Journal #13 - My local libraries

There are three libraries that I am most familiar with - the Buena Park Library, Cal State Long Beach's Library, and the Cerritos Library.  These three libraries are very VERY different from one another for many reasons. 

Buena Park's Library is how I remember libraries to be like from my childhood.  It feels small and cozy even though it has three floors, because every space is being used for books or tables or displays.  There are lots of bilingual and cultural programs for all ages regularly being held at the library.  I feel comfortable just going into the library, finding a quiet corner, and reading a book or connecting to the wifi.

Cal State Long Beach's Library is an academic library.  Its main goal is too assist students with research and homework.  There's wifi throughout the campus, there are floors and floors of journals, research materials, and core subject books.  There is even a small area of the library with children's books and videos. 

Cerritos Library is a more modern public library.  It shiny and full of visually pleasing materials and displays.  The children's area alone - with an aquarium, T-rex, and spaceship - makes it more a place of playfulness and fun then of stern learning.  They have programs going on almost every day for all ages - though there is a big focus on children's programs.

I think that while each library is great in its own way, they could also each learn from one another in their programming.  Buena Park library could use some more performer type programs - such as puppet shows or author talks.  Cal State Long Beach could use some more 'fun' programs as a break or stress reducer from all the academic soaked activities that their students are involved in.  The Cerritos Library could use some more bilingual programs - such as bilingual storytimes or cultural awareness programs. 

I like that each of these libraries are different from one another and offer me different things.  They help me break the stereotypical idea of what a library should or should not be in my own mind.  These are stereotypes that many of our patrons struggle with in their own minds.  And in order for me to contribute to the future of libraries - I need to think outside of library stereotypes.  I need to research what needs the library's community has, research what the patrons want, and interpret their needs into programs and services that the library can offer thus keeping the library a relevant entity in people's lives. 

Journal #10 - Teen Spaces in the Library

It seems that a lot of my "youth" research this semester ended up actually being "teen" research.  I focused mostly on those between the ages of 12 to 19 years.  I think this ended up in part for two reasons.  1) The teen years are a full of change, identity building, and enthusiasm for new ideas and 2) they tend to be an overlooked (or sadly even unwanted) population in the library.

These is really depressing because teens can really be some of our greatest content creators.  In some instances, I think that the only things that hold them back is free time and available equipment.  So when I came across this article in the School Library Journal (3/1/2011), I was full of smiles.  Chicago's library really stepped up and connected with teens - listening to them and giving them what they wanted and needed to expand their technology learning. 

We as libraries need to follow in the Chicago's library example and welcome teens to our libraries.  Even if you don't have the money to buy all the coolest games and remodel a floor for them.  Welcoming teens means providing them a space to be who they are naturally.  Some place a where a little noise isn't such a big problem. A place where they can access their social networking accounts.  A place where they can work in groups - on the floor or at tables.

It doesn't take much in the way of research to figure out what teens want.  Just ask them.  As a group, their pretty willing to share their ideas with you - providing they think you might actually listen.  Set out quick answer or suggestion surveys in the library where teens will see them and have a convenient drop off box somewhere nearby.  An easy to access email or digital drop box on the library's website is also a good way to go.  A little casual research can go a long way.    

Journal # 7 - Social Networks and Security Issues

I've been doing a lot of research lately about youth and social networks for my classes.  One of the issues that's come up in our class group discussions and in some of the research is the issue of security.  Social networking security and privacy issues are a tricky thing.  On the one hand you want to share all your information with your friends and family.  On the other, you don't want to open yourself up as an easy target for identity thieves and hackers. 

So what's a person to do? Cancel their account? Not likely with 590 million users worldwide as of February 2011 according to Google.  According to Blue Coat's 2011 Security Report, social networking sites are becoming a prime hunting ground for malware to obtain access to a user's credentials which (because we use the same passwords and info on multiple accounts) are then used to access our online banking and other online accounts.  Facebook is now the 4th is one of the top 10 targets of phishing according to Blue Coat.  And the information they're going for is different then you might think and disguised as our friends.  Just check out Kristof's article (3/18/2011) on Biggest Facebook Security Threats, she lists some prime examples any of us could (or have) fallen for at the bottom.  

Blue Coat's Security Report states that the rise in social networking use is leading to a rise in security treats found on social networks.  Livingstone's (2008) article about teenagers' use of social networking sites for intimacy, privacy and self-expression states that teens are aware of their need for privacy measures, yet are lacking the the technological knowledge to select the appropriate settings on social networks such as Facebook and MySpace.  It seems to me that libraries are in a prime position to help educate teens and adults about Internet security measures, Facebook settings and design, and social networking usage tips. 

Journal Reference
Livingstone, S. (2008). Taking risky opportunities in youthful content creation: Teenagers' use of social networking sites for intimacy, privacy and self-expression. New Media & Society, 10(3), 393-411.

Teen Spaces in Libraries

I'm one of the lucky ones.  My local library has a wonderful space dedicated to young adults.  The area has a collection of young adult books, magazines, and graphic novels.  There are tables for group work, chair groupings for quite socializing, big comfy purple chairs stuck in corners and individual study carrels scattered around to do homework.  There is a display case on one wall, changed monthly, with YA high interest themes.  Last month’s theme was a collection of old video gaming systems and their games such as pong, Atari, NES, Super NES, and Genesis.  A table in the middle of the area displays popular YA graphic novels, books, and music.  The YA area is also conveniently located next to the DVD and music collection.

Young adults make up a proportionate number of library users with 78% of children ages 8 – 18 years old owning a library card, according to the Youth and Library Use Study a Harris Interactive poll conducted in June 2007 (Bolan, 2008).  This shouldn’t be surprising since they need a library card in order to complete homework and school directed research.  Yet YA spaces represent on average only 2.2 percent of a library’s total square footage and only 4 percent at the largest libraries (Honnold, 2010).  YALSA has adopted the position that in order for public libraries to continue moving forward the ratio of a teen area to the overall library should be equal to the ratio of the teen population of that community to the overall population of that community (Bolan, 2008).

It is important for libraries to make space for teens in their library.  Today’s teens are tomorrow’s adults.  They will be making the future decisions that will effect library funding.  By not answering their unique needs or desires, libraries risk losing this valuable patron base.  If you’re not sure what those needs are outside of the developmental, try something radical and ask them.

Tumblebooks (Database)

Website: www.tumblebooks.com

Content:
The Tumblebooks Library is an online collection of animated picture books. Schools and libraries pay a yearly subscription fee of approximately $400 dollars to provide their patrons access. Books, both fiction and non-fiction, come from a variety of publishers. There are currently 190 digital titles in the Tumblebook collection. There are no outside vendor’s advertisements found in the website. Since accessibility is only available through an organization's subscription, not everyone has access to this website.

Personal Thoughts:
The database is pretty easy to use and may be navigated by a 3 or 4 year old who is comfortable on the computer.  Parent supervision may still be needed to help children browse the titles and to switch from one title to another. The audio features make this a slightly helpful tool in helping to teach a child to read. It would work better though if the individual word was highlighted when being read as oppose to the whole sentence. Not the greatest of tools available for an emergent reader.  Still Tumblebooks does offer a large number of popular picture books available for instantaneous viewing on your computer.

The Future of Reading

Overview and reflection of the article, The Future of Reading: Don’t worry. It might be better than you think. By John Green

Published in School Library Journal on January 1, 2010.

            Author John Green writes about how the future of books and reading is in the hand of children’s and young adult librarians.  “How librarians choose to build [their] collections, whom [they] buy from, and how [they] discover the works [they] want to share with [their] patrons will shape what Americans—whether or not they ever visit libraries—will read and how they will read it.”  Green calls children’s librarians gatekeepers because they collect books and strive to offer the best books.  We have the power to support the status quo (established publishers) or embrace radical change (support more self publishers).  Either way Green argues, how librarians choose the books or ebooks we offer our patrons and the types of reading we support will dictate how reading will develop.  I feel that this article is a call to take up the challenge of sorting through the different forms of digital reading, just as we have for the printed form.  The challenge is a daunting one as the realm of digital books is just being developed and even now in its infant form it is so vast.         

            The author offers an example of how reading might change with technology through his experimental online novella, This Is Not Tom (TINT), where the reader must solve riddles in order to access the different chapters. While the author admits that his novella is not the best example of the future of reading, as the riddles are extremely difficult and the story sucks (his words not mine), he using it more as an example that how we read is always changing.  The author does not seem to think this type of reading will catch on anytime soon due to his own failure.  Whereas an article by Tom Peters  in the Library School Journal supports the idea that those very interactive genres, such as books via cell phone texting, are becoming highly popular.     

            Both Peters and Green feel that reading is in no danger of becoming obsolete.  Instead they both feel that it will flourish in this digital age.  While some might argue that the large amount of videos online will replace text, both authors feel that text both supports and is supported by video.  I agree with them that reading is in no danger, but libraries do need to evolve with the changes occurring in how people read.  Peters particularly believes that libraries need to be advocates and provide clear organized information as new forms of reading are developed.  I think that libraries have already begun to take this step through the adoption of e-readers and downloadable books.  In understanding the different ways that reading is evolving, librarians will understand how they themselves need to evolve in order to meet their patrons, the ever growing mass of readers, needs and wants.  It is my hope that I am able to rise to such a challenge and keep my knowledge up to date. 

The "Middle" Child aka Tweens

Reflection: How does having a separate school category (Middle) affect our understanding of tweens?

Subjects: Tween Development, Teaching Strategies, Importance of Understanding Tweens as a Separate Group  

            I feel that having a separate Middle school category helps us to better understand the developmental needs of tweens.  In separating them into a category at the school level, we are more easily able to separate them in our minds in other areas such as physical development, social development, and general interests which lead us towards developing appropriate strategies in order to better serve them.  Without a middle school category, it would be too tempting to lump tweens into either a child or teen category.

            Educators are already ahead of the game developing strategies in order to better meet middle school students’ needs.  Weiner (2007) presents a variety of instructional activities based around the PIES (Physical, Intellectual, Emotional, and Social development) of young adolescents and argues that many of the annoying behaviors of middle school students that frustrate educators, such as the inability to sit still, are based on common developmental issues.  Teachers can their understanding of young adolescent PIES to promote a learning environment where young adolescents can succeed by working with rather then against common issues, such as having students move from one learning station to another in set intervals in order to combat restlessness (Weiner, 2007). 

            It isn’t only schools that understand the differences between children, tweens, and teens.  The American Academy of Child and Adolescent Psychiatry (AACAP) has created separate lists on adolescent development for middle school/early high school and for older high school teenagers.  The Search Institute has also created developmental assets lists for ages 5 to 9, ages 8 to 12, and ages 12 to 18.  As Anderson (2007) and Lesesne (2006) both discuss, tweens are experiencing so many different developmental transitions (physically, mentally emotionally, and socially) which they may need help with or information on.  Librarians can help tweens deal with these transitions by providing materials and programming that center on tween issues.  Librarians can use the strategies and information provided from similar sources to those mentioned above in order to make better decisions on the types of materials and programs provided for tweens.

Reference:

Anderson, S. (2007). Serving young teens and ‘tweens. Westport, CT: Libraries Unlimited. 

Lesesne, T. (2006). Naked reading: Uncovering what tweens need to become lifelong readers. Portland, ME: Stenhouse Publishers. 

Weiner, C. (2007). Understanding Kids in the Middle. Principal (Reston, Va.), 86(4), 74-5. Retrieved September 14, 2010 from Education Full Text database.