Lunch in the Library

On her blog, classmate Kristi Arnold Estes shared a post on the lunch bunch she hosts in her middle school library two days out of the week. She provides knitting needles, lanyard materials and coloring tablets, so the students are able to create while eating their lunches and chatting with friends. I think it’s lovely that these students have found a safe place to decompress. Kudos to you, Kristi.

I’ve gone back and forth about what to do with the library during lunch. Thirty minutes goes by quickly so I know it’s not enough time to delve into anything too deep. When I started last year, it was empty during lunch time. I had heard rumors of the former librarian being unfriendly. I hosted some activities just to make students feel like they were invited. My rationale was to hook them with popcorn and a (book-based!) movie, then show them what the library and I have to offer.  It worked…to a certain extent. Now the library is bustling during lunch, but more on the social end than the academic one. Students do come in to check out and return books, use one of our twenty-four desktops for homework assignments, and take advantage of school-related printing. But most come in to enjoy a reasonably quiet (and clean!) place to eat and meet with their friends.

Am I not making the most of the opportunity to engage with them academically? Perhaps. Should I get moving on creating a makerspace? Probably. But it’s usually the same students that will come to me with a school-related question later, knowing that I’m a friendly face they can trust. I like having lunch time to mingle with them, without either of us feeling the pressure to pursue something scholarly.

Estes, K. A. (2017 February 28). Info 233 – PLN Post 43 [Blog post]. Retrieved from http://ischoolblogs.sjsu.edu/info/kristiarnoldestes/

The Most Effective Makerspace

In her blog, Literary Chronicles, classmate Acacia Wilson shares some musings on makerspaces (http://ischoolblogs.sjsu.edu/info/acaciawilson/). It is certainly the trend with libraries today, and with resources such as Make and Instructables, project instructions are at the ready for librarians to explore and determine how they can be incorporated into their library. Something important to consider is that instead of just materials for students to tinker with at the library, librarians’ expertise and collaborative skills can be used to integrate the makerspace across the curriculum. Our group for the Emerging Trends Project is focusing on makerspaces at middle schools, but specifically how the librarian can serve as a bridge in helping to integrate a makerspace mentality, and project-based learning in all subject areas. Davee (2015) writes, “In the interest of inclusivity and providing multiple paths of access for learning and connections between disciplines, makerspaces are positioned to enrich and expand learning, equitability, and access” (p. 9). Oliver (2016) writes, "While makerspaces to date are more commonly found in non-classroom spaces such as public libraries, and making is more commonly practiced in after-school camps and clubs, making has the ability to enrich the school-day curriculum and bridge formal and informal learning contexts" (p. 160).

In Dale Doughtery’s “We are Makers” youtube video, he shares that makers are, “enthusiasts, amateurs, people who love doing what they do…They’re playing to discover what technology can do as well as their own capabilities.” Some students don’t have the opportunity to maximize their potential because they lack access to resources. In “Are They Really Learning? A Case Study of a School Library Makerspace,” Koh explores the effectiveness of the makerspace at Irving Middle School, in Norman, Oklahoma. At the conclusion of the study, they found teachers impressed by student demonstrations, although they admitted that student learning wasn’t necessarily evident or visible throughout the process. They recognized the valuable opportunity it gave students in learning how to learn: “Students experienced a sense of accomplishment and gained increased confidence in learning, technology, and problem solving” (Koh, p. 3).

References

Davee, S., Regalia, L., & Chang, S. (2015, May). Makerspaces: Highlights of select literature. Retrieved from http://makered.org/wp-content/uploads/2015/08/Makerspace-Lit-Review-5B.pdf.

Koh, K. (2014, August). Are they really learning? A case study of a school library makerspace. Retrieved from https://infocreatingbehavior.files.wordpress.com/2014/07/researchsummary_irving2014a.pdf

Oliver, K. M. (2016). Professional development considerations for makerspace leaders, part one: Addressing "What?" and "Why?" Tech Trends, 60, 160-166.

Wilson, A. (2017, March 6). Makerspaces [Blog post]. Retrieved from http://ischoolblogs.sjsu.edu/info/acaciawilson/.

A Librarian's Calling

Last Semester, Drs. Harlan and Buchanan suggested subscribing to Library Link of the Day. Today's post - The Monk Who Saves Manuscripts from ISIS - made me think of the breadth of responsibility of information specialists. At my high school, I'm focused on collaborating with teachers, guiding library practice students on how to maintain the library and navigate through our databases, building a culturally competent collection, and getting students to exercise more scrutiny when conducting internet research. Reading of Father Columba Stewart's efforts made me see the other end of the spectrum. He is committed to preserving artifacts that are at risk of being destroyed. What I enjoyed reading about is how being a monk puts him in a position of trust:

Many of the communities Stewart approaches have been scarred by years of war, persecution or displacement, and are wary of outsiders. Some are especially skeptical about granting Westerners access to cultural treasures, given the tens of thousands of manuscripts looted during the colonial period and now housed in various museums and libraries around Europe. This is where Stewart’s reputation as a monk comes into play.

“Everybody knows about the Benedictines—manuscripts and learning, this is part of our identity, a brand which is somehow universal,” he said. Indeed, his involvement with manuscripts began almost accidentally when, in 2003, he was asked to join an HMML preparatory field trip to Lebanon due to his monastic connections. “Being a monk puts me in a very different category. People understand I am not representing a big business or an imperialist cultural agency."

There are certain jobs that seem to be an extension of who one is. I know a lot of people in public service and those jobs would certainly qualify. I think that's why we are especially shocked when those in public service have been found guilty of certain acts in their personal lives. Librarians are the same for me. I've been told that I look like a librarian. I hope that means, among other things, that I look helpful and kind, smart and thoughtful, professional and efficient.

Back to the article - Stewart's work reaches India, where his organization photographed palm-leaf (!) manuscript. Those in Jerusalem worked on preserving a manuscript dating back to the 10th century!
The article ends with this beautiful quote by Stewart, who hopes that beyond benefiting scholars, the manuscripts will bring a better understanding between Christians and Muslims:

“If we don’t find deeper affinities, we will always be stuck on our superficial differences. We will remain afraid and suspicious of each other," Stewart said. "Relations were not always easy in the past, but if we learn from places where they lived together, we might learn how to live together.”

The Election and Libraries

This is old news but I’m going to touch a bit on the election and its aftermath. We’ve heard from our district to remain neutral. I work in the same district in which my children attend schools. My seventh grade son’s math teacher is a staunch supporter of Trump and has made her opinions clear in the classroom. My son couldn’t understand how a seemingly level-headed person as his teacher could support Trump. Politics are complicated, my husband and I tried to explain. My older two boys are in high school and one of their teachers shared with the class that she wanted to cut off Trump’s testicles. Doesn’t sound very neutral to me. Teachers at my work, bringing their students in and out of the library, very vocally shared their opinions, not caring if students overheard or were influenced by what they say.

Some students have spoken with me directly about the election. I’ve tried to remain neutral. They shared about joining in on the women’s march in Los Angeles. One shared that his dad, an undocumented immigrant, is going to retire and move back to Mexico and he’s afraid he’ll never see him again. Others have shared about their families’ Republican values and a desperate need for change.

It’s difficult to remain neutral in such an emotionally charged climate, but I appreciate the librarians in Lynch’s article, and their attempts to do so. Carolyn Foote, from Austin, Texas, shares about the lunchtime civil discourse club she facilitated with a retired U.S. government teacher. She’s careful to not advocate for a particular stance because she wants to ensure that all students trust her to be a moderator. K.C. Boyd, from St. Louis, Illinois, shares that when students have questions, she directs them to sites with factual content, to empower and educate them. I can relate to Kellie Piekutowski, from Lake Villa, Illinois, who shares that the library is not the appropriate place for her to demonstrate her personal opinions: “Rather, we need to step away and make room for the students to come to their own conclusions with the help of the fair and balanced resources we offer to them.” She’s seen a clear alignment with some of the most outspoken librarians with the left side, as I’ve seen at my school and district, and wants to present herself and the library as a safe haven that will respect all opinions.

Lynch, G. H. 2017, Feb. 15. An inside look at librarians, schools, and the political climate. School Library Journal. Retrieved from http://www.slj.com/2017/02/schools/an-inside-look-at-librarians-schools-and-the-political-climate/#_

"Voices for the Library" image. Retrieved from https://relibraries.wikispaces.com/