I really enjoyed this module as it gave me a lot of avenues to explore. As I continue to focus my explorations on the school library, I keep thinking about who am I reaching and who is actually reachable? This has become somewhat of a struggle for me. Our mantra is that “the library is for everyone”, but is it? Can we be all things to all students?
In A Beautiful Obsession, Pewhairangi (2014) discusses what libraries should be doing, which is to “…focus its resources on its most valuable members and become obsessed with capturing their attention, surprising them and delighting them” (p.8). In a school setting who are our most valuable members? The “library kids” or the ones who come into the library to hang out with their friends, but do not want to engage with anything else the library has to offer. Which brings me to my next quandary…cell phones. This is our current signage, which now strikes me as the opposite of welcoming and community. The sign on the bottom delivers a completely different message.
https://www.flickr.com/photos/davidking/
We have a strict no cell phone policy in the library, which is self-imposed. There are a few reasons, but first and foremost is privacy. It is not feasible to gate-keep students filming or recording others in the space. However, I wonder if we are missing an opportunity for engagement and instead are creating a barrier.
After reading Jensen’s (2022) article about #BookTok, I am intrigued! Is this is a missed opportunity? In Assignment X, I lamented that I do not want to just be the library lady who enforces rules and basically tells kids to “get off my lawn” or in this case “put away your phone”. I want to be an ambassador and collaborator to a space that is fun, engaging, and truly a community space.
Last year my colleague, who is our library technician, built a display 
highlighting books that were currently “streaming”. We jumped on the Netflix and Amazon bandwagon, and it worked! The power of connecting to something students engage with daily should not be underestimated. Will we reverse the cell phone ban? That warrants a larger discussion with the team. How could we employ the device that is basically an appendage for most middle schoolers? That remains to be seen. I think we would have to have a structured, intentional use, which requires more nuance. This could be a #BookTok activity or maybe QR codes for activities, challenges, or games. I do know that I want this coming school year to be different for my students. In A Beautiful Obsession, Pewhairangi (2014), ends with The Philosophy of Love. The “e” in love stands for experimentation, “A willingness to experiment, free from orthodoxy and convention because this is when magic happens” (p.50). Maybe this is the year we invite the students onto our proverbial lawn with phones in hand. Let’s see what magic we can make together.
References:
Jensen, K. (2022, February 10). As seen on #BookTok: Inspiring young readers, TikTok is a boon for books. School Library Journal. https://www.slj.com/story/as-seen-on-booktok-inspiring-young-readers-tiktok-is-a-boon-for-books-libraries
Pewhairangi, S. (2014, May). A beautiful obsession. WEVE, 7–10.
Cara – I’m gonna hone right in on the cell phone ban for your library, which is self-imposed if I’m reading correctly. I wonder if there is a way around the concern about students recording other students. Can they have their cell phones in other spaces in the school and how is that policed? . I hate to use the word police, but that’s the word. Another thing that came to mind is is there some type of program you can do with students that have phones, but then you get into digital divide issues. This is a very interesting thing to think about. Please let me know if you have any inspirations as we move through the class.