really this much to know about Twitter? I think I'm back to being intimidated. Not really, but Gwyneth Jones' post helped make it a little more digestible for me. I'm not the type to dive head first, I like to dip my toe in and test the waters. But I feel like with Twitter, I'd have to have a whole bunch of tweets lined up.
The article by Agosto et al. shares about the several barriers to teens using libraries, including negative perceptions of libraries and librarians, preference of technology use for information needs, lack of relationships with library staff, inadequate library space, and an overall feeling of disconnectedness due to programming and mediocre online presence. They also discovered that teens are not just "wasting time" on social media.
"Often they are seeking information and sharing what they know with others. Recognizing that teens are using social media for beneficial uses, such as information seeking and sharing, can help libraries to better support teens' information needs. Libraries can develop policies that support teens' use of social media and can consider providing informational content through these outlets." (p. 321)
This image can be located at:
http://youthonline.ischool.drexel.edu/docs/MythsTeensAndSocialMedia.pdf
References
Agosto, D.E., Purcell, M. Magee, R., and Forte, A. (2015). Teens, libraries, and social media: Myths and reality. Public Library Quarterly, 34(4), 318-327.
Perhaps it's because I have teenagers and I too intimately see their struggle with wanting to keep up and stay informed and how I must constantly encourage (read: nag) them to unplug and engage with people on a more personal level and to devote more of their attention to things that really matter. Perhaps it's because I think it conveys a false level of closeness. Or perhaps it's just too hard to keep up and it's a bit intimidating.
This entry on Scholastic's blog helped me become a little more open to Twitter. Most of the literature I've read about social media and the library concerns how to use it for advertising. Burleson helped me see how it can expand my network and create more opportunities for growth.
Feeling a little more open, I read Potter's article in Library Journal. He had a lot of great, practical tips on etiquette and what to tweet.
Is there really this much to know about Twitter? I think I'm back to being intimidated. Not really, but Gwyneth Jones' post helped make it a little more digestible for me. I'm not the type to dive head first, I like to dip my toe in and test the waters. But I feel like with Twitter, I'd have to have a whole bunch of tweets lined up.
The article by Agosto et al. shares about the several barriers to teens using libraries, including negative perceptions of libraries and librarians, preference of technology use for information needs, lack of relationships with library staff, inadequate library space, and an overall feeling of disconnectedness due to programming and mediocre online presence. They also discovered that teens are not just "wasting time" on social media.
"Often they are seeking information and sharing what they know with others. Recognizing that teens are using social media for beneficial uses, such as information seeking and sharing, can help libraries to better support teens' information needs. Libraries can develop policies that support teens' use of social media and can consider providing informational content through these outlets." (p. 321)
This image can be located at:
http://youthonline.ischool.drexel.edu/docs/MythsTeensAndSocialMedia.pdf
References
Agosto, D.E., Purcell, M. Magee, R., and Forte, A. (2015). Teens, libraries, and social media: Myths and reality. Public Library Quarterly, 34(4), 318-327.
Saturday, April 15, 2017
Beyond the Walls of the Library
Bookmobiles, Little Libraries, and More
Librarians amaze me. I think it's their universal and relentless passion for connecting people with resources that astounds me. And when people don't go to them, they find ways to take their passions outside of the walls of the library.
Bookmobiles have always interested me. As Witteveen's article shows, bookmobiles are still relevant and needed in areas where access to technology and books is limited. ABOS board member Michael Swendrowski indicates that, in fact, they can be "part of the solution when a community is struggling economically." Visiting daycare centers (even those at Google and Microsoft offices) as well as schools where the library was being renovated are other instances chronicled in the article where bookmobiles have found a place. The New York Public Library also made its way into correctional facilities. They even offer a video visitation service.
When my husband heard about these little libraries popping up, he suggested that we create one of our own. We were always loaning out our boys' books when friends shared they struggled with finding books their kids enjoyed. Metro Denver has more than 500 of them and was just honored with a City of Distinction award by the national organization, Little Free Library.
American Libraries' article on embedded librarians documents yet another way librarians are making themselves indispensable. James LaRue is the library director for Douglas County Libraries in Colorado. He believes:
Librarians amaze me. I think it's their universal and relentless passion for connecting people with resources that astounds me. And when people don't go to them, they find ways to take their passions outside of the walls of the library.
Bookmobiles have always interested me. As Witteveen's article shows, bookmobiles are still relevant and needed in areas where access to technology and books is limited. ABOS board member Michael Swendrowski indicates that, in fact, they can be "part of the solution when a community is struggling economically." Visiting daycare centers (even those at Google and Microsoft offices) as well as schools where the library was being renovated are other instances chronicled in the article where bookmobiles have found a place. The New York Public Library also made its way into correctional facilities. They even offer a video visitation service.
When my husband heard about these little libraries popping up, he suggested that we create one of our own. We were always loaning out our boys' books when friends shared they struggled with finding books their kids enjoyed. Metro Denver has more than 500 of them and was just honored with a City of Distinction award by the national organization, Little Free Library.
American Libraries' article on embedded librarians documents yet another way librarians are making themselves indispensable. James LaRue is the library director for Douglas County Libraries in Colorado. He believes:
Librarians have the power to change lives and build community-but to do this, we have to leave our desks, leave our buildings, and show the community what a powerful tool we are. LaRue firmly believes that the library's most powerful asset is its professional staff. He wants librarians interacting with the community, answering their questions, informing their discussions, and helping them-as partners-achieve their goals. These opportunities will not find us; we have to seek them.With this vision, librarians were then embedded in local organizations such as schools, city councils, and economic development councils. They attended meetings, offered research assistance, connected the organization with the library's resources, all the while becoming more informed in the community's needs.
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