Ruben Balderas (Literacy Manager, San Francisco Public Library) and William Alvites (Learning Differences Librarian, San Francisco Public Library) kicked off the panel by introducing the Orton-Gillingham approach: a structured, multisensory plan to teach reading and vocabulary skills. The library’s FOG program is a two-fold structure of eligible students and trained tutors. Students in grades 1-4 that are not at grade level reading may participate in the program, and must attend a Family Orientation to learn how the curriculum is structured and expected outcomes. Recruited tutors receive an 8 hour training to discuss the curriculum and session planning, and must undergo the routine background check and fingerprinting process. Once schedules are submitted on both ends, students and tutors will be matched and have their first benchmark meeting, and tutoring moves forward through the Orton-Gillingham approach.

Unlike school, a student’s skills determine how far and how fast they can go – tutors do not move on until the concept is mastered. While the tutor completes monthly reporting logs and provides quarterly feedback, the student is empowered to go through the session at a pace best suited to their needs. The library provides this in-depth reading remediation program for free, providing an equitable way to empower readers at a young age, and succeed in the future.

Chicago Public Library’s Katie Eckert (Early Learning Specialist) and Lori Frumkin (Senior Project Manager) described how they created their Jump into Reading initiative to support new and struggling readers and their caregivers as they transition from pre literacy skills to fluent readers. They both underwent a baseline IMSE (Institute for Multisensory Education) Training to understand the primary concepts around the science of reading, and partnered with a variety of local literacy experts and partners. This paved the way to their new decodable books collection, currently available at 9 locations, and organized by different decoding practices and sounds. These decodable books are designed to encourage children to practice their knowledge of letters and their corresponding sounds.

To help both staff and patrons understand how to use the decodable books collection, the librarians made a decodable book selection tool – a child reads aloud words in a structured order from a worksheet to help determine which decodable books best fit their skill level or phonics practice needs.  It’s a handy and user-friendly way to help patrons navigate in-depth reading skills to set their children on a path to success, all with free resources available at the library. This collection, along with Grab-and-Go Phonological Awareness Kits, Beginning Reader Storytimes, Small Group Read Louds and Teen Volunteer Read Alouds all are apart of CPL’s successful campaign to help struggling readers in an empowering and entertaining way.

Overall, SFPL and CPL both demonstrated how they are evolving their literacy programming to meet the needs of younger patrons, especially as reading rates continue to decline. While reading interventions and tutoring can often be pricy and difficult to find, having these specialized systems and resources in place can help make a larger, lasting impact for patrons – as was said in the panel, reading is how one can participate in society, and these programs are an effective way to combat low level literacy, and its impacts.

Morgan Hanrahan

Early Literacy Librarian, New Orleans Public Library

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In Creating Cultural Change, the leadership of the Stark Library presented one story of a successful, focused, and cohesive effort to build DEI into the DNA of the organization.  They started with their inclusion statement  to be “open to all” and to “continue to build and nurture an inclusive environment that represents, supports, values, and celebrates the community we serve.” Through their intentional collaboration, the leaders across all departments came together to create a foundation and structure of activities to expand DEI initiatives throughout the organization. Their ten locations included urban, suburban, and rural libraries that would meet their communities and their needs in a united way.

Mary Ellen Icaza, Library Director, and her team including Jen Welsh, Public Services, Marianna DiGiacomo, Community Services, Megan Del Corso, Collection Development, and Stephanie Cargill, Marketing and Communications, proceeded with a global diversity, equity, and inclusion audit and sought to provide foundational documents to link DEI values to the work of the library. Accountability and system-wide participation were essential.  The focus was not about changing hearts and minds, but advancing the values of DEI as it related to the work of the library in a comprehensive way.  The leadership team created an action plan, targeting specific cultural heritage months and building programming around the cultural heritage focus. A programming manual furnished support to staff and clearly expressed expectations regarding diversity, equity, and inclusion.

There were challenges at the beginning, and the leadership team got help, but the impressive thing to me was the commitment of the leadership team to stay united in their DEI goals and to present to the entire organization the desire for a cultural change.

The post Creating Cultural Change: Bringing DEI to Life – a Reflection first appeared on Public Libraries Online.

I was honored to receive a scholarship to the PLA 2024 Conference in April 2024 in Columbus, Ohio. While I was there, I attended sessions that featured the Science of Reading and what the public library can do to support reading literacy.

The Reading Wars

Reading instruction has seen significant debates over two main methods: Phonics (Bottom-Up) and Whole Word (Top-Down). Phonics focuses on sounds and letters to decode words, while Whole Word emphasizes sight words and creating meaning from text.

This debate dates back to the 1800s with McGuffey Readers, which offered Word Method, Phonics Method, or a combined approach. In the early 1900s, Beacon Readers promoted a combined method. However, a 1927 article from Teachers College at Columbia University highlighted the importance of teaching whole words. By 1930, phonics was largely abandoned in U.S. classrooms in favor of Whole Word instruction.

During this time, Dick and Jane and Look/Say readers became popular, using simple words and pictures without focusing on letter or sound patterns for decoding.

Why Johnny Can’t Read

The plea to eliminate whole word instruction began in 1955 when Rudolf Flesh wrote his bestseller, “Why Johnny Can’t Read.” He stated that memorizing and guessing the meaning of whole words is not reading. He believed that this guessing and memorizing is a bad habit that prevents children from properly learning to read. The reading wars officially began.

Reading Recovery

In the 1970s, whole word instruction became known as Whole Language. Whole Language rejected the phonics and sight word readers that children had been using. This approach believed that these books were inferior quality literature and were turning children “off” of reading. Instead, it turned to real children’s literature. Teachers would read real children’s literature to the students. Unfortunately, the children were still reading from the sight word readers, and phonics instruction and decoding was completely rejected. Many children were struggling to learn to read.

In 1976, in New Zealand, Marie Clay studied struggling readers to determine why they were struggling. She developed a method that became known as Reading Recovery. She believed children should be taught to use context clues, pictures, and beginning sounds to guess what a word might be. This approach called the Three Cueing Method eventually made its way to the U.S.

Guided Reading

In 1996 two prominent authors, Irene Fountas and Gay Su Pinnell, promoted a Guided Reading Approach. Guided reading involved what was called “Word Work” to integrate some phonics instruction, but this word work was minimal. The bulk of the program was teaching guided reading groups of children at similar reading levels. Children were tested to determine their level and were given books that were at their level. These books had pictures and context clues to help them figure out words. Their program was a huge hit, and soon Guided Reading was everywhere.

By 2000, Guided Reading had spread across almost every school system in the U.S. They weren’t saying “No phonics,” they were just saying that many kids will not “need” phonics.

Reading Workshop

In the 1980s, Lucy Calkins embraced the Three Cueing system and developed the Reading Workshop. The curriculum is based on the belief that when students are motivated to learn, in the right environment full of good books, with lots of freedom and choices, they will naturally develop the skills they need. Children will learn to read by reading. The workshop approach involves a mini lesson and a minimum of 30-40 minutes of independent reading, even at the youngest of ages.

Research

 In 1997, reading scores were in such a crisis that the US Congress created the National Reading Panel. They were to examine all the research and determine what is the most effective approach to teach children to read. Their 480-page report in 2000 offered a full rebuke of Whole Language and concluded that systematic, explicit phonics instruction was a requirement in learning to read (National Reading Panel (U.S.) & National Institute of Child Health and Human Development (U.S.), 2000).

One key piece of research by Matt Burns from the University of Florida involved the Benchmark assessments from Guided Reading that are used to determine student reading levels. The assessments were compared to two other assessments that are already proven valid. The Benchmark assessment was only 54% accurate. The study also showed that the Benchmark assessment could only identify 31% of the students that needed reading intervention. (Klingbeil, D.A., McComas, J.J., Burns, M.K. and Helman, L., 2015).

Henry May led a huge study in 2018. They followed thousands of students through three years of education. The study compared two groups of struggling readers. One group received Reading Recovery in first grade and one group did not. The Reading Recovery students were doing better by the end of first grade. However, comparing those same students again at the end of third grade, and the students who had Reading Recovery in first grade performed worse than those who did not have reading Recovery. In addition, this group of students who received Reading Recovery in first grade also received additional intervention in second and third grade, but still did not perform well. (Sirinides, P., Gray, A., & May, H., 2018).

Finally, a study by Sandra Iversen put phonics and cueing head-to-head. Again, it compared two groups of struggling readers. Half of the students went through the Reading Recovery program. The other group when through the same Reading Recovery program with additional instruction in phonics. The students with the additional instruction progressed more quickly than those with Reading Recovery alone. (Iversen, S., & Tunmer, W. E., 1993).

Conclusions

Research concluded that our brain is designed to remember words and meaning of words, but it is not until you connect those words to their letters and sounds that your brain connects neural pathways. These connections are called orthographic mapping. It is these pathways that allow you to remember these written words long term. The written word is mapped to your memory and cannot be lost.

Research also concluded that in their earliest instruction, children who learn explicit phonics appear to learn to read more slowly than those who are learning whole words. However, those learning phonics instruction are the ones who were able to map the written words in the brain. They showed increased activity in the part of the brain that is associated with skilled reading. Their reading instruction stayed with them, and they became good readers. Whole word learners could only memorize so many words.

Legislation

President Bush’s Reading First initiative, part of the 2001 No Child Left Behind Act, allocated $5 billion to improve reading using research-based curricula emphasizing explicit phonics instruction and eliminating the Three Cueing system.

Curriculum is a lucrative business, and proponents of Whole Language, like Marie Clay and Fountas and Pinnell, resisted changes to protect their profits. Some rebranded their programs to gain approval without changing methods. Instead of fully abandoning Whole Language, schools adopted a Balanced Literacy approach, integrating phonics instruction with the Three Cueing system.

Equity

U.S. reading scores reveal significant issues, with 33% of 4th graders lacking basic reading skills. While 75% of white students are proficient readers, only 19% of black students are. This disparity is not tied to school location or funding, as both affluent and impoverished schools struggle. The inequity lies in access to resources. Students with supportive caregivers, financial means for tutors, or additional literacy exposure outside school fare better. A lower percentage of black students have these opportunities compared to white students. (U.S. Department of Education, 2022)

Today

The Reading Wars were primarily fought within education circles, but COVID-19 brought the issue home. Caregivers, now observing their children’s learning firsthand, became more aware of ineffective reading instruction. This led to increased advocacy for change, resulting in new laws reforming reading instruction nationwide. Historically, education has swung between phonics-focused and meaning-focused approaches. A balanced method incorporating great literature, meaningful reading, and systematic phonics instruction is needed.

Many states are changing education laws. Many school systems have changed curriculums and methodologies. Many public libraries are stepping up to find new ways to support children and caregivers as they approach learning to read. These libraries are incorporating the Science of Reading in their programs and resources. At the 2024 PLA Annual conference, I had the opportunity to learn about some of the exciting initiatives happening in public libraries across the US.

Toledo Lucas Public Library

Toledo Lucas Public Library has resources to support caregivers specifically with children age birth–2, preschoolers, kindergarteners, grades K-3, older kids, adult help, and educator resources. Each group has information on their website to share what caregivers can do, what resources the library offers, and library programs. They published a magazine in Fall 2023 that takes caregivers through the entire continuum of literacy development and shows what they can do to help their children. Toledo librarians created Busy Books for different age groups that allow children and families to practice these skills in a ringed laminated board book with a dry erase marker. Toledo also offers kits designed for preschoolers to have fun with literacy games and activities.

Dayton Metro Library

Dayton Metro Library offers homework help, kindergarten club, and reading buddies. The Kindergarten Club is especially for upcoming Kindergarteners. Families enjoy literacy activities together.  School – aged children can sign up for a Reading Buddy. A Reading Buddy is a trained volunteer that spends time reading with a child on a regular basis. Homework help is an open time when students can come without an appointment to get help in any sort of schoolwork.

Cuyahoga Reads

All nine library systems in Cuyahoga County (OH) came together to make k-12 reading a priority. In addition to regular literacy focused library programs, they offer different reading challenges through the Beanstack app. They also publish literacy tips in local newspapers each month.

Lorain (OH) Public Library System

The Lorain (OH) Public Library System has launched a tutoring program, tutor.com, which connects students to over 3,000 tutors and provides one-to-one homework help, video lessons and test prep for students in kindergarten through 12th grade, early college students, and adult learners.

Columbus (OH) Metropolitan Library

Columbus libraries have Ready for Kindergarten classes as well as intentionally designed play areas with a literacy learning focus. Columbus also has school help centers and Reading Buddies for older kids. For the 2023-2024 school year, they started a full school year of high dosage tutoring. The Columbus program is different because it is a push-in program, sending tutors into the schools to work one on one with students.

Stark Library

In Canton, Ohio, the Stark Library piloted a Summer Fun School initiative. As part of their regular summer book mobile outreach, the library focused on school readiness. In addition to the books available for checkout, readers participated in storytime, literacy, STEM, and problem-solving activities.

San Francisco Public Library

San Francisco Public Library began its FOG (Free Orton-Gillingham) readers initiative in 2016. A typical Orton-Gillingham remediation program is extremely expensive. In this free program, readers are paired with volunteer reading tutors. The program is a big commitment between families and tutors. Families go through a detailed orientation. Tutors are trained in a very specific, step-by-step curriculum based on the principles of the Science of Reading and Orton-Gillingham. Readers progress through the Orton-Gillingham levels at their own pace with a systematic approach using the same steps each session: phonemic awareness, vowel intensive, flashcards and blending, vocabulary building, spelling, and more. The FOG readers program was a 2018 recipient of the Urban Library Council’s top Innovator award.

Chicago Public Library

Chicago Public Library (CPL) partnered with the Institute for Multi-Sensory Education, Redwood Literacy, the Black Boy Joy Literacy Campaign, and Big City Readers to develop the Jump Into Reading program. The program focuses on supporting and educating caregivers to help their young readers. CPLdeveloped an extensive decodable books collection. Caregivers are offered resources to help them understand why and how to read these books with their children, how children learn to read based on Scarborough’s Reading Rope as the “Jump Rope” for Jump into reading, how to choose a decodable book, and more. Families are also provided with ‘grab and go’ phonological awareness kits. Finally, the library offers storytimes specifically designed to support beginning readers.

Charleston County (SC) Public Library

Charleston County streamlined storytimes to provide consistent quality programs that would increase school readiness based on the ECRR standards. Multiple storytimes per week divide children into 4 separate age groups: baby, toddler, preschool, and families. A large component of these storytimes is a focus on parent education through parent asides, songs, and activities they can take away and do at home.

All of these public libraries have stepped up with intention to support the Science of Reading and bridge the reading gap. Literacy drives democracy. It is freedom. Illiteracy is a pipeline to unemployment, depression, homelessness, and incarceration. During the Cold War, we had a push for Science and Math. We believed they were the gateway to success in life. Now, we live in the information age and that means we need to be able to read. In this literacy crisis, we need all hands on deck to help get our students on track to being readers.

Resources

Calkins, Lucy. The Art of Teaching Reading. (New York, Heinemann, 1994).

Chall, Jeanne. Learning to Read: The Great Debate, Updated ed. (New York: McGraw-Hill, 1967).

Clay, Marie. Reading Recovery, Reprint Edition. (New York, Heinemann, 1993).

Ehri, Linnea. “Grapheme-Phoneme Knowledge is Essential for Learning to Read Words in English” in Word Recognition in Beginning Literacy (Mahwah: Lawrence Erlbaum Associates, Publishers, 1998).

Fassett, James. The New Beacon Primer (New York: Ginn and Company, 1921).

Flesch, Rudolf.  Why Johnny Can’t Read (New York: Harper & Row, 1955).Flesch, Rudolf. Why Johnny Still Can’t Read (New York: Harper & Row, 1981).

Fountas, Irene and Gay Su Pinnell. Guided Reading: Good First Teaching for All Children. (New York, Heinemann, 1996).

Gates, Arthur, “Studies of Phonetic Training in Beginning Reading,” Journal of Educational Psychology, 18 (1927): 227.

Gillingham, Anna and Bessie W. Stillman. The Gillingham Manual: Remedia Training Dor Students with Specific Disability in Reading, Spelling, and Penmanship. 8 Ed. (Educators Publishing Services, 1997).Goodman, Ken. “Reading: A Psycholinguistic Guessing Game,” Journal of the Reading Specialist, May (1967): 127.

Goodman, Ken. What’s Whole in Whole Language (Portsmouth: Heinemann Educational Books, 1986).

Handford, Emily. (Host) Sold a Story. [Podcast] (American Public Media, 2022). https://features.apmreports.org/sold-a-story/

Huey, Edmunds. The Psychology and Pedagogy of Reading (1908; reprint, Cambridge: M.I.T. Press, 1968).

Iversen, S., & Tunmer, W. E. (1993). Phonological processing skills and the Reading Recovery Program. Journal of Educational Psychology, 85(1), 112–126.

Klingbeil, D.A., McComas, J.J., Burns, M.K. and Helman, L. (2015), COMPARISON OF PREDICTIVE VALIDITY AND DIAGNOSTIC ACCURACY OF SCREENING MEASURES OF READING SKILLS. Psychol. Schs., 52: 500-514. https://doi.org/10.1002/pits.21839

Lemann, Nicholas. “The Reading Wars,” The Atlantic, November 1997, 84.

Mackenzie, Jenny. The Right to Read. [Documentary] (Utah Film Center, 2023). https://www.therighttoreadfilm.org/

May, Henry & Phillip Sirinides and Abigail Gray. (2018). The Impacts of Reading Recovery at Scale: Results From the 4-Year External Evaluation. Educational Evaluation and Policy Analysis. 40(3), 316-335.

McGuffey, William. The Eclectic Manual of Methods (New York: Van Antwerp, Bragg, & Co, 1885).

National Reading Panel (U.S.) & National Institute of Child Health and Human Development (U.S.). (2000). Report of the National Reading Panel: Teaching children to read : an evidence-based assessment of the scientific research literature on reading and its implications for reading instruction. U.S. Dept. of Health and Human Services, Public Health Service, National Institutes of Health, National Institute of Child Health and Human Development.

Share, D.L. (1995) “Phonological recoding and self-teaching: Sine qua non of reading acquisition,” Cognition, 55, 151-218.

Sirinides, P., Gray, A., & May, H. (2018). The Impacts of Reading Recovery at Scale: Results From the 4-Year i3 External Evaluation. Educational Evaluation and Policy Analysis, 40(3), 316-335. https://doi.org/10.3102/0162373718764828

Smith, Frank. Reading Without Nonsense, 3 ed. (New York: Teachers College Press, 1997).

U.S. Department of Education. Institute of Education Sciences, National Center for Education Statistics, National Assessment of Educational Progress (NAEP), 2022 Reading Assessment. https://nces.ed.gov/nationsreportcard/reading

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The presentations I attended were things that aligned with my personal interests and career goals, and things I have touched on in my graduate courses via theory that I wanted to see the practical side of. They all have helped to renew my outlook on librarianship and the great work people are doing in this field across the country!

I also had the pleasure of meeting and interacting with so many fun folks from libraries around the US, displaying their passion and care. It was great to be around ‘my people’ so to speak.  Also, working in the Interlibrary Loan department of my library, it was a real treat to meet people from libraries where we’d borrowed and lent material to!

My standout program was “Bringing the Library of Congress to Local History Research,” hosted by LOC’s Educational Resources Specialist Danna Bell. Immediately I knew this was going to be a great program because Danna was so happy there was a packed house. And even though we experienced some technical difficulties, she was able to use her ‘teacher voice’ to get us rolling before the issues were resolved.

This was by far my favorite program because I love history and learning about new resources that can not only help our patrons, but myself with grad school projects and research! The Library of Congress highlighted a number of collections that can help patrons learn about their homes and neighborhoods: panoramic photographs and maps, the HABS/HAER/HALS collection, oral histories, and historic newspapers. Some of my favorites included Chronicling America, a newspaper resource with access to millions of pages published through 1963, which have handy research guides centering on particular topics. I also enjoyed learning about The Free to Use and Reuse photograph collections, that each month highlights a theme on LOC’s homepage with images that can be used royalty-free from their Prints & Photographs Division. The presenter also explained how to effectively search LOC’s website, which was great because it can be a little intimidating to navigate due to the wealth of resources.

I’m so thankful that I was able to have the opportunity to attend PLA this year via the scholarship. I came away with a lot of excitement and ideas, and feel the love I have for the public librarianship profession, and my own continuing education within it, renewed.

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The Artist-in-Residence program at Carmel Clay Public Library involves a selection of teens chosen for a four-month residency period where they have access to the library’s studio space. While working on an art piece to present with an art exhibit at the end, they can either choose to educate their peers on art related to their own works or lead a community art project. Community is central to the program, with buy-in from art councils, local schools, and the artist groups themselves. One of my favorite parts of this was hearing about how when one group of artists ends their tenure, they leave messages of encouragement for the next group and offer peer support to them as teens who have gone though the program. Part of why I got involved in teen services was seeing the library being used as peer support through staff and my fellow teens, so to hear that this has become a tradition at Carmel Clay warmed my heart.

I also enjoyed hearing that the teens are allowed to have freedom of expression in their art forms and in many cases connecting it to their heritage. One of the teens in the inaugural group created a series of outfits and printed designs based on the myth of Chang’e and the origins of the Mid-Autumn Festival. She chose this medium due to her own experience connecting to her Chinese roots as someone who was adopted into an American family. Another teen in her class created digital art based on what she called “tragic beauty” often seen in Latine art. One piece was based on her inability to visit a butterfly forest in Mexico which became unsafe due to the presence of the cartels, and that this place where she shared happy memories with her family was now inaccessible. As part of her residency, she also led a class on the Mexican folk art of alebrijes and showing peers the meaning of the different designs painted on the wooden figures. As a former ALA Spectrum Scholar, I really resonated with this as speaking from my own experience as a queer Latino who grew up in his local library, being able to see yourself represented in media and through the library can be a life-changer and a lifesaver. Seeing these teens reflect on their identities through art was truly beautiful.

Whether through increased circulation of materials at the library related to the art form, attendance at programs, or even the personal impact on the teens lives, this is an outcome-based program. Artists involved the program were able to develop their skills, an opportunity which many of the teens noted they would be unable to do without access to the materials at the library and use the art show at Carmel Clay to get into other art shows, bolster their resumes and portfolios, and even obtain scholarships as a result of this unique opportunity. I would love to be able to use this program in my own library system, though scaled in a way that would work for us, as unfortunately we do not have an art studio or a digital media center. My major takeaway from this session was the importance of collaboration within libraries and with outside organizations. This is a program I would love to implement at my own library system and while it would need to be substantially scaled down, I’m very much eager to share this with my colleagues in teen services.

PLA 2024 was an amazing experience, getting to connect with new people, learn alongside others in this crucial time for public libraries, and I’m eagerly awaiting the next one in 2026. I feel truly blessed and honored to have been selected for the scholarship this year and I can only hope the next group of recipients has as wonderful of a time as I did in Columbus.

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Wolfe began the presentation by explaining her goals for the presentation – have attendees leave with solid ideas for programming opportunities at our library – and then delved into explaining Allen County Public Library’s community partnerships. Partnering with organizations that focus on adults with intellectual and developmental disabilities allowed Wolfe to reach more people that may benefit from her programming. Wolfe also used feedback from participants, the organizations, and herself to reflect on the programs offered and their effectiveness – for example, does this program spark joy?

It was handy to learn how Wolfe selects the books she reads to adults with intellectual/developmental disabilities. While picture books are a hit, it’s important that the story of the book isn’t too “kid-ish,” as the participants enjoy stories that they can relate to at their current stage of life. Wolfe even created some picture books of her own to fit her expectations! These books are used at Wolfe’s book club at LIFE Adult Day Academy, and because the participants there have fewer support needs than some do at other facilities, they spend most of their time reading. Wolfe explained that every book club is different depending on the needs of the individuals, which is why it’s important to set guidelines early on and get a feel for what each group requires. For example, some books clubs spend more time coloring, playing games and musical instruments, and completing crafts rather than reading due to the needs of the participants.

Wolfe walked us through a variety of programs her library offers in partnership with other organizations. I really enjoyed learning about the All Abilities Club! At this club, a book is always read in addition to various crafts and activities for participants. For example, Wolfe included a slide in her presentation about “Superhero Day” at the All Abilities Club, where they read a superhero book, completed superhero trivia, and did the Hokey Pokey superhero style. A superhero-themed photobooth and props were included, as was an area dedicated to sensory crafts and other fun activities. I really appreciate how many examples and resources Wolfe provided us with, as I feel it gave me a firm foundation to build a program on at my own library. Not to mention the last half of her presentation was all about getting started at our libraries!

I can’t wait to utilize the resources Rebecca Wolfe has provided me with. Creating programs for adults with intellectual and developmental disabilities is something our library needs to do, and Wolfe’s presentation has given me ample resources to do so! It was just what I was hoping to experience at the PLA Conference.

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As a fairly new librarian, I was given the opportunity to go to the PLA 2024 conference through a scholarship provided by the Public Library Association. Attending this event at the start of my career is immensely beneficial, providing me with a strong foundation to become an excellent librarian.

I had the pleasure of attending a workshop on ‘Take Your Child to the Library Day (TYCLD).’ This presentation reminded us all why we became librarians: we believe in the magic of libraries and want our patrons to experience it too. Many people are unaware of the benefits of using the library, so while it’s essential to create programs for our regular patrons, it’s equally important to develop initiatives that attract new visitors. By doing so, we can hopefully turn these new faces into regular patrons as well.

‘Take Your Child to the Library Day (TYCLD)’ takes place annually on the first Saturday in February, or any time in February, with the goal of encouraging families to visit the library by dedicating extra time and resources to make it a particularly special day. While the library is a fantastic destination every day, not everyone has the time, ability, or knowledge to visit regularly. By creating an exceptional day, we invite the community to recognize that the library is here for them and has much to offer. Even if some people visit only for that one day, it still means they have benefited from the library, if only for a brief moment. Programs like TYCLD not only serve our regular patrons but also attract individuals who may have never set foot in the library, encouraging them to explore and discover the resources available.

The workshop reminded me that as library employees, we hold the crucial responsibility of being the library’s most passionate advocates. We dedicate ourselves daily to creating this valuable space, and it’s essential that people know about and utilize it. Many are unaware of what the library offers unless we actively show them. This workshop excelled in demonstrating effective ways to promote programs like TYCLD and provided valuable insights on how I can enhance the promotion of all library services. The presenters also emphasized that what works for one library may not work for all, highlighting the need for tailored approaches.

The presenters emphasized the importance of forming partnerships with the community and seeking their input and assistance with events and their promotion. Collaboration ensures that no one has to manage everything alone; we advocate for the community, and we want the community to advocate for us. These partnerships not only extend our reach to new audiences but also provide broader support.

After the event, it’s crucial to thank participants, request feedback, celebrate accomplishments, and maintain the connections established. While my library already hosts significant events like Día de los Niños, summer kick-off parties, and Star Wars Reads Day, there’s always room for more. Every program is an opportunity to advocate for our library and create that special library magic.

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That’s why a presentation at the PLA 2024 Conference called “Beyond the Numbers: Building a Culture of Data-Informed Decision-Making” caught my eye. The Columbus Metropolitan Library (CML) team showcased how they use data to not only make smart administrative decisions but also to demonstrate the library’s value to the community. CML’s approach uses data collection and visualization to turn that fuzzy feeling of “good” into clear, objective evidence.

In their presentation, the CML team emphasized creating aesthetically pleasing dashboards that translate complex information for the general public and internal review. Imagine charts showing circulation trends or program attendance over time – clear, concise visuals that tell a powerful story. As an example, CML demonstrated how they used these dashboards to identify if they met Key Performance Indicators.

This kind of data-driven storytelling has powerful implications for how we present ourselves to the general public. Imagine a summer reading program that pairs kids with adult mentors to boost their reading confidence. Sure, librarians know this is valuable, but how do we prove it?  Using a more data-driven approach, we could use surveys to track participant confidence before and after the program.  This data provides hard evidence that anyone can understand, not just library lovers, and only adds to the pictures and success stories we already share.

Data can also reveal surprising connections. Last summer, our library tried a new summer reading initiative. Not only did participation in our program soar, but our juvenile print material circulation soared during those same months, suggesting a positive link worth exploring further that we would not have known about without our data analysis.

Beyond the lens of exclusively youth services, this data-driven approach can be applied to connect multiple library initiatives. Think about it: how can we use data to demonstrate the impact of the effect of youth programming on door counts, or how a program on kindergarten readiness impacts youth library card sign-ups? Data can help quantify the library’s role in fostering a love of learning objectively.

There’s a misconception that data is only for administrative decisions. Data collection and visualization can be a powerful advocacy tool that keeps us and our community accountable. By presenting clear evidence of the library’s impact using data, we can garner community support and silence any lingering doubts about the library’s relevance.

Data can also help us adjust our services to better meet the community’s consistently shifting needs. We can see how effective our programming and initiatives are in a meaningful way. Maybe the data shows a surge in interest in a particular kind of early reader, for example. Data allows us to move beyond guesswork and make data-driven decisions that truly benefit our patrons and respond to their needs.

This doesn’t mean we should abandon storytelling altogether. CML emphasized that while Data is a powerful tool, all data exists within a public context that must be understood alongside the cold, hard facts.  But I believe data visualization does not have to take away from storytelling. It adds to it, helping to ground the stories we tell in reality without losing the necessary emotional connection.

Ultimately, I am grateful to CML, and for conferences such as PLA, which provide me with the opportunity to explore new ideas in a meaningful way. I know I speak for many children’s librarians when I say it often feels like the value of what we do is a secret to non-library users. Building a data culture may just allow us the chance to let people in on the secret and showcase just how big of a role libraries continue to play in their communities.

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The most moving program for me was the “PLA President’s Program: The Black Public Librarian in America”, led by PLA President Sonia Alcántara-Antoine, accompanied by Shauntee Burns-Simpson, Roosevelt Weeks, and a prerecorded video from the Librarian of Congress, Carla Hayden. Collectively, they embarked on a captivating exploration of the profound legacy and promising future avenues of Black public library leadership.

The session’s focus on the importance of representation in public library leadership struck a chord with me. In a time where diversity, equity, and inclusion are at the forefront of discussions within the library profession, this conversation provided a poignant reminder of the need for library leadership to reflect and serve the diverse communities they inhabit. It also asked the pertinent questions of why we don’t see more diverse leadership and staff in libraries. By raising the question of why there is a lack of representation, it prompts a necessary examination of the barriers and systemic challenges that contribute to this disparity.

The observation that libraries predominantly consist of white women underscores a broader pattern of underrepresentation of marginalized groups in the profession. While acknowledging the valuable contributions of white women to the field, it also highlights the need for greater diversity to truly reflect and serve the communities libraries are meant to support.

Followed by an internal reflection, why am I not striving for leadership positions in this career that I love? This introspective moment touches upon a profound realization that many individuals within the library profession may grapple with: the lack of representation of people who share similar backgrounds or identities in leadership positions. It prompts a deeply personal examination of my own aspirations and motivations within the context of a profession I am passionate about. The session challenged me to confront my own roadblocks in not seeing myself in leadership roles, and immediately reaching for more, and asking for more. I feel that my career in librarianship has been forever changed, thanks to the panel of library leaders who facilitated the discussion. I am forever grateful to be in that room.

The post Gratitude and Growth: My Journey at PLA 2024 first appeared on Public Libraries Online.

Rebecca Wolfe during her presentation “We See You: Programming for Adults with Intellectual and Developmental Disabilities” used her energy to give life to a room filled with hundreds of library professionals hoping to make the lived experiences of adults with IDD a little more fun, meaningful and creative. Like Richards, Wolfe led with her vulnerability and kindness and the result was an hour full of valuable information, wonderful stories of human connection and professional inspiration to think outside of the box when offering outreach services. Tailoring our work to every person that lives within our communities not only accomplishes our goal of equity of service and resources but also allows us to be kind and compassionate in ways that honor our shared humanity. What a meaningful lens to view our daily work in libraries! The enthusiasm that Richards and Wolfe shared during their presentations felt like the perfect antidote to the negativity that has, in varying degrees of coverage, shadowed those who choose to work in libraries over the past few years.

The panel presenting “Increase Religious Equity by Reclassifying Dewey 200s” eloquently carried the theme of positivity and passion throughout their work rethinking how we classify our materials and why it matters not only to us but our patrons as well. Taking the opportunity to remove possible blind spots in the Dewey system can help give voices equal volume while conveying to our patrons that they, and their values and ideals, are safe in their libraries. Libraries can be a safe space for everyone, as Richards also pointed out in his keynote, including for those who are in charge of creating and managing them, as long as they lead with kindness, be a source of positive energy and remain cognizant of the power we have when we decide to rely on each other for strength and purpose.

My favorite lightbulb moments were when I felt energized as I was networking with my colleagues, discussing new technologies and authors with vendors, and walking from presentation to presentation. Together these moments helped me remember that while we do not always do things perfectly we do make a perfect effort to educate ourselves to be better; lead with our passion for the betterment of our communities and the people we are lucky enough to help each day; and we library people have the perfect inclination to always help each other walk together over all of the smooth stones and lift each other up over the large boulders along our chosen paths in library service. Thank you, PLA, for providing a safe and energizing space for all of us to learn, challenge ourselves and have fun in the way that only library workers can.

The post The Antidote to Negativity at PLA 2024 first appeared on Public Libraries Online.

One of many programs I found valuable was “The Science of Reading in Public Libraries: Supporting Elementary-Age Readers”. In this session presenters from Chicago Public Library and San Francisco Public Library discussed how low-level literacy impacts students during childhood and into adulthood. In childhood low reading skills can increase poor performance in school, fuel negative self-esteem and affect social behavior. In adulthood these reading setbacks ripple out in connection to higher unemployment rates, lower income levels and increased incarceration rates. Often children who fall behind will struggle to catch up and reading intervention programs can be costly and difficult to access making these gaps and implications even greater.

During the presentation, we learned how both library systems used the Science of Reading to address these implications and create accessible reading interventions to support struggling readers. Using Dr. Hollis Scarborough’s Reading Rope, the speakers broke down the different elements of reading and how those components work individually as well as together to develop reading comprehension. The visual of a rope demonstrates how when children are learning to read they are combining two main skills of sounding out words and of understanding what they mean. By addressing each of these skills through their initiatives, they have created accessible tools to support readers and families.

William Alvites, Learning Differences Librarian, and Ruben Balderas, Early Learning Coordinator, from San Francisco Public Library shared how the FOG (Free Orton-Gillingham) program implemented in 2016 offers highly structured sequential instruction based on the Science of Reading and the Orton-Gillingham methodology. This methodology is gold standard and can typically be up to $200 an hour, however SFPL offers this program for free. The program has seen great success and high demand, with students gaining an average of half a grade level after about 3 months. The program is facilitated by volunteers who are recruited and trained to become effective tutors before they are matched with students.

Katie Eckert, Early Learning Specialist, and Lori Frumkin, Senior Project Manager, from Chicago Public Library shared about the Jump Into Reading initiative focused on supporting new and struggling readers and their caregivers as they transition from developing pre-literacy skills to becoming fluent readers. Through local partnerships, collections focusing on decodable books, programs like beginner reader storytime, Grab and Go kits focused on phonological awareness and the creation of robust informational resources that outline the Science of Reading; they created multiple access points for families to be equipped with the tools to build and strengthen reading skills.

These two initiatives provide excellent examples of how public libraries are addressing reading decline and building strong foundations for lifelong learning. In addition to sessions like this I found tremendous value from the keynote speakers and connections with fellow attendees. No matter what your role is at your library or where you are in your career, you will find something of value at PLA. Thank you to the generous supporters who funded the scholarships that made these experiences and connections possible.

Alvites, William., Balderas, Ruben., Eckert, Katie., Frumkin, Lori.  “The Science of Reading in Public Libraries: Supporting Elementary-Age Readers.” PLA 2024 Program, Greater Columbus Convention Center, Columbus, OH, April 3, 2024.

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The post A Boost to my Professional Community at PLA 2024 first appeared on Public Libraries Online.

One session which had a major impact on me was the session on “Creating Youth Opportunities: Libraries Serve Youth at Risk of Incarceration”. I was unable to make the other session on building restorative practices for teens, but the panel did an excellent job of presenting those ideas within the context of this presentation.

The Urban Libraries Council’s (ULC) Creating Youth Opportunities Initiative focused on bringing opportunity youth (youth at risk of incarceration) into the library. Once they were within the library space, opportunities such as internships, job fairs, career day highlights, and social workers on staff helped these youth who were at particularly high risk of future incarceration a chance to avoid this outcome.

By having social workers on staff, the libraries involved were able to provide real-time assistance in navigating social issues, crisis situations, housing challenges, and other significant issues that these youth face. Such intervention is crucial to helping shift the lives of opportunity youth in positive directions. The inclusion of peer navigators struck me as particularly impactful in connecting with these teens on a peer-to-peer basis.

This session highlighted something which we as library workers have been working hard towards — have the library be a third space in our community. The lack of third spaces – spaces which are neither the home nor work/school – is a huge issue in many communities. Youth at risk are particularly in need of safe third spaces where they can be. When we have the library as that safe third space, we are uniquely positioned to provide opportunities to help mitigate the risks associated with opportunity youth. Beyond the options outlined above, libraries also give important access to things like the internet, makerspaces, computers, study spaces, and unique things like studios and recording equipment.

I think the idea of offering career fairs and counseling was also an excellent takeaway from this session. By providing examples of careers that teens might not have considered, these job sessions are uniquely expanding the options for these teens going forward. They may never have thought that they could be in any number of professions, including librarianship. Having speakers from various careers, local employers, and library internships helps to show opportunity youth that there are so many careers and places that they could go regardless of the circumstances of their childhood.

This presentation also briefly outlined the restorative practices for youth which were discussed in other sessions. What I took away from this is the importance of choice. When we categorize ‘offenses’ in clear ways and provide options for teens who violate rules to move forward, we are not only taking care of the rule violation but also giving these teens a safe place to learn problem solving and reasoning. Beyond that, it gives them agency — and that is one of the biggest things I advocate for as a teen services worker. I absolutely will be implementing these practices at my library and advocating for some of the changes which the UCL’s CYO initiative made that had positive and lasting impacts.

I attended many incredible sessions at this year’s PLA conference, and I can’t wait to put what I learned into practice. I am so grateful to have had this opportunity and to use it in turn to create opportunities at my library!

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There are ways to prepare for a crisis in the future. One way is vulnerability. Vulnerability in leadership is a cross-section of authenticity and trust. Having candor, direct, honest and open communication (a good relationship between speaking and listening) can help different teams be more open, communicative, and collaborative. It also contributes to a sense of belonging in the community.

This session was one of the best that was presented during the conference, in my opinion. The presenter took an event she experienced  (the riots and protests following a murder in Kenosha) and made it easy to understand why she took the steps she did when a crisis hit her community. As someone who is also the head of the PR/Marketing Department, this session was extremely helpful for when a crisis involves our library staff, like COVID-19. It was refreshing to see the presenter also share the mistakes she made during the crisis, or things she said she could’ve done better or will get right in the future. You never know when a crisis will hit, and having shortcomings when it comes to some of your decisions can be a very real situation. Being able to discuss what procedures you should have in place in case of a crisis, as well as knowing you have a good team beside you can make a world of a difference for you, your staff and your community.

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The session opened with some basic education. “Trans people aren’t a monoculture,” the presenters explained. No two trans experiences are quite the same. Refraining from generalizing is good place to start when getting to know trans staff and patrons. We took time exploring important distinctions between sex (the parts one is born with), gender (one’s social role) and sexuality (who a person is attracted to), as well as cis (someone who is the gender they were assigned at birth) and trans (someone who is a gender other than the one assigned at birth), and drag (what I do) and trans (who I am). Our presenters helped unite the audience with these shared understandings.

It’s very challenging to be a trans person in America right now. For starters, we know that names and pronouns can carry a lot of power. Some trans people experiment with new names and perhaps settle on a name of choice. When we refer to a trans person by the name that their parents issued at birth rather than the chosen name, we are deadnaming them. This can be deeply painful and upsetting to someone striving to be seen and heard—indeed, fighting to exist. Another way that Verdema and DeSalvo demonstrated how difficult it is to live openly trans is by showing that there are 500 anti-trans bills introduced or being considered for legislation right now. These bills attack a trans person’s existence by blocking education, legal recognition, and the right to receive healthcare. For reasons like these, when a trans individual comes forward for support, we can start by understanding that it has taken courage and effort. Believing them is key for building trust.

Before we left, Verdema and DeSalvo delivered ideas on how to improve library access for all patrons and staff. For example, some employee dress codes are gendered, but library staff can create updates that permit gender expression. A legal name is the one parents assigned at birth. Library policies that allow staff or the public to use a chosen name in the borrower’s database, on a name tag or as an email address are more compassionate and inclusive than policies that prohibit it. Pronouns can be used to support one another, but they can also be used to cause hurt. Taking action when one staff member repeatedly misgenders another helps maintain a healthy, positive work environment. Harassment issues, in general, can be addressed in library policy and through preparing staff on how to handle challenging customer transactions. Develop a habit of checking in with staff who have experienced a difficult interaction, and don’t share information about where a co-worker lives. These best practices support a more accessible and inclusive library for all.

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The opening ceremony started on an upbeat note with a live rendition of Kool & The Gang’s Celebration that got folks out of their seats. A stellar speech by Shola Richards followed. A self-professed “kindness extremist” who promotes civility in the workplace, Richards spoke about the African concept of Ubuntu, which means “I am because we are.” Before acting, he says, ask yourself: “Is it kind, is it true, is it necessary?” Richards also spoke about the need to prioritize mental health and advised us to take breaks and vacations and #getatherapist. “The only people who will remember that you didn’t take vacation twenty years from now will be your spouse and kids,” he quipped.

Afterwards, we poured out of the main hall to the individual sessions. Below are a few of my personal favorites, including pithy quotes from each that stuck with me.

• “Making National History Local: Using Digital Primary Sources to Bring History Home” presented by Library of Congress (LOC) educator Danna Bell, looked at LOC online resources for public librarians helping with local history research. Many collections, from Chronicling America digitized newspapers to Sanborn fire insurance maps and panoramic photos, are available for all 50 states. Bell also reminded us that LOC is the home of copyright– check out their digital resources on that topic, and feel free to ask a librarian
• “Your State Library: A Resource for All” included representatives from three state libraries (Ohio, South Carolina, and Washington) discussing resources they provide for public libraries. They administer the Talking Books program, circulate STEM kits, and can provide advice for working with government officials and creating policy. They also covered what they do NOT provide- advocacy work. State libraries offer grants: Some are non-competitive – just apply!
• Libraries remain a critical bridge across the digital divide, but some people are still being left behind. “Digital Navigators: Digital Inclusion in Action” explored how we can better support digital equity in our communities. To get help, people need to feel safe, to be seen, and to feel that help is abundant (not scarce), according to the panel, which included Lo Smith, Luis Delos Santos, and Benjamin Reid. Consider joining the National Digital Equity Alliance (NDEA) to learn more about becoming a digital navigator and/or training librarians in this role.
• It was standing room only for the presentation “Stronger Together: Trauma Informed Methods to Support Library Staff.” Libraries need to address organizational healing first and foremost (the “put your own mask on first” analogy), Linde Furman and Emerson DeMeester-Lane explained. Furman added: “We need to acknowledge the problem in order to engage in meaningful solutions.”
• “How to Say the Hard Things: Lessons Learned in Years of Crisis” with Brandi Cummings, focused on addressing difficult issues with the public, like enforcing rules and discussing book challenges. Staff communications were also addressed. Cummings explained the three Cs of crisis communications: clarify, connect, and conflict. Key words: “You don’t need to apologize to acknowledge.
• At the author lunch with Rainbow Rowell, she revealed that her award-winning book Eleanor & Park, was rejected by several publishers when she first attempted to publish it as an adult novel. After John Green’s The Fault in Our Stars skyrocketed in popularity, a publisher offered to release Eleanor & Park as a YA novel, and the rest is history. Her latest book, Slow Dance, to be released in July, is likely to appeal to “new adults,” those who fit somewhere between YA and adult in their fiction reading tastes.

The exhibit hall had many treats in store. I met a therapy dog named Ohio, known for flopping over on his back for patting. Although ordered not to give kisses (due to post-pandemic health regulations), he snuck some in when his trainer was distracted. There was even a live rabbit, courtesy of a house rabbit rescue group, promoting My Heart Sings a Sad Song, a children’s book about grief. I took advantage of volunteers conducting mock interviews to find out how I can improve my public speaking. (It turns out I say “uhm” a lot!)

Last and best of all, scholarship attendees were treated to a Q & A with beloved librarian and spreader of #libraryjoy, Mychal Threets! Threets is currently “resident librarian” for PBS, partnering with animated aardvark Arthur Read to promote literacy. “The library to me is always about belonging,” he told us, adding, “There is no justice or inclusivity without belonging.” Threets answered questions about resources for unhoused people, the Library Afro Revolution, mental health, and his two cats, Machine Gun Kitty and Kissin’ Kat Barlow. He joined comedian Dulce Sloan at the closing event, sending attendees home with a dose of laughter and warmth.

Mental health was a theme that ran throughout the conference. There is emotional labor involved in librarianship, as with other “helping” professions. That’s even more reason to find inspiration and solidarity at a conference like PLA 2024- to remember why we do this work and how much it matters- while learning to be even better at our jobs. Consider attending the 2026 PLA conference in Minnesota. Funding opportunities may be available from Friends of the Library groups, foundations, county government- or the PLA itself. Check out #PLA2024 on social media for fun photos from the events!

The post Highlights from PLA2024 first appeared on Public Libraries Online.

The PLA 2024 conference provided sessions to learn more about innovative programming and outcomes-based assessment. Being a MLIS graduate student about to enter the library profession, I am particularly interested in how to apply qualitative data in a way that demonstrates youth learning. Receiving the PLA scholarship was an exciting opportunity to learn from professionals in the field about my questions.

On Thursday, I attended the session “A Year of Hands-on Program Observations and Outcomes with Our IMLS Digital Toolkit” and was excited to learn more about this digital toolkit. The presenters Rebecca Millerjohn, Youth Services Librarian at Madison Public Library, and Kailea Saplan, a PhD student in Curriculum and Instruction at the University of Wisconsin-Madison at University of Wisconsin-Madison, asked the audience this question about programming: We can see the magic happening….but how do we assess it?

Observation Deck! is an observational tool for programming that captures qualitative data within a learning framework. The learning frameworks tested while creating this tool were from three libraries: Madison Public Library, Waupaca Public Library, and Skokie Public Library. All three frameworks had different learning outcomes and goals in mind for their observations. Madison Public Library utilizes the Bubbler Framework that focuses on making connections, social emotional engagement, initiative and intentionality, problem solving and critical thinking, and creativity and self expression. Waupaca Public Library created their framework on STEAM principles and included engagement, multiage learning, expressing pride and joy, taking risks or critical thinking. Skokie Public Library was interested in observing their Experiential Learning Space and created a framework to include self directed learning, making connections, developing skills, developing confidence, and engagement. These frameworks have no age limitation and can be applied to intergenerational learning across programming.

In 2021, the process for developing this tool started with a IMLS grant, research from the three libraries, and design collaboration with the company byte to ensure a way to capture qualitative learning. Qualitative learning evidence is collected by selecting a category from a learning framework and including:

• Descriptions of learning
• Photo documentation
• Direct quotations

At the end of a program, the user can evaluate and assess the type of learning gained from a program with a visual chart and review pictures. A unique aspect of this tool is that you can evaluate a particular participant’s learning using codes you create. For example, a participant in a red shirt could be named RS and the user can evaluate their learning throughout the program by using this unique code. This method of evaluation can be helpful when describing a program through a storytelling lens. The user can showcase this collective data to demonstrate not only participants’ learning but also the value of a program.

This amazing digital tool captures the magic of programming and provides a way to assess learning. With the flexibility in creating learning frameworks, the tool can support the needs of different libraries and their communities. I will be considering this resource as I become a library professional and think about its impacts for youth programming. I am so thankful to learn from these presenters and connect with library professionals at PLA!

The post Observation Deck! A Qualitative & Observational Assessment Toolkit first appeared on Public Libraries Online.

“Spanish for Library Staff: Bridging the Language Barrier” was presented by Cristy Moran of Colorado State Library and Caroline Smith of South Carolina State Library. The presenters offered unique perspectives of their experiences engaging library staff in Spanish language practice in order to better serve their patrons.

Some of the major takeaways I had from this session included:

• Confidence > competence! I am not a native Spanish speaker but am conversational. I sometimes get embarrassed when engaging with patrons that my grammar is imperfect or I’m communicating “incorrectly.” The presenters helped me feel more confident in showing up, even if I’m showing up imperfectly.
• Language learning is an opportunity to explore cultural competency. This will look different in any community; it’s important to engage in outreach in order to understand what the Spanish-speaking community needs where you are and to be culturally specific.
• Bilingual/multilingual staff are valuable and should be treated as such. Learning a language can be incorporated into the work day and staff should be paid for their time. Despite the Spanish language groups being informal and not “classes,” the value of increasing cultural competence should be emphasized.

The resources shared by Moran and Smith are extremely helpful for replicating similar language programs in other communities. I have already begun exploring MakeMake, a database of Latin American books from Colombia. The database has over 1,200 Spanish language titles, and is great for native speakers and learners alike. There are options to have books read aloud, which can help with listening comprehension while reading along. I am also excited to share resources like News in Slow Spanish, a podcast that is exactly what it sounds like. A great way to increase vocabulary and stay up to date with the news at the same time!

Overall, I left PLA 2024 feeling rejuvenated and excited to continue connecting with library professionals in my community. As a library clerk at a mobile library in Madison, I am eager to continue going out on routes and connecting with Spanish speaking patrons with a newfound confidence (despite my imperfect language skills). I’ve already begun sharing resources with classmates and colleagues, and can’t wait to see the integration of more Spanish resources into public libraries across the country. Thank you, PLA!

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When I prepared my schedule for the conference, I had conflicts in nearly every time slot; deciding what to attend was not easy. So many sessions, so little time. It was only natural, as a Library Associate in Acquisitions, that collection development became a theme. It was exciting to see so many topics on the schedule revolving around providing diverse and equitable collections. I attended several, but the session that I keep coming back to was “Equitable Collections Use: Is Floating the Answer or a Hindrance?” presented by representatives from Cuyahoga County Public Library, Nashville Public Library, and New York Public Library. The conversation really highlighted how placing holds is a privilege and those holds may cause materials to float away from underprivileged communities. Each of the three library systems presented their unique perspectives on this issue, data they gathered, and the plans they came up with to address their policies regarding floating and rebalancing. It is not surprising that each system has taken a different approach to providing equitable collections for their populations. Nashville Public Library and New York Public Library have turned off floating: Nashville in 2014 and NYPL prompted by the pandemic. Cuyahoga has considered floating a success in terms of circulation numbers and cost savings. However, they instituted specific Community Collections in 2021 for those communities who lean toward browsing to select materials. The panel also provided a list of topics to consider when evaluating whether floating is the answer: locations, traffic patterns, demographics, ILS limitations, transportation costs, etc. The session ended with an emphasis on floating being neither a binary nor a static choice.  Then, attendees lined up wanting to ask questions. Great job with sparking curiosity in the audience!

This session (among many others) provided the exact results that I was hoping for: exposure to other library policies and practices, a spirit of inquiry around terms and subjects that are new to me, an imagination for how my skill set may provide some data to start conversations, and excitement for the possibilities of how my career may evolve. I came back from the conference sad that it was over while also feeling excited and energized to return to work. I am so thankful for the PLA scholarship I received to attend the conference for the first time and appreciate having the support of my managers and library administrators.

Thank you for the opportunity, PLA!

The post Diverse and Equitable Collections at PLA 2024 first appeared on Public Libraries Online.

What made this the most meaningful moment for me is that the urgency inflecting the content matched the urgency inflecting the country. Trans folks across Turtle Island, indeed across the globe, are facing a blistering backlash against modest gains in visibility and support. Librarians, as professionals committed to universal access to public resources, must resist the rising tide of anti-trans violence.

For as Umbreit pointed out—with erudite precision—those at the forefront of this anti-trans crusade are engaging in discursive violence, which of late has resulted in alarmingly successful legislative violence.

But whither goes librarianship? How do these anti-trans terrorisms interpolate our profession, and what choices confront us as a result?

Umbreit rightly centered problematic situations rather than potential solutions. This descriptive approach helped bring beginners up to speed, and their particular focus on framing implied an obvious avenue for action: if the hate groups can frame trans issues inaccurately, libraries can help to reframe them in ways that are not only accurate, but affirming, of our trans neighbors.

Another nugget of wisdom has been rattling around my noggin since Umbreit spoke: the concept of unintentional algorithmic amplification. Stated simply: when “good actors” comment on a post that contains misinformation, it often does more harm than good. While the intent might be to offer a necessary corrective, what actually happens is a further spreading of the original and awful message. The solution? Umbreit suggests we make our own post that exclusively contains reliable information. Responses to a poster of misinformation should be done in private—in someone’s DMs, or, if safe, in a face to face setting.

Thus, while Umbreit tailored their talk to the topic of trans folks, their insights have universal applications.

All the more so given Umbreit’s insistence that the situation trans folks currently face constitutes a crisis, one that should serve as a clarion call for all people of conscience.

So what do librarians do?

First, people who are seeking to eliminate a sub-category of humanity should have no safe harbor in librarianship. This isn’t to say we should shun people who possess different perspectives on or limited understandings of these issues. Just the opposite. Umbreit encourages us to meet people where they are, and to plant trans-affirming seeds in the mental gardens of those in the moveable middle. They reinforced my view that cultivating trans safety involves cultivating cis literacy.

Fortunately, literacy is at the core of what we do as librarians—a profession that, after attending PLA, I am prouder than ever to call my vocational home.

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Interactivity and humor were incorporated from the moment I walked into the conference room for “Hot Ones,” which lended the panel great success. As I found a seat, panelist Anne Kemmerling of Denver Public Library handed me a bag of spicy Takis—what librarian doesn’t love snacks? Panelists also shared their favorite spicy snack from their library’s home states in opening introductions, a sweet way of sharing more about their communities and creating a relaxed atmosphere. Before panelist discussion, the audience participated in a poll that introduced each topic, the results of which were displayed on screen. This was an effective way of engaging the audience, and it was fascinating to see the room’s responses. I was surprised to see that 70% of the room did not come from a union library – this made me much more grateful and proud to be part of a union. The interactive elements also created a sense of camaraderie in the room. My neighbors and I chatted about the results of each topic and compared our own libraries. I learned that many libraries offer a faxing service – we don’t currently at my library, and having data showing that it’s a needed service is great to bring back to my library director. The panel also stayed entertaining through big audience reactions to some of the spicier topics. The biggest reaction in the room came from Kemmerling’s reveal that Denver Public Library offers up to 100 free prints per person a day. The audible group gasp that resulted from this news made me smile – only librarians could have such a reaction to printing policies.

The panelists themselves were responsible for keeping entertainment value high. The five directors, representing Washington D.C., Denver, Hoboken, San Jose, and Tacoma, were some of the most confident and passionate librarians I heard at PLA. Each panelist had a great sense of humor and was unafraid to address controversial topics like drug use in libraries, security, MLIS requirements, and more. The libraries represented are all from bigger systems than my own library, which is in a town of 18,000, and I enjoyed learning how larger systems approached similar problems to ours. I was particularly inspired by Tacoma Public Library’s Narcan policies. Director Amita Lonial shared that the library’s Narcan vending machine had been a huge success, and that they’d administered over 1,000 doses through the machine since it was made available to the public. It was exciting to hear that such a “spicy” offering has had success in their community, and I look forward to creating more overdose prevention services at my own library. “Hot Ones” was one of many opportunities I received at PLA to hear from the biggest innovators in the field, and I’m so grateful for the panelists’ honesty and passion for public librarianship.

The post Getting Spicy at PLA 2024 first appeared on Public Libraries Online.

This session highlighted the different facets of the romance genre as a whole, the importance of reading romance, and how Lieberman successfully implemented a romance-specific book club for teens at her high school (and yes, they read adult romance too!).

To begin, Lieberman explained the difference between a love story and a romance. Romances have a central love story and a happy/satisfying ending. Love stories also feature a relationship, but they do not always have a happy ending (i.e., Me Before You by Jojo Moyes).

Romance books generally feature stories by and about women. These women are strong in their own specific ways, they find themselves worthy of healthy relationships, the men treat the women in these stories well, and all the characters are better for it. Romance has grown to include stories about men, LGBTQA+ characters, and other diverse cultures. Readers can immerse themselves in sex-positive stories, where women are successful and happy.

Romance stories usually utilize popular tropes to tell the story such as workplace romances, arranged marriages, slow burns, grumpy sunshine characters, age gaps, friends to lovers, and (my personal favorite) enemies to lovers. Additionally, romance has been integrated into a multitude of sub genres including historical, fantasy, young adult, contemporary, mystery/suspense, paranormal, western, and erotica. Following this, we learned the reasons behind why people read romance: to feel! Romance allows readers to feel love, comfort, and a range of other emotions. Romance readers (myself included) love love; we enjoy books that make us connect with the characters and empathize with them.

Romance is the most popular, and currently best-selling genre, while simultaneously also being one of the most ridiculed. Romance readers are labeled as vapid, dumb, and overly emotional while romance writers are not considered the true literary powerhouses that they are. Unfortunately, patriarchal views have contributed to this negative outlook. Men’s stories and lives are considered readable by all, while women’s stories are considered vacuous. Sex in romance is one of the biggest targets that elicits these responses; being compared to pornographic material. Sex scenes are not gratuitous for the sake of being gratuitous however, they serve a purpose: they connect the characters, they show their growth in their relationship, and it’s fun to read about! All this being said, all hope is not lost as the current landscape is changing. Romance is growing, feminism and diversity are being embraced, and librarians and teachers are fighting back and confronting this problem through exposure.

Using these viewpoints, Lieberman created the romance book club for teens at Lincoln High School in Oregon. She wanted to provide these teens (who already were reading romance not-so-secretly) an outlet to discuss the genre, make connections, and broaden their literary knowledge. One of the more controversial aspects of this club is that the teens are allowed to choose adult romances to read alongside their young adult picks. Lieberman explained that teenagers can have (and already are having) sex and thus, they should be able to read about healthy, sexual relationships. In fact, it is important for teens to read about adult things like work, love, and maintaining a healthy balance of the two. Romances highlight happy endings, which they then can visualize for themselves and their own lives-all of which is empowering.

Finally, Lieberman shared some exciting past and future news for her book club: they have connected with authors such as prolific romance writer Julia Quinn, and they will be interviewed by NPR! All in all, a fabulous and enlightening session at PLA.

The post Read Romance, Fight Patriarchy – a Reflection first appeared on Public Libraries Online.

I began by pouring through the daily schedules and adding any session that grabbed my interest. Obviously, this resulted in a substantial overbooking of my time. I took another pass, focusing on sessions that spoke to initiatives I’d like to see about adapting for my home library as well as areas where I felt I could use some professional growth. Even after the culling, I still had a few sessions that overlapped, but I was close enough! Coffee in hand, I headed out for day one.

One that really stood out to me was called The Library as Studio: Why Original Content Is Important For Libraries Today and Tomorrow, led by Mary Kapusta and Casey Corneil. The concept of a library putting out original content was not wholly new to me. Here at the David A. Howe Public Library, we have had a podcast that also airs locally on FM radio since 2015. When the pandemic forced us to quickly rethink everything, I was very relieved that we already had the podcast as a programming outlet. It went on, unfazed by the shutdowns, and truly showcased its importance to the library overall.

As the speakers in this session covered, 2020 made us all start to look to video options. We did things we hadn’t done before and found that, some of them, we liked! While we’ve continued in some of these veins, video did not go on to become a major part of our output. This session made me question why. When discussing YouTube content, Kapusta and Corneil cautioned against treating it as an archive for content (often outdated) to languish. I did feel a little called out by that. Running through our library channel in my mind as the session continued, I identified several things that I knew were there that shouldn’t be.

They went on to express the importance of simple production values. Things like sound, clarity and camera work can often feel like afterthoughts, especially in live videos or quickie content. I appreciated some of their practical advice, and they really drove home the idea of making original content stand on its own. Aside from the podcast, I realized I considered a lot of our online and video work as just supplemental. I was really challenged to flip that and explore all that we might be leaving on the table.

It was great to hear from a library and librarians who have found success in this area, and it was encouraging to look around and see so many people in the seats having the same realizations as me. Now, we are better prepared to charge forward. Let’s do it!

The post Better Prepared to Charge Forward After PLA 2024 first appeared on Public Libraries Online.

Professor Stokes, discussing the conclusions of his 2020 book Locally Played, highlighted the cultural shift of gaming and its relationship to screen time; with the advent of screens, gaming in traditional manners has become more deeply valued. These gaming mechanics work through American University’s free, open-source application Hive Mechanic. This application allows its users to build blocks of dialog that can engage with historical monuments, storywalks, and even library ghosts. This technology can be both accessible and cheap; through using text messages for interaction, a phone number can cost as little as one dollar per cell phone line and one cent per message.

Another aspect of this initiative the presenters discussed is the importance of community building and having local community members tell their own stories about their landmarks compared to a larger technology company operating nationally. Through using the ideas and voices of local community members, gamifying history in this manner can help to build a community-controlled folk practice that will help to strengthen the ties people have to their local community for generations to come.

Being an American University alumnus, I was pleasantly surprised to discover that my alma mater partnered with the DC Public Library. I was excited to learn more about this community partnership and wondered how I could participate in this endeavor. While this gamifying initiative is national in scale, it has not yet hit the state of Georgia. Considering that the city of Suwanee is in the process of building a park next to our public library, I wonder if having a similar initiative would be of any benefit. Only time will tell how this initiative grows, with advanced ideas for this technology spanning from utilizing city data to create responses to creating a text-based raffle system to dole out prizes from local businesses. I’m excited to see how this technology progresses and will monitor its progress as this project develops.

The post Gamifying Outreach & Building Community at PLA 2024 first appeared on Public Libraries Online.