Tame The Web

Brian Kenney writes:

Have you heard of 23 Things, the self-guided program for learning about 2.0 web technology? It was developed by Helene Blowers a couple of years ago at the Public Library of Charlotte and Mecklenburg County and since then has been adopted across the country by public and school libraries, districts, and even entire states. It consists of a number of “things,” or small exercises, that you do online to expand your knowledge of the 2.0 web and social networking, from blogs and podcasts to wikis and Twitter.

For a while now (and prodded by our Technology Editor, Kathy Ishizuka) I’ve realized it would be a great idea if all of us here at SLJ went through a “23 Things” like experience. After all, we are always writing about different 2.0 applications, shouldn’t we experience them as well? Walk the walk, talk the talk, and all of that…So I resolved that we’d do it this summer.

So that’s what we are going to do. But Iwe’re not going it alone; we’ve asked 2.0 guru, Dominican faculty member, and season trainer Michael Stephens to join us for the ride. Beginning Monday, July 21, Michael will author a blog here on SLJ.com that will lead us through the different exercises, offer guidance, answer questions, and even provide a little hand-holding. We’re calling it “All Together Now: A 2.0 Learning Experience.”

There’s no need to sign up–just show up. Again, we’ll begin on July 21 and wrap things up in early September. 

Adrian Mixson, Library Director at Hall County Library System weighs in on an article about recent library trends in Governing via the library’s e-link newsletter:

http://www.hallcountylibrary.org/elink/elink_jul08.htm

Dear Patron,

I subscribe to Governing magazine electronically and usually read it shortly after the monthly is released. If you are not familiar with the magazine, it is probably the best publication currently out that addresses the most crucial issues facing state and local government. The June issue featured an article entitled Revolution in the Stacks: to appeal to a new generation some libraries are positioning themselves as places to create content, by Christopher Swope; pshew,  but that is one long Library 2.0 subtitle.

Every new generation of librarians feel they are on the most cutting side of service. Many have yet to fund change so they fail to understand why institutional change can be slow. They have yet to learn that a measured response is much better than being a leader of the pack. They are frequently not held responsible when change is not successful so they risk nothing.

I salute the leaders of the pack. They get us thinking in new ways. Thank goodness for DOK, PLCMC, Georgia Tech, HCPL, Darien, etc. But I would agree that all libraries do not have to live at the bleeding edge of innovation. I urge those folks to follow the innovators and implement change when the time is right.

Here’s the link to Governing: http://www.governing.com/articles/0806libraries.htm

Then:

I have seen a lot of change in 30 years as a practicing librarian. Most of what gets passed off as new customer service ideas is just old ideas repackaged as new.

The ease of creating of digital information, the endless flow of ideas from the “crowd” of bloggers, YouTubers, Facebookers, etc, and the possibility for interaction online locally as well as globally has changed the way many folks do business, interact with government and engage with non-profits (among many others) cause me to disagree. We could never connect in the ways we can now. The mob is smart and it’s not going away.

Then:

Most of the real change comes in how to provide service with new formats. Just think of the challenges in how to store cassette, CD and long playing record versus book. If you ever handled ultrafiche - which put the Bible on a piece of film the size of your thumb - you begin to understand the interplay of lighting, electricity, equipment and patron use with the introduction of a new format. Unfortunately most of us cannot change library space at whimsy.

I’ve seen libraries that have created easily changeable spaces as they look to the future. Hopefully, more will follow suit when the time comes for new buildings or renovation. Planning flexible spaces may be one of the most important things we do as we go forward, including lighting, electricity and patron use. Part of that involves changing the mindset about what a library building is and could be without focussing on not changing because of space/facility.

Librarians have always worried about losing the young adult reader and needing to provide new services and space to keep them coming back. This is not new. I once chased a fellow out of a library for skating about on roller blades. I know if we had made the main stairwell a roller blade park, the kids would have been there. I would have probably bought a coke and sat during lunch watching them jump on the stair rail and skate down. I just did not think this was the creative content appropriate for the location.

I’m reminded of Stephen Abram’s take on skateboards. It isn’t new but boy do I worry about how some teens are treated in some libraries.

Later: (emphasis mine)

There are new ideas about library service and some sound like fun. If you just convince your elected officials to give this library the money, we will be Wii-ing, You Tubing and blogging with the best. But libraries are still the bastions for ideas and they are important, and if at any time you feel that is not so then try reading Azar Nafisi’s Reading Lolita in Tehran. Somewhere on this globe people still die for a good book!

Ideas are important! All kinds - including those shared on a library blog or via a library YouTube contest.Or between strategizing youth at a game competetion hosted by the library. I hope the folks of Hall County respond that maybe some Wii, a blog and such might be useful. I’d especially think the young adult librarians there might find such tools useful.

Maybe the resources that will come from the $1 Million grant from Verizon to ALA for gaming will help folks understand the importance of this trend in libraries:

“In today’s technology-driven world, where learning does not stop at the classroom, the role of libraries in supporting literacy and learning is more critical than ever before,” said Verizon Foundation President Patrick Gaston. “Gaming for learning presents a tremendous opportunity for libraries to further literacy skills in children as well as adults.” 

Maybe allocating just a bit of the Hall County Library budget for emerging digital tools for literacy and some exploration of Web 2.0 might be just the ticket for this library’s staff and ultimately, its users.

I’d post these comments about Mixson’s letter at the elink newsletter site, but I see no way to do so. I think I need some time anyway to ponder these points further. Take a look at the letter, and let me know what you think.

Give a listen here:

http://www.libraryjournal.com/webcasts/48747/Webcasts.html

Your Teen Area as Their Third Space: Creating a Place Cool Enough to Call Their Own

Michele Gorman, Teen Services Coordinator for the Public Library of Charlotte & Mecklenburg County (NC)?

Teen 2.0: Using New Technologies to Tap Into Teens

Jen Maney, Manager of Virtual Library, Pima County Public Library, Tucson (AZ)?

An Online Oasis for Teens at Maricopa County Library District

Christine Pearson, Web Designer/Developer, Fountain Hills Library Branch Manager, Maricopa County Library District (AZ)?

The Intersection of Gaming and Libraries: Where Are We, Where Are We Going?

Scott Nicholson, Associate Professor, School of Information Studies at Syracuse University

Moderator: Bill Schickling, Polaris Library Systems President and CEO

Another great opportunity for “at your desk” learning:

	Polaris Library Systems President and CEO Bill Schickling will lead a one hour webcast which will include a stellar panel of educators, researchers and librarians who are at the forefront of promoting teen services in public libraries.
Topics will include:
Your Teen Area as Their Third Space: Creating a Place Cool Enough to Call Their Own Michele Gorman, Teen Services Coordinator for the Public Library of Charlotte & Mecklenburg County (NC) Teen 2.0: Using New Technologies to Tap Into Teens Jen Maney, Manager of Virtual Library, Pima County Public Library, Tucson (AZ) An Online Oasis for Teens at Maricopa County Library District Christine Pearson, Fountain Hills Library Branch Manager,  Maricopa County Library District (AZ) The Intersection of Gaming and Libraries: Where Are We, Where Are We Going? Scott Nicholson, Associate Professor, School of Information Studies at Syracuse University
For expert information and advice, register today!

I presented with Jen Maney at PLA, and with her and the other all starts on the line up - WOWZA! I hope a lot of library folk can tune in!

MS: Comments on my blog ranged from the forward-thinking, right-up-Ranganathan’s alley and the “Anonymous” who said, “Of course that crap should be banned” to the thoughtful critique and commentary of Ian McKinney from cutting-edge Allen County Public Library, Fort Wayne, IN. He reminds us the problem was specific kids, not technology. Indeed, I worry the teens in Mishawaka won’t care about the library and that will hurt the whole community. Were other solutions considered?

MC: When we advocate bringing teens into the library, we don’t acquiesce to rowdy teen behavior, as some suspect. Behavioral problems are never acceptable in the library. Foul-mouthed teens need to be booted out for the day, and problem teens for longer periods. Sometimes this means hiring security guards, and sometimes this means setting a firm tone at the beginning.

But don’t misunderstand; teens will be teens–they need to talk and socialize–so don’t expect a library with a lot of teens to be quiet. Carving out a teen area is great, if you have the room. If not, try to find an area that can be kept relatively quiet and offer it to those users who need a sanctuary.

Issues with teens are often larger community challenges. Kids need interesting and safe things to do. The entire community should be a part of the solution.

Read the whole column here: http://www.libraryjournal.com/article/CA6556178.html

Don’t miss:

http://blog.zsr.wfu.edu/pd/2008/05/02/roz-at-loex-teaching-web-20-to-students-15/

Their own Web 2.0 Awareness Survey

74 students

Awarness of Facebook, YouTube, Flickr, Blogs, Podcasts, Social tagging, Wikipedia, Other Wikis, RSS

• RSS had not heard of 92%, 0% had ever used
• Social Bookmarking 68% had not heard of
• Other Wikis 45% had not heard of
• Podcasts 51% had heard of but had not used
• 5% had blogs
• 8% had uploaded videos

Audience discussed how their students compare - similar experiences — students are not seeing new technologies as ‘exciting’ the way librarians do….for them it’s like a new feature on a car — or a refrigerator…..

Librarians respond to Web 2.0 — we see it as a way to connect, market, facilitate — but do students want us there?

Read the whole post. Libraries may be extending presence and service via the tools but are we also tapping into how our students are using them?

Did you know ALA was publishing the “Core Competencies of Librarianship?” Brian Kenney writes:

http://www.schoollibraryjournal.com/article/CA6545430.html

Although the guidelines were presented at a public meeting, I don’t think this document is widely available, but you could try searching ala.org. The document is predictably conservative—in the sense of preserving what exists—and covers what you’d imagine: the foundation of our profession, information resources, organization, technical knowledge, reference and user services, research, continuing education, and administration.

Likely the intent was to give ALA’s Committee on Accreditation, which accredits master’s programs in library and information science, a little more teeth—perhaps necessary in dealing with those “i-schools” where “i” (information) is thought to trump “l” (libraries) in the curriculum. If your university wants to offer an ALA-accredited degree, the document is saying, then students need to acquire the knowledge and skills of a beginning generalist librarian, whether they want them or not.

What’s interesting is what’s missing from this definition of a generalist librarian: any mention of school librarianship or youth services. The committee will argue that these are specializations, and, of course, they’re right. But let’s face it, if you don’t actually mention children’s services, then the default in library education will always be adult services. And the “Core Competences” even favors adult services by elevating “the role of the library in lifelong learning… and the use of lifelong learning in the promotion of library services.”

I am interested to read the document. It concerns me as well that the focus is on adult services. In recent discussions in class and at conferences about the Mishawaka Library ban on Facebook and MySpace, my though keep coming back to the fact that Teen or YA Librarian could be one of the most important jobs we prepare new grads to take on.

Will Richardson ponders the future for young people:

Our kids’ futures will require them to be:

Networked–They’ll need an “outboard brain.”
More collaborative–They are going to need to work closely with people to co-create information.
More globally aware–Those collaborators may be anywhere in the world.
Less dependent on paper–Right now, we are still paper training our kids.
More active–In just about every sense of the word. Physically. Socially. Politically.
Fluent in creating and consuming hypertext–Basic reading and writing skills will not suffice.
More connected–To their communities, to their environments, to the world.
Editors of information–Something we should have been teaching them all along but is even more important now

Read the whole post and 80+ comments.

Ian McKinney at Allen County Public Library writes to TTW:

Report cards came out today so we threw this together.  It’s on our teen blog:

http://acplteens.wordpress.com/2008/01/24/its-time-to-bring-up-those-grades/

Great news teen librarians! Do you want to do something snazzy for Teen Tech Week this year? It’s a great way to offer programming for young people and introduce or offer access to technologies and media. Take a look at what the folks at the LibraryLoft did last year, the snazzy offerings at the Public Library of Brookline or the line up of HOT programs the Tulsa Library offered teens.

According to the YALSA site, “the 2008 theme, Tune In @ Your Library, was chosen by teens from a variety of socioeconomic backgrounds for its focus on music and sound. Music is a vital part of teens’ lives; Tune In @ your library encourages teens to take advantage of the library’s music and media resources, such as music CDs, DVDs, audiobooks and Internet access to online media. The theme will also give librarians a chance to improve music and media collections, discuss ethical downloading with teens and build exciting programs that are associated with music and media.”

Think of the stuff you could do with the $450! Games? Music? iPods?

From Yalsa’s website:

“Thanks to our 2008 Corporate Sponsor Dungeons & Dragons, you could win one of twenty mini grants for your celebration! Mini grants of $450 and $50 worth of Teen Tech Week products are available to YALSA members who plan to offer unique, engaging programming activites, services or resources to celebrate Teen Tech Week in their community. Download the official rules and submit the application form and your proposal to the YALSA office at yalsa@ala.org by January 7, 2008.”

Find out more at the YALSA wiki TTW page to get inspired! I’d like to see many more Flickr sets, podcasts, blog posts, etc from libraries that participate this year. Thanks to YALSA for a pretty darn cool program.

lining up to watch the dance off

Originally uploaded by teens_libraryloft

This pic is called “lining up to watch the dance off.” Click through to see more!

Those South Carolina librarians just rock:

http://librarytrax.wordpress.com/2007/10/05/teentrax/

Yesterday, we hosted our first teen services institute, TeenTrax. It was a blast! Patrick Jones, *the* teen services guru in my book, started the day with a great reality check.

Teen services is one of the hot topics right now, but I don’t believe it’s a fad or a ignorable trend. I think it’s a central part of the library landscape for years to come. I admit, I’ve never really had an interest in doing teen services in my relatively brief career, but being around people so passionate, it’s hard not to get catch the fever. I hope TeenTrax helped create the fever in a lot of people yesterday.

The information about this institute extends then to FVINSC’s Twitter page:

Michele has her teen advisory council participate in interviewing potential YA librarians. 01:15 PM October 04, 2007 from web

meaningful participation–a teen advisory group isn’t a TAG if they don’t advise you 01:11 PM October 04, 2007 from web

The one in bold just blows me away. The same could be said for asking for feedback from other groups and from staff — and then not doing anything with the data. That’s a slippery slope to losing good people, losing users and becoming a rather opaque organization.

Will Richardson has a nice post rounding up recent articles about schools, students and tech:

http://weblogg-ed.com/2007/headlines-from-the-frontlines/

This caught my eye:

…Seems the beligerent kids in San Diego schools are actually text messaging during class, admitting to cheating with their phones, and listening to iPods during lectures. Why is that? “Social psychologist Jean Twenge believes she knows why personal technology devices are all the rage among teenagers. Her research indicates young people today are [wait for it…] more self-absorbed than ever before, and iPods and cellphones play into that.” Was that absorbed or abs-bored? The administration response? No surprise… “So Vista students now can only use electronic devices at lunch, break, or after school. Students who break the rule more than once could face detention. And the district is even holding teachers more accountable.” But here’s the good news. There is another voice! Jeff Robin of High Tech High says “Kids will always change, it’s up to the teachers to do something more, and it’s a lot of work. I’ve seen so many teachers out there that say, well I’ve been giving these same worksheets out for 30 years and if it’s good enough for them, then it’s good enough for these kids. It’s not though, times have changed.” Get out of the county…

Teen Programs Set for NPL Teens

Originally uploaded by mstephens7

I am sitting in a great session about adding 2.0 features to the Nashville Public Library Web presence. Take a look:

http://www.library.nashville.org/teens/teenweb.asp

New report from Pew: Teens, Privacy and Online Social Networks: How teens manage their online identities and personal information in the age of MySpace

The majority of teens actively manage their online profiles to keep the information they believe is most sensitive away from the unwanted gaze of strangers, parents and other adults. While many teens post their first name and photos on their profiles, they rarely post information on public profiles they believe would help strangers actually locate them such as their full name, home phone number or cell phone number.

At the same time, nearly two-thirds of teens with profiles (63%) believe that a motivated person could eventually identify them from the information they publicly provide on their profiles.

This would be a great report for a staff meeting discussion.

George from http://archdale.blogspot.com writes:

Michael, Just wanted to point you to the video editing contest that our Teen Corner is having for National Library Week. We just debuted a Teen area with furniture, shelving and 4 computers with video editing software and dvd burners.

http://rcplteencorner.blogspot.com/2007/03/teen-video-contest.html

Thanks George! I also see that the library had a “Make a Movie Night” presented by the teen advisory board. This is good on many levels:

The library has technologies the teens may want to use to create content (remember those Pew numbers?) and a space just for them.

The TAB is actively working to educate their library user peers about what the can create with the technologies.

The librarians have created a space - physical and online where creativity and collaboration can play out.

I’ll be using this example at my talk at ALA Annual “Using Technology to Market to Young Adults” with Kimberly Bolan. Hey George - tell us more? What kind of set up? What kind of financial investment?

Update:

Ross writes: There’s lots more about the Teen Corner project (including the live band made up of local high school students that we hosted on the kickoff day) starting here on our Flickr pages:

We combined funding from an LSTA marketing grant with funding and other support from our library foundation, the Friends of the Library, an endowment and the plain old library budget to pull this all together.

Then George responds: Ross is being a little modest. There was a lot of community involvement: a local Friend helped with all of the interior decorating and color choices, a comic book artist (www.gravyboy.com) did our graphics and a local furniture company stepped in to help with furniture.

We can wait to see what happens next!

Emphasis in bold mine? Teen departments..YA librarians… what are your teens asking for? Are you listening?

One of my students shared this URL with our class: http://www.lapl.org/ya/. Take a look. It’s engaging and entertaining. I like the iPod earbuds and cell phone with images graphics. Dig a little deeper for discussion, book reviews and links out to some refreshingly frank and useful sites.

A few more clicks led me too http://games.lapl.org/ — maybe I’ve missed coverage of this but it was new to me. In the tradition of The DaVinci Code, it’s a library adventure game! Here’s a shot:

Well done LAPL!

staff

Originally uploaded by teens_libraryloft.

I’ve had fun following some libraries that did innovative programs and such for Teen Tech Week. If you didn’t put it on your schedule, plan ahead for next year. Gaming, explorations of technology, recording podcasts or videocasts are all fun things to do to engage young people.

And just look at those smiling PLCMCV staff!

P1010002

Originally uploaded by teens_libraryloft.

This is great — the teen librarians glide around the library…

New from Pew:

http://www.pewinternet.org/presentation_display.asp?r=80

Libraries are the living, breathing internet that existed long before the digital network that we know today. They are the connected nodes of information and community exchange that we have relied on to communicate, collaborate, share resources and preserve knowledge in our societies for centuries.

But there are concerns about the future of physical libraries, given that so many of us have easy access to virtual libraries of information on our computers at home. Recent Pew Internet Project research examines technology use by teenagers and suggests how the behavior and expectations of young internet users might shape the libraries of the future.

Pew Powerpoint here!

Please download and take a look. Maybe share the PPT amongst staff or devote time to it at your next staff meeting.

Brian Kenney, editor of SLJ, urges public libraries to provide more activities, tools and tech for young people. Most librarians get it..but:

http://www.schoollibraryjournal.com/article/CA6386666.html

It’s the public library directors who need to listen. Staff members need better tools and skills, while their youth need more space, materials, and computers. As Gómez says, “We cannot view out-of-school-time programming and services as an adjunct to core library services.”

For that to be true, a lot of public library directors will need to take a hard look at their library’s resources and how they’re spent. Maybe it’s time to stop moaning about that seldom-visited reference desk (now quiet because adults are using the Internet) and hire more staff that can serve your major clients: children and teens. Maybe it’s time to take your materials and programming funds and actually align them to your usage statistics.

Do you have a teen department? A teen librarian? How about a gaming librarian? It’s time to look closely at staffing models (yes, especially at the reference desk) and at the silos in some PLs and think about inviting spaces and welcoming faces. Just sayin’.

no games on these computers

Originally uploaded by circulating.

Looks like it’s from a juvenile detention center…

Via David Warlick at http://davidwarlick.com/2cents/2006/09/18/listening-to-student-voices/:

Ian Jukes, just sent me a link to a study that was published last year by Education|Evolving, a joint venture between the Center for Policy Studies and Hamline University in Minnesota. The report, Listening to Student Voices — on Technology (pdf), describes 15 findings, culled from various literature. The findings are mostly not surprising, but worth noting again:

My favorite? Technology has caused students to approach life differently; but adults act as though nothing has changed

Great stuff for planning library services and working with teens. If you don’t subscribe to David’s blog, you may want to add it to your aggregator for his unique insights into education, 2.0 and students.