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Defining and Embracing the Instructional Role �for Public Youth Services Librarians

Visit https://tinyurl.com/ALAgiveaway to enter your name for a chance to win a book at the end of the session!

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Who we are

Casey Rawson

Teaching Assistant Professor at UNC Chapel Hill SILS

@CaseyHRawson

She / Her / Hers

Ness Shortley

School media specialist at Horton Middle School in Pittsboro, N.C.

@LochNessLibro

She / Her / Hers

Mara Rosenberg

Teacher Librarian at

St. Patrick’s Episcopal Day School in Washington, D.C.

@Froggyevn

She / Her / Hers

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Raise your hand if you agree that...

Children and teens learn in the library.

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Raise your hand if you agree that...

You have an active teaching role.

[2 minutes] I expect that fewer people will raise their hands for this one, however this is a self-selecting audience so that might not happen. Either way, Mara can say something like “When we’ve asked these questions before, we’ve found that pretty much everyone agrees that children and teens learn in the public library. But, few public librarians want to claim the identity of “teacher.” We get it! You’re already wearing SO MANY hats. Also, we’ve heard from some public library staff who think that emphasizing learning in the public library will make us too much like schools - boring places that kids and teens won’t want to visit (though we know that many schools are not like that at all!). What we hope to convince you of today is that you’re already doing instruction in the public library - it’s woven into every part of youth services work. And, learning in the library doesn’t have to be boring, structured, tested, or really any of the other words we associate with formal school learning.

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The Public Library as an Educational Space

New (2017) YALSA competencies:

Learning Environments (formal & informal): Cultivates high-quality, developmentally appropriate, flexible learning environments that support teens individually and in group experiences as they engage in formal and informal learning activities.
Learning Experiences (formal & informal): Works with teens, volunteers, community partners and others to plan, implement and evaluate high-quality, developmentally appropriate formal and informal learning activities that support teens’ personal and academic interests.

Visit https://tinyurl.com/ALAgiveaway to enter your name for a chance to win a book at the end of the session!

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The Public Library as an Educational Space

Current (2015) ALSC competencies:

Understands current educational practices, especially those related to literacy and inquiry.
Instructs and supports children in the physical and digital use of library tools and resources, information gathering, and research skills, and empowers children to choose materials and services on their own.
Acknowledges the importance of physical space to engage and foster learning, and establishes appropriate environments for programs that respond to developmental needs and abilities.

Visit https://tinyurl.com/ALAgiveaway to enter your name for a chance to win a book at the end of the session!

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The Public Library as an Educational Space

Urban Libraries Council Strategic Focus Area:

Education: Education transforms the lives of individuals and is the foundation for strong, economically vital communities. In the knowledge economy, the library is the learning institution ready to guide and support citizens at every age and level of need.

Visit https://tinyurl.com/ALAgiveaway to enter your name for a chance to win a book at the end of the session!

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Teaching and learning are already core elements of public library service.

By explicitly framing

our work as instruction, we can ensure that this teaching and learning is empowering, equitable, and enjoyable.

[5 minutes] Casey: So what does this tell us? One interpretation is that these professional organizations are trying to push the field into new territory with these new documents and position statements, and you’ll certainly find folks who feel that way. But our interpretation is that these documents are simply acknowledging what the best public libraries are already doing, and making those best practices more explicit and transparent so others can reframe their own thinking and practice on this issue. (share info on slides)

Now, the obvious place for instruction to happen in the public library is through programming, and we’re going to share and develop examples of that later in this program. But I want to pause here and ask: where or when else might instruction happen in the public library? As you’re thinking about that, I want to you to use a pretty broad definition for instruction: causing someone to gain new knowledge or skills. So in what ways do public library staff already cause children and teens to gain new knowledge or skills, beyond programs? (think-pair-share)

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So, what do we teach?

Formal learning environments are framed by standards: documents that set benchmarks for what learners should know and be able to do as a result of instruction
Standards guide the development of �curriculum: what actually happens in the �learning environment to help learners �progress toward the standards.

Visit https://tinyurl.com/ALAgiveaway to enter your name for a chance to win a book at the end of the session!

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So, what do we teach?

In public libraries, the closest equivalent to a standards document is YALSA’s Teens First: Basic Learning Outcomes document.
This document suggests learning outcomes for teen services in six domains: Community, Creativity, Digital Citizenship, Leadership, Learning, and Literacies

Visit https://tinyurl.com/ALAgiveaway to enter your name for a chance to win a book at the end of the session!

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Take a few minutes to review the learning outcomes handout.

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Example: Dewey and Dragons

Beatties Ford Road Public Library, Charlotte, NC
Serves a community that is predominantly low-income and Black
Teen librarian Jamey Rorie thought that his teens could learn valuable skills through gaming: imagination, problem-solving, storytelling, quick math, and teamwork.

Visit https://tinyurl.com/ALAgiveaway to enter your name for a chance to win a book at the end of the session!

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Example: Dewey and Dragons

In a DnD session, teens work together to shape a story, guided by a volunteer Dungeon Master
Teens who participate regularly create and develop their own character

Some invest heavily in this character, developing in-depth backstories and creating artistic renderings of them

Visit https://tinyurl.com/ALAgiveaway to enter your name for a chance to win a book at the end of the session!

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“After a session, I can hear our teens talking about their adventures. They discuss what they would have done differently and what they are planning to try next time. Most are used to reading stories, watching movies, or playing videogames that have a set ending and story beats. But with DnD, they determine what happens to their character along with others who have that same sense of freedom. They get to determine how the world sees their character and how they or their character would react to a certain situation…. There have been long debates at the table of what an action could result in, not only for the individual but also for the group as a whole.” (Jamey Rorie)

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What learning outcomes are addressed in this program series?

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Planning for Learning

Embracing the instructional role means that we should consider learning outcomes first when planning active or passive programs, displays, online tutorials, etc.
Any of the YALSA learning outcomes could be taught in dozens (hundreds! thousands!) of ways
As an initial step to help you reframe your work as instruction, practice writing specific learning goals for your programs

Visit https://tinyurl.com/ALAgiveaway to enter your name for a chance to win a book at the end of the session!

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Learning Goals

Effective learning goals are:

Grounded in standards (YALSA learning outcomes)
Specific to a particular community and learning experience
Action-oriented

They say what students will be able to DO with their learning

Learner-friendly

Visit https://tinyurl.com/ALAgiveaway to enter your name for a chance to win a book at the end of the session!

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Learning Goals Example

YALSA learning outcome:

Teens are able to give back to others and the community.

Program-specific learning goal:

Teen participants will be able to use the library makerspace to create a product that will fulfill a community need.

Program ideas?

Visit https://tinyurl.com/ALAgiveaway to enter your name for a chance to win a book at the end of the session!

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Learning Goals Example

YALSA learning outcome:

Teens are able to build relationships with peers and adults, including those of different backgrounds and experiences.

Program-specific learning goal:

Teen participants will be able to collaborate with elderly community members to create a local, online oral history exhibit.

Visit https://tinyurl.com/ALAgiveaway to enter your name for a chance to win a book at the end of the session!

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You try it!

Find a partner. Work together to choose one YALSA learning outcome. Then create a program-specific learning goal from that outcome, and brainstorm possible program activities.

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Expanding Your Instructional Toolbox

Public librarians do not need masters’ degrees in teaching to be effective instructors.
BUT, basic knowledge of teaching and learning principles is critical.
MSLS programs are beginning to include more emphasis on pedagogy for preservice public librarians, but this doesn’t necessarily help those already on the job.

Visit https://tinyurl.com/ALAgiveaway to enter your name for a chance to win a book at the end of the session!

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Expanding Your Instructional Toolbox

In addition to other PD opportunities, check out the open access, CC-licensed textbook Instruction and Pedagogy for Youth in Public Libraries
Includes chapters on:

Backward design
Learning theories
Instructional models
Connected Learning
Collaboration
Differentiation and Universal Design for Learning
Assessment

And more!

Visit https://tinyurl.com/ALAgiveaway to enter your name for a chance to win a book at the end of the session!

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Expanding Your Instructional Toolbox

Available in HTML, PDF, and print from:

publiclibraryinstruction.web.unc.edu

Visit https://tinyurl.com/ALAgiveaway to enter your name for a chance to win a book at the end of the session!

Let’s draw some winners!

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Who we are

Casey Rawson

Teaching Assistant Professor at UNC Chapel Hill SILS

@CaseyHRawson

She / Her / Hers

Ness Shortley

School media specialist at Horton Middle School in Pittsboro, N.C.

@LochNessLibro

She / Her / Hers

Mara Rosenberg

Teacher Librarian at

St. Patrick’s Episcopal Day School in Washington, D.C.

@Froggyevn

She / Her / Hers