Just as the success of alternative education models like Montessori, Waldorf, Reggio Emilia and others have spurred a reformulation of what a functional classroom looks like, the rapid growth of information technology and demands for collaborative learning in modern education are redefining what libraries must offer their users. In order to serve as an extension of the classroom, libraries need to embody these new pedagogies by developing intentional, flexible spaces where people can explore their interests, by experimenting with unfamiliar tools, and by connecting learning to real opportunities (Freeman, 2005).  Examples like The Urban Libraries Council’s Partners for Middle School STEM initiative demonstrate how libraries are finding unique opportunities, by…

This week’s focus on “The Power of Stories” allowed me to reflect on the massive impact technology is having on changing the modality of human storytelling and the ripple effect those changes have on the depth at which audiences are able to connect with the human stories they are told and the people that sit at the heart of them.  The Human Library program is a shining example of how human stories connect people. By engaging users with the first-hand stories of the misunderstood, the stereotyped, and the marginalized of their communities, the program fosters a rich dialogue that challenges preconceived notions and prejudices through direct human connection (Wentz, 2013).…

I couldn’t help but feel a great deal of pride, along with a heavy dose of envy, when reading about Mesa Public Library’s small, fully self-service Express Library. Pride in the fact that our own Springtown branch library was a very early adopter of some of the same ideologies and automated technologies likely seen in early iterations of the Express Library, and envy, of course, in the fact that Mesa Public has been able to secure the resources necessary to make the Express Library such an enviable model for self-service – using technology, thoughtful planning, and a strong understanding of community habits and trends to create a welcoming and convenient…

Working in a public library will quickly demonstrate to the observer how basic a need the internet is in our modern hyperlinked world. Measured alongside other basic infrastructure, such as water, electricity, and roads, broadband internet stands as an essential for participating in modern society.  Reliable high-speed connectivity determines whether or not students can complete homework, qualified workers can apply for quality jobs, families can make and attend medical appointments, or citizens can understand and contribute to communal civic life.  Ty is a patron that I regularly help at the reference desk. Multiple times per week, Ty stops by to ask what number they are on the holds list for…

One idea from the early modules that immediately stood out to me is participatory service: the belief that quality library services are not something to be bestowed upon library users by knowledgeable, well-connected librarians, but rather are a product of an open and participatory dialogue between that librarian and the constituency she or he serves and cares about. The participatory service model runs parallel to the movement in teacher’s education programs – one of which I participated in in a former life – that is leaving behind the “sage on the stage” archetype of teacher who holds the key to knowledge and pontificates at the head of the classroom in…