Assignment X- Participatory Services and Children

For Assignment X, I made a video diving deeper into participatory public libraries in the children’s department:

Participatory Libraries: Children

 

Transcript: 

Community Scan 

According to Pew Research (2013), 54% of children report visiting libraries as youngsters. Additionally, 79% of parents consider libraries important institutions. Children aged 6-11, who are becoming more independent, are a key target audience for participatory services due to their developing cognitive abilities. 

While statistics are valuable, they don’t fully capture the essence of librarianship’s values and commitment to participatory services for children. The International Federation of Library Associations and Institutions (IFLA) emphasizes every child’s right to creative programs, aligning with the library’s mission. My own library, Alameda County Library, has further emphasized this focus through its strategic goals, including “cultivating innovation” and “active participation.” 

 

Staff  

For any of these grand visions to occur, it starts with staff and staff culture. Both Booth (2013, p. 1) and Professor Stephens (Module 3 Lecture) stress that staff must take the initiative to experiment and try new approaches in order to foster innovation, which is also the foundation for cultivating participatory practices. This concept is echoed in mainstream publications, such as the Tribune Business, which highlighted the story of a children’s librarian who, despite lacking formal training, transformed her library’s culture by building collaborative teams and approaching challenges from fresh perspectives.  

 

Collaboration 

In contrast to traditional, siloed approaches (Stephens, Module 3 lecture), a collaborative mindset emphasizes teamwork and interdependence. IFLA (2018) highlights the importance of public librarians working together as a cohesive unit, while Peng (2018) stresses that children’s librarians must not only possess knowledge and skills but also the ability to collaborate effectively with colleagues to meet the needs of the information age. 

 

Participatory Service in the Children’s Library 

Once the staff is on board to participate, the next step is allowing children to have more of an active role in the public library. 

 

Physical Environment 

In this heavily digital versus paper world of resources, the aspect of physical materials is interesting when considering children’s libraries. In the course readings, Buckland (1999) suggests digital trumps paper with few exceptions; yet Fuerenes (et al.) find that printed books allow for more meaning making when read by children opposed to digital copies (2021, p. 508). 

So, while books remain an essential component of a children’s section, the concept of participatory spaces in libraries has led to a significant shift in terms of noise levels. In line with the idea of Mathew’s “unquiet” bold high-school library, featured in this week’s readings, children’s areas in public libraries have become loud and lively spaces. Interestingly, research by Laerkes suggests that zoned areas within space are the most effective way to accommodate these diverse needs, striking a balance between noise levels and comfort. 

 

User Engagement  

This brings me to the question of how these participatory spaces are utilized in a library. Although 75% of the population views library = books, this particular age can differ. As Cahill’s research (2020) reveals, when parents think of libraries and children, they typically rank storytime high on the list of the purpose of libraries.  

Turning this into a more participatory format, a library Gaias (2022) examined has a parent-child interactive programming showing parents how to extend learning in multiple environments and more user (caregiver) input. 

Another area that could benefit from a “participatory” lens is the card catalog, an area neglected in the past (Casey & Savastinuk, 2007). With children in mind, Beak & Olson (2011) found visual icons, touch screen, and “liking” books increases user engagement and opinion.   

Professor Stephens (2008) listed measuring progress as a key signpost to participatory service. Moreover, recent research by Guirguis & Alsheikh (2023) suggests that closely monitoring children’s responses to changes in the library environment can provide valuable data on participation levels and user engagement. By collecting and analyzing this data, libraries can refine their services, ensuring that they remain responsive to the evolving needs and preferences of their young users. 

 

Future 

Denning’s question is a good one to end this video and reflect upon. The aforementioned Guirguis study emphasized interactive and user-initiated programs, services, and passive displays are critical in the “multimodal literacy” environment of the public library. What will the future hold? 

 

References 

Beak, J., & Olson, H. A. (2011). Analysis of metadata schemas for children’s libraries. NASKO, 3(1), 1-. https://doi.org/10.7152/nasko.v3i1.12785  

Booth, M., Schofield, S., & Tiffen, B. (2013). Change and our Future at UTS Library: It’s not just about Technology. Australian Academic and Research Libraries, 43(1), 32–45. https://doi.org/10.1080/00048623.2012.10722252 

Buckland, M. (1999b). Redesigning library services. A message from Michael Buckland. Asian Libraries, 8(2). https://doi.org/10.1108/al.1999.17308bad.005 

Cahill, M., Joo, S., Howard, M., Ingraham Dwyer, J., King-Oaks, K., & Yates, B. (2020). What is storytime good for and what makes storytime good? A survey of public library directors. Journal of Librarianship and Information Science, 52(4), 1000–1014. https://doi.org/10.1177/0961000619898224   

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

Denning, S. (n.d.). Do We Need Libraries? Forbes. Retrieved June 19, 2024, from https://www.forbes.com/sites/stevedenning/2015/04/28/do-we-need-libraries/?utm_campaign=ForbesTech&utm_source=TWITTER&utm_medium=social&utm_channel=Technology&linkId=13831539 

Developed by the IFLA Library Services to Children and Young Adults Section Edited by Carolynn Rankin 2 nd Edition (revision of 2003 Guidelines) Version 1.1.1 IFLA Guidelines for Library Services to Children aged 0-18. (2018). https://www.ifla.org/wp-content/uploads/2019/05/assets/libraries-for-children-and-ya/publications/ifla-guidelines-for-library-services-to-children_aged-0-18.pdf 

Furenes, M. I., Kucirkova, N., & Bus, A. G. (2021). A Comparison of Children’s Reading on Paper Versus Screen: A Meta-Analysis. Review of Educational Research, 91(4), 483–517. https://doi.org/10.3102/0034654321998074 

Gaias, L., Taylor, M., Pratt, M. E., & Whelan, M. (2022). Promoting caregiver involvement at the public library: An evaluation of a math and science storytime program for young children. Frontiers in Psychology, 13, 1049694–1049694. https://doi.org/10.3389/fpsyg.2022.1049694 

Guirguis, B. M., & Alsheikh, N. (2023). Bio-networking among librarians, parents, and children in a modern children’s library: a phenomenological study. Information and Learning Science, 124(3/4), 92–109. https://doi.org/10.1108/ILS-09-2022-0107 

Hartill, D. (2013/01/21/, 2013 Jan 21). Working: Children’s librarian encourages exploration. McClatchy – Tribune Business News http://search.proquest.com.libaccess.sjlibrary.org/wire-feeds/working-childrens-librarian-encourages/docview/1271578333/se-2 

Laerkes, J. The four spaces of the public library «IFLA Public Libraries Section Blog. (2016). Ifla.org. https://blogs.ifla.org/public-libraries/2016/03/29/the-four-spaces-of-the-public-library/ 

Mathews, B. Unquiet Library Has High-Schoolers Geeked. (2010, June 21). American Libraries Magazine. https://americanlibrariesmagazine.org/2010/06/21/unquiet-library-has-high-schoolers-geeked/  

New ALA report: Gen Z & Millennials are visiting the library & prefer print books | ALA. (n.d.). Www.ala.org. https://www.ala.org/news/2019/12/new-ala-report-gen-z-millennials-are-visiting-library-prefer-print-books 

Peng, Y.P. (2018). Competencies of Children’s Librarians in Public Libraries in the Information Age. Tu shu zi xun xue kan, 16(2), 103–133. https://doi.org/10.6182/jlis.201812_16(2).103  

Stephens, M. (2024). Module 3 Lecture: Hyperlinked Library Models [Panopto] San Jose State University Hyperlinked Library https://sjsu-ischool.hosted.panopto.com/Panopto/Pages/Viewer.aspx?id=4a7a3ed3-5911-40a3-a1c2-aef3013cfc07  

Stephens, M. (2016). The heart of librarianship: attentive, positive, and purposeful change. Ala Editions, An Imprint Of The American Library Association. 

Stephens, M. (2008, December 2). Six More Signposts. Tame the Web. https://tametheweb.com/2008/12/01/six-more-signposts/ 

Who We Are. (n.d.). Aclibrary.org. https://aclibrary.org/who-we-are/ 

Zickuhr, K. & Rainie, L. (2013, May 1). Part 5: Parents, children, and libraries. Pew Research Center: Internet, Science & Tech. https://www.pewresearch.org/internet/2013/05/01/part-5-parents-children-and-libraries/ 

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