1. : the introduction of something new
2. : a new idea, method, or device : novelty

Library Journal Editorial Director Rebecca T. Miller recently called on the library community to share library innovations. She observed the need for organizational commitment for innovation to succeed. Promoting innovation takes a conscious decision to change our management structures and organizational cultures. Below are a few ways companies are sparking creativity. Try one of these concepts at your library and see what new ideas you can ignite.

Changing focus to allow time for play and creativity is essential to creating an innovative workplace. Daniel Pink’s book Drive showed people who work on cognitive tasks are more motivated by autonomy and a sense of purpose than financial rewards. The Renaissance Society of America posted a summary on this topic: Drive: The surprising truth about what motivates us.

Other industries are successfully using these strategies. The Minneapolis-based technology company Clockwork has a human-centered approach allowing them to meet the needs of both their customers and staff. Known as a “Best Place to Work in America,” Clockwork allows staff to work when and how best meets their personal needs so long as the work gets done. Being a place people want to come to work is a key strategy they are using to meet their goals and to retain quality people. Australian tech company Atlassian allows staff members to use 20 percent of their time to work on any project they want with anyone they choose. The only catch is they need to share the results. This approach has helped them to become profitable and also a company that is recognized as a best place to work.

While libraries may not be able to offer this much unstructured time and keep the desk covered, the concept of free time is one we can use. Rather than scheduling a meeting for discussion, take some down time to think creatively with others.

Changing how we interact with each other is also key to becoming more innovative. The Second City recently published a book on improvisation called “Yes, And.” The company has taken improvisation off the stage and into the workplace to help companies transform their thinking. Improv theater relies on the performers being able to take another person’s ideas and transform them into comedy. The principle of “yes, and…” helps improv groups move a performance forward. The book describes how “yes, but…” thinking can kill an idea before it really develops. Try this in your next brainstorming session to see what a difference this way of thinking can make.

Expecting people to fail seems counter to improving library services. However, having a safe place to fail is important in fostering innovation. “Fail fast” is an entrepreneurial strategy used to pilot new ideas to see whether they will work. Failure is not a typical librarian goal. However, trying something new without being judged beforehand is important in fostering creativity. After all, fail just stands for “first attempt in learning.” If we, as librarians, are not learning, we are failing to grow in our profession.

Innovation is not only a catchy buzzword, but it is also a vital role libraries need to play as information intermediaries and creative spaces for the public. We owe it to our patrons and communities to foster our creativity to continue to offer relevant services.

Further reading

The Library Innovation Toolkit: Ideas, Strategies, and Programs. Edited by Anthony Molaro and Leah L. White. Chicago: ALA Editions, an Imprint of the American Library Association, 2015.

References

“The Best Place To Work In America?” November 14, 2014. Accessed November 27, 2016. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1d8_lkiH7zs.

Leonard, Kelly, and Tom Yorton. Yes, And: How Improvisation Reverses “no, But” Thinking and Improves Creativity and Collaboration–lessons from the Second City. New York, NY: HarperBusiness, 2015.

Miller, Rebecca T. “Staff as Innovation Leaders: From Great Ideas to Great Implementation.” Library Journal, 016. October 31, 2016. Accessed November 27, 2016. http://lj.libraryjournal.com/2016/10/opinion/editorial/staff-as-innovation-leaders-from-great-ideas-to-great-implementation-editorial/#comments.

Pink, Daniel H. Drive: The Surprising Truth about What Motivates Us. New York, NY: Riverhead Books, 2009.

“RSA ANIMATE: Drive: The Surprising Truth about what motivates us.” April 1, 2010. Accessed November 27, 2016. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=u6XAPnuFjJc&feature=youtu.be.

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Design Thinking and Human Centered Design are two different terms for the same basic concept. The idea is to use techniques to help shift the human brain out of familiar ways of thinking and generate creative solutions. The end goal is always to foster empathy and see things from a different perspective, usually the user or service consumer. In this way design thinking is a great way to enhance your library’s user experience philosophy.

As an architect and librarian, I find that many people don’t consider themselves designers, or creative in any way. In actuality, we are all designers simply by living our lives – what we choose to wear, how we arrange our homes and workspaces (or don’t), what books we read, and TV shows we watch (or don’t). These are are all design decisions. You are the designer of your life, whether you do it consciously or not. With spreadsheets,  oil paints, words, or singing in the shower, we are all creative. The maker movement is just the newest recognition of the human need to create.

How can it shake things up?

Describing how a design thinking process or exercise works in words is tough. There’s almost always a magic moment somewhere in the process where everyone looks around with that “eureka!” sparkle in their eyes. It’s experiential, iterative, and a lot of fun. The process facilitates suspension of judgment, rampant brainstorming, and the generation of crazy moonshot ideas.  It requires stepping out of your comfort zone, though, and can feel chaotic and raw.

How do I do this thing?

It’s important to understand that design thinking is not a discrete series of steps, and there’s no easy checklist that you can go through and be done. This is a mindset shift and, if you commit to it, it will change the way you see the world. The best tool I’ve found to help with this shift in thinking is IDEO’s design toolkit. IDEO is a company that hosts a website which provides a wealth of ideas, developed specifically for libraries on how to get started. The website has an array of tools, resources, and exercises that you can use, including “how might we?” statements, personas, and rapid prototyping. I’ve also co-written (with my colleague Callan Bignoli) a LibGuide on User Experience for Librarians where you can find a Prezi we use in our workshops, as well as a targeted series of blurbs, videos and exercises.

The only way to truly understand design thinking is to jump in with both feet. Grab some Post-Its and Sharpies and give it a go. One of the tenets is to fail early and often – that’s the only way to learn.

Next month: Touchpoints

The post Enhance Library User Experience with ‘Design Thinking’ first appeared on Public Libraries Online.

One of the great aspects to this program is that not only are they reaching out to young girls, but they are also inspiring the girls’ mothers, providing an opportunity for both generations to learn in a fun environment. This ten-part workshop series provided opportunities to learn about circuits, engineering, architecture, art, and more. Many of the classes had the participants considering ways to better their worlds, like the first program where attendees considered how to make human experiences better in public spaces, or the workshop where they worked on posters highlighting shelter animals up for adoption.[1] Looking at the pictures in the Make-HER blog shows a glimpse of the fun had by attendees while learning.

Leading the instruction was a group of ladies who all have myriad experiences that enabled them to teach various skills to the attendees. Looking at their bios, one of the impressive things about the instructors was that they all had different backgrounds; some of them had studied their field of expertise, while others were self-taught.[2] What a great way to showcase the wide variety of ways you can learn and be excited about a topic!

While writing this post, I was thinking quite a bit about why a program like this is important. Providing an opportunity for girls and their mothers to work and learn together is a huge benefit. However, knowing what I’ve heard about girls and women studying and working in careers in STEM fields, I decided to see what kinds of articles I might find on the topic. Several pieces came up regarding girls and the maker movement, many of which focused on using making as a way to get girls interested in STEM studies.

One article that provided some insight came from Kristin Houser for iQ by Intel. The article mainly discussed findings from a report called, MakeHers: Engaging Girls and Women in Technology Through Making, Creating, and Inventing. This report says that the maker movement “could help bridge the gender gap in STEM fields.”[3] By hosting programs for girls, Sunnyvale is contributing to closing this gap. Houser also had information from Forbes stating that girls don’t often have female mentors or role models in the STEM world.[4] By having all female instructors for the Make-HER program, Sunnyvale Public Library has provided the participating girls with women they can look up to as examples.

Not only did Sunnyvale hold all these programs, but they put much of the information on their website. Check out the activities at home (or maybe in your library, too). A listing of some of the major materials used for the various projects is also included. I know looking at the different projects definitely got ideas flowing for me!

[1] “Blog.” Make-HER. 2015. https://sunnyvalemakeher.wordpress.com/blog/ (accessed August 19, 2015).

[2] “#LadyMakers.” Make-HER. 2015. https://sunnyvalemakeher.wordpress.com/ladymakers/ (accessed August 19,      2015).

[3] Houser, Kristin. “Girls in Technology: Maker Movement is a Natural Entry Point.” iQ. January 16, 2015.

http://iq.intel.com/report-shows-maker-movement-natural-entry-girls-women-technology/ (accessed August 20, 2015).

[4] Ibid.

The post Make-HER at Sunnyvale Public Library first appeared on Public Libraries Online.

The Uniondale Library is a safe, well-utilized institution in the community and Kendrick-Samuel knew that music would bring teen patrons in the doors. Through funding from the Best Buy Community Foundation, Margaret E. Edwards Trust, and a Uniondale School District 21^st Century Learning grant. Kendrick-Samuel made “young adult services” music to the Uniondale Library’s teens’ ears.

The program initially was offered as a two-part workshop led by vocalist and music teacher, Michelle Taylor Bryant. Bryant drew on her first hand experiences at Carnegie Hall and the Long Island Conservatory of Music. She offered students vocal coaching and most of all, lots of encouragement and positive praise. Bryant put together a curriculum that included getting the kids up and singing as a group plus offering tools and techniques to improve individual and group singing. She also developed students’  music appreciation—increasing their sensitivity to the power of a song, its impact on a listener, and how a song’s message can be communicated by a singer’s individual rendition. All of this culminated in a small group of the Dewey Decibels performing as an all-female group, “The Jolies,” in the library’s annual talent show. It was a hit.

When it looked like Bryant’s broken ankle would shut the show down the following year, Uniondale native Twyla Sommersell, an academic designer/editor at McGraw-Hill School Education specializing in music, stepped in. Sommersell added a few more workshops and partnered students as performers and directors, creating an interesting dimension. Students performed and the audience provided carefully guided constructive criticism. The library had assembled its own rendition of “The Voice”—and soon there was huge interest (that is, a large number of boys joined the group).

Sommersell’s goal was for “students… to perform in some way or another, promoting confidence.” Kendrick-Samuel’s goal: to get students into the library and off the streets. Both women realized their dream—when the group stood and performed its rendition of Sam Smith’s “Stay with Me” at the annual talent show. Students were empowered through music and through the library.

The Dewey Decibels are now a permanent part of the Uniondale Library Young Adult Services programming, one that everyone can’t wait to hear. Syntychia Kendrick-Samuel said, “Sure, it was great to see kids get up on stage…or see painfully shy kids perform for the first time, but the best thing about it was seeing how the library could make a difference. That’s why I became a librarian. This is the kind of thing that makes it all worth it.”

The post Dewey Decibels: Teens Creating Music at Their Library first appeared on Public Libraries Online.

Bibli is a homemade robot. It uses a Roomba-branded floor vacuum base, just like the disc-like vacuums that roam household floors sucking up dust balls. It was built by library patrons for library patrons with the assistance of Jalali Hartman of Robauto, Inc. Hartman describes himself as “Chief Human” of his company.

A combination of industry, librarians, engineers, and patron-families collaborated together over the last twelve months to build Bibli. The common goal was to create a robot for the library to increase engagement in its patrons. Many of the kids on the small team that helped create this robot were on the Autism Spectrum. A lot of research shows that ASD kids engage as well or better with robots.

This prototype, which debuted with human library staff members at Denver Comic Con in May, is being tested at the Longmont Public Library according to Hartman. Bibli will be commercially available in 2016. A portion of the proceeds will go to benefit autism research in schools and libraries.

#imetbibli pic.twitter.com/FryUmjTUDA

— ROBAUTO (@ROBAUTOPROJECT) July 22, 2015

Road to Creation: Weird Science

When Jalali (his name is pronounced Juh-lolly) first contacted me about building a robot for the library I was intrigued. Building a robot with almost no money, in a library for the library with kids on the Autism Spectrum, seemed like a very strange and light-hearted discussion. Now I take both Jalali and robots very seriously and he takes libraries seriously. He hadn’t read a book in years (that has changed since of course). Don’t be afraid to approach your leadership and potential funding sources just because your project hasn’t been attempted before. Don’t shut down an idea just because you don’t know what you are doing. We are librarians: if we expect our patrons to dare to learn new ideas and concepts we had better show the way.

Low-cost Robot Creation

While other companies spend millions of dollars in testing and research to make social interaction robots Bibli cost less than three thousand dollars. Most robots after research and development cost over $6,000 each—even at reduced educator’s rates. Manufacturing robots can cost $25,000 each or more. Most families, and most libraries, can’t afford a robot.

Social robots on the market today include “Milo” from Robokind and “Nao” from Aldebaran.

Most of the money for Bibli came from a grant from the C’AND Aid Foundation written for its “Total Canarchy” grants division. This foundation section is described for “UnCANventional (sic) projects that make a difference.” Money was also granted from the Friends of the Longmont Public Library towards this project.

Industry-Library Collaboration

In many libraries funding is decreasing, not increasing, and public-private library ventures may be a source of necessary revenue for public libraries thrive. What it requires is innovative public library leadership as well as a business, such as Robauto, experienced with these types of partnerships. Hartman states that non-profit colleges and universities use and encourage partnerships with businesses regularly and it is a model that can be adapted for library partnerships as well.

Robots in Industry

Robots have long been employed in other industries such as manufacturing. An example of this is “Baxter.” It is a robot built by Rethink Robotics. It works primarily for the manufacturing industry but can be repurposed across jobs and does not require programming.

Three robot receptionists will greet guests in July at the Henna-no Hotel in Nagasaki prefecture in Japan. According to the Japan National Tourism Organization, “Initially the hotel will have 10 robot members of staff,” but Huis Ten Bosch company President Hideo Sawada told a news conference, “In the future, we’d like to have more than 90 percent of hotel services operated by robots.”

The use of robots, just like the use of computers decades ago, is increasing. Libraries will be no exception. While libraries are not hotels or manufacturing they are in the business of educating, engaging, and entertaining their patrons. Robots in the library, at least in one library, seem well on the way to doing just that.

References:

Robauto.co

http://www.timescall.com/longmont-local-news/ci_28261766/bibli-robot-is-longmont-librarys-newest-employee

https://www.aldebaran.com/en/humanoid-robot/nao-robot

http://www.robokindrobots.com/robots4autism-home

http://foundation.oskarblues.com/funding-areas/total-canarchy/

http://www.seejapan.co.uk/jnto_consumer/media/press-releases/press-release-detail/15-01-30/hotel-staffed-by-robots-opening-in-japan

The post Build a Robot and Add It to Your Staff first appeared on Public Libraries Online.

As with many ideas, this is not wholly original, as people have already had the opportunity to get married in the New York Public Library. The NYPL has a webpage dedicated strictly for this activity. They also allow the library to be leased for filming, fashion events, corporate events, and others. My wife and I have friends that got married on the upstairs patio at the Boca Raton Public Library here in Florida. When we were looking for a space to get married in, my wife’s library came to mind, and we ended up getting married there with the permission of our previous library director John Callahan III. The fact that we are both librarians in the same system and having the ceremony in my wife’s branch made this unique opportunity all the more special. Her library is our county’s first certified green LEED building, and has a spacious meeting room near their opulent lobby.

We have heard for years how libraries need to stretch their legs, get out of the building, and truly engage with their communities. Along with allowing their facilities to be rented out for special occasions, it does not hurt to find new ways to generate revenue. Library rentals for weddings ideally will allow outreach opportunities that would not normally present themselves. Engaging potential new library card holders, and showing everyone that libraries are not just the shushing houses of old, can create positive political capital. How do you feel about libraries for weddings, or for other special occasions at a charge? I am interested to hear if any libraries out there are engaging in similar activities – not only for engagement, but to balance the budget and allow funding for unique projects. For your viewing pleasure, I have attached some photos of our library Steampunk-themed wedding. Enjoy!

The post Weddings and Other Special Events at YOUR Local Library first appeared on Public Libraries Online.

While Napoli was certainly an innovative thinker in terms of collection management, he was a trailblazer when it came to technology. It is because of Napoli’s leadership that SJCPL was the first public library in the United States and the second in the world to have a web page.

1996 SJCPL Homepage

Therefore, it is no surprise that when asked about the future of libraries, Napoli sees technology continuing to play a major role in how libraries serve their communities. He states that while technology is changing too rapidly for him to try and predict very far into the future, “I would guess that the digital age and the wearable computer, all­ in­ one, personal device for communicating with everyone everywhere at anytime will accelerate unabated.” While he recognizes the importance of embracing new technologies, he believes that equally as important is a knowledgeable staff who can guide patrons through the rapidly changing online environment.

Napoli is rather excited when he speaks of the role technology will play in public libraries in the future. Perhaps because he has already seen firsthand how libraries have learned to adapt when facing an uncertain future. This is apparent in the chapter he wrote for The Evolving Virtual Library II: Practical and Philosophical Perspectives, published in 1999, in which he posed the question. “What does the future hold when the most creative minds in the world can talk to each other, instantly and constantly, at any time and can share their thoughts with the rest of the world? No one can tell. Everything will certainly move even faster as this creativity feeds on itself.”

Donald Napoli in 1978

As Mr. Napoli reflects on his many years of experience working in public libraries, he advises those facing new ideas to “be very excited about it yourself and you will spread that excitement to those around you. Immerse yourself in the excitement of the new initiatives. Let them become your energy!” Although he is optimistic about the future of libraries he knows that there will still be challenges ahead. When asked what advice he would give to someone considering a career working in libraries his advice is encouraging, yet realistic. “Go for it! Embrace the pain!”

It is because of constant evolution of thoughts and ideas that he has conditioned his staff to not be afraid of change. It is this ability to adapt that allowed Napoli to retire with a happy heart, knowing that SJCPL will continue to thrive despite his absence. It also helps that he has turned the reins over to long­time assistant director, Debra Futa, who he is quick share credit with for many of SJCPL’s successful initiatives. “She knows what she is doing, is very excited about the future, as uncertain as it is, and is ready to lead the way. This is the day I’ve been waiting for and it is a pure joy to see her excitement. She already is and will continue to be a great leader!”  Ed. note:  Look for an interview with Don Napoli in the July/August 2015 issue of “Public Libraries.”

The post Immerse Yourself in the Excitement of New Initiatives: Longtime Indiana Director Retires first appeared on Public Libraries Online.

Research has fund that many kids with Autism Spectrum Disorder (ASD) have trouble communicating with other people. The robots take that person-to-person communication out of the equation. When asked why robots are so effective in helping to educate kids with ASD, Hartman said, “Technology seems to help create a social bridge — look around at all the people on their phones at the next tech meet-up — and I think robotics are the next evolution of this technology. . . I actually like robots better for education than a tablet or computer, because they get people away from the endless screens and keyboards.” (Brennan 2015)

According to the Robauto website, it costs $198 to purchase the Robot Inventor Kit, which includes both software and hardware, plus training for an Innovation Team member. Most of the team members of the Longmont Library Innovative team are kids with ASD. The library found that even when it appeared as though the kids were not paying attention, they were able to remember instructions and help build the robot.

The feedback from the librarians in Longmont has been positive. Overwhelmingly they felt it helped to create a more inclusive and diverse environment. Libraries strive to serve everyone in the public, and this is an innovative and creative way to serve the ASD population in any town.

Hartman brought his robot to ComicCon in Denver in May 2015. “By the end of the year, he hopes to roll out a robot commercially — developed through working with children from the community he hopes they’ll serve — carrying a price tag in the vicinity of $300-500. The ComicCon visit was in conjunction with the Colorado Department of Education, which rented a booth and subsequently invited the Longmont Library to bring Bibli.” (Brennan 2015).

Works Cited

Brennan, Charlie. “100: Jalali Hartman is Treating Autism with Robots.” Times-Call Community Review, 2015.

The post Diversity and Inclusion: Robotic Librarians Help Autistic Patrons first appeared on Public Libraries Online.

Our committee is a cross-section of talented staff from all departments and all levels, with a vibrant interest in our ACL MakerSpace project. We convened at the end of last year, and began by sharing what we knew. We first focused on gathering information, bringing examples from other libraries who have successfully built their MakerSpaces. After a month of envisioning where our MakerSpace would physically fit best and how we could finance it, suddenly we were stymied. We found ourselves considering a detour from our original direction. Why did we move from a project focused on Come-Do to one that invited How-To?

We couldn’t answer a major question: what would our adult patrons really want in the ACL MakerSpace? We already have some MakerSpace activities in both the Children’s and Young Adult Departments, like squishy circuits and Lego® challenges, but an adult-centered MakerSpace would be far too expensive to mount if based entirely on the philosophy of build-it-and-they-will-come. Our staff reflects the demographics of adults, ages 30 to 50, that we wanted to target, so months earlier we polled them about what they thought our MakerSpace should be. We found that although they showed a high interest in 3-D modeling and other technology-based activities, the majority chose more craft-based topics, more prescriptive and dependent on a set of ordered rules or directions. Would those activities lead to collaboration and experimentation inherent in an ideal MakerSpace? Again we wondered if we were heading in the wrong direction.

How could we reach our patrons easily to find out what they want to see in our library? One of our committee members suggested we hire someone to build a revolving, free-standing, four-sided, white dry-erase board kiosk, on which we would write questions to solicit patron input. It now stands in the space across from the Circulation Desk, and our Adult Programming Librarian monitors it. As appropriate messages are posted, she captures the input digitally and then erases the posts. She writes new questions on each side on a regular basis. We have gleaned a lot of patron opinion this way.

But what about our wider Anderson community? How could we reach them? A new business incubator project, e-Merge@The Garage, was coming to life in the remodeled City of Anderson garage. Its focus is to build and grow local and regional entrepreneurs, and is heavily funded with heavy-duty sponsorships. We invited the founder of e-Merge to share his vision with our committee. He offered his Grain Ideas, an open forum at his local pub, to help us find out what his clientele—who fit our targeted demographics—would like to see in ACL’s future MakerSpace. The forum was fun, and we established another community business ACL supporter, but unfortunately we did not gather enough representative feedback.

Each committee member had been searching for ideas as to what other libraries are doing to attract more residents to come to the library. Among all the interesting information we gathered was the article in American Libraries about Louisville (Ky.) Public Library’s first How-to Festival. Their schedule of presentations inspired us. If we held a similar venue, would it draw a large attendance? We could use our “How-To” to ask citizens what they thought a future ACL MakerSpace should be. “Yes!” we all agreed. “Let’s stage a How-To-Fair.”

Then cold reality hit us. The ACL calendar was already heavily booked with upcoming major events for the year: our Friends of the Library Spelling Bee, the Children’s Book Carnival, the Summer Reading Programs, the ComiCon, and our Friends of the Library annual three-day Storytelling Festival in the early fall. The only time when all our conference and meeting rooms were available on one day was in late April. We had less than two months to get it accomplished!

What did we need to do first? Find presenters to donate their time and talents? Advertising? Scheduling? All of it! One committee member quickly developed flyers to explain the nature of the event and to solicit presenters. Other members delivered them personally to community businesses as ACL ambassadors of the How-To Fair. We sent out emails to all staff members for suggestions as to anyone who knew someone who could do such-and-such. We made hundreds of phone calls and inquiries throughout the community. Key members of the committee created a presenter application form, a patron survey, the events schedule, plus a mapping of tables and locations, inside and outdoors. Within a month over 30 community presenters made firm commitments, and in less than two months our program was written in stone. With some trepidation and great anticipation, we held our first ACL How-To Fair on April 23^rdfrom 2-8 p.m. .

A local blacksmith set up his forge and made square nails. A local dog trainer demonstrated canine handling. The beekeepers association gave tips on local bee husbandry. Our genealogical staff helped visitors use online databases for family research. Reference librarians in our computer lab showed how to use Novelist and Mango. Rabbits cuddled in a conference room and chickens clucked in the Children’s patio area, as their breeders offered their expertise. Master gardeners talked compost, flower arranging, pruning, and heirloom seeds. Home Depot demonstrated cordless tools, how to make a sink backsplash, and summer garden preparation. Backpackers shared their love of trail walking. Lowe’s helped DIYs with deck treatment. AnMed Health sent a representative who spoke on advanced directives planning. There were demonstrations on making balloon animals, quilting, crocheting, origami, fabric bracelets, scrapbooking, how to brew the perfect cup of coffee, digital photography, how to pack a suitcase, how to repurpose junk, and how to jumpstart your creativity. The local theater group showed how to audition. Yoga sessions, kicking a soccer ball, and salsa dancing lessons added to the excitement! The Teen room ran continuous activity stations, like underwater painting, and the Children’s Department had Lego® challenges. Committee members were assigned areas to direct traffic, answer questions, and provided a hospitality room with refreshments for the presenters. It took every staff member who wasn’t at a service desk—our library maintained normal operations!–to work the Fair.

As one committee member commented, “We didn’t know where we were going, but we sure had fun when we got there.”

But, to where?

In our post-event analysis, we found that we had these positives:

• a collaborative and talented committee, seriously dedicated to staging the event, and newly emerging leaders;
• a successful and fierce social media blitz to advertise the event;
• enthusiastic presenters and attendees—a good start to amplifying community relations;
• a wide-variety of sessions of interest to a large cross-section of attendees;
• encouraging survey responses from both attendees and presenters, with calls for “do it again” next year!

But what about any 2^nd Annual ACL How-To Fair? What should we do the next time?

• Establish a How-To Fair Committee.
• Brand our How-To Fair and develop a logo for advertising, and even emblazon it on staff T-Shirts.
• Consult/contact other library systems that have held a How-To event. There is a lot of practical advice online from other libraries, but we reinvented the proverbial wheel. Learn what they learned.
• Plan far in advance. . . at least six months. Two months is not enough time to advertise effectively, communicate with potential presenters, and allow for last-minute scheduling adjustments.
• Appoint or elect a committee member to be the clearinghouse for presenter applications and contacts.
• Restructure the schedule to avoid clumping events in too narrow a time frame.
• Allow attendees more time to get from one presentation to another.
• Refine the presenter application and questionnaire.
• Encourage presenters to give multiple sessions.
• Consider soliciting local business sponsorships, perhaps to help with advertising, the hospitality room, etc.

Did we find out what our community wanted for the ACL MakerSpace? No, not really. We made the assumption that the public-at-large would know what a MakerSpace is, because we librarians know. MakerSpace terminology is so much a part of our active vocabulary that we neglected to provide something at the How-To Fair to explain it to our public. When we asked our attendees to fill out a survey as they left the venue, their focus and emotional involvement was with this How-To Fair and not necessarily with providing input for a future MakerSpace. We do know, however, that this sort of event truly appealed to them, and that alone was worth the effort.

And our ACL MakerSpace Committee’s future plans? We have refocused and are considering. . . ah, but that’s for me to tell you in a future blog.

References:

1. Kristin Fontichiaro & the Michigan Makers, University of Michigan School of Information, “What’s In Your Patron’s’ Dream Makerspace?” accessed May 20, 2015, http://fontichiaro.com/uploads/2014/booklist-makerspace-list.pdf.

2. “Grain Ideas-Growler House, Anderson,” accessed May 20, 2015, https://roundtown.com/event/2712891/Grain-Ideas-Growler-Haus-Anderson-Anderson-SC.

3. Judy Rosenfield, “Barbecue? Flamenco Dancing? Learning Gets Interactive in Louisville,” American Libraries, October 30, 2012, accessed May 20, 2015, http://americanlibrariesmagazine.org/2012/10/30/barbecue-flamenco-dancing-learning-gets-interactive-in-louisville/.

4. “eMerge @ The Garage: Driving entrepreneurship,” accessed May 20, 2015, http://www.emergeandersonsc.com/#!about_us/cjg9.

5. Website for Anderson (SC) County Library System: http://www.andersonlibrary.org

6. Link to Anderson (SC) County Library System’s How-To Fair: http://www.andersonlibrary.org/how-to-fair/

7. Facebook event page for Anderson (SC) County Library System’s How-To Fair: https://www.facebook.com/events/1593649477548555/

8. Facebook album for Anderson (SC) County Library System’s How-To Fair: https://www.facebook.com/media/set/?set=a.952981931400316.1073741828.354814934550355&type=3

The post From Come-Do to How-To first appeared on Public Libraries Online.

First, I have a problem with using the phrase “rock star librarian.” This is another one of those empty phrases that gets thrown around, but has no real meaning or pertinence. What defines a rock star librarian? Somebody who actually got noticed for a cool program that brought in a fresh group of patrons to their library? Someone who can deliver a solid presentation at a conference and get the majority of the attendees to leave more motivated to than they were before? This all reminds me a bit of high school with the cool kids versus the outcasts. Do we really need to label people in our profession? Or maybe we should just judge people based on their performance and not whether they appeared in Library Journal or another major library-related publication.

I read pretty much every issue of Library Journal, American Libraries, Public Libraries, etc. and pay attention to library trends through social media as much as I can. Each publication has an audience they are trying to reach and there is also competition amongst them. Therefore, some of the articles may feel sensationalized since they are trying to get your attention. American media in general has become pretty sensationalized. As a result, some members of the library profession have also found unique ways to get publicity for either themselves, or for their libraries. This makes perfectly good sense to me since if nobody is paying attention to what you are doing in today’s competitive tax environment; you are going to lose out.

Personally, I understand why some of these famous librarians exist. Who wants to get paid what we get paid with an advanced degree and not get some recognition for it? Yes, I know we are here to serve the community, but doing just that can burn you out. Also, who wants to keep watching the budgets for police, fire, roads, etc. continue to be increased while the budgets for most libraries and schools decrease? Just like King Kong beating his chest for attention, we have to find a way to not only engage our communities, but also the glazed over eyes of the dead weight that permeates our profession. I say let the rankings continue, let the beauty contests go on all night. If this is what it takes to get people to take our profession seriously and motivates the smart and ambitious to come up with bigger and better ideas to make libraries matter, then go for it. There are always going to be a few rotten apples that ruin it for those who actually deserve recognition, but that should not be enough to derail the entire idea that some truly deserve their moment on the stage.

Reference

http://bossladywrites.com/how-did-we-get-here-the-rise-and-hopeful-fall-of-rockstar-librarians/

The post Keep on Rocking first appeared on Public Libraries Online.

1. Current trends in early literacy practices and education. My school district recently began to follow the Fountas & Pinnell Guided Reading. When children and their families come in looking for a “level M” book, it’s a huge cause of frustration for my circulation staff. A trained children’s librarian should be aware of developments such as this and be able to offer recommendations. Similarly, a familiarity with the Common Core can aid not just in customer service, but also in collection development.
2. The importance of the reference interview. Reference interviews aren’t just for reference anymore! They can also be helpful in performing reader’s advisory. A librarian who is able to assess exactly what a patron is looking for is a huge asset to his or her department.
3. Understanding the needs of all levels of readers. Some children read far above their grade level and are not ready for the mature content that can come with higher-level books. Others struggle, and in the words of Marie Joyce, Children’s Librarian at the Free Public Library of Hasbrouck Heights, NJ, “it’s important to get them books they can read but that are not ‘babyish.’” A successful children’s librarian should be able to help find resources for all reading levels.
4. An awareness of pop culture. Just as it’s important to be cognizant of current educational trends, it can greatly help a children’s librarian to be aware of what’s going on in popular culture. Some of the highest-circing items in my library’s juvenile collection are LEGO books and Star Wars tie-ins. Similarly, we recently held an American Girl tea party that was an overwhelming success. Staying up to date on these things can help a professional relate better to young patrons, not to mention make the library a “cooler” place to hang out.
5. Management and networking skills. “Children librarians seem to be doing more and more on less available time. We are not an island…we need staff help, whether it is preparing crafts and props to marketing programs to patrons. Good management skills help rally the internal staff and outsiders who support the library with time and money,” points out Robin Rockman, Youth Services Librarian at Oradell (NJ) Free Public Library. Furthermore, many children’s librarians are also tasked with making sure their department runs smoothly. Having a good professional rapport with support staff makes this duty far easier.
6. How to talk to children. It seems obvious, but providing good service to children is far different than working with adults, or even teens. Establishing a non-intimidating but still authoritative stance with young patrons is key in a public library.
7. Technological know-how. That’s not to say every children’s librarian should be fluent in three different programming languages, but being able to leverage different resources can be a huge aid in both program development and customer service. It is also important to understand how screen time can affect our youngest patrons. It’s no longer out of place to have a parent or caregiver come into the library looking for app suggestions for their preschooler.
8. How to be a creative problem-solver. Children are unpredictable! You never know when a scheduled performer might not show up, or a kid has an accident during story time. Flexibility and being able to think quickly on his or her feet will pay off greatly during those moments of uncertainty.
9. Time management. Many children’s librarians are responsible for scheduling programming. Yet providing enough events for the public without burning themselves or their staff out can be a tricky act of balance. Similarly, most people in this position wear many different hats, from programming to collection development to community outreach and more. Being able to manage anything without being overwhelmed is vital.
10. How to promote library services. I come from a digital marketing background, and what I learned while working in that industry has helped me almost every day in my library career. Now more than ever, it’s necessary to stay relevant in the eyes of the public and elected officials. We can’t do that if no one knows about what we offer. From social media marketing to creating catchy in-house displays and merchandising, a keen sense for promoting library awareness will ensure the longevity of our field.

What other topics do you think a children’s librarian needs to know about? Share your thoughts in the comments!

The post Ten Things a Children’s Librarian Needs to Know first appeared on Public Libraries Online.

I’ve written before about the value of redefining libraries by repurposing them in the outside world. In these instances, inventive librarians have reconsidered the traditional idea of library and instead, brought books and information to the people. Such cases range from bookmobiles of all varieties roaming both urban and rural environments, to library workers setting up shop in various public spaces with the Volunteer Library Brigade. Yet now, librarians have broached a new frontier: libraries on water.

The Floating Library in Cedar Lake, Minneapolis, Minnesota, is a lake-based library of artist-made printed matter. It was conceived in 2013 by Sarah Peters, an artist, writer, and art administrator who sought to create an “experimental public art project that introduces the creative genre of artists’ books and printed matter to people recreating on an urban lake.” Peters resurrected the idea in 2014 and the library spent the last two weeks of August floating on Cedar Lake.

The collection encompasses both circulating and reference items, and a diverse selection of books have been submitted by artists, both local and international. Here are a few examples: “Martine Workman’s Prince Food outlines all of the food mentioned in Prince songs; Caitlin Warner’s Untitled (Mirror Book) is made entirely out of reflective Mylar; and Ady Olson’s (quite useful) contribution is a waterproof instructional manual on how to tie sailing knots.”

How it works: The library may be accessed by canoes, kayaks, paddle boards, or other small watercrafts. Simply paddle up to the 8 foot by 8 foot raft, and peruse the collection on shelves that have been built around the periphery of the raft. It’s designed so you can access the collection from the comfort of your boat! Borrowers receive a plastic bag to protect their items, and are given the option of returning borrowed items at one of four designated locations in Minneapolis.

Check out Peters’ Flickr photo set for more images of the Floating Library. And if you think about it, the idea isn’t actually so strange; after all, spending time engrossed in a book at the beach is a delightful way to spend an afternoon. Do you know of any floating or unusual libraries in your community? Please share in the comments.

The post Paddling to the Library first appeared on Public Libraries Online.

District 833, located southwest of St. Paul, formally launched the T3 Initiative during the 2013-14 academic year. This initiative is a key component of the district’s long range plan to move teachers and students towards a new digital curriculum. T3 is designed to help prepare students for twenty-first-century academic success by personalizing their education through self-directed, anytime/anywhere learning. Using a variety of emergent technologies, T3 capitalizes on the flexibility of digital communication and collaboration while helping students develop the critical thinking and evaluation skills necessary to function in an increasingly online world.

T3 was partially funded through Minnesota’s Compensatory Education Funding, which earmarks state education funds for schools with high numbers of students who have been unable to meet state and local performance standards for their grade levels. Schools receiving these funds are frequently located in areas of greater socioeconomic need throughout the state.

During the 2012-13 academic year—one year before the formal T3 launch—all District 833 teachers were issued a MacBook for classroom and home use. These laptops were intended to help facilitate the transition from print curricula to online learning models by familiarizing district teachers with the possibilities for integrating online material into their classrooms.

As the 2013-14 academic year approached, teachers were informed that textbooks for specific subjects, such as social studies, would be gradually phased out in place of online learning modules that teachers would be building for their classes. Textbooks would not be removed from classrooms. Instead, the district would simply stop purchasing them for specific subject areas. Funds for these textbooks would be reassigned to purchase access to online curricula modules (such as the Minnesota Partnership for Collaborative Curriculum) or for other specific online services teachers would like to access when constructing their class content.¹

As the 2012-13 academic year concluded, classroom teachers, media specialists, and public librarians contacted each other to investigate resource-sharing to support this new curriculum. WCL administration arranged to meet with District 833 administrators to investigate a more formalized collaboration that was preemptive rather than reactive to the upcoming changes.

What resulted was a multi-departmental approach involving library collaboration with a variety of district representatives and stakeholders over the course of the following year.

Library/School Profiles

WCL is a midsized suburban library system with six branches in a roughly California-shaped county. We share a western border with Ramsey County, which surrounds the state capitol, St. Paul, and we share an eastern border with the state of Wisconsin. Our annual circulation is approximately two million items for our six branches and we see approximately 800,000 visitors each year.

Two of our six branches are located within the borders of District 833. WCL’s Park Grove Branch Library was built in 1984, is 19,000 square feet, and services the majority of the lower-income students in the District 833 service area. The R.H. Stafford Branch Library was built in 2002, is 26,000 square feet, and services Woodbury, the largest city in Washington County.

District 833 has approximately 17,000 students enrolled in the district’s fifteen elementary schools, four middle schools, and three high schools. The district spans an eighty-four square mile area and has a population of approximately 94,000 residents.

A New Curriculum

Classrooms throughout District 833 have been incorporating online and digital components into their curricula for several years now. To encourage this, teachers are offered a variety of continuing education units (CEUs) on tech-related educational theories and applications. The most popular CEUs in recent years have been the Substitution Augmentation Modification Redefinition (SAMR) learning model, Moodle, Google Apps, and Notability.

Beginning in 2013, the district gained the capability to assign Google Drive accounts to the entire student body at the elementary, middle school, and high school levels. This created a cloud computing environment which allows students to create, share, and modify documents online across multiple operating systems.

And an increasing number of teachers are incorporating elements of the “flipped classroom,” where students view a daily lesson online at home and then report to school the next morning to review concepts and to practice skills.

The portion of District 833’s T3 initiative that has received the most publicity, however, is the tablet-based learning project, which distributed iPads to every student in five of the district schools (three elementary schools, one middle school, and one high school). Each of these five schools is located in the lowest income areas of the school district. The intent is to eventually provide tablets for all students in the district, but due to the availability of state funding for these five schools, the decision was made to implement at these locations first.

During the last weeks of summer 2013, each student at these five schools was issued an iPad preloaded with the following standardized suite of iWork apps:

• Notability: note-taking app that allows for note taking via typing or writing (with finger or stylus) and also allows for note taking on top of existing PDF docs
• Pages: word-processing app that is the Apple equivalent of Microsoft Word
• Numbers: spreadsheet app that is comparable to Microsoft Excel
• Keynote: presentation app comparable to Microsoft PowerPoint
• iPhoto: app for creating, editing, and sharing photos
• iMovie: app for creating, editing, and sharing movies
• GarageBand: app for creating, editing, and sharing music

Students are permitted to load additional apps to their devices, but the core apps above are required to remain installed on all tablets. There are also numerous apps currently being used by classroom teachers that are not part of this initial suite, including a variety of whiteboard apps as well as the Schoolology Learning Management System.

Teachers in all subjects were encouraged, but not required, to begin introducing new methods of accessing class content via tablet. Students are able to use their devices at home to view classroom presentations and to complete online homework assignments. Many of the apps used in class are linked to accounts managed by their teachers. This allows teachers to review student progress in real time as the assignments are completed at school and at home. Students also gain an online forum to ask questions, discuss concerns, or post community responses about topics pertaining to class or to homework.

Library Support

As WCL and District 833 staff corresponded in the months leading up to the start of the school year, library staff worked to develop a cohesive strategy for providing support to students as the T3 initiative went live in the fall of 2013. Over the course of the next several months, we established seven principal collaboration points where libraries and various school district departments partnered to better leverage our collective resources.

1. Library Card Drives

After discussion with District 833’s library and media center coordinator, it was decided that WCL would begin its support by setting up a series of library card registration drives at schools throughout the district. The primary goal would be to make the library’s dozens of subscription databases available to students, both in school and at home. The anytime/anywhere accessibility of these online resources fit nicely with the district’s general goal to expand learning opportunities for students beyond the standard school day. But to make these services available, we needed to distribute library cards to as many students as possible.

The first part of our library card registration drive strategy would be to send staff to schools to register students on site. The SirsiDynix Symphony integrated library system (ILS) that WCL currently runs allows for remote card registration via a secured HTTP connection. Library staff would take one or more library laptops loaded with SirsiDynix Symphony ILS to the schools. We would be placed in media centers, lunch rooms, or hallways to register students throughout the day. We quickly found ourselves in a time crunch, though. Students were unable to wait in long lines because they had to move along to classes, and WCL staff members were limited by how quickly they could do the data entry. We, quite literally, couldn’t register students quickly enough.

So we worked with library administration to develop a second process involving paper registrations distributed and tracked by classroom teachers. Students who wanted a library card would complete the paperwork and return the applications to the teachers. Teachers would review the applications for completeness and then forward the applications on to the nearest public library. Our staff would process the cards for return and distribution in the classrooms.

In order to make this process work, library administration approved a special dispensation for any students with outstanding fees on their account. Any student with late fees would have the fees waived, up to an amount of $50. A new library card number would be assigned to the account and the student would have a clean slate with the library.

This modified registration process allowed us to register students en masse, covering entire classrooms at a time.

2. Resource Demonstrations

As the library card registration drives were occurring in schools around the district, library staffers were also scheduled for off-site demonstrations of online library resources. Staff demonstrated databases and research products in classrooms, in media centers, and also at special school events such as new student orientations, family night for English language learners, and the Disability Resource Fair.

For high school students, our demonstrations focused on resources that current juniors might need to use the following year as seniors. The goal of these sessions was to emphasize that whatever you are planning to do after high school graduation (Going to college? Enlisting in the military? Job hunting?), we can help. Our staff demonstrated SAT, ACT, and ASVAB study resources through Learning-Express Library. We also demonstrated résumé building and interview skills via JobNow.

At our back-to-school sessions for middle schoolers, we demonstrated simple research products, such as Biography In Context, Gale’s Discovering Collection, NovelList K-8, and BrainFuse’s HelpNow. And at all of the schools we visited, we were asked to demonstrate e-book access. WCL subscribes to both the Overdrive and 3M Cloud library products. When visiting T3 schools where every student had a district-issued iPad, we asked teachers to load the two e-book apps in advance of our visit. This enabled us to begin the book selection process without the time-consuming step of loading the apps. At schools that did not have tablets, we demonstrated e-book apps using one of the WCL staff-training iPads.

3. Media Specialist In-Service

Before the 2013-14 year officially began, WCL was invited to do a general presentation on e-resources to the district’s twenty-plus media specialists at their summer orientation session. Our three goals in this presentation were: (1) to demonstrate ebook access, (2) to demonstrate just a few of our most popular electronic resources, and (3) to reinforce our desire to assist the media specialists however we can as they work their way through the T3 process.

By happy coincidence, the district superintendent and assistant superintendent walked into the media center as we were wrapping up. After finishing our presentation, we ran into both superintendents in the parking lot. Both made a point of expressing their gratitude for our support of the T3 initiative.

4. Access Cards for Media Centers

Following our presentation to the media specialists, we began discussions with the library and media center coordinator about the possibility of remote access to WCL databases at the school libraries and media centers. WCL staff had recently heard about a resource-sharing strategy in place at a northern California public library, involving the assignment of library card numbers to school libraries.

We moved this idea forward to WCL administration. After several discussions, what resulted was the creation of a new type of library card for WCL: the e-resource card. These limited-use library cards provide access to the library’s suite of online research tools but cannot be used to check out books.

We made one of these e-resource cards available to each of the twenty-five schools in District 833. Media specialists are now able to do demonstrations of public library resources to students—but, equally important, they can also do demonstrations to district teachers who are looking to incorporate online resources into their new class curricula.

5. Wireless Access at Public Libraries

One of the first topics discussed when preparing to support the T3 initiative was the matter of wireless access points in the community at large. Because the school district was distributing iPads to the lowest income areas of the district, there were initial concerns about students having access to wireless networks at home after school. Specifically, the question was raised: If a child is given a tablet because his or her family is unable to afford to purchase a tablet, is it reasonable to assume that they will have wireless access at home?

So we asked the district how students without Wi-Fi at home would be completing their online assignments. The initial thought was that students would be able to visit local businesses with wireless access (coffee shops, restaurants, and so forth). This again raised the question of affordability. Can a student whose family can’t afford to install a wireless network at home be reasonably expected to pay the price of a cup of coffee in order to do their homework? (Should they have to?)

A better alternative, we suggested, would be to market the public library as a resource for students who need to get online with their wireless devices. At the library, students are welcome to stay as long as they would like, there are no fees charged for wireless access, and there are meeting rooms available for any group projects the students would need to complete.

It was at this point that we realized that we had a problem. We had assumed that the district iPads would be fully compatible with the library’s county-provided network. They weren’t. Proxy configurations on the library network and on the district iPads were in conflict, so we quickly pulled together a meeting of county and district IT staff to discuss the situation.

After several weeks of discussion and testing, the school district offered to install district-owned wireless networks in both the Park Grove and Stafford branches.

At Park Grove, the district funded a quarter-mile cable run from their nearest elementary school to the library. The Stafford Branch is located in a multipurpose facility that includes the local YMCA, an indoor park, an amphitheater, numerous meeting rooms, and a branch office of District 833’s Early Childhood and Family Education (ECFE) division. The district was able to pull cable approximately one hundred feet from the lower level of the facility, where ECFE offices are located, to the upper level where the library is located.

Access points were installed at both the Stafford and Park Grove branch libraries. When these access points went online, each library now hosted two wireless networks: one from Washington County and one from District 833.

For students, walking in the front door of their local library is now the same as walking in the front door of their school. As soon as their tablets detect the school network, they are automatically connected and online. Library staffers are entirely removed from having to troubleshoot any compatibility issues between the school network and the student devices.

6. Cloud Storage

Prior to the 2013-14 academic year, all WCL Internet workstations were imaged with just two browsers for accessing the web: Internet Explorer and Mozilla’s Firefox. As the academic year progressed, staff saw an increase in compatibility errors associated with students’ Google Drive accounts. The Firefox and IE browsers installed on library workstations were several versions old. Both were missing key plug-ins and other components necessary to operate the newest version of the Google Drive product.

County IT did not have the time to create a new profile or to reimage the hundred-plus PC workstations at the library. But IT was able to push an installation of the Chrome browser out to our PCs. The addition of Chrome had the immediate effect of giving seamless entry into the Google Drive product for all students, while removing the staff need to troubleshoot compatibility issues associated with other browsers.

7. Staff Training

Throughout the 2013-14 academic year, library staffers have been receiving updates about a variety of T3-related concerns, including accessibility, Apple iOS upgrades, and miscellaneous hardware issues.

Initially, however, staff members were most concerned about the apps that were preloaded on the students’ iPads. All WCL information services staff had received general iPad (and Google Nexus) training in order to demonstrate e-book services to our customers. So our librarians were already familiar with the mechanics of operating tablet-based technologies.

However, none of our staff had any experience with the core apps installed on the district iPads. We also learned that the iWorks software was not an approved (supported) app with our county IT department so we were unable to load this suite of software onto our library tablets.

We contacted the district’s continuing education coordinator to request recommendations about training exercises for library staff. He responded with a generous offer: They would make available several online continuing education courses for library staff to attend. These included online sessions on SAMR, Google Drive, Notability, iWorks, and Moodle. With this offer, library staff members were now able to receive the same training that district teachers received in preparation for the 2014-15 school year.

Year in Review

With the 2013-14 school year coming to a close, library staff from the Park Grove and Stafford branch libraries began comparing notes on which initiatives worked, and what did not.

What Worked

We registered approximately two thousand students for library cards during the 2013-14 school year. Onsite registration was a popular option, but not an efficient one. We could process paper applications more quickly (and in bulk) back at the branches, using a team of circulation staff. Sending one or two individuals onsite to register students at the schools themselves was a nice bit of outreach, but did not net us the volume of registrations we wanted to achieve.

The presentation we made to media specialists established school contacts for each building in the district. This resulted in numerous invitations to present content at not just media centers but also at individual classrooms for teachers interested in demonstrations of library research tools, e-books, and more.

District administrative staff members were extremely grateful for the regular feedback from public library staff about student experiences with their tablets. This frequent exchange of information demonstrated both the frequency with which students visited the libraries and also our commitment to supporting this educational initiative. All of these factors contributed to the district’s decision to invest the necessary funds to install their wireless networks in two of our buildings.

The collaboration with the district gave us further insights into the scale of similar operations in other districts around the state. The collaboration has also given us a better picture of how technology and online resources were being used in the classroom. And by understanding how the technology is being used in the classroom, we are better prepared to market our services in a form that is both meaningful and useful to teachers and to students.

What Didn’t Work

Wireless access should have been tested well before the beginning of academic year. As project lead for WCL, this oversight was entirely my fault as I assumed compatibility would not be an issue, that students could use our county wireless network without any problems. Because of this, we didn’t do any testing until the school year had begun. By the time we found out that there were problems, we were unable to get to a solution until a large portion of the school year had passed.

Training was an ongoing concern for library staff, but ended up not being the problem that it might have been. Students with iPads were unexpectedly (but happily) very familiar with the usage of most of the iPad apps. And the core suite of apps loaded on the iPads were not utilized very heavily by district teachers this first year so we saw only a few questions about iWork apps.

What’s Next

The library’s watchword for the 2014-15 school year is “sustain.” We want to continue our support, including library card registration drives and resource demonstrations. We want to continue in our role as a technology access point for students. And we want to maintain the communication channels we’ve opened, not only with district administration but also with the teachers and media specialists who work in the district schools.

If staffing and time permit, we would like to duplicate our summertime presentation to media specialists and expand this area to include teachers in other disciplines as well. The district has also invited us to attend some of their in-service training sessions as audience members so that library staff can see what new technologies and learning strategies are being rolled out for the coming year.

Library staff may present on this partnership at the annual Minnesota Library Association conference and it has also been suggested that we consider a similar presentation at the state’s annual teacher conference.

Conclusion

Numerous other school districts in Minnesota are investigating ways to incorporate more digital resources into their curriculum. To date, fifty-plus districts statewide are actively engaged in creating their own peer-reviewed digital content for use in the classroom. Locally managed digital content has the potential to be more responsive to current trends, current events, and STEM advancements—which often date paper texts. And the cost of these digital curricula is less than the cost of textbooks, potentially saving districts thousands of dollars for other projects and programs.

Minnesota’s public school system consistently ranks in the top tier of many national surveys about public education. And Minnesota’s high school seniors have scored highest in the nation on ACT exams for the past eight years.² A key component to maintaining these performance levels in the future will be the ability of our school districts to stay in front of tech trends that have the potential to improve the delivery and comprehension of classroom content for students.

With a growing suite of online resources, public libraries are ideally positioned to demonstrate online content options to educators. Similarly, we are well positioned to support initiatives involving the digitization and distribution of previously printed resources because, as a profession, we have witnessed this digital migration of our print resources for the past twenty years.

By working collaboratively with school districts as they navigate their way through new digital learning models, libraries have a unique opportunity to demonstrate their utility to the next generation of students and educators. And having walked this path ourselves over the past two decades, we are in a position to assist school leaders in their planning and execution of the new curricula being launched in our service areas.

By forming these strategic partnerships with our local schools in the years ahead, we have the potential to raise the community profile of both organizations. Libraries that actively seek out these collaborations appear timely, responsive, and supportive of education efforts in our communities. School districts gain a recognized and respected ally to cite as a supporter of their efforts.

By observing how another important local organization is adapting to the technological developments that are changing the way services are delivered, we are given a frame of reference for mapping our own future. And we gain insights on how we might deliver library services in a way that is both familiar to students and relevant to their evolving academic needs.

References

1. Minnesota Partnership for Collaborative Curriculum (MPCC) homepage, accessed May 7, 2014. MPCC is actively engaged in the creation of open digital curriculum for more than fifty partner districts throughout the state of Minnesota. MPCC content is peer-reviewed, meets state education standards, and is designed by education professionals who support the collaborative creation and distribution of education resources.

2. “ACT and SAT Test Scores: ACT Scores of Minnesota High School Test Takers,” Minnesota Office of Higher Education, accessed May 7, 2014.

The post Supporting Innovation in Education: Digital Curricula and the Public Library first appeared on Public Libraries Online.

My library has been dealing with cultural issues that are fairly unique: we have been forced into a crisis situation due to a natural disaster, leaving us in temporary quarters and on shaky financial ground for nearly five years. While the natural disaster that caused our crisis is unique, it’s also true that our peers across the country, nay, the world, deal with similar issues of funding insecurity and fatigued facilities.

What is unique to us is that in August we will open a new main library facility. This building will be amazing: state-of-the-art design, new technology, bright spaces and many excited patrons. We began to ask ourselves how our staff culture would handle a move from temporary quarters to a new, permanent home that is so far advanced from where we originated.

How do you take a staff that has been worn down by critics, toddled through the verbal haggling of politicians and elected officials, and left feeling defensive and isolated, and bring them into the future with a smile and true excitement?

We developed what we call the Innovation Council. This group of nine individuals meets regularly, taking time out of their regularly scheduled work to focus on the idea of innovation.  When the program was originally launched by our director he had to have commitment from every department that they would be willing to give these hours away so that the council could commit to regular meetings. This wasn’t an easy thing to do in any department—we all know how precious our staff hours are to the many different roles we all must fulfill. However, every department felt that investing the time and personnel into this project would yield results that will be beneficial to the positive development of our entire staff. So each department participated.

The overall goal was to have the Innovation Council present a proposal to the management, director, and eventually the Library Board of Trustees. The proposal should be a well thought out plan for innovation in or by the Library that would assist with propelling us forward to meet the constantly changing needs of our community, including a budget to implement.

The results are yet to be tallied—the Innovation Council has been meeting since fall of 2012, with their first big event being a trip to the R Squared Conference in Telluride, CO. However,  instead of simply working on one large goal, the Innovation Council has taken it upon themselves to embark on simple yet effective tools of engagement with our staff.

Some examples:

• In early November, staff members were  asked to provide the Council with an interesting fact about themselves, that other people may not know. Examples included being in a band in college, working at a ski resort, or swimming with dolphins. These items were compiled into a trivia game—match the person with the item.The person who won received some chocolate, but overall the staff got to know each other more. It started conversations.
• For Thanksgiving, the Council asked everyone on staff to write one good thing about everyone else. They didn’t have to make something up if they didn’t know a person, but with over 50 staff members there were plenty of opportunities to fill out something nice about at least a few coworkers. The Council then compiled these lists and gave them to each staff person on Thanksgiving Day. Each of us returned after the holiday to a list of things others liked about us. What a wonderful way to start a weekend!

Chili cook-offs, secret cupid gift exchange, and a healthy snack contest all add to the feeling of camaraderie and good-will among coworkers.Staff who rarely smile or speak to others are suddenly engaging in conversation and seem happier to be at work.While these things may not appear on their very surface to be crazily innovative, for our staff they are changing our culture. We are approaching our workplace with a new sense of belonging and acceptance. And in turn we are working with our customers (both internal and external) in a new and more positive way. The Innovation Council at the Cedar Rapids Public Library is only getting started but so far the investment has paid off.

The post An Investment in Innovation first appeared on Public Libraries Online.