During the pandemic, the tremendous need to get devices, internet access, and digital literacy training to everyone who does not have access became clear. Libraries are well-positioned to meet that need. Public libraries across the country are working to increase the skills of adults by weaving technology-based learning tools and practices into their education and workforce development services. In 2018, the Providence Public Library, in partnership with World Education, designed the Propagating Promising Practices for Literacy and Workforce Development in Libraries Project (P3) to support libraries as they adopt three evidence-based practices that support adults working toward concrete goals (such as a high school credential, citizenship test, or job application) as they develop transferable literacy and digital skills. Piloted in nine libraries, diverse in size and location, these practices are being documented on a project website that includes planning tools, implementation examples, and key lessons learned. The three practices are

Learning Lounges – informal learning spaces that are staffed to offer “just-in-time,” no-appointment necessary support in using technology to meet education and employment goals. Learning Lounges may be situated at the library or with community partners, such as a housing authority or employment center.

Mobile Learning – support for accessing mobile-friendly learning resources. Cellphones are ubiquitous but underutilized tools for learning. Libraries can help patrons make use of their phones and devices by coaching them in how to download and navigate learning apps, demonstrating how to use their smartphones to study, and following up to answer questions and encourage persistence. Mobile learning increases access to learning for adults who may not have access to the internet or a computer, or who face other barriers to learning.

Learning Circles – lightly facilitated study groups for learners who want to take an online course together. In this informal environment, peers provide motivational support that reinforces learning and persistence. The facilitators guide a discussion process but are expressly not content experts teaching a course.

The original goal of the P3 Project was for libraries to initiate or strengthen their use of these three practices in order to more fully integrate technology into their educational services, especially services for patrons seeking to build academic, digital, or employment skills. However, as the pandemic
accelerated libraries’ overall use of technology in new and innovative ways, the three practices evolved as well. Learning Lounges, once constrained by limited in-person staff hours, explored more flexible
scheduling as an online service; Mobile Learning, initially implemented as a discrete practice, was embedded in the supports offered by Learning Lounges; and Learning Circles, originally organized around
packaged online courses, were seen as potential vehicles for introducing library-produced content, such as online tours of the library’s own resources. These developments demonstrated the adaptability of the three practices to new settings and purposes.

As we look for cross-library patterns and underlying lessons, two preliminary takeaways have emerged. First is the importance of engaged library leadership that encourages innovation and promotes collaboration internally and with community partners. Library leadership in the Riverside County Library System, for example, authorized their new mobile van to include a Learning Lounge, enabling the library to bring computer access and personalized support to rural residents. Second, successful onboarding of patrons to any of these practices relies on a thorough intake and orientation process. A brief one-time introduction is unlikely to prepare patrons—many of whom are not comfortable with technology—to continue on independently. All of the practices are more fruitful when they start from an understanding of what the patron is looking to learn and what they already know.

A simple conversational assessment of their experience with technology and then careful mentoring to navigate the necessary devices, websites, or apps is key to preparing adults for success. This initial onboarding may require multiple meetings and some hand-holding!

Post-pandemic, the need for strong digital literacy skills will continue to increase as more educational opportunities will be offered virtually, more employees will be working remotely, and more services remain online. The P3 Project aims to assist these patrons and to further the position of public libraries as welcoming community hubs for lifelong learning, digital inclusion, and economic empowerment.

The post Helping Patrons Keep Up in the Digital Age–Promising Practices in Libraries first appeared on Public Libraries Online.

“I’m no good at computers.”

“Computers hate me.”

“I’m an idiot when it comes to technology.”

Anyone who works in public libraries has heard some variation of these sentiments, usually from an apologetic patron, or perhaps from a coworker. Such statements reflect what psychologists call a “fixed mindset,” a belief that their intelligence or talents are fixed traits that cannot be changed. Fortunately, even a simple tech question can present opportunities to move beyond these negative mindsets. Following are a few tips as to how frontline library staff can help our patrons, our colleagues, and even ourselves to learn new technologies, troubleshoot unexpected problems, and move into a growth mindset, from which anyone’s abilities can be developed.

“That’s okay, we’re all learning. Let’s see if we can figure this out together.” Starting with this message creates a safe space for the patron, and helps to manage their expectations. Moreover, it shows that it’s okay not to know everything—technology is an arena in which we all need to explore and problem-solve. In teaching one-on-one technology, and in group settings, it is important to invite exploration. Encourage tech learners to click around, try new things, and even to make mistakes.

Another way to reduce fear and uncertainty is to focus only on the problem at hand. Adults learn best when there is a specific goal in sight; fortunately, most of the interactions we encounter in public libraries are just at the patron’s point of need. Broad goals can be broken down into smaller components. Conduct a reference interview to learn what is needed, and then help your patron to see what actions are necessary to achieve these ends. From there, you can create a plan to focus on these specific objectives, like using a mouse or conducting an online search.

Keeping sessions short and focused prevents cognitive overload, and can help patrons to feel they are making progress. Where one-on-one computer sessions are not available, online learning platforms such as digitallearn.org and gcflearnfree.org facilitate opportunities for learning and practice, also in bite-sized pieces.

Adult learning theory holds that we are particularly harsh on ourselves when we make a mistake. Instead of correcting someone who has encountered some difficulty, respond by saying, “That’s okay, let’s go back a step and see what else we can try.” It can be so tempting to take the mouse, especially when the library is busy, but an important component of teaching technology is holding time and space for the person who is with you to learn. To this end, try taking some deep breaths and even smiling, since this releases brain chemicals that can diffuse stress and boost learning and creative thinking.

On any journey, it’s helpful to look for familiar signposts. For example: X means close, three lines or dots signifies a menu, a cogged wheel means settings, the floppy disc means save, a back arrow is undo, etc. These visual reminders can be meaningful handholds for learners.As well, identifying these signposts becomes a nonchalant way of teaching tech terms. For example, the desktop is where you’ll see icons to represent the different applications that are available for your use.

Though visual signposts are a great prop for tech instruction, don’t rely too heavily on written queues, since this makes assumptions as to anyone’s literacy levels. Instead of telling someone to click one time on the link to log in, describe these features in terms of their color and placement—for example, click on the blue link, in the center of the page, to log in. It is important not to make assumptions about anyone’s literacy level or abilities, and to create safe spaces for tech learning.

It can be useful to conclude tech sessions of any type by summarizing any key learnings, offering suggested resources for continued learning, and letting the patron know that they can return to the library if they have any further questions. You may also consider creating a form to collect feedback as to outcomes and impacts. This data can help your team to identify what tech instruction is needed in your community, and furthermore, demonstrate how the library benefits users and the community at large.

Frontline library workers and tech teachers are ideally positioned to assist patrons in improving their tech skills, and moreover, their comfort in approaching new technologies, even in situations wherein the patron may not identify as a student or learner. Holding a safe space for learning, focusing on a clear goal and manageable learning objectives can put patrons at ease so they can take in new information. Moreover, the tech trainer and patrons alike move into a growth mindset from which anything is possible.

The post Tips for Teaching and Troubleshooting Technology first appeared on Public Libraries Online.

“Digital literacy is the ability to use information and communication technologies to find, understand, evaluate, create, and communicate digital information, an ability that requires both cognitive and technical skills.” – OITP’s Digital Literacy Task Force, 2013

The digital literacy definition above is broad, but so are the digital needs of public library patrons. For example, the Plano (TX) Public Libraries recently purchased an HTC Vive virtual reality headset. When technology services brought the Vive into the library, I had just helped someone with basic formatting in Microsoft Word to make their resume look neat and professional. Suddenly, I was creating an outfit on a dress form in a 3D virtual space through Google Tiltbrush. I could walk around physically and look at my creation from different angles. While the two activities were completely different, they both enabled the creation and communication of digital information.

Digital literacy initiatives within local libraries are imperative to helping our patrons create and upload resumes, sign up and use email to communicate with friends and family, download an app to get a ride to the airport, create and edit a presentation to share at work, search for a new doctor online, create a movie to complete a school project, communicate with a computer technician when their device has issues, and so much more. The minutiae of digital literacy needs are endless and they continue to expand over time. As librarians, it’s our job to engage patrons in experiences that promote and improve digital literacy. Here’s a look at some of the different types of services and resources driving digital literacy efforts in public libraries today.

Computer classes are a staple on many libraries’ programming menus. According to ALA, nearly 90% of libraries offer digital literacy training, and a significant majority support training related to using new technology devices (62%), safe online practices (57%), and social media use (56%).¹ Face-to-face instruction is an ideal way to teach non-digital natives of all ages and skill levels because it allows for immediate response when questions or points of confusion arise. Instructors can quickly and easily adapt their curriculum based on feedback, observations, and inputs from participants. Classes that focus on computer basics, Microsoft Office software, and basic internet navigation and safety are imperative in enabling our community to apply for jobs, complete their taxes, register children for school, and communicate electronically, among many other tasks.

Many times the content of the class depends on staff’s own digital literacies. For new presenters, DigitalLearn.org has teamed with Gail’s Toolkit (a project originating out of the Gail Borden Public Library in Elgin, Illinois) to create basic digital literacy curricula with supporting documents to help staff feel confident teaching classes. Partnerships within the community, with either volunteers or a paid instructor/organization, are a great way to provide face-to-face classes on more complex concepts and to reduce staff workload. Some libraries are even offering advanced digital literacy classes on topics like coding, Adobe Creative Suite, virtual reality, and 3D printing.

Another common way library staff provides digital literacy help for patrons is one-on-one, at the desk or through an appointment. Patrons often need help using the computers, downloading ebooks, navigating government websites, creating resumes, or using the library’s resources and equipment. When a patron needs to know more than the answer to a simple question or set of questions, sharing further resources is where the library’s role as a connector shines. These resources can be books, DVDs, websites, or classes inside or outside the library.  When patrons have even the most basic digital literacy skills, online tutorials are extremely helpful and convenient. Instead of waiting for the library to provide a class, patrons can access tutorials through Digitallearn.org, GCFLearnFree.org, digitalliteracy.gov, Code.org, Lynda.com, and AdobeTV or other software-specific websites. Staff can even create their own tutorials with Camtasia, PowerPoint and Audacity, or other video editing software to promote on the library’s YouTube page or website. This part of digital literacy guidance requires library staff members to employ their skills as selectors and curators to evaluate and identify different digital literacy resources.

Play is an important part of learning. Hands-on programs that are flexible and open-ended are extremely popular within youth programming. A few examples include coding camps, maker storytimes, and computer classes for kids. By providing the vocabulary and concepts required to understand complex digital processes, these programs are building a strong foundation to help kids succeed in school and beyond. Playing helps them retain information and discover how to practically apply this knowledge. To extend digital literacy outside of the library’s walls some libraries are creating technology kits to check out. Plano Libraries have circulated STEAM kits for a little over 3 years now and their popularity keeps on growing. Patrons can check out finch robots, snap circuits, raspberry pi’s, and more!  This play component integral to youth programming is even being adapted to adult programs and services to enhance the learning experience.

Libraries will always provide digital literacy services and resources to enable patrons to develop professionally and personally. However, digital literacy efforts provided by libraries continue to evolve as the needs of our community change. The Institute of Museum and Library Services (IMLS) names various 21^st century skills. One of these skills is Information, Communications, and Technology Literacy, which is broadly defined as applying technology effectively. This definition provides succinct wording for the Digital Literacy Task Force’s digital literacy definition provided at the beginning of this article. Whatever approach a library decides to take, the effort should be cohesive and comprehensive in an effort to equip patrons with skills that promote lifelong learning and moves them along the continuum of tech skills.  Continuous staff training and intentional partnerships are key to building a successful digital literacy strategy. Lack of broadband access is a very real struggle and a fight for digital inclusion is a fight for digital literacy. How does your library serve your community’s digital literacy needs?

References

1. Digital Empowerment and America’s Libraries – American Library Association

Resources and Further Reading

Office for Information Technology Policy’s Digital Literacy Task Force (2013, Jan.). Digital Literacy, Libraries, and Public Policy. Retrieved from http://www.districtdispatch.org/wp-content/uploads/2013/01/2012_OITP_digilitreport_1_22_13.pdf.

Institute for Museum and Library Services. Museum, Libraries, and 21^st Century Skills: Definitions.          Retrieved from: https://www.imls.gov/issues/national-initiatives/museums-libraries-and-21st-century-skills/definitions.

American Library Association (2016, Nov.). America’s Libraries: Powering Broadband Adoption, Access, and Use. Retrieved from http://www.ala.org/news/sites/ala.org.news/files/content/Broadband_11-08-16_0.pdf

DigitalLearn.org

Developed by the Public Library Association, with support from the Institute of Museum and Library Services, to create an online hub for digital literacy support and training. Tutorials on various digital literacy and technology topics provided in English and Spanish. The site also offers a robust suite of resources and tools for library staff and other educators to use when conducting training in the community.

DigitalLiteracy.gov

The Digital Literacy portal is an initiative of the Obama Administration to serve as a valuable resource to professionals who are delivering digital literacy training and services in their communities. This site provides digital literacy lessons and resources.

Code.org

A great coding website that provides K-12 computer science curriculum. Their vision is that every student in every school should have the opportunity to learn computer science, just like biology, chemistry or algebra. Code.org organizes the Hour of Code initiative. They have also released two video series on How Computers Work and How the Internet Works.

Lynda.com

A robust subscription-based resource that not only provides online tutorials on various software and digital equipment, but also digital information to enhance business, design, and education. Lynda.com has partnered with LinkedIn to provide Learning Paths for users to gain professional development through expertly curated courses.

The post Digital Literacy Support in Libraries: More than Just Your Computer Classes first appeared on Public Libraries Online.

Editor’s note: This article is based on a lecture delivered at the Tenth International Symposium on Library Services for Children and Young Adults, in Seoul, South Korea, on June 28, 2016.

Public library policy in the United States is largely localized, with each of more than nine thousand public libraries and public library systems setting their own operational and service policies. Still, public libraries across the country operate in many of the same ways, and US public library services for teens exhibit many shared practices and emerging service trends. In thinking about the future of US public library services to teens, it is helpful first to consider the historic ways in which public libraries have served their communities. Evans and Carter suggested that there are four main historic roles of the public library:

Looking at library history, we see that libraries have served and continue to serve their publics, parent institutions, and society in four basic ways. First, libraries meet society’s information needs by acquiring the materials deemed valuable or useful to some or all the people. Second, they provide a physical location and an environment for storing and preserving those items. Third, libraries add value to the items acquired by organizing them in some manner to make access more efficient. Fourth, the library’s staff improves access by providing assistance to individuals in locating desired information.¹

Each of these four historic roles is closely connected to library materials, and together they paint a picture of public library services as tightly focused on library collections. This is a largely outdated view of US public library services, as libraries are increasingly moving toward viewing their communities as their core focus, not their collections.

This ongoing shift is particularly evident in teen services. Over the past few decades, US public libraries have typically served teens in three main ways: (1) as information gateways, with a focus on providing collections and information assistance services; (2) as social interaction and entertainment spaces, bringing teens to libraries for active and passive library programs and social interaction with peers; and (3) as beneficial physical environments, providing physical spaces for refuge, personal improvement, and volunteer or paid work experiences.²

Within these three service roles we see a core focus on library collections as well as on supporting teens’ healthy and happy
lives. While these three roles continue to define many current US public library services to teens, over the past decade many public libraries have been broadening their teen services even more, with an ever-increasing focus on understanding and serving individual communities’ information-related needs. Moreover, the concept of “information” in public libraries is taking on an increasingly broader definition beyond just books, web-based tools, and other traditional information resources, leading to a wider array of teen library services than ever before.

I will describe this ongoing shift in US public library services to teens, focusing on six current trends. These include increasing movement toward:

1. A focus on what the library does over what the library has.
2. An emphasis on information and information services in digital forms and formats.
3. A focus on the library as place.
4. Broadening literacy and learning goals beyond reading.
5. Greater teen involvement in service design and delivery.
6. Increased outreach and collaboration with non-library agencies.

Each of these six trends is discussed below, with examples from library policies and programs to show how they are playing out in libraries across the country.

Trends in US Public Library Services for Teens

1. What the Library Does over What the Library Has

The first trend involves a growing focus on what the library does over what the library has. While the vast majority of the US public tends to equate “books” with “libraries,” leading teen services librarians think in terms of leveraging library resources and services to support teens’ healthy development as their primary service goal, as opposed to focusing on building great book collections.³ This means that cutting-edge teen librarians view positive impact on teens’ lives as the ultimate goal of library programs and services, first analyzing youths’ needs and then designing collections, programs, and services to meet those needs. They think of their collections as just one part of a broader set of resources and services together intended to improve the lives of adolescent community members.

This impact-focused conceptualization of public library services for teens can lead to dramatic changes in strategic planning and daily library operations. For example, in preparation for building a new library, the city of Richmond (CA) oversaw a community needs assessment that involved asking community members from all major community groups what they wanted from their public library. The needs assessment led to the formation of a new strategic goal for young adult (YA)⁴ services at the Richmond Public Library, that “the ‘whole teen’ is nurtured by library programs and services; [and] teens have a distinct area of their own in the library.”⁵ Note that the YA collection is not mentioned in the strategic goal.

Analysis of data collected from community members as a part of the needs assessment further indicated that the library’s teen services priorities should be: “Services that support both the recreational and academic lives of predominantly middle school aged youth; a distinct acoustically isolated teen space with a teen-friendly environment; and constructive activities as an alternative to violence.”⁶ Again, note the absence of explicit mention of the library collection. This does not mean that the Richmond Public Library places little value on its collection. Rather, it means that the collection is just one aspect of teen services, with strategic goals guiding collection development and use, as opposed to aiming to collect the “best” available materials—those judged by professionals to be of the highest literary and artistic quality.

The needs assessment also led to identification of a suite of teen programs to offer, including “SAT preparation, computer instruction with emphasis on gaming and other topics of particular interest to youth, poetry slams,” and programs related to “all aspects of technology, music, writing, [and] public speaking.”⁷ Many of these programs will likely incorporate elements of the library collection, but regardless, all will be designed with the ultimate goal of supporting teens’ happy and healthy development and making positive impacts on teens’ lives.

2. Information and Information Services in Digital Forms and Formats

The second trend in US public library services is an increasing emphasis on information and information services in digital forms and formats. Both teen services and teen collections are moving more deeply into the digital world, with a strong emphasis on social media education and services. We know from the research that high school students use social media for collaborating on homework, organizing school club activities and sports practices, coordinating participation in civic organizations and volunteer activities, creative writing and other creative pursuits, and seeking emotional support from peers and family members.⁸ Recognizing the range of social and educational benefits that teens can derive from social media use, many teen librarians are incorporating it into their teen programs and services, offering homework help, leading book and other media discussion groups, and teaching teens how to be good digital citizens.

The Teen Zone Social Media Ambassadors program at the Lawrence (KS) Public Library (LPL) serves as a good example of a social media–based public library program for teens. The program was designed for teens to volunteer a few hours each week to promote the library via social media, performing tasks such as vetting book reviews, art submissions, and other contributions from teens in the community and posting them on the Teen Zone Tumblr; reblogging web content likely to be of interest to community teens; tweeting out library news and events; and taking and then sharing photos of library events online in any of the library’s various social media accounts. The program was intended to generate publicity to benefit the library, increase interest in the library among community teens, and benefit participating teens by giving them volunteer work experience that they could use as they build their college and career resumes.⁹

LPL recently completed the first year of the new program. According to Molly Wetta, collection development librarian and Ambassadors program supervisor, results from the first year were mixed:

We promoted the program to our older teen library users and reached out to the high school journalism and English teachers to pass it along to potential volunteers, but got zero applications except from one longtime volunteer who I knew was involved in journalism. She did well for a while but then got busy with school and other projects and had to leave the program. We are still contemplating ways to try it again next year, because in principle, it can be a great opportunity for both libraries and teens to have user-generated content. . . However, it really wasn’t a time saver for staff as we had intended. And we thought teens would respond better to teen-generated content and that the ambassador would promote the library’s accounts to peers, which did happen. We were better able to connect with high school social media accounts and got new high school followers because of it. So it wasn’t a total loss, it just didn’t turn out exactly how we had initially envisioned it.¹⁰

The Ambassadors program highlights the importance of creativity, flexibility, and persistence in developing teen library programs that use new and emerging digital information forms, formats, and environments as libraries explore how best to provide teen services in these new information environments.

3. The Library as Place

The third YA service trend is a growing focus on the library as place. Despite the emphasis on the digital world, US public librarians continue to stress the value of the physical library as a place for teens to gather and for individual use as well. Many librarians are thinking about the importance of the library as place even more strongly than in the past.

In one of my past studies, Kuhlmann et al. studied how US teens use public library spaces and why they value libraries as physical places.¹¹ We found teens to use teen spaces in libraries for access to technology, for study space, as places for conducting leisure pursuits such as reading and game playing, and as places to socialize with peers. The emphasis on the library as place can be seen in the Richmond Public Library’s community needs assessment discussed above. In response to what they learned from the community needs assessment, the assessment team built the following service objectives into planning for the new library building:
The new library will have an acoustically isolated, visible, teen-friendly area with computers, lounge and table seating, and collections that are attractively displayed. Programs of all types will be offered regularly, including SAT preparation and computer literacy. A structured volunteer program will encourage youth to contribute to their community. Teens will be given an orientation to the Teen Center prior to using it to explain its use and expected conduct.¹²

Thus, recognition of the role of the library as a physical gathering space led to care in making the new teen space comfortable and inviting to teens. The role of the physical library space is especially important in economically disadvantaged communities such as Richmond, where teens often live in neighborhoods with inflated crime and violence. Public libraries are public buildings, open to all and therefore not guaranteed to be completely safe spaces. Still, with library staff providing adult supervision and watchful eyes, often they are safer places for teens from disadvantaged communities than most other places in their communities where they can go in their free time.

4. Literacy and Learning Goals Go Beyond Reading

The next trend is a broadening of literacy and learning goals beyond reading. Traditional reading and writing skills remain fundamental to literacy, but the definition of literacy has expanded. Teens today must be able to read, write, and interact across a range of platforms, tools, and media from signing and orality through handwriting, print, TV, radio, and film, to digital social networks. Literacy is no longer viewed as a mechanical process, but is understood as the construction of meaning. This expanded definition of literacy impacts the types of services, programs, and collections that libraries provide, as well as the nature of the work that library staff perform.¹³

Again the connection to information and information services in digital forms and formats is key. While most US public libraries continue to promote books and teen reading as a core focus, many are moving toward equal emphasis on digital literacy and “making” (creation activities, such as those occurring in makerspaces and learning labs). As a result, the role of the public librarian is becoming more fundamentally educational than ever before. This movement positions public librarians as public educators and public libraries as public education institutions, with a focus on public librarians as digital literacy educators.

What exactly is digital literacy? ALA’s Digital Literacy Task Force defined a digitally literate person as one who:

• possesses the variety of skills—cognitive and technical—required to find, understand, evaluate, create, and communicate digital information in a wide variety of formats;
• is able to use diverse technologies appropriately and effectively to search for and retrieve information, interpret search results, and judge the quality of the information retrieved;
• understands the relationships among technology, lifelong learning, personal privacy, and appropriate stewardship of information;
• uses these skills and the appropriate technologies to communicate and collaborate with peers, colleagues, family, and on occasion the general public;
• uses these skills to participate actively in civic society and contribute to a vibrant, informed, and engaged community.¹⁴

This focus on public libraries as digital literacy educators is evident in the Seattle Public Library’s Strategic Plan, which states that:

Beyond becoming the source for practical information, the Library must seize the opportunity to become the place where anyone can become tech-savvy. For instance, the Library will develop places where teens can edit and develop audio, video and text for multimedia projects using state-of-the-art technology. Teens aren’t the only ones who want to sample the latest technology, though they are certainly a good group to start with. We see the future Library as a learning lab where people can experiment with a variety of tools to see what might help them to turn ideas into reality and share them with others.¹⁵

Over the past several years, YALSA (the teen services division of ALA) has also made promoting digital literacy a core campaign. YALSA has introduced programs such as Teen Tech Week, which encourages teen librarians to focus one week each year on teaching teens about the ethical use of digital information and on providing high-interest programs that promote improved digital literacy skills. The wide range of the programs participating libraries have offered during past Teen Tech Weeks is impressive, including such programs as: “robotics demonstrations, a Hollywood digital sound effects guest speaker, geocaching, a technology petting zoo, digital photography and photo editing, QR code scavenger hunts, retro technology and gaming events, and teens making their own library memes.”¹⁶ Creative librarians around the country are working to harness teens’ interest in entertainment and technology to devise creative informal educational experiences such as these that can build crucial literacy and digital literacy skills.

5. Teen Involvement in Service Design and Delivery

Next, in line with viewing positive impacts on teens’ lives, as opposed to building high quality library collections, as the driving goal behind library program and service design, the fifth trend is an increase in teen involvement in service design and delivery. Many US public libraries are working toward a vision of including teens as partners in both the design and delivery of teen services. Probably the most current common method for including teens in program design is the use of TABs—Teen Advisory Boards. Increasingly popular in small, medium, and large public libraries across the country, “a teen advisory board creates a specific role for teens in the library and formalizes their inclusion into the decision-making processes.”¹⁷

For example, at the Cherry Hill (New Jersey) Library, my own local public library, Teen Librarian Melissa Brinn runs an active TAB. Teens interested in participating must complete written applications, and interviews are held once each year to select TAB members. The TAB meets about two times a month during the school year to plan library programs and promote the teen department, to play book- and writing-related games, and to socialize as a group. TAB volunteers receive public service (volunteering) hours in exchange for their time. Many local schools have public service hours requirements, making service on the TAB particularly attractive to teens looking to fulfill volunteer work requirements. In past years, Cherry Hill Public Library TAB members have designed and delivered a wide array of library programs, from children’s storytimes to interactive murder mysteries. (See here for a sample TAB application form)

However, TABs and other similar groups only enable small numbers of community teens to play a role in program and service design. Subramaniam, among others, has argued that to meet the needs of more teens, especially teens from disadvantaged backgrounds,

surveys, interviews, and forming a teen advisory council [TAB] are no longer sufficient when designing teen programs. Instead, it is time to involve teens themselves as co-designers of programs and services. Teen services librarians need to apply interdisciplinary approaches to establish equal partnership and learning opportunities that facilitate discovery and use of digital media.¹⁸

As of yet, however, few US public libraries involve teens deeply enough to meet this ideal, and deep and lasting teen partnership in library services remains mostly a future vision.

6. Outreach and Collaboration with Nonlibrary Agencies

Lastly, there is a movement toward increased outreach and collaboration with nonlibrary agencies. To maximize service impact and efficiency, teen librarians are increasingly looking to offer joint services with other agencies that serve teens, often moving library services outside of library buildings to places where teens can be more easily reached. Katz discussed public library and school collaborations, suggesting that there are four characteristics of successful collaborations: communication, cooperation, respect, and practical ideas.19 Schools are probably the most common agencies with which US teen services librarians tend to form lasting collaborations, but some teen librarians collaborate with a range of agencies, such as local businesses, religious organizations, government agencies, and more.

For example, the Richmond Public Library community needs assessment described above establishes plans to collaborate with several community agencies to achieve their new vision of teen library services:

In developing a Volunteer Academy, the library will work with local middle and high schools that require students to do community service, to publicize the program and develop volunteer opportunities that meet school requirements. The Arts & Culture Commission and the Recreation Department will partner in providing programs for teens.²⁰

Each of these community partners—the schools, the Arts & Culture Commission, and the Recreation Department—shares with the library the fundamental goal of improving teens’ lives—a shared mission that leads to a natural partnership. In collaborating with the library, the other agencies can increase the impact of their services by sharing staff, knowledge, and other resources, and together with the library they can reach more teens more efficiently than on their own.

Bringing Teens into This New Library Scene

Although these six trends in public library services are occurring in many cutting-edge libraries across the country, there are challenges to implementing them more broadly and to helping teens move beyond the persistent view of libraries just as paper book providers. Indeed, my own recent research with high school students in a technology-focused public high school showed students to have “a widely held perception that libraries represent an outdated past, whereas technology represents these teens’ everyday reality. Few saw libraries as relevant to their daily lives, yet most saw social media as relevant.”²¹ More effective marketing to teens and adults is needed to make the public aware of these changes. The lack of public awareness of the full range of available teen services is compounded by an ongoing emphasis in the professional writing, which focuses predominantly on the discussion and promotion of books.²² The library field itself must embrace this future vision of broader, impact-based library services before we can hope to convince the public of its significance.

Moreover, these trends are occurring during a period of ongoing tight funding for most US public libraries. In the wake of the 2008 recession, many libraries have experienced multiple years of local and state funding plateaus or even cuts. The recession may now be over, but most public library budgets have yet to rebound. Now more than ever we must work to help the public understand
the changing nature of teen services to ensure future public support for stronger funding of our public libraries and to enable more libraries across the country to meet the powerful potential of public libraries as a fundamental social structure and beneficial influence on teens’ lives.

Still, US public library services for teens are by no means doomed to fail. The single most important element for future success is the potential for teens to develop deep interest and enthusiasm in their libraries. Luckily, this potential remains strong. As the title of this article indicates, when shown the full range of services that today’s public libraries have to offer, teens will often respond positively and become eager public library users. The quote that inspired the title of this article (“Hey! The library is kind of awesome!”) comes from my recent study of high school students in a technology-focused public high school, which I referenced previously.²³ The young woman who made this announcement hadn’t used a public library in several years and had assumed that they were outmoded and useless. One day she happened to visit her local library and realized that it had much to offer her, from leisure opportunities, to homework support, to social engagement, to a welcoming place she could frequent other than home, school, or commercial spaces. If we can spread this message of the broad range of available library services to teens across the country, we can ensure the continued healthy growth of the field, and more importantly, the continued power of US public libraries to enrich teens’ lives for many generations to come.

References and Notes

1. G. Edward Evans and Thomas L. Carter, Introduction to Library Public Services, 7th ed. (Westport, CT: Libraries Unlimited, 2009), 3.
2. Denise E. Agosto, “Why Do Teens Use Libraries? Results of a Public Library Use Survey,” Public Libraries 46, no. 3 (2007): 55–62.
3. To read about the national survey that showed the US public to equate books and libraries, see: Cathy De Rosa et al., At a Tipping Point: Education, Learning and Libraries (Dublin, OH: OCLC Online Computer Library Center, 2014), accessed May 6, 2016.
4. In US public library services, the term “young adult” most frequently refers to youth ages 12–18. This article uses the terms “teens,” “adolescents,” and “young adults” interchangeably, with a preference for the term “teens” since it is commonly used by youth in this age group to refer to themselves. For a discussion of these various terms and their use in library literature and practice, see Denise E. Agosto, “Envisaging Young Adult Librarianship from a Teen-Centered Perspective,” in Transforming Young Adult Services, ed. Anthony Bernier (Chicago: Neal-Schuman, 2013), 33–52.
5. Richmond Public Library, Library Plan of Service: Needs Assessment for the Richmond Public Library, February 2009, p.0.1, accessed Apr. 22, 2016.
6. Ibid., p.0.6.
7. Ibid., p.3.7.
8. Denise E. Agosto et al., “Teens, Libraries, and Social Media: Myths and Reality,” Public Library Quarterly 34, no. 4 (2015): 318–327, doi:10.1080/01616846.2015.1106892.
9. Lawrence Public Library, “Teen Zone Social Media Ambassadors” (2015), accessed May 4, 2016.
10. Molly Wetta, email communication with author, May 5, 2016.
11. L. Meghann Kuhlmann et al., “Learning from Librarians and Teens about YA Library Spaces,” Public Libraries 53, no. 3 (2014): 24–28.
12. Richmond Public Library, Needs Assessment, p.2.16.
13. Linda W. Braun, et al., The Future of Library Services for and with Teens: A Call to Action (Chicago, IL: Young Adult Library Services Association, 2014): 4.
14. ALA Office for Information Technology Policy, Digital Literacy, Libraries, and Public Policy (Washington, DC: American
    Library Association, 2013): 2, accessed Apr. 29, 2016.
15. Seattle Public Library, My Library: The Next Generation, Strategic Plan 2011–2015, Feb. 23, 2011, p.10.
16. Denise E. Agosto et al., “Getting the Most from Teen Tech Week: Lessons from the TTW Survey,” Young Adult Library Services 12, no. 4 (2014): 5.
17. Natalie Houston, “Building a Foundation for Teen Services,” Young Adult Library Services 9, no. 2 (2011): 9.
18. Mega Subramaniam, “Designing the Library of the Future for and with Teens: Librarians as the ‘Connector’ in Connected Learning,” Journal of Research on Libraries & Young Adults 7, no. 2 (In press): 3.
19. Jeff Katz, ”A Common Purpose: Public/School Library Cooperation and Collaboration,” Public Libraries 48, no. 3 (2009): 28–31.
20. Richmond Public Library, Needs Assessment, p.3.8.
21. Denise E. Agosto et al., “Teens, Technology, and Libraries: An Uncertain Relationship,” Library Quarterly 86, no.3 (2016): 261.
22. Agosto, “Envisaging Young Adult Librarianship.”
23. Agosto et al., “Teens, Technology, and Libraries,” 259.

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President and First Lady Obama are well aware of her qualifications, having known her since her days at the Chicago Public Library. The President, in a White House statement, applauded Hayden’s passion for digital literacy, noting that, “Dr. Hayden has devoted her career to modernizing libraries so that everyone can participate in today’s digital culture.”[1] Furthermore, the potential fourteenth Librarian of Congress has demonstrated a strong history of social justice. In a White House video, she remembers keeping the Enoch Pratt Free Library open during the social unrest in Baltimore, knowing the community would need a safe place to go. “People were so relieved to have a safe place to be,” she recalls.[2]

Hayden’s list of impressive qualifications include Library Associate and Children’s Librarian at the Chicago Public Library in 1973, to teaching at the University of Pittsburgh from 1987 to 1991, to being the President of the American Library Association from 2003 to 2004. Additionally, she was nominated for a position on the National Museum and Library Services Board by President Obama in 2010 and confirmed by the Senate six months later.

Hayden would replace the current Librarian of Congress, James H. Billington, aged eighty-six, who officially stepped down on January 1, 2016, after twenty-eight years of service.[3] While Billington had ushered the Library of Congress into the digital age, many felt he had perhaps stayed on the job too long, according to a Washington Post article.[4]  She knows her potential new job will have a great deal of influence, and has observed that her position would affect  “how people view the future of libraries and what a national library can be. It’s inclusive. It can be part of everyone’s story” [5]

References:

[1] Office of the Press Secretary, “President Obama Announces His Intent to Nominate Carla D. Hayden as Librarian of Congress,” press release on the White House [website], February 24, 2016.

[2] “Meet President Obama’s Nominee for Librarian of Congress,” YouTube video, 3:46, on the White House website, posted by “The White House,” February 24, 2016.

[3] “After Nearly 30 Years, Librarian Of Congress Is Calling It Quits,” by Bill Naylor, National Public Radio, last updated June 11, 2015.

[4] Peggy McGlone, “America’s ‘national library’ is lacking in leadership, yet another report finds,” Washington Post, March 31, 2015.

[5] Elizabeth Blair, “Obama Nominates Carla Hayden To Lead Library Of Congress,” National Public Radio, February 24, 2016.

Resources:

Enoch Pratt Free Library

Chicago Public Library

“The Next Librarian of Congress?” Inside Higher Ed.

The post Dr. Carla Hayden Nominated for Librarian of Congress first appeared on Public Libraries Online.

He was searching for a venue to host a RailsBridge workshop, weekend event that teaches coding to diverse groups of people, in the East Bay Area in California. The local library seemed like a good place to start. He connected with Dan Beringhele, an adult services librarian at the Berkeley Public Library’s Central Library. With the support of Anwan Baker, the supervising librarian for adult services, the three planned an introductory class to coding for adults.

Berkeley has a diverse community and Baker and Beringhele wanted to see what the interest level was in learning how to code or program. The library already offered basic computer classes, but nothing more advanced so they considered the class sort of an experiment or trial run.

The Rise in Demand for Free Coding Classes

A recent Library Journal article explored the popularity of coding and programming classes at a few different library systems. Like the Berkeley Public Library, the Orlando County Library System (OCLS) offered basic computer classes in a few different subject areas. Because of the rapid growth of Orlando’s technology sector, there was an increasing demand for courses on programming language and app development. The OCLS programs have been so successful and well-received by the community, that the library system has added online classes in addition to the in-person classes.[2]

The article also discusses the need for coding courses that don’t require a long-term commitment or a high fee to attend. These free library coding classes allow anybody to test out the technical waters to see if it is something they’d like to pursue—without the financial burden.

Offering coding classes isn’t just a benefit for the community; it helps the library as well. It will likely bring in new members of the community or people who have never attended a library program or class before. At Berkeley Public Library, Baker and Beringhele noticed that many of the attendees at the class weren’t library regulars and they hadn’t seen them at any of the other computer classes.[3]

Trial and Success

Beringhele said that he and Baker don’t have much experience with coding so they left it up to Siruguri to design the curriculum.[4] Siruguri framed the class around the basic concepts of how a browser works and how coding works, which covered HTML5, CSS and JavaScript.

The class was a full house with all twenty of the classroom’s computers taken plus a few other people who brought their own laptops. Baker and Beringhele said the feedback was overwhelmingly positive from the community.

Siruguri was also pleased that not only had many attendees say they learned something, but a handful wanted to learn even more, especially about JavaScript.[5] They are planning to do a follow-up class that focuses on JavaScript and a few other advanced topics later in the spring. It will require some pre-requisite understanding of HTML so the three aren’t sure if the interest levels and attendance will differ from the previous class. But Siruguri, Baker, and Beringhele are excited to see where this new track of programming takes the Berkeley Public Library.

“We can continue to refine the process to see what classes work for our community,” said Baker. “We’re looking forward to positive things to come out it.”[6]

References:

[1] Sameer Siruguri (library volunteer) in discussion with author, March 2016.

[2] Matt Enis. “How To Talk Code | Digital Literacy.” Library Journal. February 24, 2016.

[3] Anwan Baker and Dan Beringhele (Berkeley Public Library librarians) in discussion with author, March 2016.

[4] Ibid.

[5] Sameer Siruguri (library volunteer) in discussion with author, March 2016.

[6] Anwan Baker and Dan Beringhele (Berkeley Public Library librarians) in discussion with author, March 2016.

The post Breaking Barriers: How One Library Is Making Coding More Accessible first appeared on Public Libraries Online.

Whether you may be aware or not, there is a digital literacy divide that exists. It is often assumed that everybody has access to the Internet or to a computer; however, that could not be further from the truth. Brooklyn Public Library has found that “according to a 2013 report from the New York City’s Comptroller’s Office entitled ‘Bridging the Digital Literacy Divide,’ 26.7 percent of households do not subscribe to high-speed Internet service.”[2] Those numbers are much higher in areas across the United States that are considered low-income and impoverished. This puts families who do not have access to the Internet in their home at a disadvantage. Given that digital literacy is seemingly universally accepted in this digital age, lacking technology skills can seriously hinder one’s ability to simply keep up. Many schools have gone as far as allowing their students the opportunity to take home tablets to be used for homework and research to curb any digital literacy divide. Digital literacy advocates say the goal of such initiatives is to bridge the digital divide that can slow students down: “We want—or, rather, we need—today’s students to critically consume information, to create and share across time and space, to cocreate and collaborate to solve problems, to persevere in light of setbacks, and to maintain flexibility. Digital literacies provide opportunities for the inquiries that will develop these skills.”[3] It is important that we continue bridging the digital literacy divide to provide our youth with the best opportunities to succeed in the future.

The educational need for information and communication technology is dire. In a time when technology seems to be at the fingertips of all individuals, public libraries still provide an unmatched service to all those who simply cannot afford the luxury of having Internet in their homes. It is only a matter of time before public libraries all across the country, not only those with big budgets, will have hotspots available for checkout. Through a multitude of grant opportunities, municipality funds, or county funds, this type of access will be something big to look forward to in the near future.

References:

[1] Chicago Public Library. “Borrow a WiFi Hotspot from Chicago Public Library.” Accessed February 3, 2016.

[2] Brooklyn Public Library. “Library HotSpot Loan Program.” Accessed February 3, 2016.

[3] Troy and Turner Hicks, Kristen Hawley. “No Longer a Luxury: Digital Literacy Can’t Wait.” English Journal 102.6 (2013): 58–65.

The post Check Out a Library Hotspot first appeared on Public Libraries Online.

• Virtually all libraries (98 percent) offer free public Wi-Fi access—in 1994 only 21 percent offered public Internet access;
• Close to 90 percent of libraries offer basic digital literacy training, and a significant majority support training related to new technology devices (62 percent), safe online practices (57 percent), and social media use (56 percent);
• Seventy-six percent of libraries assist patrons in using online government programs and services;
• The vast majority of libraries provide programs that support people in applying for jobs (73 percent), access and using online job opportunity resources (68 percent), and using online business information resources (48 percent);
• More than 90 percent of public libraries offer e-books, online homework assistance (95 percent), and online language learning (56 percent).

Facility renovations

The survey results show the average public library was built around 1970, which predates the digital age. This is a major limitation in updating buildings to meet community technology needs. The survey analysis suggests that “libraries are significantly more likely to offer certain types of services to patrons, including new and emerging technology activities, if their buildings have been constructed or renovated within the last five years.”

Public library spaces will need to adapt to these changes in order to meet the needs of their communities. According to the survey, “One in five libraries reported renovations in the last five years, with city libraries more than twice as likely (33 percent) to report this than rural libraries (15 percent).”

“Those who receive formal digital literacy training were significantly more likely to use the internet to pursue economic opportunities and cultivate social ties. Those who received formal training were fifteen percentage points more likely to use the internet to look for a job,” observed Internet researcher John Horrigan, as cited in the Digital Inclusion Survey Executive Summary.

What is Digital Inclusion?

Digital inclusion has three main prongs:

• Understanding the benefits of advanced information and communication technologies.
• Equitable and affordable access to high-speed Internet-connected devices and online content.
• Taking advantage of the educational, economic, and social opportunities available through these technologies.

Raising awareness

In addition to offering public technology services and programs, raising awareness is a key aspect of digital inclusion. The ALA has also created tools to help tell the digital inclusion story. Downloadable infographics are available for librarians to share 2014 data on social media and with stakeholders. Specific state-by-state information is available as well as an interactive national map with data visualization tools.

Public libraries play a vital role in advancing the cause of digital inclusion. Providing public technology, broadband connections, and wireless services are key to bridging the digital divide. The basic technology assistance and programs most libraries provide are vital services as demonstrated by the survey results. Public libraries are the place in the community where the physical world and the virtual world interface as an entry point.

“Today libraries are less about what we have than what we can do with and for our patrons,” ALA President Sari Feldman said in a recent press release. “As community demands shift, libraries are transforming.”

Resources

Gravatt, Nancy. 2015. “2014 Digital Inclusion Survey Results Released.” American Library Association. Accessed Jan. 3, 2016.

“Digital Inclusion Survey.” American Library Association. Accessed Jan. 3, 2016.

The post 2014 Digital Inclusion Survey Report: Public Libraries as Basic Community Technology Infrastructure first appeared on Public Libraries Online.

The senior citizen population has been hit the hardest by this tax-form cutback. Some senior citizens are not comfortable with this level of technology, and if the IRS eventually scraps the Tax Forms Outlet Program, how will they file their taxes? Although the number of tax forms has not decreased that exorbitantly, they are only sending out three of the 1040 instructions, and those will be allotted to “reference use.” At our library, we charge patrons after the first five copies, and even a double-sided tax booklet could add up to be $5.

Although the number of senior citizen computer users keeps climbing, the rest rely on the assistance of others or their local librarians. The Pew Research Center found that 59 percent of senior citizens are currently using the computer.^[2] What is of concern, though, is the other 41 percent and the shortage of “old-school” tax forms.

The Goodwill in Kalamazoo County, Michigan offers the Kalamazoo Tax Initiative for tax assistance, but it only covers individuals or families who have an income of $54,000 or less.^[3] Although this is an excellent service, the drawback is that patrons have to make an appointment or choose a “drop-by” location that only offers a few different dates.   Additionally, many patrons cannot make an appointment because all of the slots have limited capacities and are occupied, or if they attempt to go to the “drop-by” location, they cannot get in during that time block.

Libraries have been an imperative dispensary for tax forms for quite some time, and although they are still offering this service, we need to find alternate ways to help those patrons without computer skills file their taxes. Many libraries offer computer classes; however, many patrons need more one-on-one attention after these courses. At my library, we offer strictly one-on-one computer classes for patrons. In addition to the Kalamazoo Tax Initiative, I see these one-on-one computer lessons really benefiting senior citizens when it comes in tax season (and not to mention in the long run).

I think the Kalamazoo Tax Initiative has the right idea, but a lot of the patrons that participate in the program already know how to use the computer. It would be nice to have a program specifically for seniors or any other patron who does not know how to use the computer. We as librarians are not tax professionals, but we can most certainly guide a patron to the right website. Besides, we face too many liability issues in “filling” out the tax forms, but we can find ways to help them. Many of us have demanding jobs both on-and-off desk, but we need volunteers who would be willing to donate their time to help these technologically timid patrons file their taxes online.

Sources

[1] IRS Tax Forms Outlet Program News and Updates

[2] Smith, Aaron. “Older Adults and Technology Use.” Report by the Pew Research Center, April 3, 2014. Web.

[3] Kalamazoo Goodwill Free Tax Preparation

The post E-filing For the Technologically Timid? first appeared on Public Libraries Online.

New York City has over 730,000 homes without internet or broadband access. Unlike smaller cities like Chattanooga, Tennessee, that are making public broadband a reality through their local government, it is simply not feasible for New York’s large and diverse population to do the same thing. In this day and age, people do expect to have internet access anytime and anywhere, just like other public utilities (i.e. water or power). And although the FCC officially classified broadband as a public utility this past February, it will not involve itself in pricing decisions/negotiations. This leaves the cost of internet to be, on average, $60 per month, fundamentally turning a public utility into a luxury item for many.

New York City is trying to give the largest internet companies a reason to become more competitive. The city developed free wireless access points with mobile computer labs and Wi-Fi hubs, including underground and public spaces as well as defunct payphone booths. Unfortunately, many residents in New York are still being left out of these smart communities.

When an affordable internet connection is a problem, it can be extremely difficult to access important online resources from home when someone is unemployed or underemployed. It can be just as difficult for someone’s school-age children to do their homework or do research without online access. Some families struggle with these issues, but find relief in the accessibility of public libraries. However, when the local public library closes at 5pm on some days or doesn’t open at all, the digital divide widens. NYPL decided that all of their patrons should still be able to access online resources, even when they are at home.

Partnering with the Knight Foundation (along with Sprint), which awarded NYPL a $500,000 grant for this purpose, the library rolled out their hotspot lending program this year. And so far so good! A PBS story discusses one family’s journey into digital literacy growth because of the hotspot lending program. Since borrowing a hotspot from NYPL four months ago, a struggling single mother is now working on her nursing degree online, and her children can do their schoolwork at home instead of rushing to the library to complete their assignments before the building closes for the day. It’s clear that for this family and many others, NYPL has given them a sense of stability that most people take for granted.  There are other cities and public libraries developing similar lending programs for their own communities. Look into grants for your library and see your own community’s digital confidence and overall well-being grow!

Source

http://www.pbs.org/newshour/bb/internet-scarcity/

The post Narrowing the Digital Divide: New York Public Library Loans Out Hotspots first appeared on Public Libraries Online.

Early experimenters with tablets found them a bit weighty and burdensome, but newer technology has eliminated that complaint for the most part.  Some libraries have taken the tablet concept a bit further and even use them to check out material, renew an item, or place other items on hold, thus eliminating the requisite stop at the circulation desk.  Also, in reference to downloadables (e.g., books, recorded books, movies) librarians have found that it is easier to teach the patrons how to use the features on the actual products people will have at their home, as opposed to reading directions from a desktop.

At the Boise Public Library (BPL), they have begun to switch out desktop computers altogether and replace them with tablets for the librarians in their offices/reference desk. This way they can “work” on them and also be roving reference librarians without switching from one piece of equipment to another.

Full disclosure:  I do not own a tablet, although I have used them at friend’s houses and at work for a special project.  The one I used at work was not owned by my library, but was my boss’ personal tablet that I used for an offsite cataloging project for a major donor. It took a little getting used to; I favor a mouse to a touch pad any day of the week.  That being said, I can see the efficacy and need to integrate tablets into libraries.  In the long run, they will probably eradicate paper and ink waste from printing out locations of books for patrons or receipts from check outs. The integration of tablets is just another sign of the times that libraries need to and will amend to.

References:

http://lj.libraryjournal.com/2015/01/technology/meet-the-tabletarians-mobile-services/#_

The post Tablets: Are They Right for Your Library? first appeared on Public Libraries Online.

The E-Rate program is built to “help libraries gain affordable, high capacity broadband. . . ; boost library participation in the program; and increase the efficiency of the application and review process” for eligible libraries. Furthermore, the “Got E-Rate?” page lists information about the Federal Communications Commission (FCC) reforms of the E-Rate programs and what this means to libraries, particularly public libraries. The page has a lot of information that may or may not be difficult for you to decipher, so I recommend taking a look at “Library Leaders: E-Rate Opportunities Take Center Stage” by Marijke Visser.

Visser breaks down the main take-aways of the E-Rate program with these points:

1. About $1.5 billion has been added to the funding for the E-Rate program
2. The American Library Association, Public Library Association, state library agencies, and other organizations will produce E-rate resources that are aimed to provide libraries that are interested in applying for E-rate funding with “communications, education, practical tools, and technical support.”
3. Increasing broadband capacity is not simply for rural libraries, but also applies to suburban and urban libraries that may need to expand their services.

After reading both of these articles, I had a few initial thoughts:

1. As a librarian, I am (typically) aware and/or reminded of the digital divide in communities. Connecting and working with librarians throughout the state and nation has exposed me to the different resources available (or unavailable) to public libraries and the disparities between communities. However…
2. …as an individual, I tend to forget about things like the “digital divide.” This is easy to do when I’m in my own little world, streaming music from my iPhone on my way to work, and watching Netflix on Apple TV at home. But…
3. ..the digital divide is real. Just take a look at the statistics, “How Americans Go Online” published by Pew Research Center’s Internet and American Library Project. The graph shows the correlation between lower income and education levels with lower access to Internet usage at home and in general. Race and geographic location affect the result.

The Internet is a necessity for not just checking email or research, but also for applying for jobs, learning new technological skills, and gaining confidence. If a person is unable to have broadband access at home, it is all the more imperative that their local library have sufficient access to not only bridge the gap in the digital divide, but also in digital literacy. What are your experiences with broadband access in your community?

Sources

“Got E-rate?” Got E-rate? Web. 22 Feb. 2015. http://www.ala.org/advocacy/goterate

“Library Leaders: E-rate Opportunities Take Center Stage.” District Dispatch. 28 Jan. 2015. Web. 1 Mar. 2015. http://www.districtdispatch.org/2015/01/library-leaders-e-rate-opportunities-take-center-stage

“How Americans Go Online.” Pew Research Centers Internet American Life Project RSS. 24 Sept. 2013. Web. 24 Feb. 2015. <http://www.pewinternet.org/2013/09/25/how-americans-go-online/>.

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Writing strong and effective technology proposals is something that we, as educators and library professionals, should be able to do and be able to do well. Odds are, if we’re going to implement innovative and creative technology in our libraries, we’ll probably have to make a strong case for it to appear in the budget. Let’s face it, innovative technologies like 3D printers, vinyl cutters and professional recording studios don’t exactly fall into the “essential needs of the library” budget line, nor do the latest and greatest computers for that matter. While Macs are cool, they aren’t that cool.

Unless you happen to work for one of those five-star-Library-Journal-endless-budget-how-do-they-keep-doing-it-libraries, you need to accept the fact that you’ll have to put in some extra effort if you want your library to be able to keep up with what’s hot.

The following steps are a framework for creating proposals that will get people to listen:

1. What do you want? How much does it cost? Who cares?
The most important part of any proposal is identifying the thing that you actually want and how much it costs. This is simple and needs little explanation. What is not simple, however, is pinpointing who will actually care or truly benefit from the things we purchase. The best way I’ve found to begin this process is to first propose my idea (and cost) to some of my very close non-library friends. The ones who will tell it like it is. If their response is, “Why would the library waste money on that?” or the rhetorical “Who cares?” and I cannot convince them to respond otherwise, I probably have some more thinking to do.  For further information on this, see step 3, “Purpose.”

2. Know your audience: Think about who are you proposing to and tailor it towards them. The Library Board? Management? The Director? Friends of the Library?

If you’re proposing that the library should purchase a 3D printer, find out what would interest those who are you proposing to. Is the Board President an avid Star Trek fan? Of course she can print a replica of the Starship Enterprise with the new 3D printer.

Want to learn the rest of the steps? Head over to DigitalLearn.org.

Jason Pinshower is the Information Services Librarian and the Technology Trainer at the Fox River Valley Public Library District in Illinois where he creates and teaches technology courses, develops the eBook collection and manages the 3D printer among many other things. You can contact him at jpinshower@frvpld.info.

The post Getting Your Proposals Passed: How to Create Strong Technology Proposals first appeared on Public Libraries Online.

The Westport Library in Westport, Connecticut, has contributed a great deal of resources towards several expensive high tech purchases. One such acquisition is the SolidWorks computer-aided design software.[1] This was used to reach out to a niche community—primarily postgraduates trying to hone their skills—a purchase that benefits a fairly small audience.  Funding such projects could be controversial in some communities since it is funneling general funds towards a service that requires a fair amount of expertise to use and hence is fairly limited in reach.  The other way to view this is that the library is providing value to a group that might not otherwise look to the library for services.  It can also be a way to create advocates in the community from different sectors, particularly in this instance where it was in response to a suggestion from a local biomedical engineer.[2]

Generally, these decisions might be difficult to gain support for, but outside funding sources can greatly impact how an idea is sold to the Board of Trustees and the broader community.  The funding for a pair of programmable NAO Evolution robots was provided by a family foundation.[3]   While the funding for the robots was provided, it still required time and effort to promote these purchases, create programming around them, see that they are used in a manner that keeps them in good repair, and avoid any usages that might cause harm to patrons or the device.  This is not for every library, but it seems to have been well utilized by Westport.  The library received a great deal of media attention from news services throughout the country and from Russia, Spain, and Vietnam.[4]  This publicity can greatly enhance the library’s visibility and can inspire community members to look to the library for non-traditional services.

Yet investing in makerspaces is not only about creating media coverage. The high tech resources allow the library to create and share knowledge in new and unconventional ways.  Maxine Bleiweis, executive director for Westport Library, has noted how these additions are in line with the latest information on learning theories and how creating new content shows a high level of understanding of a given concept. She also correlated these costs to subscription costs for databases.[5]

Libraries should consider whether they can and should contribute part of their collection development budget towards new learning technologies. A key question that every library needs to consider when making a large investment of time and resources is how it relates back to the institutions mission.  The mission of the Westport Library “to empower individuals and strengthen the community, providing a welcoming destination that stimulates curiosity, encourages lifelong learning and promotes the open and lively exchange of information and ideas.”[6]  The high tech additions of the makerspace seem to effectively fit into this mission, and they have the resources to support this new technology.

A recurring question in library circles is what the library of the future will look like.  A key aspect of this is the extent to which makerspaces and particularly high tech makerspaces are a part of this future.  While it is unlikely that every library will have highly technical, expensive equipment, it should not be inconceivable that a library can provide this type of support if there is the community desire and the available resources.

Works Cited

[1]    Enis, Matt.  “Westport Maker Space Expands with Robots, SolidWorks Courses and Volunteer Training.”  Library Journal.  Accessed November 22, 2014.  http://www.thedigitalshift.com/2014/10/hardware-2/westport-maker-space-expands-robots-solidworks-courses-volunteer-training/

[2]    ibid

[3]    ibid

[4]    ibid

[5]    ibid

[6]    “About WPL.”  Westport Library.  Accessed November 22, 2014. http://westportlibrary.org/about

Cover Photo Credit: CSM Library CC BY 2.0

The post High Tech Makerspaces first appeared on Public Libraries Online.

Education – The first way to keep the technology from being unfairly blamed for problems is properly teaching people how to use the device in question. In our observation, if people are given the tools to understand something, technology or otherwise, things turn out better. If people are just following a specific set of steps in a specific order with no understanding of why, there is more room for problems. One departure from the prescribed directions and the person does not know how to get the technology to behave. A person who understands why the steps work the way they do is more likely to be able to adapt and keep the technology working if some external force acts on the situation making things malfunction.

Patience – This is the first way to begin to figure out what the problem is. Take the time to talk with the person having the problem and understand the situation from their perspective. Watch what the person is doing. Is the problem replicable? If a behavior can be observed and then changed to get the technology to work right, then it’s the person. If the problem is replicable but all behaviors are correct and right, it’s something within the technology.

Respect – If you do not have respect for the person having the technological problem, there will be more technology problems. Whether or not, the technology is ultimately to blame, the person thinks it is. If he or she believes technology is a problem, the person will develop his or her own (sometimes elaborate) ways to avoid technology. Or even worse, they will ignore or not report other problems with the technology because they believe there is nothing that can be done to correct the problem. Additionally you may also have the user who cries wolf. Even if you know without a shadow of a doubt that there isn’t a problem, you must treat the person like their concern is legitimate and help them through it.

History and Home – Each person has a past, and each person has a home. Technology is so pervasive at this point that most people have a history with technology as well as technology in their homes. The biases and experiences from those involvements follow the person. If they can’t figure out how to program a DVR, they may not have a positive attitude about other technologies. If they have encountered  unreliable technology in the past, they may expect a similar experience from all technological interactions.

Due Diligence – Technology has to be maintained, and problems have to be communicated. All people involved, both those that maintain the technology and the people who use it, have to communicate with the other. There is no way to figure out what the problem is if no one talks to each other. In many instances technology issues have a pattern; finding ways to uncover that pattern via documentation can often make the difference in how quickly issues are resolved.

We wish we could tell you there was a specific set of steps to follow to use to tell whether it’s the human or the technology. But perhaps the ideas listed above will help figure out what the problem is.

Melanie A. Lyttle is the Head of Public Services Madison Public Library. You can watch her YouTube channel, Crabby Librarian, at http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7Rv5GLWsUow. Shawn D. Walsh is the Emerging Services and Technologies Librarian at Madison Public Library.

The post Whose Fault Is It? The Technology Or The Human Using It? first appeared on Public Libraries Online.

The American Library Association recently published the 2013 Digital Inclusion Survey that supports this. The Digital Inclusion Survey—which was conducted by the American Library Association, the Information Policy & Access Center at the University of Maryland, and the International City/County Management Association, and funded by the Institute of Museum and Library Services—aims to explain “how public libraries help build digitally inclusive communities.” In a national survey conducted between September and November 2013, public libraries reported whether or not they provide public access to computers and the Internet, digital services, instruction for digital literacy, and tools for “civic engagement, education, health and wellness, and workforce/employment.”

The website (http://digitalinclusion.umd.edu/content/2013-digital-inclusion-survey-results-published) allows you to view results on an interactive map that allows you to search by library name or geographic area. This is especially interesting when seeing how public libraries compare on a national and state level. For example, when I compared the northern half and southern part of Illinois, the responses were pretty comparable in terms of Color Printing, Laptops, Internet, Scanners, Internet Skills, Online Learning, and Computer Skills. Yet there is a significant difference in the amount of computers available. In northern Illinois, there are over 2,000 computers at public libraries compared to less than 1,000 in southern Illinois. However, you can also see geographic demographics, so if there are significantly less people living in southern Illinois this may account for fewer computers.

Another interesting feature is the “State Details” tab that lets you see how a state measures up to the national response. Illinois public libraries are on par with the national average for educational programs and exceed the national average for summer reading. However, Illinois falls short by nearly 10% of the national average of “general familiarity with new technologies” and almost 4% of “mobile apps to access library resources and services.”

Nevertheless, the report is a refreshing reminder of the valuable services libraries offer. 98% of public libraries provide “some form of technological training to patrons” and 95% of public libraries provide assistance with employment resources. As a business liaison, this is particularly encouraging to read.

The Digital Inclusion Survey is a significant way to see how public libraries are excelling and where they are falling short. In our ever-changing digital world, these types of figures are so important for us to be aware of. If we want to continue to be vital resources to our communities, we need to be cognizant of how we can improve the resources and tools that are available at our libraries.

All of the facts and information in this essay were taken from the Digital Inclusion Survey website (http://digitalinclusion.umd.edu/content/2013-digital-inclusion-survey-results-published). Check it out to see the results from your library and/or geographic area. The 2014 survey will begin collecting data this September.

The post Surveying the Digital Inclusion Survey first appeared on Public Libraries Online.

The small, 4,800-square-foot space boasts 20,000 e-book titles (with a plan in place to increase that number by 10,000 every year over the next five years), 600 e-readers, 200 child-enhanced e-readers, 48 computer stations, 45 iPads, ten laptops, four interactive surface tables, two study rooms, and a small café. What you will not find is one single hardcover or paperback book.

The Big Idea

So how did Bexar County move past other counties and municipalities, many with greater resources, to construct and finance a contemporary version of the public library—all in less than fifteen months? Envisioned by Bexar County Judge Nelson W. Wolff, supported by the other county commissioners, and developed by county staff, this is an account of how county leaders used today’s technology to build tomorrow’s public library.

When most people think of a judge they think of a person in a long, black robe who sentences criminal offenders. In Texas, the county judge plays a different role, one similar to a city mayor. The position traditionally oversees the county’s main departments and services including flood control, roads, emergency management, parks, and the jail. Wolff presides over Commissioners Court, which includes him and four commissioners. Each commissioner is elected from a precinct that represents a quarter of the county’s population. Essentially they are the policy decision-makers on a variety of subjects that affect county residents.

The City of San Antonio and the San Antonio Public Library Foundation are both responsible for funding the public library system. The county, along with other charitable foundations and corporations, also contributes fiscally to the library’s operations.

A Digital Lifeline

After reading the 2011 biography Steve Jobs by Walter Isaacson, Wolff was inspired. “Steve Jobs was not a technician; he was more of an artist. Jobs made sure all his equipment, even the back end of it, was designed just right. That in itself was a real key part of what I learned by reading his book,” said Wolff.¹ He was motivated by Jobs’ sense of design and his complete immersion into projects. Wolff’s brainchild was not to replace the city’s library configuration, but to enhance it with a digital-only format. BiblioTech has brightly colored reading rooms resembling an Apple Store with several computer stations and a circulation desk. It is a place where patrons are able to check out e-readers and download ebooks from a cloud library. While this state-of-the-art digital facility offers its library services via the Internet, it also includes rooms for community activities and study groups.

Wolff was determined that Bexar County’s first digital library would first and foremost assist those who had the most challenges accessing digital information. The proposed location was an existing county building that was compliant with the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA) and was on major bus routes. BiblioTech is located on the south side of San Antonio, an underserved, mostly Hispanic area that is considered one of the most economically disadvantaged parts of the county.

A 2012 survey indicated that 18 percent of responding San Antonio households do not have a computer in the home and 45 percent do not have access to the Internet through a broadband connection. On a national level, a 2013 Pew Internet & American Life Project survey confirmed that smartphone penetration has gone beyond 50 percent of all adult Americans for the first time. It places the figure at 56 percent, up from just 35 percent in 2011.² Moreover, the number of adults without a mobile phone has dropped to just 9 percent.³ When it comes to mobile technology and books, numbers show Amazon now sells more e-books than hardback books.⁴

Yet despite these figures, surveys still show that Americans believe libraries remain critical. More than three-quarters of Americans participating in a Pew Research Center poll said that borrowing books, reference librarian services, and free access to computers and the Internet were all “very important” to them.⁵ By building the library on the south side, the county would be able to provide services to those citizens who were the least likely to have access to this type of technology. BiblioTech’s services would still be available countywide and beyond to residents with Internet access.

Implementation

To get the ball rolling, Wolff first reached out to Krisellen Maloney, dean of libraries at the University of Texas at San Antonio (UTSA). Maloney oversees libraries on the UTSA campuses. One of which, the Applied Engineering and Technology (AET) Library, was recognized by the New York Times and USA Today as the nation’s first academic bookless library on a university campus.⁶ The AET Library opened in 2010 and was an inspiration to Wolff, who wanted to bring the same kind of digital experience to all county residents.

Wolff was impressed by Maloney’s emphasis on the connection between technology and providing library services, as more than 75 percent of her budget that year was allocated to technology. She became an integral part of BiblioTech’s implementation, from participating in the staff interviewing process to helping choose the e-book provider. She also provided a wealth of information and expertise on a further variety of subjects and now chairs BiblioTech’s advisory board.

After conferring with Maloney, Wolff pitched the concept to Bexar County’s top management and what happened next is a true testament to what government can do when inclusive collaboration takes place. “What is unique about Bexar County is the system of power that was created by hiring a county manager. This position only exists in maybe one other county in the whole state of Texas. This leadership allowed the library project to consolidate power,” said Wolff.⁷ According to Wolff, having the county manager oversee all the different departments collectively was a defining element of BiblioTech’s timeline. With no focus on individual agendas, the team was highly organized and quick to respond. The time saved by not being required to get approval from multiple levels of management and filtering information where it was most needed was immeasurable.

Another part of the project that allowed it to get off the ground so quickly was the county’s decision to make an exception to the Request for Proposal (RFP) process, which is a county standard. The RFP bidding process systematically allows the county to obtain the best available pricing for commodities and professional services. The county ensures a competitive procurement process, while also encouraging small, minority, and women-owned businesses to participate. From advertising the proposal to awarding the selected vendor, the RFP process at a minimum takes sixty to ninety days to complete. The county’s decision to act as the construction manager and use internal professional staff enabled them to forgo the RFP process.

Fundraising

Funding this type of project in today’s economy, with escalating government cutbacks, was a challenge. The Hidalgo Foundation of Bexar County played a key role in that arena. The Hidalgo Foundation is a nonprofit organization created in 2001 to assist with projects that solely benefit the county and its residents.

The $2.4-million BiblioTech was much less expensive to build than a traditional public library since the usual space was not required. In comparison, the City of McAllen (Tex.) spent $24 million in 2012 transforming an abandoned Walmart into the city’s public library. It was an upgrade from the city’s old 40,000-square-foot main library. BiblioTech had a much different cost estimate. The space required for shelves, books, and physical storage was simply not needed. The county also had startup money from savings acquired from other capital projects. But when additional capital was needed, Wolff asked the BiblioTech team and the Hidalgo Foundation to raise some private funds. More than $500,000 in private donations came in. Some of the generous donors included Toyota Motor Manufacturing Texas, The Greehey Family Foundation, and Spurs Sports & Entertainment.

Building

The project’s timeline again was a motivating factor when it came to the county’s decision to act as its own contractor; an undertaking never before attempted in its 100-year-plus history. The timeline was essential because Bexar County not only wanted to be the first digital public library, but also wanted to be operating by the start of the 2013-14 school year.

One of the most important duties of a general contractor is to direct the sequence of construction, which, if done correctly, can guarantee shorter timelines. Serving as its own contractor, the county was also able to select subcontractors from the Texas Multiple Award Schedule (TXMAS). This program compiles a list of existing competitively awarded government contractors that cater to the procurement needs of the state of Texas.

Betty Bueche, Bexar County director of facilities & parks, led the construction teams as the general contractor and Dan Curry, the county capital projects manager, acted as the jobsite supervisor. While this construction management team had extensive experience and expertise, it had little foresight into how a project like this should work. “I think with BiblioTech there was unlimited potential. This was the first time it had been done and the future impact had yet to be determined. It truly was a ‘transformation project’ for the community. It redefined the kind of service counties are willing to provide to their constituents,” said Bueche.⁸

BiblioTech’s interior design also played a major role in creating the kind of experience the county wanted to offer to patrons. The relationship between Bexar County and Muñoz & Company was a key component of BiblioTech’s design. “We were able to get Muñoz [& Company] to go in for free and develop the artistic design that we wanted. We told them what we were looking for . . . something that was different . . . something that represented the artistic design for this kind of space. They also came up with the name,” said Wolff.⁹ The space’s design included clean lines and bright colors. Laura Cole, special projects coordinator for the county, agreed that BiblioTech’s surroundings needed to correspond with its technology. “Not only does the space need to be aesthetically pleasing, and one in which patrons would want to spend time, the design needed to be functional for the technology,” said Cole.¹⁰

A Twenty-First Century Library

Without question, libraries in the twenty-first century will continue to focus on creating community meeting spaces and
being identified as learning centers versus being that place that houses large book collections. With today’s technology and social media demands, the days of card catalogs and bookshelves to the ceiling are most likely behind us. Today’s library patrons want interactive technology, enhanced power connections, and modern spaces to match their leading-edge technology. That’s all in the event they even want to leave the house. Now more than ever, people have 24/7 access to the Internet. E-readers allow owners to check out books whenever they want—any time, day or night. In today’s world with the amount of mobile technology available, hours of operation literally do not exist for some. And people are definitely using the technology that’s out there. Despite only being launched within the last ten years, iPad in 2010 and iTunes in 2003, both are part of many people’s regular daily routines. Technology also brings with it an excitement of what is possible and what has the potential to improve lives. This kind of enthusiasm can turn a simple project into something that has the potential to go beyond anyone’s expectations.

“BiblioTech energized a lot of county employees. It was a highly visible undertaking that lifted up our employees and gave them something new and different to do, not the everyday stuff they’re used to. When you give people the chance to do new things, many of them will step up and completely surprise you with how hard they work,” said Wolff.¹¹

Every new visitor to BiblioTech is welcomed and offered a personal tour. If the visitor is a county resident they are offered
a library card at the end of the tour and additional one-on-one time with staff until they become familiar with the technology. Out-of-town visitors are offered a guest pass so they can utilize the software and see how everything works. Everyone is shown how to download e-books to their own readers/devices or onto one of e-readers you can check out. The bilingual staff also offer individualized technology assistance to seniors and anyone with special needs. The BiblioTech staff says that for all that the library has given to its patrons, they have also been given some unforgettable memories in return.

Cole relayed a story about a young family’s recent visit, during which a twentysomething father revealed that the e-readers were of no use to him, because he could not read. “One of our staff offered him a children’s reader, which is enhanced with activities that help with learning how to read,” Cole said. “He started shaking, and his wife couldn’t stop crying. It was a really profound experience for him and the staff.”¹² BiblioTech’s current project is the mailing of 8,000 personal letters to the men and women serving in the armed forces who are from Bexar County. In each envelope, a library card with their login information will be included so they can download their own e-books. Bexar County also offered residents help signing up for coverage under the Affordable Care Act (ACA) at BiblioTech. The free assistance was available through the end of March 2014. Former U.S. Secretary of Health and Human Services Kathleen Sebelius visited BiblioTech in February, 2014, to promote the program.

Another partnership includes Mothers and Their Children (MATCH) which began in 1984 to give incarcerated mothers more opportunities to interact with their children. BiblioTech is now providing e-readers and tablets for these mothers to use during visits with their children to read to them, and additional time to study parenting books.¹³ BiblioTech has already expanded since opening in September 2013. The first satellite location opened in March 2014 in the County Courthouse Central Jury Room. This is interesting in and of itself, as this new library technology can now be found within the oldest continuously operating historic courthouse in Texas.

Library services have expanded with the addition of Hoopla Digital, which allows patrons to access television shows, movies, music, and audiobooks for free with BiblioTech registration. Patrons can choose from more than 7,000 digital comics and graphic novels. Mango Languages offers 61 different foreign languages and 16 English courses to learn in your spare time. You can utilize Atomic Training and brush up on your computer skills with 85 different tech tutorials. Or you can browse more than 70 popular magazine subscriptions.

Since its opening, BiblioTech has averaged 300 walk-ins per day, which will equal more than 100,000 visitors in its first year. During the same time period 25,743 e-book titles have been c/hecked out, along with 3,069 e-readers.¹⁴

BiblioTech currently has seventeen employees, six of whom are full-time. BiblioTech’s core staff includes the head librarian, branch manager, assistant branch manager, IT manager, special projects coordinator, and a community relations liaison. The head librarian is Ashley Eklof. Eklof was hired several months before the library opened. She was an integral part of the implementation because she had the traditional librarian’s point of view, but in a completely non-traditional environment. “I do not miss having to hunt the stacks for a book that was misplaced, or finding a returned book that has been damaged. In a digital library, the entire collection is available at my fingertips, at all times, and will stay in mint condition for years to come,” said Eklof.¹⁵

As the first head librarian of a digital public library, Eklof had an opportunity that few librarians, if any, ever have: she was able to assemble the library’s entire book collection. “It is not often that librarians are presented with the opportunity to build an entire collection of books and resources from scratch,” she said. “In addition to developing a collection of core materials, I pay special attention to the needs of the community and the materials that are requested.”¹⁶

What is also unique about the digital library environment is that when staff members are not required to maintain large spaces and book collections it allows for more patron interaction. “I appreciate the fact that our staff spends more time face-to-face with visitors than processing physical materials. It allows for more opportunity to build relationships and acquaint first-time visitors with our collection, resources, and technology,” Eklof said. “In addition to providing reference services and technology assistance, we place a high level of importance on our customer service.”¹⁷

Either way, the technology is forcing public libraries to redefine their scope of services. Other attempts to develop fully digital public libraries in Arizona (in 2002) and California (in 2011) ultimately failed when patrons demanded to keep access to physical books. Maybe the key is not to replace the infrastructure, but instead utilize the technology by creating a whole new model like Bexar County did with the digital format. BiblioTech will undoubtedly be part of the history we read about when it comes to the establishment of digital libraries. We will have to see what happens, but this is for certain, the institution of the public library is transforming. People will have to either adapt with changing technology or the public library, as we know it, may not survive.

To learn more about the BiblioTech model or to take tour of the facility, contact Laura Jesse, Bexar County Public nformation Officer, at (210) 335-0073 or ljesse@bexar.org, or visit http://bexarbibliotech.org.

References

1. Nelson W. Wolff, Bexar County Judge, personal interview with the author, July 28, 2013.
2. Mark Rogowsky, “More Than Half of Us Have Smartphones, Giving Apple and Google Much to Smile About,” Forbes.com, June 6, 2013, accessed Apr. 8, 2014, .
3. Ibid.
4. David Vinjamuri, “Why Public Libraries Matter: And How They Can Do More,” Forbes.com, Jan. 16, 2013, accessed Apr. 8, 2014.
5. Ibid.
6. University of Texas at San Antonio, “About the UTSA Libraries,” accessed Apr. 8, 2014.
7. Wolff, personal interview with the author, July 28, 2013.
8. Betty Bueche, Bexar County director of facilities and parks, phone interview with the author, Aug. 2, 2013.
9. Wolff, personal interview with the author, July 28, 2013.
10. Laura Cole, BiblioTech special projects coordinator, personal interview with the author, Aug. 3, 2013.
11. Wolff, personal interview with the author, July 28, 2013.
12. Cole, personal interview with the author, Aug. 3, 2013.
13. Mark D. Wilson, “BiblioTech Brings Tech to Incarcerated Mothers,” San Antonio Express-News, Mar. 20, 2014, accessed Apr. 15, 2014, .
14. Laura Cole, BiblioTech, Bexar County Digital Library, PowerPoint presentation, TLA Netherlands, March 2014.
15. Ashley Eklof, BiblioTech head librarian, personal interview with the author, Apr. 4, 2014.
16. Ibid.
17. Ibid.

The post The Nation’s First Fully Digital Public Library: How a Texas County Made it Happen first appeared on Public Libraries Online.

The task force defines a digitally literate person as someone who:

• possesses the variety of skills—technical and cognitive—required to find, understand, evaluate, create, and communicate digital information in a wide variety of formats;
• is able to use diverse technologies appropriately and effectively to retrieve information, interpret results, and judge the quality of that information;
• understands the relationship between technology, lifelong learning, personal privacy, and stewardship of information;
• uses these skills and the appropriate technology to communicate and collaborate with peers, colleagues, family, and on occasion, the general public, and
• uses these skills to actively participate in civic society and contribute to a vibrant, informed, and engaged community.²

Reading that definition describes exactly what a librarian working with teens is charged with every day—connecting teens with technology and making sure that teens are able to effectively utilize that technology for themselves and to connect with others.

Teen librarians have taken the idea of digital literacy and introduced it to teen audiences in creative ways through programming. I talked with two teen librarians, Kelly Jensen, associate librarian at Beloit (Wis.) Public Library, and Angie Manfredi, head of youth services, Los Alamos County (N.Mex.) Library System, who have implemented successful programs that have digital literacy as a goal.

Public Libraries: Can you explain the digital literacy program you ran at your library? How did you prepare for it and how was it promoted?

Kelly Jensen: I ran a QR code treasure hunt with Andrea Sowers at her library [Joliet (Ill.) Public Library]. Preparation involved designing a scavenger hunt with books located in the teen area of the library, the creation of videos for prompts (using authors to do so), and purchasing an iPod and putting a QR code on it. We also had to create our own QR codes as well.

Angie Manfredi: This year I decided to combine our most successful teen program, our teen lock-ins, with some digital literacy education tied into YALSA’s Teen Tech Week. Our teens are always interested in attending lock-ins, so this was a great chance for us to get good attendance numbers for a digital literacy program. To prepare for the program, I worked with our electronic services librarian to think of the resources and materials that would be the most appropriate to cover and used ideas from YALSA’s Teen Tech Week website.

PL: How did the program work?

KJ: To begin the QR Code Treasure Hunt, I had to make one large purchase: an iPod Touch. This cost roughly $200. I decided to purchase this because in my area, teens do not have much access to smartphones. It seemed unfair to me to expect anyone to participate in a program without the expensive equipment. Fortunately for me, I received a donation from a local organization, and the money went toward this purchase. Additionally, I decided that teens who completed the treasure hunt would have the opportunity to win big for participating. The iPod would be the prize. So, while this was a pricey start up, it ensured fair access to the equipment and served as a prize/incentive for participation.

When I got the iPod I loaded a free QR app onto it. I taught staff how to use the equipment by encouraging them to run through the hunt so they could answer questions that might arise. In addition, I made all of the books involved in the hunt non-circulating; this was done in the event one of our codes would check out. Fortunately, we’re part of a big enough system that kids interested in checking out these books would be able to get them in a day or two from another library.

There were only a few instructions for my hunt. The teens were given a small handout with problem-solving tips. They were allowed to borrow the iPod for the program with a library card or student ID. The first QR code led them to a video produced by one of Andrea’s teens that explained how the program worked. She also revealed their first clue. On the back of the book was the QR code. After snapping that clue, they were then led to their first author video, featuring young adult author Melissa Walker. Melissa’s clue took them to one of our reference desks. From there, they were led to a few other places around the library.

Our final clue was to the book Little Brother by Cory Doctorow. When kids snapped that code, they were led to a Google form to fill out and be entered for the grand prize.

AM: For our event, I created a bingo card featuring digital literacy activities. Each teen was given a bingo card and challenged to complete as many activities as possible during the lock-in. Several stations, with desktop and laptop computers, were set up around the library with library
staff on hand at each station prepared to help teens through any of the activities. Tasks included editing a Wiki page, looking up a favorite author on Twitter, testing the security of their passwords, using a library database to find out a ridiculous fact, filming a video booktalk, and playing with the code of a website using Hackasaurus.

PL: What were the program’s benefits?

KJ: The QR Code Treasure Hunt let teens learn a new piece of technology. For my rural teens, this was something they don’t get exposed to daily, and the opportunity to do so while having fun (I mean, they got to see videos from real authors!) made the learning part more enjoyable.

AM: This was such a wonderful program! It gave us a chance to really reach out to teens about digital and information literacy in a way that was interesting, relevant, and hands-on. Tying it to a successful program (our lock-ins) also gave the old program a whole new appeal. We not only had the opportunity to teach them new things about digital literacy but it was also a wonderful chance to share some of our library’s resources.  Another unexpected benefit was the chance to connect librarians from outside youth services with teens.

PL: Would you repeat this program?

KJ: I would do this program again in a heartbeat and I recommend something similar to other libraries looking for a way to incorporate technology and reading. As someone who’d never used a QR code, I thought this was such a cool introduction to the power they have, and it really encouraged me to think about how I could incorporate these things into my work.

AM: Absolutely, particularly in connection with [YALSA’s] Teen Tech Week.

PL: Why should teen librarians incorporate a focus on digital literacy in programming?

KJ: It’s important to give teens new experiences in safe environments, especially since not all teens are digitally savvy. I think the assumption is that if they’re young, they know technology. Not true.

AM: Our Teen Tech Week program really showed us the ways teens need digital literacy education—this is an area YA librarians are uniquely qualified to step up and take part in. Seeing our teen patrons “ooh!” and “ahh!” as they were also absorbing digital literacy lessons that will help them in every aspect of their life was a really great experience and it helped broaden what we think of when we think of library services to teens.

Librarians serving teens can help guide teens through the murky waters of technology and help them discover how it can be used in any setting.

REFERENCES

1. Marijke Visser, “Digital Literacy Definition,” ALA Connect, Sept. 14, 2012.
2. Ibid.

The post Teaching Teens About Digital Literacy Through Programming first appeared on Public Libraries Online.

Volunteers already make valuable contributions to public libraries.  They assist with story times and crafts, they are Friends of the Library, they run used book sales, they shelve books, and they work on local history projects and much, much more. Volunteers give generously of their time and expertise and help libraries serve their communities.

Tech savvy volunteers can teach computer and technology classes in a variety of scenarios.  They can assist a staff member during a session, or they can teach classes themselves.  One-on-one sessions by appointment may be ideal for some volunteers.  Another idea is providing a table for drop in eReader help that is staffed by volunteers.  You may have a need for more specialized computer help, such as assisting job seekers or genealogists or offering classes in other languages.  The possibilities are endless!

Recruit volunteers by advertising in your local paper, the library newsletter, website, and social media outlets, and signs in the library.  Ask for résumés or descriptions of their teaching and technology skills.  If a potential volunteer seems like a good fit, offer an interview so you can find out more about their experience and give them a chance to ask you questions about the opportunity.  Make sure the volunteer understands the expectations.  Computer classes and ongoing programs are often advertised and require registration so instructors need to commit to a schedule.  Volunteers, just like library staff, must understand the importance of maintaining a high level of customer service as well as exhibiting patience, tact, and a friendly attitude.

If you and the volunteer are ready to move forward, invite them to attend a computer class or two.  The potential volunteer can learn firsthand how classes are structured and the skill levels of the students.  Volunteers may be surprised to learn that many library patrons are beginning to learn how to handle a mouse or search the internet.

When you are satisfied the volunteer has the skill set to train your library patrons and the volunteer is ready to make a commitment, be sure to offer training.  Show where to check-in and gather class materials and how to manage the computer lab or set up laptops.  Give an orientation to the library, just as you would any new employee, so they can hang a coat, use the restroom, or get a glass of water.  Ensure that they know how to contact you or other staff members in case they have questions or need assistance.  You may also want to sit in on their first few classes, both to answer their questions and to observe their teaching style.

When you find the right volunteers, they will become a valuable part of your instructor team and the library.  Thank them for their contributions and show your appreciation!

More information about volunteer computer and technology instructors can be found on WebJunction.org and TechSoupForLibraries.org.

1)   OCLC. “How Libraries Stack Up: 2010.” Accessed February 8, 2013.  http://www.oclc.org/reports/stackup/default.htm

The post Volunteer Technology Instructors in the Public Library first appeared on Public Libraries Online.

We all know how critical digital literacy is and what a huge part we as public libraries play in it. This is our moment and our time: the U.S. Department of Commerce is pointing right to us on its Web site, www.digitalliteracy.gov. We have an enormous opportunity and challenge to create more digital citizens and we need to be prepared.

To be successful, we first need to train our library staff effectively, so that they can teach patrons. Too often, staff training takes a back seat in libraries. Universally, public libraries are understaffed and overworked; how can we move forward with these constraints? Rather than approach digital literacy as an ephemeral trend, we need to make it a habit in our work lives. Training is a continual, ongoing practice, not something we address only at quarterly staff meetings.  Let me clarify by saying that there isn’t a one-size fits all approach for digital literacy training.  From personal experience, I can tell you that if you don’t make technology training an embedded practice, chances are training will become haphazard at best.

Begin by asking what digital literacy means at your library. Define and then prioritize. At my library, we contemplated which aspects of technology, particularly those related to our services, are most crucial for customer interactions. Translate general technology goals into palatable portions; then, you can more easily create task-oriented learning objectives. Consider adopting a mix of approaches in your digital literacy training, combining face-to-face sessions, group and individual classes, and self-paced lessons from established resources.

Since in-practice illustrations are frequently useful, allow me to share the many shapes our digital literacy training has taken in our library.  Currently, we feature a weekly, fifteen minute “mini-training” a couple times a week on specific, task-oriented lessons. Past lessons have included top tips for troubleshooting computers, using the copier, and searching overviews in specific databases. In addition, we have a weekly email that focuses on functionalities in our library automation system with homework assignments. Topics cover the Public Access Catalog and staff client systems; our goal is to educate our staff and also lead them through how our patrons are accessing our library. Individual training on our three digital libraries, which currently include OverDrive, Zinio, and Freading, with different devices is a priority.  One of the best vehicles for learning is on-the-spot coaching with staff for walk-in customers with digital needs. Trainings – be it for new services or refreshers on established ones – are always a part of staff and department meetings.  We’re working on developing a portable digital lab for staff training as well.

All of the above was created with no additional resources: no extra personnel or funding. We’ve involved staff at every level as both trainers and trainees. Rather than grumble about increased expectations, staff have been enthusiastic and eager for learning opportunities.

As public libraries evolve, the demand for technologically fluent staff will only increase. By making digital literacy training a habit for our library staff, we have effectively been able to bridge some of the digital divide.

The post Bridging the Digital Divide in Your Library Staff first appeared on Public Libraries Online.

These two library systems—the Idaho Commission for Libraries and the Hennepin County (Minnesota) Library system—provide digital literacy instruction models that can be utilized by public libraries of all kinds. While the article focuses on digital literacy instruction for new immigrants in mid-size cities, these models can be used by any library seeking to narrow the digital literacy gap in its own community, among not only immigrants but also US-born adults. So what elements of these two models can we utilize in our own efforts to narrow the digital literacy gaps in our communities?

Training the trainers. The Idaho Commission for Libraries’ program “trains foreign language speakers to, in turn, teach digital literacy to others in their language groups.”  Idaho staff use digital literacy tools available through library databases and other free online resources to create digital literacy guides on high-demand topics such as finding a job, using computers and the Internet, and access to e-government services. These guides are then used by trainers to help learners develop skills necessary for life in 21^st-century America.

Recruiting volunteers. Both Idaho and Hennepin County’s programs recruit volunteers from within the community groups they wish to reach. For immigrant communities, the use of volunteers who speak their native languages helps to bridge cultural and digital gaps. Utilizing volunteers to provide digital literacy instruction allows library staff to focus on planning, administering, and evaluating the instructional program.

Planning. Staff working on the Idaho Commission for Libraries’ program spent three months “to clarify goals, develop the guides, find trainers, and deliver the sessions.” Hennepin County Library staff work closely with community partners to plan instructional programming that is responsive to community needs. Planning is important in enabling instructors to be well prepared to teach and helps to ensure that instructional time is spent efficiently and effectively.

Identifying specific learning outcomes. Idaho’s program seeks to help learners build skills for applying for jobs, finding information for their families, helping their kids with school, and living in 21^st-century America, “where technology know-how is very important.” Hennepin County’s program seeks to help users practice basic mouse and keyboarding skills, learn to use the Internet, access unemployment benefits online, apply for jobs online, and set up and sign in and out of online accounts. Identifying specific learning outcomes not only enables library staff to better evaluate the success of the program but also helps learners identify exactly what should be learned and what is to be accomplished.

Public libraries can learn much about developing and implementing successful digital literacy instructional programs by studying examples such as those provided by the Idaho Commission for Libraries and the Hennepin County Library system. We can also learn by sharing our own stories. How has your library worked to narrow the digital literacy gap in your community?

The post Digital Literacy Instruction: Models for Public Libraries first appeared on Public Libraries Online.