Alaska Bush Library Service

I read the article Disconnects Between Library Culture and Millennial Generation Values  in the new issue of Educause.  A checklist is mentioned that would be good for libraries at all levels to ask themselves:

What is your library doing to:

• Support the user’s affinity for self-paced, independent, trial-and-error methods of learning? – Are we putting up online tutorials for students to look at when they need to?  I have seen some libraries that have iPod guides for library tours. Currently, I have built some online tutorials for using the Alaska Statewide Databases.
• Create opportunities to make library information look and behave like information that exists in online entertainment venues?  This may be the best place and time to install Worldcat buttons and the new search features of Google for each of our libraries.  Websites that interact with the students rather than sit there and wait for student to search and the OPAC to distribute information.  Why haven’t we added the ability for students to leave their book reviews in our OPACs?  I think a lot of this has to do with the software we have at our disposal.  I am hoping that this is something that will be able to the added to Koha down the road.
• Explore alternative options for delivering information literacy skills to users in online environments and alternate spaces?  I return to the online tutorials for students to gain information.  In my position, I am usually not at the student’s side when they need the information.  I am connected through three different IM programs for students to get a hold of me when they need to.  The problem I am finding is how do I advertise this so it is there when students need it.
• Apply the typical user’s desire for instant gratification to the ways that libraries could be using technology for streamlined services? I am not sure how we can meet these needs.  I do know what I do which is offer inter library loan so that users know that their needs are met, even if it will take a week to get the book.  I have added downloads to my district’s wiki of sites that give students the information they need to meet different standards.
• Redefine administrative, security, and policy restrictions to permit online users an online library experience that rivals that of a library site visit? I think we need more audiobooks that are downloadable and a better way to provide this service.  Copyright stipulations need to be met, but I would love to figure a way that students have access to the electronic resources, electronically rather than having to visit the library.
• Preserve born-digital information?  This is a matter of who is willing to stand up and pay for the storage medium.  It is easy to be in charge of the digital medium as long as you are willing to ensure that the materials are always accessible through current technology.  I think we have seen enough errors in this by now that we know how to keep abreast of changing technologies that we can revisit our ability to preserve materials on a yearly basis. — or am I the only one who lost all my MARC records by using an antiquated back up method?

I hope this gets us thinking to how we can provide the millennials the best library experience they can get.  We have moved a long way with technology.

My high school librarian was so afraid that the computer would make her unnecessary to the research process that she actually removed subjects, ISBNs, authors, and other parts of the MARC records so that students would have to come to her for the information.  I only know this because I became a library aide there before getting my own school library.  I spent the year adding full records and deleting a LOT of books that wouldn’t ever be used.

We need to embrace the technologies that our students are embracing and make sure that our libraries will always be the place that our students can gain more access to information.

Last Monday I traveled to Gambell Alaska for my first trip out for the school year. I worked with the elementary students on Tuesday and Wednesday.

Great lessons in how to come up with ideas for research. I bring in Jelly Bellies, a movie on how they are made. This takes about seven minutes and then we discuss why I would choose Jelly Bellies if I could research anything. I then move the third through sixth grade students into Ebsco Student researcch databases so that they can find magazine articles on anything that interests them.

I work with the kindergarten through second graders on our statewide Battle of the Books program.

The big news comes next, on Thursday, I head to the jr. high and high school area. One of the seventh grader students comes up to me and says, “I remember you. You taught us how to use Worldbook Online last year.” I was blown away. I mean I remember that I did teach his class how to use Worldbook Online. They got to use the laptop lab which was new to the school. The class was great and by the end of the lesson, I could allow them to sit anywhere because they did a good job of staying on task. I remember most lessons that I give in each school so that I can build on them and/or ask teachers how it is going later, but I didn’t expect to be remembered by a student.

I am in Savoonga this week. Here, I will give the same lessons. In addition, I will do a lot of library maintenence. This school wants to implement Accelerated Reader. We have a $5,000 Laura Bush Grant to purchase books. That will help a lot to purchase books that the students here will enjoy. I have talked to teachers about which books they would like to see. I will tallk to students this week to see what they want to see.

One of my favorite aspects of library service is when we have just the right material for a teacher, right when she needs it.  Twice in the last 24 hours I have been able to experience that.  The first was when an SFA facilitator asked to borrow four copies of “Danny and the Dinosaur”.  I checked the out and put them on the desk of the person who was traveling to the school today.  I got back to my desk, checked my email, and found a note from the person traveling.  She asked for four copies of “Danny and the Dinosaur”.  I let her know that they were already on her desk.

The second time was with a teacher that I invited into the library yesterday afternoon so we could talk about a project that I want to do with her students.  I wanted to collaborate with her about teaching some research skills to students.  I didn’t tell her that part as her class was coming in and I didn’t want to take much of her time.  Imagine my surpise when she emailed me an apology for not showing up, this morning.  She included a couple of sentences that she wants to talk to me about teaching some Internet research techniques to her sixth graders.  I am going to use the program at Connexions to build a module today and teach it tomorrow.

The teachers in our district were here for the last three days. This first day was Success for All training. The next day and a half was small group sessions. Most small group sessions focussed on using the data they have to best help their students. I think it was a successful in service.

My idea to get people to visit the library was to give out tickets for a free book. I have shelves of books that publishers have sent me to preview. I preview them, choose to buy or not buy, and put the rest on shelves for schools to look through. I think I had an 80% turnout to the library by giving out tickets for a free book. I looked at each book that was taken. If it was one that I was on the line about buying I asked the teacher to please give input if the book teaches and engages the students. It was great to have the small group interaction with teachers.

One teacher is teaching a class that compares and contrasts fairy tale stories with their movie counterparts. I bought a copy of The Anotated Brother’s Grimm” for her unit. I can’t wait to preview the book. It gives a background of what was going on with the stories were written. I think this class will be a winner that covers several aspects of the BSSD curriculum in the areas of social studies, English, and culture.

The last two weeks I have spent in classes. Today is the first real day back to work. I find it interesting that this is the case, because this week, I have been in my office, cleaned my desk, passed out coupons for free books, and met with new teachers to encourage them to use the media center. How many of us find that we have put in lots of time before the first day comes around?

Today is set aside for packing RIF books in boxes. We offer book giveaways three times a year. The first is at the beginning of the year. My first year was last year and my predessor had packed the boxes for the start of the year(Thank you Lois) This year, I remember how tired I was at the end of the year and that I didn’t pack the boxes. Hopefully, I will get them done today. One of the timings you have to think of out here is when will the plane fly out to the villages. I know the plane is flying out on Monday to bring teachers back to the district office for inservice. It will fly out empty, but when it flies back to the village at the end of the week, the plane will be full leaving here.

Good luck to all who start back next week.

I have to laugh when I remember Alice Yucht’s statement on collaborating, “Work with the living”. I was at the airport before flying out. I knew a lot of teachers would be coming out yesterday and today because we have a class that starts on Monday. A teacher came up to me and wanted to talk about integrating more of everything into the reading program. She has some great ideas on how to involve the students that turn in their homework 60-80% of the time. Her school rewards the 80-100% students. She feels that a program that rewards the ones that are almost there, will help out to. Some ideas include having the library display books that are similar to the ones that the students are reading in their reading classes or by the same author. She is lucky in the fact that I obtained a $5,000.00 Laura Bush Foundation Grant for new library books for her school. I was worried about how I would get the teachers to buy in and give me ideas for the books they would like. Seems like that problem is solved for now.

On a personal level, I have to say thanks to the United States Post Office. Too often we hear of their inadequecies. Last Monday I mailed nine totes of belongings to myself. They were sitting here in my office when I got here on Saturday. Now I can only hope that the rest of my stuff that was mailed Saturday gets here as quick.

Cheers to all who are starting their year.