The Librain

Well, I haven’t posted for a while again. The challenge of working  every day when suffering from a debilitating illness means that some things simply don’t get done! And writing personal blog posts is one of them.

Despite my illness, I am still trying to drive the development of our Library Services forward. Since last summer, I have been working at our Junior School, upgrading and improving the Library there. It has been fantastic to get such positive feedback from the staff.

At our Senior School, the newish Library continues to be an inspiring place to work every day. It has been so frustrating trying to cope with a weak voice as this has meant that a lot of the exciting aspects of being a school librarian have been out of the question. Slowly, however, I have been dipping my toe in the teaching side again.

What I am able to do is connect with the school community using web-based tools – Twitter, Facebook and the developing library website, Library Online. This site was beginning to get almost too big and I started to think about how I actually want to continue its development. I have decided that I want to use it as a hub for all of the other services that our Library Service subscribes to, such as SlideShare, Prezi, Vodpod, and so on.

I had read about other librarians’ use of LibGuides to create pathfinders or research guides for their communities. Well respected school librarians like Buffy Hamilton and Joyce Valenza had blogged about LibGuides and I had read about college and university librarians using this service too. To continue the development of web-based virtual library services, I needed something that would enable me to make and edit pages quickly, that would blend into the existing website and that would be stable long term.

For a while, I have used Netvibes both personally and for the library and I find this very useful. But I wanted a service that would do more. Bear in mind that we do not have a VLE in this school.

Our Research Guides on LibGuides

So, I have now been using LibGuides since before Christmas and what do I like about it the most?

1. The ability to create guides based on existing ones. You can make template guides and re-use these for consistency. Also, you can search through guides made by other librarians and, with permission, re-use these to save time – there are 1000s of fantastic ready made guides available.
2. You can also re-use boxes across guides. This saves so much time when building new guides and you can re-use your own content.
3. You can include downloadable documents so that students can access worksheets and powerpoints from home. Or you can embed files using widgets and html so that videos or presentations will run directly on the guide.
4. Springshare will customise your guide to look similar to your existing web page if you wish. Then you have the ability to further customise your content.
5. You can easily make widgets to embed links to your guides in your library or school website so that students can find them quickly. This is beginning to drive the hit rate on Library Online upwards as students now check there first to see if a new guide has been made.
6. So far, the teachers who have got on board are really pleased with the research guides I have made and I have also had really favourable comments from many students. It is showing the role of librarian in a different light to some students and also the staff!
7. I like the way that I can easily see the number of hits each guide has had and also see other statistics of the use of the guides.

I think this post is now long enough, so I will sign off now, but come back to this subject again soon as my knowledge and use of LibGuides develops.

iPad 2

I must admit that I have a weakness for sexy gadgets and have been saving up for an iPad or iPhone for ages! In the end, I decided to go with the iPad rather than an iPhone as I don’t really use mobile phones that much – is it a bit embarrassing to admit that? For some reason, I have a bit of a reputation as a geek in this school and yet I don’t use phones very often!

Anyway, I thought it might be an interesting idea to blog about how I learn to use the iPad right from the beginning. I have bought it because:

a) As I said, I have a weakness for gadgets. I already own a Sony Reader, but have managed to stop myself from getting a Kindle as well.

b) Quite a few of my more “techy” friends have got iPads and have been raving about them. One friend had shown me around her iPad and I was hooked!

c) I wanted something more portable than my large and heavy laptop to take on trips and maybe to work. I thought I might use it to access the web and to organise myself better. Some of the apps available for iPad also looked very intriguing and I wanted to find out more about them.

d) I also thought that I would like to try out the device with a view to thinking about how it might be used in a teaching and learning environment like the library. I want to keep this newly developed library at the forefront of exciting ways of teaching and learning if I can. So a lot of questions have been buzzing around my head about e-readers and other gadgets.

My iPad arrived two days ago and so my next post will be about how I am beginning to find my way around it and then I will follow with further posts about possible uses in the school library.

Please share your own thoughts in the comments of this blog as I would be really interested to see what you think.

I was glad to see this page on the CILIP website clearly showing their work in relation to school libraries. They have also recently issued a statement “School Libraries – A Right” on the role and value of school libraries. They say “It sets out the core entitlements that every child, school’s teaching team and wider school community should expect to receive. It provides the case for a properly resourced, professionally staffed school library.”

CILIP Statement on School Libraries

From the esteemed Phil Bradley!

In the last few days, as I have continued to read the massive outpouring of writing supporting libraries, I have come across one or two pieces that have disturbed me somewhat. Sounding the death-knell for libraries as we know them is of course disturbing for a librarian! However, maybe it is necessary to read pieces like these occasionally so that people like me can re-assess our opinions. Anyone who knows me is aware that I have a passionate belief in the power of libraries and librarians to make a difference. So, to be honest, some aspects of what I have read have made me very annoyed, but I will try to answer some of the points in a measured way, with an emphasis on school libraries.

What is a library?

What these pieces seem to have in common for me is a fundamental misunderstanding of what a library is. In my view, a library is not simply a warehouse or museum for books. It is not even a store-room for a range of resources – books, magazines, DVDs, electronic databases, e-books and so on. Neither is it just a place where people visit to borrow resources or to sit and read or study. A library is much more than this. From my point of view as a school librarian, a library for me is a place where reading for pleasure is encouraged and developed, where the school community is supported with information literacy and where developing technologies are seamlessly blended into the learning and teaching experience. There are other roles – for example, often libraries fulfil a pastoral need for many students. Libraries can be virtual places too – many school libraries have extensive websites offering 24/7 access to resources, teaching materials and professional support – enabling us to reach out into our communities beyond the physical space.

E-book development

The other thread in this “death of libraries” meme comes from the growth in e-book development and Amazon’s announcement of a massive increase in e-book purchasing. Well, of course, they sold shedloads of their Kindle e-book readers at Christmas and so people need something to read on their shiny new toys! It would be interesting to know how many of these end up at the back of cupboards a few months into 2011. But that is an aside. Again, predictions in technology development are extremely risky and we don’t really know how quickly e-books will take over the world, if they actually do. Certainly, there are massive issues for libraries unless we can get agreements from publishers and other organisations to put affordable lending models in place for school and public libraries.

The “death of libraries” commentators quite often seem to assume that our students can afford to buy all of the books they want – whether electronic or paper. E-books are not free unless they are out of copyright, downloaded illegally or made available as an enticement to make more purchases. Nor is everything yet available as an e-book – although that may come. Many books may not be suitable for digital conversion and the vast array of archival materials may never be fully digitised. Nor do all students have devices for reading e-books – most do have mobile phones of course, but there will always be some students who do not. Many students I speak to every day are not enticed by e-books and prefer printed books – this may change, of course, but there are still significant numbers of young people who are not keen on some kinds of technology.

The joys of browsing

What libraries offer, which bookshops and online retailers do not, is the concept of risk-free browsing and serendipity together with expert advice. In my school, many students can afford to buy every book that they want. But the library enables them to find books that they didn’t know existed and take a “risk” with reading something different with no financial penalty! If they don’t like the book, they can bring it back with no loss. They can share good reads with each other in class, during book groups, using our reading development wiki or with informal chat. The librarian can build a relationship with students to make a personalised suggestion for their next read, far better than the recommendations of online retailers. The same goes for information-seeking. Very few students or teachers know the exact resource that will help to answer their needs – the library exists to help support the curriculum and extra-curricular interests using the guidance of the librarian.

Future directions

Yes, we can and should discuss the future direction of libraries. Nothing should be set in stone. We should be looking at a space for a range of activities: a place for study, for quiet reading, for exciting teaching and learning, for creativity and imagination. We need to talk about what that space could look like. In my own school, we tried to make a new library that would fit the needs of our school community, marrying a traditional feel on the one hand and also building in features for our future needs (although those are notoriously difficult to predict). That is why our library has the words “Think, Ask, Read, Imagine, Create” on all of our publications and displays. Many school libraries around the world are being developed with these ideas of imagination and creativity being at the forefront – the library as a place for making things, broadcasting, and even performance!

The Librarian is the Library

The biggest issue that I have with so many of these “Libraries RIP” pieces is how often librarians are ignored or only added in as an afterthought. The librarian is the person who makes the space a library, rather than a collection of resources housed in a room. A good librarian makes the service personal in the school – we get to know our community and create that personal interaction that is vital in such a busy world. It seems to me that if a headteacher can write a post about libraries and not once mention the librarian, what does that say about the status of the librarian in that school? Why are the talents of a professionally qualified person not being showcased or even used properly? Does the headteacher actually understand what the librarian does?

In my own school, we were clear that the development of the new library was only the start of my job. Once it was open, even though we had the furniture, resources and ICT equipment, my work was then really beginning! My job is now to work with the school community to put the library at the heart of teaching and learning so that our students achieve their potential and are prepared for their future studies in Higher Education or for the working world. To achieve this, I go back to the main functions of my role, as I and my Headmaster see them:

• The development of reading for pleasure – helping our students to enjoy their reading journeys, with books, magazines, graphic novels, online resources.

• Helping our students to improve their information literacy skills – working collaboratively with teaching staff to support students’ research skills and help them handle a range of media effectively. Preparing them for HE means a lot more than being able to use Wikipedia!

• Supporting my school with the use of developing technologies – by showcasing innovative use of hardware such as flip video cameras, IWBs, mobile phones or Web2.0 sites such as Animoto, VoiceThread, wikis and blogs in teaching and learning.

No, libraries are not dead yet! And in my heart, I believe they never will be!

This piece has now got rather too long for a blog post! I will stop now and open this to comments – what do you see as the future for libraries and school libraries in particular? What is your imaginative thinking? How do you see librarians developing our role?

These are some of the articles that set me thinking:

School Libraries RIP? The debate begins…, by Mark S Steed
http://independenthead.blogspot.com/2011/02/school-libraries-rip.html

A great reply to this one from Nicola McNee:

“School Libraries RIP? – an open reply to An Independent Head, by Nicola McNee
http://nicolamcnee.edublogs.org/2011/02/03/school-libraries-rip-an-open-reply-to-the-independent-head/

Some Simple Thoughts About Libraries, by Joe Craig
http://www.trappedbymonsters.com/2011/02/some-simple-thoughts-about-libraries/

Edit: I have since come across these two articles as well:

2010 Summary: libraries are still screwed, by Eric Hellman
http://www.teleread.com/library/2010-summary-libraries-are-still-screwed-by-eric-hellman/

2010: the year of the cloud, by Doug Johnson
http://doug-johnson.squarespace.com/blue-skunk-blog/2010/12/31/2010-the-year-of-the-cloud.html

I found these last two via the wonderful Skerricks blog:
http://skerricks.blogspot.com/2011/02/are-school-libraries-nearly-obsolete.html

Once again, I have to start a post with an apology for not writing for ages. This is not because I have nothing to say but with all of the exciting developments in technology coupled with desperate times in terms of cuts to public libraries, how do I begin? No, the reason I have been silent for a while is because I am currently suffering from a prolonged period of ill-health.

I am devastated that I have not been able to pursue my beloved career of being a school librarian this term. Only a year after opening our new library, I have succumbed to the horrible chronic cough and vocal problems that I have been struggling with for the past four years. I am trying to regain my health so that I can return to the job and school that I love.

Whilst I have been at home, I have tried to keep in touch with new developments. On the one hand, we have the increasingly bad news from counties around the UK as public libraries are being threatened with closure or being run by volunteers. On the other, we have exciting and amazing new technologies being developed and introduced at a breathtaking pace. But sometimes it is hard to stay optimistic about the future. I feel personally shaken as one of the fundamental pillars of my own life is a belief in the power of  libraries. My grandfather left school at the age of 13 and educated himself by reading as many books as he could from his local public library. My mother did the same and also encouraged me to be a keen reader by taking me to the library every week as a child. I had educational opportunities that were not available to my mother or grandfather and I was able to make the most of them because I was a reader – I truly believe that. So, as I read so many blogs about library closures, I cringe when I read comments denigrating the relevance of libraries in the modern world! There are many people who support libraries, but also seem to be a large number who have the most negative view of them. I find that astonishing and also very depressing. To cheer myself up, I then read the wonderful site “Voices for the Library“. The stories on there are wonderfully uplifting.

Another great example of the fight against public library closures can be seen on the “Friends of Gloucestershire Libraries” site. It shows that we cannot sit back and allow such wonderful public services to be run down, closed or handed over the groups of volunteers. All of us who support libraries need to do something, however small, to make our voices heard or we will have to live with a seriously impoverished world.

School libraries are also under threat – well, in a way, they always have been. But as cuts begin to bite, I am sure that we will see increasing downgrading of school libraries and staffing. The Voices for the Library site has inspired a group of school librarians to make a similar site, “Heart of the School“, showcasing the amazing work done by so many people working in schools. This is a great source of ideas and can be used to demonstrate the kinds of things that we do – yes, so much more than the stereotype!

Watching this video made me both smile and cringe a bit too – I hope that I always greet students and staff and come across as a friendly helpful person. I hope that the systems I have put in place in our new library do not create barriers to learning.

It is very easy to devise rules and systems that suit the librarian – “I need to be able to find things”, “the library is for learning and not games” – but these may actually work against the things we are trying to do. Sometimes, when I read blog posts and mailing lists, I am taken aback by how librarians often feel that the library is their property. I understand that feeling, of course I do! Just like many colleagues, I have battled and sweated to create wonderful libraries, often out of a miserable dusty travesty. I have come in during my own holidays and painted a wall, cleaned shelves, washed curtains (true – I did that in one library and realised that the grey curtains were actually green and orange!), made my own art work and generally rolled up my sleeves and heaved masses of stuff around! But, sometimes we need to step back and remind ourselves that the library belongs to the school community and not to us – break down those barriers, smile on our bad days and reach out.

Anyway, watch it & tell me what you think!

Again, I have been neglecting this blog too much this year and promise to do something to improve my use of it over the next few months. A friend said recently that some are “missing my voice” – a rather apt phrase as I will explain later!

This has been an interesting and sometimes frustrating year for me. The really positive things that have happened are:

• The new library was opened in October 2009 and has been very well received by the school community.
• I feel really appreciated in my school – particularly by the management, the governors, many staff and a lot of the students and parents.
• We have begun work on some collaborative projects in the new library – reading development with English, some work with the Sixth Form and classes have used my services from History, Geography and Science.
• I organised a Book Week, with help from some staff, and the Reading Group has developed well.
• I have been able to demonstrate some interesting uses of technologies to the Sixth Form, some staff and many students. The Library Online Netvibes, the Wiki, our Animoto videos, use of Prezi have all been well-received and I can see I am gaining a reputation with many that I am a bit of a techie “geek”!
• The library came out of the recent school inspection very well, with pointers to where we can contribute to school improvement – particularly in fostering the skills for independent learning.
• The library budget will enable me to continue to develop and improve the book stock and also look to the future, in terms of subscription online databases and other exciting digital resources.
• I am happy in the school – definitely an important aspect of any job!
• I have been able to attend a number of training and professional development opportunities both in the “real” world and online.
• My online PLN continues to support my development and I hope that I contribute to theirs in an equal fashion.
• I have continued to learn about new things every day and strive to keep as up-to-date as I can with developing technologies and ideas.

Some things have not gone so well for me this year, although I have tried hard to overcome difficulties:

• The number one issue has been my health – I will not go into detail, but I have struggled to deal with a constant cough and lately a very weak voice – a real issue for a school librarian!
• This has lead to a level of frustration (mine), that I could not deliver at the level I wanted – maybe I’m too much of a perfectionist!

But my own personal struggles are nothing when it comes to the wider picture that we find in July 2010. Every day we hear of school libraries being run down or closed and librarians having their hours cut or being made redundant. The short-sightedness of this is astounding – so much research shows that a good library and librarian help raise achievement in our schools! At a time when so many lament poor literacy levels it does not seem to be joined-up thinking to act in this way. But then, how often do our “masters” show logic when they plan an education system for other people’s children!

Hard days are coming for many and I must admit that I am glad that my own sons have now both left school, because many are going to become very impoverished places. In my next post, I am going to try to think of more positive ways in which we can keep hope in our minds. In the meantime, if you want to feel uplifted about a school librarian’s role, look at this wonderful post by Buffy Hamilton: What Running Can Teach You About Librarianship.

This video says it all!

The Future of Reading was the title of the Literacy Forum held at the Education Show on Friday 5th March. It was a very enjoyable and informative day – giving me plenty to think about as I plan the development of our new library!

It seems clear that we are at a cusp in terms of formats – just as the scroll gave way to the book, maybe we are at an historic moment when digital versions will take over from printed paper. Maybe not! There is a lot of discussion not only about this but whether we are also seeing the beginning of the demise of libraries.

One of the reasons that I wanted to go along to the forum, run by the National Literacy Association, was that the NLA is going to write a manifesto for reading as a result of the discussions. I feared that the “librarian’s voice” might be drowned out if some of us were not prepared to speak out about our role. Well, it became clear that the few librarians in the room were stroppy enough to make themselves heard!

Anyway, what were the most memorable things for me about the day? There were some great speakers, including David Crystal, Aidan Chambers, Chris Meade, Dave Whyley, Wendy Cooling, Michael Rosen and many more. What they all had in common was a passion for reading, some even showed a similar passion for libraries, a few even mentioned librarians too!

The wonderful Aidan Chambers, past President of the School Library Association, talked about reading as a function of power: those in power deciding how reading is taught and promoting certain kinds of reading as worthy. Having worked in many challenging schools before coming to this one, so much of what he said about current education being based on “economic function” resonated with me. He feels that those in power deliberately prevent students from attaining higher level reading skills as high literacy would lead to thinking! Politicians ignore the research about reading and the impact of libraries, even though it shows how reading and the use of libraries can improve student attainment.

It was wonderful to hear Aidan’s affirmation of the importance of libraries and librarians – telling us to judge a town or a school by the quality of the library and those who manage it!

Aidan and many of the other speakers also talked to us about e-books and other digital texts. Like me, they had found e-book readers easy to use – even for those of us who were brought up with print – “People of the Book” rather than “People of the Screen”. There were interesting discussions about the ability to publish digitally – thus opening up the world of self-publishing to all. Both Chris Mead and Dave Whyley, working with different projects, asked us to look beyond paper-based reading and look at multi-platforms – laptops, e-readers, mobiles – thinking about the words rather than the paper. I also enjoyed thinking about how digital publishing enables collaboration and media-mixing.

Wendy Cooling enticed us with wonderful picture books – reminding us all that children need the wonderful language and illustrations to develop their reading. Adults can also enjoy them too – judging by the reactions of the audience!

Michael Rosen also talked about the political aspects of literacy, recounting some of his experiences as Children’s Laureate when meeting with politicians. He feels that the present situation is discriminatory in that children who come from homes where parents read to them and they are surrounded with books, have a head start over children who do not have these advantages. He saw reading fiction as reduced to “facticity” – with teachers using worksheets and asking fact-based questions, rather than engaging children with whole stories and whole books.

In the afternoon, we moved into workshops – I looked at technology and the future of literacy. Our questions were:

1) How can we get teachers more involved in using technology?

2) What will happen if we don’t?

As you would expect, if you know me, I could not resist the opportunity to offer the librarian’s help is modelling the use of technology with students. Certainly, I have done this myself quite often – using exciting web-based services with students and helping the teachers to become more confident – using a wiki for example. I also have an e-reader that I have demonstrated to staff and students. I see the school librarian as a leader in this area – if we are not prepared to learn about new technologies and use them with our teachers and students, then our libraries will almost certainly become backwaters – not what any of us would wish!

This has become a very long post, so I must finish with David Crystal’s summary. He talked about us reaching a time of change, but that we needed to find balance. The word “transliteracy” came up again – not worrying about the object (a printed book), but the words on whatever format we might find them. To achieve a reading culture we need to give children time – to read and to be read aloud to. David also mentioned the importance of libraries – but I did feel that someone needs to educate him further on the role of librarians – he seems to see libraries merely as rooms of resources!

All in all, a very thought-provoking day. There was far more said than I have room to write about here – not least all the great projects that people are working on around the country. Let’s hope that the NLA manifesto comes out with some strong words about the role of the library and librarian!