demise ? of school libraries

First, a nice little video on why we should care about the possible demise of school libraries

We'll get back to the video later.


It is true, as ably described by Lauren, Verna, Geoffrey, and the other posters, that there is much to be discouraged about concerning the future of school libraries. Many libraries are facing cuts in materials budgets and (more importantly) staffing. They are not given highest priority in many schools as people question their necessity in this internet age.

I wanted to explore one specific recent years that offers hope for the future of school libraries that Verna mentioned. That is Congress passing (with bipartisan support!) the Every Student Succeeds Act (ESSA), which President Barack Obama signed on December 15, 2015.

                                                        (image of signing ceremony from whitehouse.gov)



Emily Sheketoff, executive director of the American Library Association Washington Office (ALAWASH), headed the ALA's federal lobbying efforts, and expressed gratification  over its passage -- even though it did fall short of her ideal. `"If I were the king of all things," she told School Library Journal editor Rebecca T. Miller, "I would have wanted a section [in the bill] for school libraries that required every school...[to] have a school library with a state-certified school librarian and such staff as that librarian needs to teach every student in the school what they need to know." (Miller, 2016).

ESSA does not have that. But it still has "a lot" according to Sheketoff. Provisions in the new law that might impact school libraries. One advance is is simple recognition throughout the law's text that libraries are an integral part of effective schools.   "School libraries and school librarians are really recognized as critical education partners in this bill" says 2015-16 ALA president Sari Feldman. (Heitin, 2015). The "acknowledgement that an effective library is part of a good school" means that "if a school is failing, one of the things the school district needs to look at is if [it has] an effective library program" according to Shektoff (Miller, 2016).

In addition, ESSA includes the Innovative Approaches to Literacy program, which empowers to Secretary of Education to award grants and contracts to promote literacy programs -- monies that could theoretically be awarded for library resources and professional development for librarians.  It also permits the use of Federal Title II funds to support instructional services "provided by effective school library programs" and encourages schools and districts to promote digital skills and literacy -- tasks well-suited for libraries. (Heitin, 2015).

However, the law as written permits and encourages states and local school districts to seek out grants and improve library programs, it does not mandate them necessarily. ESSA in general gives more leeway for local control decisions than the legislation it replaced (No Child Left Behind).  There is no federal dedicated funding stream or line item funding for school libraries in the law.

What that means is that the future challenge for school librarians and school library supporters is to marshal support from school administrators to aggressively take advantage of the funding opportunities from ESSA and convince districts that supporting libraries (with federal, state, and local monies) is necessary to create vibrant school environments that promote learning. Basically it means that librarians still have the burden of lobbying for more funding for their positions and to try to marshal both administrative and public support for school libraries.

Which means more public relations efforts making arguments similar to what is seen in the video above. (see, I told you we'd get back to the video).  ESSA does not guarantee the future of school libraries, but it gives more resources -- and the imprimatur of government recognition -- to those librarians seeking to both preserve and transform the school library -- and perhaps one day achieve the dream of a library and a librarian in every school.

Resources linked and cited in this post

[Captstone Publishers]. (2014, October 22). School libraries matter: the changing role of the school librarian.  [Video File]. Retrieved from https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6eilZJp3_h8.

Heitin, L. (2015, December 9). How literacy programs and school libraries fare under the new federal bill [Web log post]. Retrieved April 21, 2016, from http://blogs.edweek.org/edweek/curriculum/2015/12/literacy_school_libraries_ESSA.html

Miller, R. T. (2016). A new start: With school libraries in ESSA, on the the next phase of advocacy. School Library Journal. Retrieved April 21, 2016, from http://www.slj.com/2016/01/opinion/editorial/a-new-start-with-school-libraries-in-essa-on-to-the-next-phase-of-advocacy-editorial/#_

makerspaces and libraries

What is a maker space exactly?   And what do libraries have to do with them?

Education Week published a good overviewish article on makerspaces and schools in 2015. One of things noted is that there is no one simple definition of makerspaces.  They can be part of the school program or an afterschool program; they can be high tech or low tech, they may not even be called maker spaces.   The main theme linking various makerspaces together is innovation/creation. They are places where students (in schools) can exercise different brain muscles by making and creating things. These could be computer apps, 3d-printer items, articles of clothing sewn in sewing machines, or Lego structures.

Many school libraries have explored and set up maker spaces as a way to stimulate student learning activities in the library.  One that has been the subject of several media reports and academic case studies was implemented at New Milford High School in Bergen County, New Jersey.  Here is a short news video about that project.

Laura Fleming, media specialist/librarian for New Milford High School, used her experiences in creating this particular maker space to write a book and an article for Teacher Librarian (with Stephen and Debra Kurti) on how schools and libraries could create maker spaces. The authors summarized the process she used in seven steps:

1.  Observe students to find what they were interested in 
2.  Review school curriculum and goals to see what activities would complement them
3. Review national/global trends in technology and culture
4. Use these observations to formulate broad themes
5. procure a space and materials (Fleming started with old computers that could be taken apart, Legos, some hand tools, a 3d printer, Mackey Mackey kits)
6. promote student "ownership" of the makerspace -- encourage students to experiment on their own without obvious adult supervision. "Spacemakers acting as experts on a subject will generally limit the users of the space." write Kurti and Fleming. "To remove this limitation and give the students ownership of their learning, it is crucial to stand slightly to the side and allow the students to make their own mistakes and find their own solutions." (Kurti and Fleming, 2014). 
7. keep the makerspace fresh and evolving by adding new items and tools each semester.  Making the maker space requires "tinkering" just as much as an individual maker space project.

The key to successful Maker spaces is not necessarily a high budget or expensive gizmos and facilities, Kurti and Fleming conclude in the Teacher Librarian article. Rather, it is an educator with "a powerful vision and a willingness to try new things."

Works mentioned, linked, and cited in this post


Bell, J. (2015). School librarians push for more 'maker spaces' Education Week, 34(30), 10. Retrieved April 20, 2016, from http://www.edweek.org/ew/articles/2015/05/13/school-librarians-push-for-more-maker-spaces.html

[CBS New York]. (2014, February 27). New Jersey high school getting creative with makerspace.[Video File]. Retrieved from https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zZE8nCABAX4.

Fleming, L. (2015). Worlds of making: Best practices for establishing a makerspace for your school (Corwin Connected Educators Series). Thousand Oaks, CA: Corwin.

Kurti, S.R., Kuri, D., & Fleming, L. (2014). Practical implementation of an educational makerspace. Teacher Librarian, 42(2), 20-24.  Accessed from Academic Search Premier, April 20, 2016.

BYOD and libraries

I enjoyed reading the posts on this topic by Lauren and Verna; I will try to add what I can.

BYOD, of course, stands for Bring Your Own Device.  In the library (and school library) context the devices in question are iPads, tablets, smartphones -- electronic devices that can search for information on the Internet and provide media objects (text, visual, audio). Doug Johnson, director of media and technology at a Minnesota school district, refers to these devices as having a library in one's pocket, and argues that they "call into question the need to traditional, print-oriented libraries, as well as traditional print-oriented teacher librarians."

My own personal observations on this phenomenon include

• in substitute teaching high school and middle school, I reckon 98 percent of students bring some sort of device with them
• 98 percent of the time, the devices are used for goofing off.  

I have seen some more productive work done with school-issued Chromebooks, including teachers using Google classroom for assignments and such.  (Johnson and Lagarde make a distinction between 1:1 programs in which the school district furnishes the electronic device,and BYOD, in which the family pays for it; BYOD might appeal to some as less costly to the district. However, the disruptive elements of this information technology seem to apply regardless of who is paying for the devices).  

According to Johnson, school librarians and those who staff them should get out in front of popularity and potential of electronic devices and make themselves "indispensable to school efforts in "giving all students continuous access to online resources."

One ramification of the goal of continuous network is the library's own wireless network. Johnson and Largarde contend that school libraries should include a robust wireless network infrastructure, ideally with enough bandwidth to support four devices per student. They also suggest that perhaps schools can create a separate wireless network for students and guests, keeping it separate from the computer network dealing with online gradebooks, payroll, library circulation, to minimize security risks.

Johnson explores other ramifications in a 2012 article first published in Library Media Connection, in which he calls for librarians to ask several questions about themselves and their school programs. These include

1. Do library rules help or hinder students in utilizing their mobile devices?  Johnson argues that libraries should not ban these devices, but rather encourage their use to to access information and etextbooks. It can also support their use by making sure their wireless connectivity is strong and battery charging be made convenient.
2. Does library staff have prompt and accurate answers to electronic device-related questions, including solving problems linking to the wireless network, program logins, and finding digital resources. Johnson argues that the library should become the default "go-to" place for such questions. l
3. Are library resources procured with their potential use by mobile computer devices in mind?Johnson argues that digital resources should be usable on a wide spectrum of large and small devices. 
4. Are library instructional programs and templates available on Google Docs or similar cloud programs, and do seminars by library staff teach students how to use their own devices to access library resources? 

Focusing on these and other questions, Johnson contends, will help libraries and librarians harness the power and popularity of electronic devices most students have to productive uses, and in the process ensure that libraries and librarians survive as a vital part of America's changing school and technology landscape,

Works Cited

Johnson, D. (2012). "BYOD to the library," Library Media Connection," August/September.

LaGarde, J., & Johnson, D. (2014). Why do I still need a library when I have one in my pocket? Teacher Librarian, 41(5), 40-44. Retrieved April 20, 2016.





[Chuck Norris picture taken from from Doug Johnson's Blue Skunk Blog at http://doug-johnson.squarespace.com/blue-skunk-blog/2012/11/7/byod-a-short-list-of-resources.html]

a note on labels and a suggestion on group editing

I added labels (also called markers or tags) to this blog.  I will tag posts that I wish to retain editorial control over with the label "Contributor Bill Dudley."  That means that I wish that no one else swoops in and edits or improves the post. If you see something in the post that glaringly needs improvement, please tell me in the comments; I will acknowledge and thank you for any advice I choose to heed.

For posts labeled "group documents" the reverse is true; please feel free to add or edit, like in the "changes made to the blog" post.  I foresee using our collective brains to create some group projects or documents in this blog. 

Introducing Bill

I will try to be brief.

I go by William or Bill (for some reason, "Bill" makes me feel older than William....maybe it's a baby boomer thing).

After years of working for a book publisher, I am now a substitute teacher and freelance writer who is studying to become a library technician. As it happens,  I have never been obsessive in the pursuit of money, although there are days I regret this.

I live in Santee with my wife of twenty-odd years and two girls, ages 10 and 13. My son goes to UCSD.

In the past three years of working as a sub teacher, I have seen an explosion in both  the numbers of students toting chromebooks or Ipads and teachers doing their assignments with Google docs and Google classroom.

I am still not quite sure what this blog will turn into, but I am looking forward to finding out.