Category: Uncategorized

I was particularly interested in Klinker’s article regarding the utilization of a diverse selection of books to promote inclusivity and acceptance. Klinker discusses how books allow readers to “explore different viewpoints and navigate diverse challenges as they walk in the footsteps of numerous characters.” This resonated with me as a preschool teacher who already brings this to my practice.  I wholeheartedly believe that books serve as mirrors (reflecting ourselves back to us), windows (allowing us to learn about others who are different from us), and sliding glass doors (illustrating the connections we have between ourselves and others).  As such, the preschool provides books on race, gender identity, different family structures, diverse holiday celebrations etc. for children and teachers to choose from freely.  I have also taken classes and workshops on how to teach and discuss a variety of challenging topics with children. I consider openly and frequently discussing these types of topics with children essential to creating an inclusive, open-minded, empathetic community.

Garcia-Febo, Lauersen, and Klinker in their respective articles and lecture, also speak to this idea, indicating that libraries are meant to lift up and empower diverse communities, promoting inclusion through programming, staffing, and collection development.  However, considering I have faced backlash from families and sometimes even coworkers when I’ve chosen to read a specific children’s book, I’ve thought a great deal about what happens when inclusion looks different to different people?  What if the heart that I bring to my work doesn’t align with the hearts of other staff members or the patrons that we serve?  What are practical ways people have tried to address this issue?  Symposiums, affinity groups, open forums, workshops, lectures, staff meetings?  I am entering into this profession because I believe libraries can change people’s lives and books can change the world, but what if some people don’t want to imagine a new world with me?  How do we best serve them and ourselves?

Here is a video read a-loud of one of my favorite children’s book on trans identity.  Let me know what you think!

References

Garcia-Febo, L. (2018, Novemeber 1). Serving with love: Embedding equity, diversity, and inclusion in all that we do. American libraries. https://americanlibrariesmagazine.org/2018/11/01/serving-with-love/.

Klinker, J. (2020, July 24). The healing power of books: Using reading to address social and emotional needs. Gale. https://blog.gale.com/the-healing-power-of-books/.

Lauersen, C. (2018, June 7). Do you want to dance? Inclusion and belonging in libraries and beyond. The Library Lab. https://christianlauersen.net/2018/06/07/inclusion-and-belonging-in-libraries-and-beyond/.

Ms. Loredo’s Library. (2020, April 22). Introducing Teddy-read aloud [Video]. YouTube. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=UzyUJC7V-Xw.

The Future of the Library

As technology continues to advance and human beings proceed to communicate, create, connect, and generate content in new ways, so too must the library.  No longer simply a holder of books and information, the library and the services provided have expanded to include free programming, a multitude of on-site services, and access to new technologies. But where to begin? How is the library changing and how should it continue to change? Through an examination of the concept of Business 2.0 as defined by Chris Anderson and Jim Daly in 1998, we understand that at the center of it all “stands the customer, demanding better products and services” (Casey & Savastinuk, 2007, p.3).  Taken further in 2004 by Tim O’Reilly, the world embraced a new approach to the user experience coined as Web 2.0 (Allen, 2008). In this new information age, technologies such as social web and production applications allowed users to transform.  Not only were they consumers, but they were also now producers and collaborators of original content, able to state clearly, and even create, exactly the goods and services they most wanted (Casey and Savastinuk, 2007).  It is here that libraries have begun to expand their views, implementing participatory services, and it is here where we will begin.

Like Business 2.0 and Web 2.0, Casey and Savastinuk, in 2007, laid out important tenants of Library 2.0. This included the library as “empower[ing] library users through participatory, user driven services” (Casey & Savastinuk, 2007, p.5).  Let’s first explore the concept of a participatory web which indicates that “users play an active role, not only in providing feedback, but also in the actual content creation of the Web itself” (Casey & Savastinuk, 2007).  The user is no longer just a consumer, they can actually generate content via blogs, wikis, personal sites, and so much more.  But how does this apply to libraries?

Out of the participatory web, one can start to imagine what this could mean for libraries. Essentially, Casey and Savastinuk call for libraries to shift from the historic transactional model.  No longer should librarians only provide access to information and assist in the connection to resources.  Librarians must reimagine their roles as collaborators and co-conspirators (Mathews et. al, 2018).  In this sense, this transactional model begins to flow in both directions changing into a partnership model in which patrons, organizations, and community members become part of exploring and discovering exactly what a library could and should be (Mathews et. al, 2018).  The goal is to elevate the individuals outside of professional librarianship as also holders of important and necessary knowledge.

Now let’s look at two examples of what participatory service could look like within a library.  In one case, librarians at the University of Colorado, Boulder utilized a participatory model to help identify emerging research needs as well as examine how existing structures helped or hindered library services for science and engineering faculty (Johnson et. al, 2015).  Through in-depth interviews with faculty and graduate researchers, the library developed a “holistic picture of the research practices of these users, including areas in which the library currently plays a role as well as potential services we could provide” (Johnson et. al, 2015). From this, the library identified a need for better promotion of services as many users were unaware of what the librarians provided.  Similarly, from feedback, the library designed a series of workshops on different research skills and tools (2015).

Another example includes practices adopted by the San Francisco Public Library (SFPL) in its decision-making processes (O’Brien, 2019). For instance, San Francisco planned to renovate a branch of its library.  As one of the many ways to include patrons in their decision-making processes, they invited the architect to join in their story time and talk about the renovations.  They directly asked these patrons what they wanted to see in the library.  SFPL makes clear that “community members are consulted about library decisions, including the creation of spaces.” (O’Brien, 2019).  As demonstrated, SFPL is reframing the library as in partnership with those it serves.  In both instances, the patrons are not only users of the library, but directly contributed to the services provided, the spaces created, and, ultimately, the future of the library.

References

Allen, M. (2008). Web 2.0: An argument against convergence. First Monday, 13(3). https://doi.org/10.5210/fm.v13i3.2139.

Casey, M.E & Savastinuk, L.C. (2007). Library 2.0: A guide to participatory library service. Information Today, Inc.

Mathews, B., Metko, S., Tomlin, P. (2018, May/June). Empowerment, experimentation, engagement: Embracing partnership models in libraries. Educause Review. https://er.educause.edu/articles/2018/5/empowerment-experimentation-engagement-embracing-partnership-models-in-libraries.

O’Brien, C. (2019, June 24). How San Francisco’s public libraries are embracing their changing role. Shareable. https://www.shareable.net/how-san-francisco-public-libraries-are-embracing-their-changing-role/.

Hello, my name is Rachel Kay Elefant and I live in Oakland, California.  I currently work as a preschool teacher and my hope is to eventually become a children’s librarian.  As a preschool teacher, we do not often incorporate a lot of technology into the classroom, so this course is a little bit out of my wheelhouse. But I thought it would be a lot of new and important information and, perhaps, important for me to learn as I change careers.  I look forward to working with all of you!