Battling the “Summer Slide” and Pandemic Learning Loss

Parents and teachers often notice that students’ learning can plateau or even regress while they’re on an extended break from school. That happened during the Covid-19 pandemic and is common during summer vacation. However, summer learning programs come to the rescue.

“The summer months are the perfect time to reinforce skills [students] learned during the previous year and prepare them with the knowledge and skills they need to succeed in the classroom and in life,” explained Chicago Public Schools CEO Pedro Martinez. This summer, Chicago Public Libraries offered career and technical education summer camps, as well as a neighborhood scavenger hunt and Maker Mondays.

“Parents have told me that their children’s reading skills often improve over the summer months,” one librarian reported in a survey of rural, suburban, and urban Pennsylvania libraries by Dr. Donna Celano and Dr. Susan B. Neuman. “Teachers have also told us that they can tell when students have participated in the reading club because they don’t have to reteach what [students] learned last year.” Another librarian in the survey commented, “Every story the child hears is a seed planted.”

Expanding a Library’s Reach

Summer programs give libraries the opportunity to connect with other kid-focused organizations. For example, in Celano and Neuman’s survey, 65 percent of respondents reported that they partnered with other community agencies when creating summer learning programs.

Wendy Campbell is the youth services supervisor for the Rowan (North Carolina) Public Library. “While I am thankful for the positive connections with individual families, I am also grateful for the unique opportunity RPL’s summer program brings to partner with local nonprofit [summer] camps,” she told the Salisbury Post. “I am pleased that we partner with these community-minded organizations, and I look forward to working with camp directors and counselors.”

Campbell continued, “This year we partnered with 18 local organizations with weekly educational shows, library visits and book checkouts. One outstanding summer highlight for me is building relationships with campers, learning about their interests and seeing their ready smiles of recognition when we meet weekly.”

Nationwide, 95 percent of public libraries report having at least one summer reading program partner. The most common partners are nonprofit or community-based organizations (64 percent), schools (63 percent), and state library agencies (63 percent).

“Gave My Children Something to Look Forward To”

Summer learning programs are a bright spot for lots of families, but especially for families who are on a budget. One parent told the Great River (Minnesota) Regional Library, “The summer reading program gave my children something to look forward to (trips to the library, choosing new books and videos, reading the books, and knowing they would get a prize at the end of the program).” This year, Great River had a total of 12,973 participants in summer learning programs throughout the regional system, according to Breanne Fruth, GRRL’s communications and development coordinator. GRRL has a total of 84,726 cardholders across six counties, Fruth explained.

People of all ages participated in the “Find Your Voice Community Art Show” at the Northborough Free Library in Massachusetts. The library received 140 submissions and displayed the art throughout the summer. Community members could vote on their favorites in four categories: kids, teens, adult amateur and adult pro. Local ice cream shops and grocery stores donated supplies and small prizes for the art show winners.

“The art show has been such a success that we’ll likely continue to host it annually. Northborough has certainly found their voice through art this summer!” said children’s services librarian Katrina Ireland-Bilodeau.

“Experiences That You Might Not Be Able to Get Anywhere Else”

Special events brought community members into the library and encouraged summertime learning for kids and adults. For example, staffers at the Grand Island (Nebraska) Public Library arranged for an interactive visit with raptors. The event was a resounding success, with children spellbound by the powerful birds of prey.

“We just like to bring in experiences that you might not be able to get anywhere else,” Laura Fentress, a youth and family services librarian at Grand Island, told KSNB-TV.

Danville Township Library in Illinois took their young readers to Gambia through the book One Plastic Bag: Isatou Ceesay and the Recycling Women of the Gambia by Miranda Paul. The library’s Ecology Action Center program included reading and upcycling plastic bags into jewelry.

“It turned out to be a wonderful, informative program that kept their attention throughout, and the children proudly adorned themselves with their new creations while they looked for books afterward,” reported circulation specialist Tel Sisco after the event.

North Liberty Library in Iowa provided a wide variety of events. Some were pure fun, such as a foam party for kids at the library’s summer learning program kickoff party. Others were science-focused, such as an Insect Zoo event. And still others were to support basic needs, such as free lunches to ensure food stability.

Kids frolic at a foam party sponsored by Iowa’s North Liberty Library.

Emily O’Sheridan-Tabor, family services librarian at North Liberty, shared the results of her library’s summer learning program. “Eighty-eight percent of parents surveyed reported that their child maintained or increased their reading skills, while 89 percent of those surveyed reported that their child read and used the library more often,” she explained.

Kids weren’t the only ones to benefit. O’Sheridan-Tabor added, “Approximately 75 percent of adults surveyed said that they, themselves, learned something new, enjoyed reading more, and used the library more frequently.”

“Library Kids Are Going to Save the World”

Librarians responded to summer programs with optimism and took a breath before gearing up for autumn.

“I’m now confident that library kids are going to save the world,” Solano County (California) supervising librarian Mychal Threets announced in a viral TikTok video reported on by Upworthy.com. “Libraries and library books bring people together!”

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As we continue to come out of pandemic isolation, customers are visiting their local libraries with new questions about what to read. Instead of asking for a book that their neighbor told them about and the cover is blue, they say, “I am looking for a book that I saw on TikTok. Can you help me find it?” Often the book is a Colleen Hoover title, but other popular requests for TikTok recommendations operate like word-of-mouth on fire.

This isn’t new (remember 50 Shades of Grey?), but the acceleration in quantity and enthusiasm is dramatic. BookTok and LibraryTok, are areas of TikTok focused on book recommendations and library services. Many public libraries have book displays in their public areas featuring the latest trends on TikTok in addition to other bestsellers so customers can grab what they need and go! TikTok is also searchable in an easy, accessible way.

Customers who are looking for a beach read can search #bookrec #booktok and #summerreads, for instance, and find videos that present a plethora of firsthand suggestions. Searches can easily be narrowed, and the recommendations feel personal as the person talking about the book could actually be on the beach, in their living room, or in a classroom. You can literally picture yourself enjoying the book in the actual place you want to read it. In this fast-paced world, who wouldn’t want that?

If an older title is suddenly gaining in popularity, it’s almost always attributable to BookTok or to a celebrity book club pick. Reese Witherspoon’s Book Club has a strong presence on TikTok with 390,000 followers. Some authors who have spiked recently due to TikTok trends (besides Colleen Hoover) include Elena Armas, Madeline Miller, Ana Huang, Sarah J. Maas, Laura Nowlin and Adam Silvera. Romance, fantasy, and “romantasy” reign supreme on TikTok no doubt due to TikTok users trending younger and female. Females account for 57% of the platform’s active users, while males make up just 43% and nearly three-quarters of users are under 40.

The Milwaukee Public Library (@milwaukeepubliclibrary) (MPL), which has almost 105,000 followers on TikTok, was featured on National Public Radio recently for their low budget, creative approach to using humorous TikTok videos to promote their library system, intellectual freedom, inclusivity, and the fight against book bans. The library system has also seen an influx of tourists visiting the city because they saw their videos on TikTok. Not every library system has the staffing resources to put out such consistent content, but those who have are seeing tangible results. MPL staff explain that they are using the creativity of staff to produce relatable content with “smoke and mirrors” and not a lot of financial investment.

Being well versed in readers’ advisory at the public library now means being familiar with what is trending on the latest social media sites. There is a firm crossover between customers who are comfortable with social media and also comfortable with technology and therefore placing their own holds, but the questions still come to library staff.

Independent authors such as Maryland author BK Borison have been picked up by traditional publishers after getting some attention from BookTok. Although staff will often put in requests for purchase, the books that gain popularity on TikTok might not meet the official selection criteria for the library due to being self-published, offering a lack of professional reviews, or for other reasons. In that case, staff can often help customers put requests through an interlibrary loan system or find a link for purchase from a vendor.

TikTok, and many other social media sites, have leveled the playing field for customers who just want to find a good book to read. It’s easily accessible, popular, and free, as long as you have a smartphone and internet access. Customers can also make their own videos with music, dancing and any special effects they want to use to promote their favorite book! TikTok has also brought in a younger audience, which is crucial to the relevance and sustainability of public libraries.

Looking for some good content on LibraryTikTok or BookTok? Cincinnati Public Library (@cincylibrary) with almost 31,000 followers recently shot to prominence with its viral video of a ballet dancer selecting books from the top shelf with her outstretched leg, followed by a library page trying the same trick. Their video of a cat driving through the library pickup line for holds easily catches any librarian’s attention.

Librarian Mychal (@mychal3ts) of Solano Library in California has 13,000 followers on TikTok and has created a quickly growing following for his charming stories about working as a children’s librarian, welcoming everyone, and the power of a library card. He also demonstrates his commitment to being a role model by showing kids that some librarians don’t fit the stereotype. They can be young, male, Black, tattooed and informal in their conversations with customers of all ages. Mychal’s posts were recently shared by the American Library Association.

Influencer @ezeekat of Orlando, FL also shares clever promos of books and board games. He is enthusiastic about various fandoms that are of interest to many library folks.

But it isn’t all sunshine and roses for using TikTok to provide book recommendations. Some social media users are wary of TikTok due to their overseas ownership and security concerns, and some governments have banned the app on government issued phones. But never fear! many Tiktok influences, or BookTokers also cross post to Instagram so their content can be found there as well!

So, whether you like TikTok and use it regularly or haven’t tried the platform, you really should consider checking it out to make your job just a bit easier and maybe even a bit more fun!

The post You’ve Heard of TikTok, But Do You Know About BookTok And LibraryTok? first appeared on Public Libraries Online.

Social media platforms like Facebook have been accused of pushing controversial websites whereas others, such as Instagram, use images to advertise. A 2015 study by Kümpel, Karnowski and Keyling, stated that social media are being researched by scholars from different fields, as they affect and influence society in general, like interpersonal relations, civic engagement and news distribution and consumption”[1]. TikTok differs from what these other social media platforms set out to achieve because its main objective is not to influence, instead, its goal is to gain viewership. Since TikTok appeals to a varied demographic of people, it befits librarians and researchers to use it to document primary sources.

The Library of Congress states, “Primary sources are the raw materials of history — original documents and objects that were created at the time under study”[2]. TikTok has an advantage over other forms of primary sources like diaries and photographs because its main resource can be viewed instantly after documenting a current event. Although TikTok has a great advantage of documenting live action, its does come with caveats. Videos disappear because of individual accounts that violate community guidelines. Some of these reasons are inappropriate content, inciting violence, bullying, sexually explicit content, and hateful behavior.[3]

Its inherent simplicity is what makes the application universal as well. TikTok is a simple application that is focused around the device’s video capabilities. The app is configured using its camera as the focal point and purpose, therein making it the ideal tool for documenting current events. TikTok “is what Neil Postman would have called a metamedium: a medium that contains all other media—text, images, sounds, videos.”[4] Does this sound familiar? One would hope so. Marshall McLuhan’s theory of the medium is the message can also be applied where he writes in in his 1964 book, Understanding Media: The Extensions of Man, “This fact, characteristic of all media, means that the “content” of any medium is always another medium.” These different mediums also contribute to their suitability for documenting primary sources, whether it be similar to oral histories or finding aids, technology has its foundation in original documentation. 

Although TikTok is accessible and intuitive for the end user, it utilizes complex technological, and computational processes such as algorithms in its back-end design. Algorithms are a mathematical tool used in social media applications that guide the user to individual preferences based on their personal, viewing interests. Past publications have indicated we can utilize the idea of the algorithm to avoid hate speech and offensive behavior on social media platforms.[5] Moving forward, it can also behoove us to use the algorithm in a constructive, research-based approach to utilize TikTok as a primary source. This is possible because TikTok is formatted for searching video clips using natural language but in a controlled manner, much like a thesaurus. TikTok uses hashtags to index its video clips. Knowing our library theories, we understand this is born from the idea of the folksonomy in library sciences (also similar in the method where YouTube first utilized hash tagging as source of accessibility). The only difference is TikTok end users are using natural language in the way a thesaurus has predefined its controlled vocabulary; the end user is defining the controlled vocabulary during the creation of the primary resource.

Other library searching techniques are exploited in TikTok if we investigate further. Uploaded videos are searched using a controlled, formatted vocabulary, validating that searching techniques in TikTok are indexed in a comparable way to library management systems. This is also similar to using federated searches in databases and keyword and subject searching in OPACs (Online Public Access Catalogs).

Paper archives and institutional repositories have generally been the main avenue to accessing primary resources, but online genealogy websites have made research more accessible and less intimidating. With a younger generation that is digitally oriented (and some might say digitally handicapped), researching family histories is exciting again. Social media and phone applications are revolutionizing how people relate to their family histories. The MyHeritage application, Deep Nostalgia, animates photos using “D-ID, a company specializing in video reenactment using deep learning.”[6] (https://www.myheritage.com/deep-nostalgia, FAQs). Deep Nostalgia enables its users to make their family photographs more relatable by giving them creative autonomy. In an exceedingly disconnected, digital world, applications like Deep Nostalgia have found a way to connect the past with the present.

If we look deeper, we discover we are unknowingly using TikTok as a primary source of current events. This begs the question, what can we gain if we look at this social media site as an untapped resource for primary sources? This resource can be a conduit of information for archives in a similar sense of what digital humanities did for the scholarship of history and literature, and we librarians can be on the forefront of this information revolution.

Bibliography

Kumpel, Anna Sophie, Karnowskit, Veronika and Keyling, Till. “News Sharing in Social Media: A Review of Current Research on News Sharing Users, Content, and Networks.” Social Media + Society 1, no. 2 (October 2015): 1-14. DOI:10.1177/2056305115610141

Library of Congress, Getting Started with Primary Sources, https://www.loc.gov/programs/teachers/getting-started-with-primary-sources/.

MyHeritage.com, FAQs, https://www.myheritage.com/deep-nostalgia.

Onan, Aytug “On the Performance of Classifiers and Feature Sets for Identification of Offensive and Hateful Language on Social Media.” Proceedings of IAC 2021 in Vienna, 162-170.

TikTok Community Guidelines, Platform Security,

https://www.tiktok.com/community-guidelines?lang=en#40.

Vaidhyanathan, Siva. “Making Sense of the Facebook Menace.” New Republic, January/February 2021, 22-27.

References

[1] Anna Sophie Kumpel, Veronika Karnowskit, and Till Keyling, “News Sharing in Social Media: A Review of Current Research on News Sharing Users, Content, and Networks,” Social Media + Society 1, no. 2 (October 2015): 1-14. DOI:10.1177/2056305115610141

[2] Library of Congress, Getting Started with Primary Sources, https://www.loc.gov/programs/teachers/getting-started-with-primary-sources/.

[3] TikTok Community Guidelines, Platform Security, https://www.tiktok.com/community-guidelines?lang=en#40.

[4] Siva Vaidhyanathan, “Making Sense of the Facebook Menace,” New Republic, January/February 2021, 24.

[5] Aytug Onan, “On the Performance of Classifiers and Feature Sets for Identification of Offensive and Hateful Language on Social Media,” Proceedings of IAC 2021 in Vienna, 162.

[6] MyHeritage.com, FAQs, https://www.myheritage.com/deep-nostalgia.

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