THE LIBRARY IS

Innovative is inspired by you, the library. Your ability to grow and change in the face of new challenges keeps the library relevant today and into the future. Innovative is growing and changing, too. Check out our new open platform, open partnerships, and open attitude.

Visit us at Booth #631 at PLA 2014!

Everything is possible when The Library is Open.

Inn vative

www.iii.com » [email protected] » 800+878+6600

Feature Articles 32 From Crisis to Collaboration Pima County Public Library Partners with Health Department for Library Nurse Program

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Sensory-Enhanced Storytime at Douglas County Libraries An Inclusive Program

By Kenya Johnson, Amber Mathewson, & Karyn Prechtel

By Laura Baldassari-Hackstaff, Sheila Kerber, Ruth Ann Krovontka, & Laura Root Olson

Describes how the Library Nurse Program was implemented, its challenges and successes, as well as the impact it has had on library patrons in need.

Article describes the development and ongoing adaptations of this inclusive program, welcoming youth of all ages who are differently abled as well as typically developing.

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Babies in the Library Creating a Truly BabyFriendly Early Literacy Play Space By Debra Knoll

Illustrates how library staff members conceived and created an early literacy space which offers unique opportunities for babies and toddlers to advance their social and literacy skills.

Technology Center Focuses on Innovation and Creativity By Mary Anne Hodel

Author provides a look at the Orange County (Fla.) Library System’s new technology and innovation creation space.

Departments PLA News

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Kathleen Hughes

President’s Message

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Nanci Milone Hill

The Wired Library

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R. Toby Greenwalt

Fundraising Beyond Book Sales

26

Wendy Moylan & Susan Dowd

Passing Notes Sarah Bean Thompson

New Product News

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Heather Teysko & Tanya Novak

Mary Rzepczynski

Perspectives

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Catherine Hakala-Ausperk

Carolyn Anthony

Tales from the Front

By the Book

Under the Radar

Cover illustration by Jim Lange Design (jimlangedesign@ sbcglobal.net)

Extras Editor’s Note

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Verso—Literature Breaks Out

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Verso—Pedal Power 29

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Kaite Mediatore Stover & Jessica Moyer

Advertiser Index

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EDITORIAL EDITOR: Kathleen M. Hughes CONTRIBUTING EDITORS: Liz Boyd, R. Toby Greenwalt, Catherine Hakala-Ausperk, Nanci Milone Hill, Jessica Moyer, Tanya Novak, Mary Rzepczynski, Kaite Mediatore Stover, Heather Teysko, Sarah Bean Thompson

ADVISORY COMMITTEE

Joanne King, Queens (N.Y.) Library (Chair); Loida A. Garcia-Febo, Information New Wave, Brooklyn, N.Y.; Brian A. Guenther, Oakland (Calif.) Public Library; Kevin King, Kalamazoo (Mich.) Public Library; Britta Krabill, Columbia (Ill.) Public Library; Portia Latalladi, Chicago Public Library; Monique le Conge, Palo Alto (Calif.) City Library; Norm Maas, Norfolk (Va.) Public Library; Jill Porter, Traverse Area District Library, Traverse City, Mich.; Celise Reech-Harper, Beauregard Parish Library, Deridder, La.; Kirstaine Smith, Great River Regional Library, Saint Cloud, Minn.; John Spears, Salt Lake City (Utah) Public Library; Nick Donald Taylor, Arapahoe (Colo.) Library District PLA PRESIDENT: Carolyn A. Anthony, Director, Skokie (Ill.) Public Library, [email protected] PUBLIC LIBRARIES (ISSN 0163-5506) is published bimonthly by the American Library Association (ALA), 50 E. Huron St., Chicago, IL 60611. It is the official publication of the Public Library Association, a division of ALA. Subscription price: to members of PLA, $25 a year, included in membership dues; to nonmembers: US $65; Canada $75; all other countries $75. Single copies, $10. Periodicals postage paid at Chicago, IL, and at additional mailing offices. POSTMASTER: send address changes to Public Libraries, 50 E. Huron St., Chicago, IL 60611.

SUBSCRIPTIONS Nonmember subscriptions, orders, changes of address, and inquiries should be sent to Public Libraries, Sub­scription Department, American Library Association, 50 E. Huron St., Chicago, IL 60611; 1-800-545-2433, press 5; fax: (312) 944-2641; [email protected].

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PRODUCTION & DESIGN ALA PRODUCTION SERVICES: Chris Keech, Managing Editor

MANUSCRIPTS Unless otherwise noted, all submissions should be sent to www .editorialmanager.com/pl. See www.pla.org for submission instructions. For queries/questions, contact Kathleen Hughes, khughes@ ala.org.

PL Editor KATHLEEN M. HUGHES

Editor’s Note

When it came time for the PL Advisory Committee to select a theme for the January/February issue, the obvious choice quickly became apparent: innovation. We here at PL know that public libraries trade in innovation, as they are conContact Kathleen at sistently advancing to meet the shifting [email protected]. needs of their communities. Oftentimes they are working with limited budgets and resources, making their adroitness all Kathleen is currently the more remarkable. As a result, most isreading The Goldfinch sues of PL are already packed with tales by Donna Tartt. of library innovation. Yet this issue gave us the opportunity to dive into the concept of innovation and explore in greater depth what libraries across the country are doing. There’s lots of good stuff here—in the feature article “From Crisis to Collaboration” you’ll read about how Pima County (Ariz.) Public Library’s Library Nurse Program has impacted the library and community; “Sensory-Enhanced Storytime at Douglas County Libraries” shows how to serve differently abled youth during children’s programming; “Babies in the Library” explores the idea of creating a special area adapted to the needs of very young children to advance their social and literacy skills; and “Technology Center Focuses on Innovation and Creativity” shows how a library took a bequest and ran with it to create an exemplary, stateof-the-art technology center. As always, there is much, much more from our regular columnists, all of whom tackle the issue’s theme with aplomb. I hope these great ideas inspire you to create something exciting in your library—and then share your story with us! We’re always eager to see how librarians use their skills to maneuver resources to handle the needs of the community. Have a great spring and hope to see you at PLA2014!

INDEXING/ABSTRACTING Public Libraries is indexed in Library Literature and Current Index to Journals in Education (CIJE), in addition to a number of online services. Contents are ab­stracted in Library and Information Science Abstracts.

MICROFILM COPIES Microfilm copies are available from University Microfilms, 300 N. Zeeb Rd., Ann Arbor, MI 48103. ©2014 by the American Library Association All materials in this journal are subject to copyright by the American Library Association and may be photocopied for the noncommercial purpose of scientific or educational advancement granted by Sections 107 and 108 of the Copyright Revision Act of 1976. For other reprinting, photocopying, or translating, address requests to the ALA Office of Rights and Permissions, 50 E. Huron St., Chicago, IL 60611.

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PUBLIC LIBRARIES

Join Public Libraries on Social Networks! Have you checked out PL Online? Updated daily, our companion site features selections from the print magazine as well as unique content from more than thirty energetic bloggers. PL Online offers hundreds of articles in addition to author interviews and, coming soon, book reviews. To stay up to date with what we are doing over at PL Online, like us on Facebook (www.facebook.com/publiclibrariesonline) or follow us on Twitter (@ publibonline) and Pinterest (http://pinterest.com/publibonline). We are always seeking new writers to join our ranks. If interested, visit www.publiclibrariesonline.org/contribute.

www.pla.org

PLA News Registration Now Open for PLA 2014 Virtual Conference On March 13-14, PLA will host a condensed virtual conference live online for public librarians and public library workers who can’t make the trip to Indianapolis for the PLA 2014 Conference (March 11-15). The PLA 2014 Virtual Conference will include many familiar elements of the live conference, including high-quality educational programming, poster sessions, and networking opportunities with colleagues. Each day will feature five live programs—the same programs available to in-person attendees. In addition, the Virtual Conference will also feature a live author interview each day. Scheduled programming includes: • • • • • • • • • •

Do You Know Where Your Librarian Is—Relationships Outside the Building Always Be Circulating: How Public Libraries Meet Demand and Increase Use Developing A Staff Competency Program That Works The Most Dangerous Idea of All: Change from the Bottom Up Your Next Book is On Facebook: Using Social Media in Readers’ Advisory Technology’s Future At Public Libraries: Staying Relevant in the Digital Age Cheap & Easy: An Intro to Passive Programming Black Belt Librarians: How to Effectively and Safely Inform Patrons of Library Rules Meeting Public Service Expectations by Breaking the Service Model Who We Are, What We Do, And Why It Matters: Establishing Our Distinctive Sense of Purpose

As the PLA 2014 Virtual Conference schedule is finalized, new programs and updated information will be available at www.placonference.org. PLA is offering both individual and group rates. The group rate allows a single location to participate in the Virtual Conference for multiple attendees. Individuals who register to attend PLA 2014 will automatically receive access to the Virtual Conference as part of their registration. Registration for the PLA Virtual Conference closes on Monday, March 3. For more information and to register, visit www.placonference.org/virtual -conference.

Free Trolley Service

Thanks to generous sponsorship from the Indiana Public Library Association (IPLA), a division of the Indiana Library Federation, and the Indianapolis Public Library Foundation, there will be a free trolley service taking PLA 2014 Conference attendees to a handful of exciting venues. During its hours of operation, the trolley will leave the Indiana Convention Center on the hour, every hour. Pick-up at individual locations will be hourly from the corresponding drop-off time. Reservations are not required. Trolley schedule and route: Tuesday, March 11, 1 to 5 p.m. • • • • • •

Convention Center Vonnegut Library (stop/pick-up only if requested) Central Library (tours available!) Library Services Center for Indy Library Store Children’s Museum for infoZone Back to Convention Center

Wednesday, March 12, 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. • • • • •

Convention Center Central Library (tours available!) Library Services Center for Indy Library Store (closes at 1 p.m.) Children’s Museum for infoZone Back to Convention Center PUBLIC LIBRARIES

Thursday, March 13, 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. • • • • •

Convention Center Vonnegut Library (stop/ pick-up only if requested) Central Library (tours available!) Children’s Museum for infoZone Back to Convention Center

Friday, March 14, 10 a.m.to 1 p.m. • • • • •

Convention Center Vonnegut Library (stop/pick-up only if requested) Central Library (tours available!) Children’s Museum for infoZone Back to Convention Center

Pick-up and drop-off locations: • • • • •

Convention Center, Maryland St. door (around the corner from Capitol Ave.) Vonnegut Library, 340 N. Senate Avenue door Central Library, 11 E. 9th Street door (9th Street entrance) Library Services Center for Indy Library Store, 2450 N. Meridian Street door Children’s Museum for infoZone, 3040 N. Illinois Street door

Central Library is the hub of the Indianapolis Public Library (IPL) and is celebrated as a treasured architectural landmark, combining the original 1917 limestone building with a new six-story addition to create a perfect synthesis of the traditional and modern library. It includes the Learning Curve, a high-tech learning environment that received the American Library Association (ALA) Library of the Future Award, as well as the Nina Mason Pulliam Indianapolis Special Collections Room, containing first edition works of Hoosier authors and other collections of historic local interest. The Indy Library Store is known as the best place in town to buy new and used books and specialty items at discount prices. The store, at 2450 N. Meridian Street, hosts six public book sales each year as well as online sales. Proceeds support liJ A N U A R Y/ F E B R U A R Y 2 0 1 4

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PLA News

PLA 2014 Exhibits Hall

The Kurt Vonnegut Memorial Library in Indianapolis. (Photo courtesy of VisitIndy.com)

brary programs and services through the Indianapolis Public Library Foundation. This volunteer-supported activity generates more than $250,000 annually. The infoZone is an innovative experience that combines the Children’s Museum of Indianapolis’s strength in sparking curiosity with the vast resources of IPL. Located on level two of the Welcome Center, infoZone offers books, CDs, DVDs, learning kits, magazines, and Bunny Book Bags in an energetic, kids-oriented atmosphere. Visitors can access information from websites and databases in the techZone computer lab, while the youngest visitors can practice pre-reading skills using experience-based activities such as a magnetic activity wall, child-friendly computers created specifically for the prereader, and green-screen technology. Located at 340 N. Senate Ave. in the Emelie Building, the Kurt Vonnegut Memorial Library champions the literary, artistic, and cultural contributions of Hoosier writer and artist Kurt Vonnegut; serves as a cultural and educational resource facility, museum, art gallery, and reading room; supports language and arts education; and explores social issues through programs and outreach activities with other local and national groups.

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PUBLIC LIBRARIES

Find new products, ideas, and solutions for your library by visiting the PLA 2014 Exhibits Hall. Browse more than 400 booths and see the latest in publications, media, technology, equipment, services, and supplies. Plan to attend the exhibits opening reception on Wednesday, March 12, from 4 to 6:30 p.m. Exhibits hours on Thursday, March 14, are 9:30 a.m. to 5 p.m. (with coffee breaks scheduled from 9:30 to 10:45 a.m. and 3:15 to 4:15 p.m). Exhibit hours on Friday, March 14, are 9:30 a.m. to 4 p.m. (with a coffee break from 9:30 to 10:45 a.m. and the closing reception from 3:15 to 4 p.m.). This year, be sure your visit to the exhibits includes a visit to the Library Space Pavilion. This unique spot in the Exhibits Hall will feature innovative spaces to create at your library. Try out the latest tools and materials that comprise a makerspace. Experience the calming effect of a Happiness Zone. Contribute to participatory installations. See what ideas you can bring to life at your library!

LibraryBox Scavenger Hunt A LibraryBox is an inexpensive wireless device designed to provide stable, simple access to preloaded text and multimedia files. Anyone with a Wi-Fi–enabled device can access LibraryBox and discover free, public-domain content, community alerts, or anything else you can imagine. Developed by librarian Jason Griffey, this open-source project has massive ramifications for small and rural libraries, or anyone working with the public in areas lacking reliable Internet access. Explore the potential at PLA 2014 by participating in the LibraryBox Scavenger Hunt. Complete details available at www.placonference.org/librarybox.

Dining Out Around Indy

Get a taste of Indianapolis with local librarians and other PLA colleagues over a delicious meal on Wednesday and Thursday

VOLUME 53, NUMBER 1

evening during PLA 2014. The PLA Local Arrangements Committee has graciously arranged dinners in twenty restaurants throughout the city. Dinners are pay-yourown-way and space is limited. Sign-up sheets will be available beginning Tuesday, March 11, at the Local Arrangements booth in the registration area. More information is available at www.placonference .org/dine-around.

PLA 2014 Career Center

The PLA 2014 Career Center is a helpful and resourceful spot for job seekers, recruiting libraries, and advisors to connect at PLA 2014. The Career Center will have coordinated events at select times, but will remain open during conference hours to enable job posting or impromptu interviews. Check out the tentative schedule below and get more details at www .placonference.org/careercenter. Thursday, March 13 Career Fair 1 to 3 p.m. The Career Fair will offer libraries/recruiters the opportunity to host a table at no cost to publicize job opportunities and engage with job seekers. Registration to reserve a table is required at www.ala.org /pla/career-fair-registration. Friday, March 14 Résumé Review and Interview Coaching 10:45 a.m. to 3:15 p.m. Get some objective, one-on-one feedback and advice from library professionals knowledgeable in hiring. Sign up for a spot with either a résumé reviewer or an interviewing coach at www.placonference.org /careercenter. Friday, March 14 Speed Mentoring Event 4 to 5:15 PM This fast-paced event will connect experienced librarians with individuals newer to the profession. Sign up to take part in speed mentoring at www.placonference .org/careercenter.

President’s Message

PLA President CAROLYN A. ANTHONY is Director of the Skokie (Ill.) Public Library.

Innovation in Public Libraries

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ibrarians understand that innovation is important to the future of public libraries. One need only look through the program listings for any library conferContact Carolyn at canthony@ ence, through the titles of recent articles in library journals, or newer position skokielibrary.info. descriptions from public libraries to observe that the words “innovation” and “innovative” have become ubiquitous. Syracuse University has a certificate of Advanced Studies in Information Innovation. Library Journal’s (LJ) 2013 Directors’ Summit was titled “Innovating from the Top: Where Design Thinking and Impact Measures Carolyn is currently reading Meet.” At some public libraries, one can apply for a position as an “innovation and Foreign Bodies by Cynthia Ozick. user experience officer.” Is an innovation officer in a public library an oxymoron? Can librarians who have established reputations as conservators of knowledge also be innovators? Although one of the definitions of “innovation” is “the introduction of something new,”1 we have come to understand that just because something is new it is not necessarily innovative, and something innovative in one community may not be innovative in another. There is a temptation to label the latest technological product as innovative whether it is RFID, an espresso book machine or a MakerBot. However, for something new to be innovative, it must also be useful and add value, that is new and better, not just new. Innovation is related to creating customer value. If the latest bit of technology is not useful to people in your community or does not add value to their lives, then it cannot be considered innovative in its application. Clearly, problem-solving A 1950s housewife commonly used a household maand innovation require chine called a mangle that had long, hot rollers for pressing an understanding of the customers’ needs and how items such as sheets and table cloths, which were generthey are changing. ally made of cotton or linen and emerged full of wrinkles after being washed and hung out to dry. While an improved design for a mangle might have been something new at the time, the introduction of permanent press fabrics was truly innovative. Innovations solve problems, sometimes even before people realize they are problems. If talking about mangles sounds old-fashioned, one might think today of Apple or Google as companies which are continually innovating. Clearly, problem-solving and innovation require an understanding of the customers’ needs and how they are changing. At the LJ Directors’ Summit last November, Michelle Ha of IDEO spoke about the firm that employs people with diverse skills to design products and services at the forefront of innovation.2 She said, “We always start with people.” Another basic premise for her is that “it takes field work to gain true insight.” She talked about problems as “design opportunities in disguise” and the importance of observation to gaining an understanding of the problem. For example, the designers at IDEO observed that children hold a toothbrush tightly in the fist while they brush their teeth. This observation led to the design of chunky, padded handles for children’s toothbrushes. Note that the designers did not lament that children do not hold their toothbrushes correctly, nor did they decide to teach children the proper way to brush their teeth. They met children where they are. Whether designing a tooth-

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President’s Message

brush, a public program, or an organizational structure, the approach is the same. In October 2013, I attended the Public Innovators Lab, a three-day workshop presented by the Harwood Institute which is engaged in partnership with the American Library Association (ALA). The core principle of the Harwood Institute is to “turn outward” toward the community: “Only when you gain a deep and authentic understanding of the nature of a community and people’s lives can you understand the conditions you must create for change to come about.”3 Note that the concept applies whether the community is the geographic area served by the public library or the library itself, as in the case of a new organizational design and structure. Rich Harwood defines a public innovator as an “individual who holds ideals that guide him or her; who is pragmatic in his or her work; and who understands what it means to take risks.”4 Harwood also offers a simple value proposition: “If you turn outward and make more intentional judgments and choices in creating change, you will produce greater impact and relevance in your community.“5 To be innovative, add value, and produce impact, one must understand the context for the user and also the institutional mission of the provider. Only then can one be strategic. Kathryn Deiss observed that, “Innovation and strategic thinking are critical to any organization’s future and have direct correlations to the organization’s mission and purpose.”6 Business books abound with stories of industries such as the railroads that lost their place in society because they were unclear about their mission. The public library’s mission is not about circulating books, but about supporting lifelong learning. As learning has become more interactive and collaborative, public libraries have become social learning spaces. The change from a passive institution, of potential use to motivated individuals who came to the library to check out a book, to an institution actively engaged with individuals and groups, welcoming them to classes in digital learning and to collaborative spaces in the library, or meeting them in their afterschool care centers and church social halls 6

PUBLIC LIBRARIES

for programs, is a true innovation in public library service. The Urban Libraries Council, whose motto is “Inspiring Libraries. Transforming Communities,” has an annual Top Innovators award program with recognition for public library innovations in ten categories: (1) learning; (2) civic and community engagement; (3) collections; (4) customer service; (5) economic and workforce development; (6) health, wellness, and safety; (7) operations; (8) organizational change and strategic management; (9) positioning the library; and (10) sustainability.7 Another Merriam-Webster definition for “innovation” is “something that deviates from established doctrine or practice.”8 There is a danger for libraries in seeing that deviation as a one-time leap that will lead to the firm ground of newly established doctrine or practice. In fact, it is necessary for library staff to see innovation not as a single breakthrough, but as a sustainable practice leading to continuous improvement and progress. I am reminded of the slogan of General Electric in the 1960s: “Progress is our most important product.” There are always problems to be solved and better ways of doing things to be discovered. As Brian Fabes, the CEO of the Civic Consulting Alliance in Chicago, queried at the LJ Directors’ Summit, “If we’re so good, why aren’t we better?”9 Accepting the need for constant innovation will require that public libraries adopt a disciplined approach to turning outward toward the community to understand how the library can adapt to people’s changing lifestyles and patterns. It will also require that public libraries hire people who are creative, analytical, and social to engage with community residents, and to form partnerships with agencies staffed with workers having diverse skills who can work with us to help the community achieve its aspirations. Learning and innovation skills are part of the suite of “21st Century Skills” as outlined by the Institute of Museum and Library Services (IMLS).10 Creativity, along with critical thinking, problem solving, communication, collaboration, crossdisciplinary thinking, and innovation are all cited by IMLS as essential skills, not as inherent attributes of certain people. Pub-

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lic libraries should enable staff to practice these skills through encouragement of experimentation, work in cross-functional teams, and a tolerance for failure. So what is holding us back? Inherent in innovation is change. We will never achieve the transformation of libraries that is possible with constant innovation unless we can persuade librarians that the need for change is urgent. In his book Leading Change, John Kotter outlines an eight-stage change process that begins with a sense of urgency.11 This preliminary stage includes looking at the market and the competition and also considering the crises (or potential crises) and opportunities. Is it possible that some people do not see the confluence of the Internet, Google, e-books, and ubiquitous mobile technology as creating an urgent need for change in how public libraries operate? Indeed, the abundant significant developments in technology, along with concomitant social changes, have created a compelling need for change in public libraries. Everett Rogers talks about “clusters of innovations” that lead to major technological advances in medicine or agriculture such as the innovation of the heart pacemaker that depended on the invention of transistors, tiny batteries, and other such developments.12 It would seem that, at the current time, we have experienced such a cluster of innovations and we are now poised for a major advance in the delivery of public library services. Important steps in the diffusion of innovation include the decision to implement an innovation in whole or in part and then the actual implementation, which involves putting the innovation to use. Successful implementation requires application of the innovation in the local setting and the possible need to adapt the innovation for local use. Rogers asserts that a “higher degree of re-invention leads to a higher degree of sustainability of an innovation.”13 William Duggan encourages a very broad look at how similar problems have been addressed in other contexts: “Be careful of straight benchmarking. That’s a way to copy industry leaders in that function, but it’s not a path to innovation. Looking as widely as possible outside your industry is the key to functional innovation.”14

President’s Message

The diffusion of innovation in public libraries is not about installing maker technology in every library outlet. It is about considering local circumstances and community needs, conducting a participatory and extensive process of seeking solutions, and then adapting—rather than adopting—innovations to solve local problems and create value in the lives of local residents. The future of the public library depends on sustainable and continuous innovation. To truly innovate, we should begin by turning outward to understand our community and its potential.

References and Notes 1.

Merriam-Webster Online, s.v. “innovation,” accessed Jan. 14, 2014,

www.merriam-webster.com /dictionary/innovation.

8.

Merriam-Webster Online, s.v. “innovation.”

2.

Michelle Ha of IDEO, conference presentation at Library Journal’s 2013 Directors’ Summit, Nov. 19-20, 2013.

9.

Library Journal Directors’ Summit conference presentation, Nov. 19-20, 2013.

3.

The Harwood Institute, “About,” accessed Feb. 10, 2014, www.the harwoodinstitute.org/about.

4.

Richard Harwood, Public Innovators Lab Guide, The Harwood Institute in collaboration with ALA, Washington, D.C., October 28- 30, 2013.

10. Institute of Museum and Library Services, Museums, Libraries and 21st Century Skills (Washington D.C., 2009): 23-24.

5.

Ibid.

6.

Kathryn Deiss, “Innovation and Strategy: Risk and Choice in Shaping User-Centered Libraries,” Library Trends 53, no. 1 (summer 2004): 17.

7.

Program descriptions for the winners and other contributors can be found on the ULC website at www.urbanlibraries.org.

11. John P. Kotter, Leading Change (Boston: Harvard Business Review Pr., 2012): 23. 12. Everett M. Rogers, Diffusion of Innovation, fifth ed. (New York: Free Press, a division of Simon & Schuster, 2003): 162. 13. Ibid., 183 14. William Duggan, Creative Strategy: a Guide for Innovation (New York: Columbia University Pr., 2012): 60.

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Enrich your media collection with these new DVDs from PBS!

The African Americans: Many Rivers to Cross

Raw to Ready

NOVA: Making Stuff 2

Lincoln@Gettysburg

Masterpiece: Downton Abbey Season 4

To purchase these and other award winning DVDs, visit shopPBS.org/teachershop or other authorized distributor sites. Thank you! Your purchase supports PBS. PUBLIC LIBRARIES

J A N U A R Y/ F E B R U A R Y 2 0 1 4

© 2014 PBS

7

Share Every Child Ready to Read @ your library programs with your Spanish-speaking patrons. Order ECRR bookmarks, brochures, and posters in Spanish at www.alastore.ala.org.

And watch for the new digital Toolkit for Spanish-Speaking Communities coming in early 2014!

Verso

Guest contributor PERNILLE CARNEIRO JUEL is Communications Manager, Roskilde Libraries, Denmark. Contact Pernille at pernillecj@ roskilde.dk.

Pernille is currently reading My Struggle by Karl Ove Knausgaard.

Literature Breaks Out And Libraries Must Keep Up!

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oday, literature is much more than traditional books made of paper. SMS (text) short stories, Internet literature, apps, poetry slams, literary happenings, and performances are just a few among many examples of modern writers’ expressing themselves using a great diversity of formats and media. In recent years, the development of technology in particular has affected literature. Many writers communicate with their readers via Internet sites, including Facebook, and an increasing share of literature takes place outside the world of books. The question is, how do libraries tackle this development? How do we share clickable stories on the Internet or a digital literature event happening in the library’s physical space? At the two libraries in Roskilde and Aarhus, Denmark, there is no doubt that, working innovatively and with open minds, libraries can benefit greatly from embracing and sharing the new literature forms of our day. And the good news is that it does not have to be difficult at all.

A Long Tradition

It may seem that these developments are new, but they are not. According to Søren Pold, by the time of the Renaissance new reading techniques were being developed.1 Most popular was, of course, the letterpress for printing, but the era also saw the invention of reading wheels that would help monks keep track of their many open books. In almost direct continuation of such technologies, Vanevar Bush, the United States researcher and director of the Manhattan Project, wrote a 1945 article, “As We May Think,”2 in which he envisioned and outlined Memex, a reading device which would enable users to compress and store all of their books, records, and communications—a predecessor of what would develop over the next five decades into hypertext and the World Wide Web. Bush’s Memex was based on microfilm technology, but in the 1950s digital literature was also developed on (then very new) computers. For example, Christopher Strachey’s “Love Letters” was created on a Ferranti Mark I in 1952 and Theo Lutz’ “Stochastische Texte” on a Zuse Z22 in 1959. Twenty years ago, literature and media theorists such as J. David Bolter foresaw that the computer would threaten the book as a medium—not only in the physical sense, where the contemporary concept of digital literature was hypertext, but also as a science and conceptual model.3 Upon the advent of the Internet, writers experimented with net literature,4 and recently with Web 2.0 we have seen literary experiments on blogs, Twitter, and Facebook. Currently, mobile media (smartphones and tablets) offer a field of opportunities and a more intimate medium for literary pursuits, as we see in SMS literature. Mobile media also offers the opportunity to involve urban spaces, places, and software, which allows interaction between users and the creator of the literature. Along with this, literature-as-art has evolved increasingly towards dialogue with its audience through readings, performances, unconventional releases (artist books, small press), multimedia works with musicians, and sound/video artists. Digital literature is very much alive, of course, through the e-book but also as a much broader phenomenon that plays a major role in the artistic and literary PUBLIC LIBRARIES

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Verso—Literature Breaks Out

exploration and design of the computer as a writing technology. Digital literature has been part of the design of technologies long before it became mainstream. Many of the ways to write in collaborative and social networks developed from Web 2.0 services such as Facebook have been experimentally developed in digital literature. The development of digital literature presents some obvious challenges for libraries. The many new literature forms do not fit into the regular work processes of libraries. The formats are difficult to place on shelves and thus share in the usual way with patrons. The process surrounding the creation of literature also challenges our customary way of working. The new literature forms emerge in dynamic, and at times very personal, circuits and may therefore be difficult to capture.

The Trend is Clear

If we direct our attention beyond our own library world, the trend is clear. Curators at the Museum of Modern Art (MoMA) in New York; literature researchers at universities in Boston, Paris, and Edinburgh; and writers across the world are aware of the new literary currents.5 Everything indicates that works of digital literature will be of great significance in the future; deselecting them now means neglecting a significant movement within literature. As librarians, it is crucial that we keep an open mind about new literature forms. The question is not whether to keep up with development, but rather how we as libraries can follow and disseminate the new formats. One of the great challenges facing libraries is that we must be prepared to be able to include almost everything. We have our professional edge, our knowledge about literature, and our focus on quality. However, we need to expand our horizons and develop our physical spaces so that they become more creative and flexible.

Physical and Visual

Since 2010, Roskilde Libraries (supported by the Danish Agency for Culture) have offered “Literature Taking Place.” The project looks at where new literature forms are heading and what libraries can do to 10

PUBLIC LIBRARIES

share these new works. Literature Taking Place has organized exhibitions and supports the development of new literary digital works. At Roskilde Libraries, we have reserved a permanent exhibition area solely for digital literature. In November 2012, the exhibition “In Words Drown I” offered a very concrete, here-and-now example of how modern libraries can embrace and communicate new literature forms. Five young writers were invited to take part in the exhibition—but the challenge was that they were not allowed to participate with works in book form! Instead, the writers presented a number of physical and visual works, which were based on film, sculpture, or installation art, or on a mixture of several art forms. The exhibition challenged the traditional idea of what literature is and gave the visitors both visual and sensory experiences of current trends. This event may have seemed like a disturbance to many of our usual library users. However, many of them also expressed enthusiasm toward the library for introducing them to new trends and literature.

Great Potential

Development in this arena holds great potential for libraries. The use of performance and various IT equipment means that the new literature forms take up space in different ways in physical rooms, and this can enrich the library space. These events contribute a surprising element, which can help create curiosity and modernize perceptions about libraries. The new literature forms also give libraries the opportunity to make contact with new user groups, writers, and other readers who may not otherwise use the libraries. Finally, the new literature forms are suitable for taking the libraries beyond their own physical spaces—out into the public space, to festivals, and other places.

A Poetry Machine for the Public For several years, Roskilde Libraries have had activities at the annual Roskilde Festi-

VOLUME 53, NUMBER 1

val, which is Northern Europe’s largest culture and music festival. In 2011 and 2012, the library participated with large exhibitions of digital literary works. In addition, the library presented poetry readings, cozy corners, and lots of (discarded) books. One of the exhibited works was an “interactive poetry machine,” which was created for the Literature Takes Place project in collaboration with writers, artists, and IT developers. The poetry machine is an interactive literary installation enabling visitors to create poems by interacting with three books augmented with sensors. The unique poems are then printed on library receipt paper. The digital literary works at the Roskilde Festival have been a great success. People have flocked to see them and they have garnered a lot of attention due to their different and interactive nature. After being presented at the Roskilde Festival, the poetry machine has started off on a wider tour of some of Denmark’s other public libraries. After its huge success, a “travel version” was developed, making it easier to bring the installation to a broader geographic area. For the library tour, the physics of the poetry machine have been made more compact, making it easier to transport and implement at the local libraries. Easy—and with great effect. One of the great aims with the Literature Takes Place project has been to present digital literature to a larger audience, including those who may not be familiar with the concept. Additionally, it has been to start a wider discussion of the exhibition of digital literature, to which the librarians could relate, given the recent demands for e-books and so on. But the project also presents a broader perspective on generative digital literature, where the reader experiences the creation of a text, thereby suggesting other forms of digital literature than the e-book. Upon receiving feedback regarding the exhibitions, Martin Campostrini, the workshops and events project leader, is in no doubt. “Our innovative and play-like approach to this—in some regards academic field—has encountered a large audience, and facilitated a discussion of the experience of digital literature, as well as other

Verso—Literature Breaks Out

possibilities in the literature genre,” he said.6 Allan Thomsen Volhøj was also part of the project as one of the only ones who had a library science degree. He said, “Working with digital literature has given me a brand new perspective towards printed books. Often I find myself reading a book and thinking that it could have been so much better if the book [had] a digital afterlife or an interactive element. Displaying digital literature has also resulted in conversations at the reference desk about the future of literature in general.”7 Literature Takes Place is not about ebooks, but about literature that challenges the computer and about designing new ways, and not just trying to make another platform for e-books. The driving force is to capture some of the energy that is in the advanced digital literature—the literature that makes the digital a focal point—

Budget and Finance Management of Technology Organization and Personnel 11 Administration 10 Planning and Management of Buildings

and introduce it into the library space. This allows libraries to engage in a dialogue with all that is currently happening in our literary culture of writing, that is not included in the e-book. There is actually a good reason to look at literature’s own artistic experiments in this process. Whether the book is dying (which is probably not the case), the literary media is in flux, and therefore conversations are needed, where we can discuss literature as an art form across media and platforms.

2.

Vannevar Bush, “As We May Think,” The Atlantic, July 1, 1945, accessed Jan. 17, 2014, www.theatlantic.com /magazine/archive/1945/07/as-we -may-think/303881.

3.

Jay David Bolter, Writing Space: The Computer, Hypertext, and the History of Writing (Hillsdale, N.J.: Erlbaum, 1991).

4.

Søren Pold, Evaluering Litteraturen finder sted 2013, project evaluation paper (Roskilde, 2013), www.netlitteratur.dk.

5.

Participating in the ELO and ELMCIP projects, www.eliterature.org and www.elmcip.net.

References

6.

Martin Campostrini, personal interview with the author.

7.

Allan Thomsen Volhøj, personal interview with the author.

1.

12

Søren Pold, Ex Libris—Medierealistisk Litteratur: Paris, Los Angeles & Cyberspace (Odense, Denmark: Syddansk Universitetsforlag, 2004), accessed Feb. 4, 2014, pure.au.dk /portal/da/persons/soeren-bro-pold% 284db7e12a-61c5-4e14-9259-5a071 cb224eb%29/publications.html.

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11

Verso

Guest contributor SAM LAPIDES is Special Projects Coordinator for Cleveland HeightsUniversity Heights (Ohio) Public Library. Contact Sam at slapides@heights library.org.

Pedal Power

I

n October 2012, I was browsing through library news in the (now defunct) Google Reader. As a cycling enthusiast, one news item immediately caught my attention. It was about an individual in Portland, Ore., operating a lending library for the homeless population via bicycle. As the special projects coordinator for the Cleveland Heights-University Heights (Ohio) Public Library (CHUHPL), I had been recently Sam is currently reading Pillars tasked with finding creative ways to expand our outreach efforts and the concept of of the Earth by Ken Follett. a human-powered outreach vehicle really intrigued me. It felt like a nice fit with the cities of Cleveland Heights and University Heights, both of which are manageable by bicycle and have a history of supporting “out there” ideas. My mind immediately clicked into gear—excuse the pun—and I sent the article on to our director, Nancy Levin. Coincidentally, she had just returned from a vacation to Portland (Ore.). Her response to my email contained a photo of an ice-creamvending tricycle and the words, “Are you thinking what I’m thinking?” That’s when we started rolling down this path, if you will. Further research into human-powered outreach vehicles initially led me to the “BookBike” at Pima County (Ariz.) Public Library (PCPL). Looking for some advice, I was fortunate to speak with Karen Greene, who coordinates this service. PCPL uses volunteer riders and stocks the bike with giveaways only, something that we would also do in our pilot year to keep things simple. Greene was very encouraging and laughed when I sheepishly told her that I’d be stealing the BookBike name for our project. I mentioned to Greene that I had spent time attempting to find a more practical, fun, or Cleveland Heights–specific name, but kept coming back to BookBike. Names such as “LitBike” or even My director had the idea to request funding from our “BraryBike” were tossed around and then rejected due to Friends group, as they lack of straightforwardness. typically support one big Before speaking with Greene, I had investigated how library project per year. to repurpose a tricycle made for vending hot dogs or ice cream. Fortunately, she steered me toward Haley Trikes, a small custom bike builder in Philadelphia that had supplied PCPL with its BookBike. Having a reliable, built-to-order tricycle (in library colors) would be half the battle. Haley builds trikes specifically for holding books, with tidy shelves designed for transporting and displaying lots of titles. Owner Stephen Haley estimated that our BookBike would cost us around $1,900 (including shipping). This was less than a few other bikes I had considered, so we decided to proceed with Haley. What about funding? Levin had the idea to request funding from our Friends group, as they typically support one big library project per year. Since we decided to have volunteers (and an occasional staff rider) hand out canceled or donated books (Friends manages all donations and canceled materials), we could work together to set those books aside. I pitched it to the Friends’ board, who were very enthusiastic and even had promotional ideas I hadn’t considered. Of course we would prominently place the Friends’ logo on the BookBike, but we could also have Friends’ membership applications on hand (or “on bike”). The BookBike would prove to be an excellent marketing tool for the Friends. Community members often ask, “What is this?!” and the response has been, “Well, this is a new outreach project brought to you by the Friends of the Heights Libraries!” In early 2013, while awaiting our BookBike, I began exploring how we could use it in the first year. There were no-brainers, such as the Memorial Day parade, art

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VOLUME 53, NUMBER 1

Verso

festivals, and an appearance on National Bike to Work Day. I also began talking with other community establishments, such as Cain Park, a local music venue. I signed up the BookBike for several of Cain Park’s children’s concerts, as well as their annual art festival. In addition, the school district was keen to host the BookBike during weekly summer family literacy nights. I continued to gauge interest in the community before we entered biking weather. I approached several senior living centers and it turned out that they, too, would love to have visits from the BookBike. One of my preliminary visits was to a Section 8 housing complex. Before this visit, we had received the BookBike and put it together for some glam shots. The weather was still crummy, so I took the photos with me to a Section 8 housing complex to make my pitch. In front of some eager, if not baffled, residents I showed them the photos. The amused residents became nostalgic about hot dog and ice cream vending carts from the old days. Mostly though, they were boisterous about what sort of books they’d like to see on the BookBike. They shouted out various genres and titles that I should be sure to include. For volunteers, I turned to the Heights Bicycle Coalition (HBC). HBC advocates for bicycle infrastructure improvements in Cleveland Heights but also leads neighborhood bicycling jaunts in the community. Cleveland Heights recently earned a “bronze” from the League of American Bicyclists in their annual Bicycle Friendly Community list, thanks to the efforts of HBC. The partnership was a natural fit. HBC could do “on the fly” bicycle education while handing out books, and could also hand out bicycle maps that denote safe routes in the city. They would also be a good source of volunteers, as HBC has a growing membership base. The founding member, Mary Dunbar, also a city councilwoman, agreed that our organizations should become official partners. Dunbar, seventy-one years old, is one of our most active BookBike volunteers. As soon as the weather turned warm enough, I set up a training session for HBC volunteers. About ten turned out to the

Volunteer Mary Dunbar shows off the BookBike. (Photo courtesy of Cleveland Heights-University Heights (Ohio) Public Library)

training, which included an obstacle course around the empty library parking lot. I had compiled a list of BookBike events and provided a chance for volunteers to sign up. I probably should have asked them to sign up before the obstacle course as several volunteers, after riding around the lot, noted a “steep learning curve.” Seriously though, I probably underestimated the learning curve for this type of bike. The box, which sits up front between two wheels, is higher than I imagined, making sharp turns a bit tricky if not downright scary. Taking curbs at an angle can pop the rider up on two wheels, until the weight of the box brings the whole unit back down. Braking, too, takes some getting used to. There are two hand brakes, each controlling the right and left front tires. Squeezing the left or right hand brake makes the entire box pivot dramatically. Unfortunately, I forgot to mention that the pedal brake is best to use until after the training was over, which provided little consolation. Still, most volunteers and staff reported that BookBiking became second nature after the second ride. To ease the transition from “I’m not getting anywhere near that beast” to “sure, I’d love to give this a go,” I made road safety a top priority. Some riders chose to ride with traffic; others were more comfortable on the sidewalks. I decked out the BookBike with plenty of lights and made wearing a safety vest mandatory. I also spent plenty of time PUBLIC LIBRARIES

finding routes that meandered along the quiet residential streets of both Cleveland Heights and University Heights. And with a top speed of about 3 mph, motorists saw the BookBike approaching like a slowmoving lighthouse with wheels. It took me some time to become comfortable on the BookBike as well. It didn’t feel like bike riding to me, but more like bike managing. It took me a couple neighborhood rides to get a handle on it. Soon, though, I couldn’t get enough. It became my sofa on wheels—bouncy, cushy, and unwieldy, but in an extremely awesome way. By the time we were ready to initiate our BookBike program in early summer, three enthusiastic volunteers had signed up. This was a bit lower than I had anticipated, so I assumed we’d have to cut back on events. But right at this time, I began to receive inquiries from staff about becoming BookBike volunteers. Before this, I talked to a couple of coworkers who I thought would be interested, but many more began coming out of the woodwork. Some staff members saw opportunities in their specific areas, where the BookBike could help them reach a new population. I was extremely pleased and surprised that so many staff genuinely wanted to ride an unwieldy box on wheels, filled to the brim with more than one hundred books, through the streets of Cleveland Heights. They enjoyed this adventure and wanted to go again and again. By the end of the J A N U A R Y/ F E B R U A R Y 2 0 1 4

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Verso—Pedal Power

summer eight different staff members signed up for BookBike duty, most going out multiple times. Though easier in some ways, using donations and giveaways did have limitations. On occasion, people became upset or disappointed if the BookBike did not have a certain favorite author or genre. This happened most often at the senior housing centers. One facility in particular has many Russian residents; I tried locating Russian books for these visits but never found much. During my first visit to this facility with the BookBike, an elderly Russian resident was sitting in the lobby, anxiously waiting my arrival. When I opened up the BookBike, she scanned the contents and asked “Any Russian?” I apologized that I did not have anything to offer her. She did an about-face and uttered something in Russian while throwing her hands up in the air. This incident encouraged me to investigate loading up the BookBike with circulating materials from the collection. For specific events and locations, I knew that tailoring the collection to the destination was crucial to a successful BookBike outing, a challenging goal when using only donations and canceled books. I was also worried about our supply of good quality books. By June, we had already given out roughly five hundred books and I knew we wouldn’t have enough books to last the entire summer. I approached CHUHPL Deputy Director Kim DeNero-Ackroyd with this dilemma, hoping she might give me a bit of the budget to purchase extra books. Her response was to try calling our local Half-Priced Books store first, in the hope that they might cut us a deal on used books. I called them and their response was, “We can just give you books . . . how many boxes do you need?” In total, Half-Priced Books donated about

twenty boxes full of quality (often new) books. An opportunity arose to pair the BookBike with circulating materials when we reevaluated a seldom-used deposit collection at John Carroll University’s (JCU) Grasselli Library. Our goal with the deposit collection was to reach the student population, but it was primarily used by staff. University Heights Branch Manager Aurora Martinez, who is also the JCU liaison, suggested having the BookBike visit during the fall months to replace the static collection and to engage the students. Since the Grasselli Library also uses SirsiDynix, we could stock the BookBike with high-interest circulating books and DVDs, and thus target the collection directly to the students, who could then check out the items right away. Eric Litschel, one of our intrepid adult services associates, signed on for this responsibility. If we were to judge Litschel’s success that day on number of checkouts (three), then we’d have been sorely disappointed. However, he was happy to report that there were many curious passersby that first day. After some deft marketing by the team at JCU (which promised students cookies and refreshments), Litschel returned several weeks later with a boxload of materials. This time, the results were markedly better. He had twentyeight checkouts, seven new library card sign-ups, and significant interest in the BookBike itself from students and staff. On Litschel’s most recent trip, his success continued, with thirty-one checkouts and six new card sign-ups. Looking back on our first year, the BookBike went into the community thirty times, and attracted roughly 2,500 browsers. This includes visits to three different senior living facilities, school events, art

festivals, Cain Park concerts, parades, block parties, ice cream socials, and universities. I realize that many ingredients were needed for this BookBike recipe to turn out well: support from administration, a willing funder in our Friends, a strong partnership with local volunteers and bike enthusiasts, a generous book store, adventurous staff and last, but certainly not least, the right community makeup. Sprinkle in some luck on top, too: I expected to cancel about 10 percent of our visits due to unpredictable Northeast Ohio weather, but only one visit was rained out. Looking to the future, we will begin using a tablet loaded with SirsiDynix when staff members take out the BookBike; volunteers will continue handing out giveaways. But having a tablet at the ready allows us to better target the population with books from the collection. It will also enable us to demonstrate various library web apps (and maybe we can even perform some on-the-go reference). We’ll also look at expanding our reach. One of our youth services associates has proposed in-home daycare visits with storytimes. What was at first a zany idea was soon welcomed and accepted by the community with open arms. However, the best barometer of success, in my opinion, is the growing recognition from children. At the beginning of the project, fellow riders and I heard many children call out, “You got any ice cream in there?” The standard reply is, “Nope, but I do have books!” Usually, the response was “Oh.” But as the summer went on, this was replaced with excited yells like, “Hey, it’s the BookBike! Can I have a book?” Of course you can!

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Tales from the Front

Contributing Editor MARY RZEPCZYNSKI is the Assistant Library Director for Delta Township District Library in Lansing, Michigan.

Contact Mary at mrzepczynski@ dtdl.org.

Follow Mary on Twitter @maryrze

Mary is currently reading The Dead in Their Vaulted Arches by Alan Bradley.

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PUBLIC LIBRARIES

Tales from the Front focuses on best practices and innovative ideas from libraries nationwide.

Innovation in the Stacks

P

ssst . . . I’m going to let you in on a little secret—I never learned the Dewey Decimal System. In elementary school, I knew where Eric Carle’s The Very Hungry Caterpillar or the latest Judy Blume title was located on the shelf. I didn’t have much use for the nonfiction collection as most of my “research” was completed using the Funk & Wagnalls encyclopedias my parents collected each week as part of a grocery store promotion. Once I was old enough to really use the public library, I discovered the glorious Readers’ Guide to Periodical Literature and, thanks to what I now realize was a less than aggressive weeding policy, I knew that collection as well as I did my books at home. In college, my libraries were arranged by Library of Congress or SuDoc (Superintendent of Documents) Classification, and the law library I worked at required a mastery of colors, as that’s how students most often requested materials. When I started at the Delta Township (Mich.) District Library, however, the jig was up! Our limited space required that we weed one book for every two we purchased, so the collection was constantly on the move. Taking patrons around in circles must have been just as frustrating for them as it was for me. Another frustration was cropping up around this time as well. When patrons came to the desk to ask where the biographies or self-help books were located, the answer from staff was typically something like “in the 921s.” These answers, although correct, got the patrons no closer to finding a book about Abraham Lincoln or solving their dating conundrums. Thinking about the proliferation of Google and natural language searching and how patrons expected to receive information led me to look for a more intuitive and (although I didn’t think of it that way at the time) innovative solution. Ultimately, we could provide better customer service if patrons weren’t expected to think like library staff. I’d read several blog posts about alternative arranging of nonfiction and at the 2007 ALA Annual Conference in Washington, D.C., I attended a presentation about the bookstore model of arrangement. The reactions from the librarians around me ranged from interest to anger to confusion to some pretty impressive “your face might freeze that way” eye rolling and sneers. It was fascinating, like they were being told cardigans were not the new black. I came back invigorated and very much felt I was on the right track. I immediately started to do some research on the different ways nonfiction collections are arranged. I haunted chain and independent bookstores, and looked at Amazon.com, Library of Congress, and BISAC (Book Industry Standards and Communications) headers. At one bookstore, where I was busy taking pictures and making notes, a curious staffer wandered over and asked what I was doing. My offhand remark, “I’m a librarian,” did not say it all as I had hoped. After I explained my intention, his response was “Well, good luck with that.” Naysayers abound! Several weeks and spreadsheets later, I approached our head of cataloging who I could always count on to listen, poke some holes in my theories, and figure out my endgame. But this time, I threw her off by talking about pasta. When people go to a

VOLUME 53, NUMBER 1

Tales from the Front

Shelf signs help patrons locate materials. (Photo courtesy of Delta Township District Library)

restaurant and ask for Fettuccine Alfredo, I reasoned, they do not want the answer to be “the parmesan is in the refrigerator and the water for the noodles is boiling on the stove.” They don’t want secret codes or scavenger hunts, they just want dinner. I had hoped that she would say, “Then we will give them dinner!” or “Viva la Dewey revolution!” Her response was more, umm, tempered: “Are you crazy?” Deflated but not deterred, I handed over all of my research and her expression changed. My first convert! Next, I met with the rest of the staff. For the meeting, I gathered a selection of books on a cart and asked staff how they would respond if a patron asked where the books about weddings were located. As I hoped, I got about seven different answers. These included 395: Etiquette, 641: Cakes, 392: Clothes, 745: Flowers, 203: Rites, 793: Showers, and 770: Photography. Then I brought out the cart of books I had gathered, and asked if it would be easier if all of the wedding books were together. Again, no “Viva la Dewey Revolution!” Instead there were small smiles, puzzled looks, and raised eyebrows, but I forged ahead and formed a committee to help develop headings and move things forward. Prior to our first meeting, I distributed a spreadsheet with BISAC, Barnes and Noble, and Amazon headers, and left a column open for suggestions. As we proceeded with the discussion of the headers and what would appear on the spine labels, there was no consensus

on how to arrange the books in each section. Desk staff felt strongly that with the exception of some high profile writers, our patrons did not often browse or ask for nonfiction items by author. I mused aloud wishing that there was a way to keep, for example, all of the World War I books together in the history section and the catalogers said almost at once: Dewey! What started as a Dewey Revolution ended as the Great Compromise, but for all of the right reasons. We were committed to improving service, increasing access, and empowering patrons, while maintaining findability. The Dewey hybrid option accomplished all of those. The committee developed thirty-seven nonfiction headers for the adult nonfiction and twentyseven headers for the juvenile area. Right around this time we were in the process of hiring our first adult services librarian. The library director and I agreed that gauging the candidate’s attachment to Dewey in its more traditional form and their willingness to try something new were going to be integral to a successful hire. We were fortunate enough to find a librarian who understood what we were trying to do and jumped right into planning for the collection reorganization. The process was smooth thanks to all of the staff preparation, and although there were a few patrons who balked, the overall reaction has been overwhelmingly positive. When we moved to our new library building in 2008, shelf signs (see photo above) were ordered and browsing guides PUBLIC LIBRARIES

developed to help patrons locate materials. The new building also afforded us opportunities to tour groups of librarians. On one memorable tour, I had been discussing some of the building’s LEED features when a librarian stopped and stared slackjawed at the nonfiction. I thought slackjawed was just an expression, but there it was. I casually explained what we had done and she was just furious and said that she couldn’t even wrap her mind around it. On another tour, a librarian asked who had made us do this. I knew there would be some resistance to change, particularly by librarians, but the open hostility startled me. In the first year after we rearranged the nonfiction collection, circulation in that area went up 122 percent. Over the past five years, our cataloging supervisor has presented a program on our nonfiction arrangement for librarians all around the state and not a month goes by that we are not asked for a tour or more information about what we chose to do or why. These librarians typically fall into two categories: (1) their director is making them or (2) they are trying to sway stubborn staff. We are happy to help with both. Whitney Johnson, in a Harvard Business Review blog post, said that when broaching a new idea to make sure you are “using convincing data, demonstrating your own competence, speaking their language, and socializing your idea to overcome the everpresent fear factor.”1 Johnson also posits that “new ideas tend to evoke fear and anger—we are programmed to prefer the comfort and safety of established norms.”2 Use that as your touchstone, if you are evoking fear and anger you just might be on the cusp of innovation for your library. Or at least you can tell yourself that until you get things sorted out.

References 1.

Whitney Johnson, “Make Your Innovative Idea Seem Less Terrifying,” Harvard Business Review Blog Network, Oct. 11, 2013, accessed Jan. 16, 2014, http://blogs.hbr.org/2013/10 /make-your-innovative-idea-seem -less-terrifying.

2.

Ibid.

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Perspectives

Contributing Editor NANCI MILONE HILL is Director of the M.G. Parker Memorial Library in Dracut, Mass.

Contact Nanci at [email protected].

Nanci is currently reading Hollow City: The Second Novel of Miss Peregrine’s Peculiar Children by Ransom Riggs.

Perspectives offers varied viewpoints on subjects of interest to the public library profession.

Inspirational Innovators

I

n this fast-changing world, libraries are being forced to look at new ways of delivering traditional services, while still coming up with innovative services that change the way we do business. If we are to remain relevant in the era of cloud computing, Google glasses, e-books, and streaming video, we need to constantly change not only the way our patrons view us, but also the way we define ourselves, our libraries, and our role in the communities we serve. I asked four library innovators about the new ways they were delivering services in their cities. Read on to learn the details of these programs. Who knows? You may become inspired to offer an innovative program or technology at your library.

Chromebooks at the Palo Alto City Library Monique le Conge Ziesenhenne, Director, Palo Alto (Calif.) City Library, [email protected]

In May 2011, I began working as director of the Palo Alto (Calif.) City Library (PACL). By November of that year, we were discussing a Chromebook pilot with a local resident who works for Google. She had observed our laptop lending program, which started around 2006, and allowed users to check out a laptop for a two-hour, inlibrary loan period and, as a project manager for Chromebook, came to discuss this new alternative. Though this was a new technology, the benefits were appealing: as a cloud-based device, it could simplify what staff would need to do to manage the Chromebooks. No software apps are installed on the devices. Users with Google accounts who sign in to Chromebooks with those accounts can install any apps available through Google Apps to their Google account. In other words, software applications are connected to the user not to the device. Without a Google account or without logging into one’s Google account, there’s the Chrome browser and anything you can do through a web browser, including transferring files, though only with a thumb drive. Furthermore, the devices are mostly “cleaned off” between each user. Some bits of data may remain, only accessible when the same customer logs back into their Gmail account, though Google is working to make this completely clean. Desk staff can “wipe and enroll” the devices as if they are brand-new, but we’ve not had to do this really. Again, if the user does not log in with their Google account, then they do use the device anonymously and only the Chrome web browser is available that way—no apps, no Google Cloud Printing (another pilot project we began just after Chromebook took off). It is possible to use guest mode on the Chromebook itself, but then inside the web browser, log into a Gmail account to check your email, just like on any other public computer. 18

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Perspectives

Chromebooks display at Palo Alto (Calif.) City Library. (Photo courtesy of PACL)

For privacy concerns, this was also appealing: everything done on the device should be specific to a user’s Gmail account, so users should know that their info lives in the Google cloud and all that entails. We considered that some of our staunch Internet users who are concerned with privacy may have a problem with that. However, library staff decided these are the same folks who probably won’t opt to have a Gmail account. Regular updates to Chrome are pushed remotely from Google—this meant that staff did not have to touch each device to make sure that it was up-to-date and, since no user can download to the device directly, there is little maintenance required. To provide a structure to this new pilot, the city attorney created an agreement, with the idea that if in-house lending was successful, the library would be able to lend Chromebooks outside of the building. The City of Palo Alto’s Comprehensive Plan was helpful when answering questions about why we partnered with Google. Our city’s plan (some cities call it a general plan) references partnering with private businesses to benefit the community. We partner with a variety of private businesses to support programs (such as “Brew University,” an adult course on how to brew and appreciate beer) and to offer new services (such as “POP,” to offer public storytimes in private businesses and restaurants).

At the outset, we had twenty-one devices, including six on kiosks in three branches, so that library users could try the Chromebook for a fifteen-minute period. We also had fifteen that were checked out for a two-hour in-library use period. National press stories and a grant for California libraries through the state library created a great interest in what we were doing. Since the in-house use was popular, with all devices in use nearly constantly, PACL began lending outside the library for a one-week loan period within two months of the launch, when we added more than thirty more machines. PACL’s Chromebooks connect to our wireless service while users are at the library (unencrypted), and when they take the machines home, they are welcome to connect to any wireless network they have access to. One caveat that we’ve found is that the wireless network and any encryption key (if saved) will show up for the next user, so we provide information about this fact. The devices and all of the associated peripherals have their own entries in the library catalog so that they can be discovered and accounted for at checkout. Our borrower’s agreement is based on various sources; though we will likely amend this if and when we begin lending other devices. In retrospect, if PACL were to do this again, we would state at the beginning that if any damages occurred, the customer would have to pay for the cost of the device. We tried to repair the Chromebooks that were damaged, but it made no sense as the repair costs were the same as purchasing a new device. We would also have made the Chromebooks eligible for holds, which we did not do immediately, worried that they might be damaged in transit to other locations. We are just now getting ready to implement this aspect, which we expect will make the checkouts more “equal” and the Chromebooks available to a larger group. For example, extreme users will return the Chromebook and then have another family member check it right out for them to use although our policy states that you have to wait twenty-four hours to check another out. To offset this, we will also implement having some devices for in-house use only while lending others out. Our program was PUBLIC LIBRARIES

so successful, that all devices were lent out all the time. It is also possible that with meeting room or group study room reservations, a Chromebook can be added as equipment to the room. Users could have instant access to their Google docs, calendars, and emails. We’ve lost quite a few Chromebooks through no returns and/or damage, though recently we’ve changed how soon we send an overdue Chromebook to collections. We have also had a number of the earliest Chromebooks suffer from screen shattering. This is not covered under warranty, though the newer devices are sturdier. Because the device cannot be turned off remotely, we are seeking a technical solution for knowing the location of each device after checkout. As PACL Senior Librarian Jessica Goodman noted, “As physical objects, Chromebooks aren’t as sturdy as many laptops . . . I think of them as the mass-market paperbacks of the computer world.” Perhaps not exactly, though the lower price point makes them an option for libraries to consider alongside other technology purchases. This pilot was the first of several we’ve recently launched. The library staff gained confidence from the Chromebooks pilot experience and have developed several other service innovations, using pilots to test the ideas. Our customers are excited to see what we offer and appreciate the variety.

Celebrating Our History: Fabulous Forties on the Avenue Elaina Norlin, Regional Library Manager, African-American Research Library and Cultural Center, Fort Lauderdale, Fla., [email protected]

Our dilemma at the African-American Research Library and Cultural Center was this: How can one library celebrate two major milestones: (1) its tenth year anniversary and (2) the Fort Lauderdale centennial celebration? Our out-of-the-box answer was this: By having a historical tribute to Fort Lauderdale called “Fabulous Forties on the J A N U A R Y/ F E B R U A R Y 2 0 1 4

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Perspectives

Re-creation of the Victory Theater (top) at the African-American Research Library and Cultural Center, and the original Victory Theater in Fort Lauderdale in the 1940s (bottom). (Photos courtesy of African-American Research Library and Cultural Center)

Avenue” which also honored the African American neighborhood at our library’s location. The African-American Research Library and Cultural Center is a unique facility because it has an art gallery, auditorium, special collections, and public library space all in one building. Because of the uniqueness of the building, visitors from all over the world arrive weekly for tours. However, we had very few library programs that brought everything together. Several months before the yearlong event, the library hosted a pioneer luncheon to see how the community would like to honor its heritage. The elders said they wanted the library to focus on the 1940s because that decade enjoyed a rich history of African American and Afro Caribbean entrepreneurship, community development, and innovation. The library went to work writing newspaper articles and sending numerous re20

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quests to the community to obtain photos, artifacts, and oral histories from that time period. Working closely with the Art Institute of Fort Lauderdale, the library created a “street scene” from Northwest 5th Avenue, which was challenging because the buildings were torn down by the 1970s. A bit of detective work was needed to re-imagine the space. The street scene contained a 1941 convertible car and a 1949 motorcycle, along with a functional movie theatre. The Victory Theater was the only movie theater in Fort Lauderdale for the black community and the library thought it would be wonderful to re-create it. The movie reel playing in the theatre started with film clips that the library director edited together and an introduction that provided an overview of the exhibit. During the duration of the exhibit, the Victory Theater held free Saturday matinees where classic movies like Stormy Weather, It’s a Wonderful Life, and Cabin in the Sky were played. The library did not have a lot of money to spend on this project, so most of the items in the exhibit were donated, loaned, or sponsored by local organizations. The director and assistant director worked with the Art Institute to develop a prototype of the Fabulous Forties street scene which they presented at churches, community organizations, and special events at the library to raise money for the event. The assistant director even brought in her daughter, who is a talented artist, to help with some of the designs and paintings for the exhibit. For the antique convertible, the assistant director read an article in the newspaper about a car museum that was spending a year to renovate its building, and contacted them about sending one of the cars to Fort Lauderdale. BrightStar Credit Union sponsored video capture software through which people recorded their experiences at the African-American Research Library during a special event. We now use the software to allow national and international tours to record their experiences. The pioneer group Trailblazers provided the oral histories for the time period, and excerpts were included throughout the exhibit.

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In addition to the street scene, the library worked with local schools, community groups, and other community partners to develop educational and fun entertainment about the 1940s throughout the year. The final activity associated with the exhibit was a fundraising gala that was hosted and organized by the Friends of the African-American Research Library. The gala celebrated the Fabulous Forties theme and the event was highlighted on the Sun Sentinel society scene page. The Fabulous Forties Gala was a tremendous success and many people attended who had never visited the library. The African-American Research Library was also the winner of the 2013 NACIO Award for Special Projects in the “Community Events” category for its Fabulous Forties exhibit. In terms of attendance, more than 250,000 people a year visit the AfricanAmerican Research Library. We had tours from all over the world, with many folks writing enthusiastic comments and recording positive videos about their experience at the library. The Broward County website featuring the exhibit and video tour along with video capture software “memories” from the visitors is available at www .broward.org/library/eventsclasses/Pages /FabulousForties.aspx. Additional event photos are available at www.flickr.com/photos/39467506@N03 /sets/72157636156767593.

Music and the Arts at the Carbondale Branch Library Sue Schnitzer, Circulation Coordinator, Carbondale Branch Library, Garfield County (Colo.) Public Library District, [email protected]

Ukuleles, a grand piano, and an acoustic guitar are some of the items you can use while visiting the Carbondale (Colo.) Branch Library (CBL), a branch of the Garfield County Public Library District. The town of Carbondale is located between Aspen and Glenwood Springs, in the picturesque Roaring Fork Valley. Carbondale is a small, eclectic town known for its scenic beauty,

Perspectives

vibrant arts and music, thriving restaurant scene, and endless opportunities for outdoor recreation. CBL serves this community in a bright, new, airy building with a stunning view of Mt. Sopris, one of the largest peaks in Colorado. Since opening the new building in late July 2013, the branch staff has initiated innovative and popular programs incorporating the arts and music in new programs for the community. The new library was designed with the work of a number of local artists integrated into the design. Visitors and pedestrians can participate in ongoing art events by creating chalk art on the large double-sided outdoor “graffiti” chalkboard that faces Third Street. There is another chalkboard wall inside the building where a local middle school art teacher created a chalk mural on opening day. Since then, a library page has created seasonal murals and younger visitors have added their “artwork.” In April 2014 the chalkboard will become a haiku wall where library visitors can create haikus during National Poetry Month. In honor of the opening of the new building, the Friends of the Library donated a Yamaha Grand Piano C5, a concert series piano that includes a player piano system. The piano is located in the community room where library patrons may play the piano during library hours. The library has an official piano use policy which enables library patrons to register as a piano user. So far, six people have signed up. In addition, classical pianist Amanda Gessler and piano legend Dr. B (also known to the locals as Clay Boland) have presented free public performances. The piano is also extremely popular during school visits. In October 2013, CBL Youth Services Librarian Jeannine Stickle and Branch Manager Mollie Honan plugged in the player attachment and “The Phantom of the Opera” was played by Stickle as the students arrived. The students were impressed, first with Stickle’s skills, then with the sound effects programmed into the piano’s sound system. The piano has added a wonderful new dimension to a number of library events. The most talked about library innovation is much smaller in size but probably larger in notoriety and popularity. The

library has one baritone and two soprano ukuleles that patrons may check out to play in a library study room during library hours, or take home for two weeks if they plan to attend the twice monthly library ukulele group (Get Your Uke On at the Library!). Ukulele group members range in age from five to ninety-four. Beginners and all level of players are welcome to attend. While the group is facilitated by a library staff member, experienced players help the beginners. Anyone is welcome to teach or lead a song. The group has three rules: (1) try to play, (2) sing, and (3) have fun. They seem to succeed at all three each time they meet. The group has so much fun several members took a field trip to AsInstruments available for checkout at pen to attend a concert by ukuCarbondale (Colo.) Branch Library. lele virtuoso Jake Shimabukuro. (Photo courtesy of Carbondale (Colo.) Branch Library) Providing ukuleles for public use and the atmosphere created by the ukulele group highmusician). A library patron loaned me a light Shimabukuro’s motto, “If everyone strum stick to see if I could figure out how played the ukulele, the world would be a to tune and play it. After I figured it out, he better place.” brought in his other strum stick for a tuning Ukuleles are also featured during and a quick refresher lesson and told me I weekly storytimes, including the musical could keep the loaner. storytime, bilingual storytime, and lapAs a result of all of this interest in homesit program. In December 2014, children grown music, the library has expanded and parents were treated to a rendition of its selection of music books and DVDs to “What Does the Fox Say?” accompanied by include instructional DVDs for ukulele, ukuleles. Five library staff members play acoustic and electric guitar, and mandothe ukulele. They are hoping to teach other lin; as well as ukulele songbooks, concert staff members enough basic chords to lead and biographical DVDs, and books. Other music-related library programs have also a ukulele sing-along at the all-district staff been started recently. Activities include a day in spring. regular open-mic night for teens. I am also CBL keeps adding new instruments to working with local songwriters to create a its arsenal. Last year, I saw a posting on monthly songwriters group that will meet Facebook from a local musician who had a at the library. couple of extra acoustic guitars, so I asked The initiatives taken by CBL utilize staff him to loan one to the library. The guitar talents and draw on community interests now lives in Honan’s office and is available to create unique, active, and passive profor library visitors to play during library grams for all ages. Music and the arts are hours. I play guitar and ukulele during my natural bridges for building community. storytimes and am hoping to add dulcimer What better place to build community and in the coming months (outside of my library these skills than the public library? work, I am also an award-winning children’s

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Perspectives

Attracting Echo Boomers Samantha C. Helmick, Customer Experience and Outreach Librarian, Burlington (Iowa) Public Library, [email protected]

Our first series of events designated for library users in their twenties and thirties started from the selfish observation that Burlington (Iowa) Public Library (BPL) had very few initiatives designed to bring someone like me in as a patron. I wondered if I would ever walk in the place if I wasn’t being paid to do so and concluded that I most likely would not. Echo Boomers on staff (those born between 1982 and 1995, approximately) felt short-changed. We began to look around to see if other libraries made space for us. Through Googling we learned that library services targeted to Echo Boomers were being offered in some larger communities. The Sacramento (Calif.) Public Library (SPL) has awesome resources specifically geared towards their twenty- and thirtysomething patrons. SPL’s alt+library blog, meet-up group, and book talk sessions are enviable library initiatives. The East Baton Rouge (La.) Public Library has fun programs to attract twentysomethings, including trivia nights and a zombie-comedy film festival called Shamble-Fest. Library services oriented for Echo Boomers seemed to be a success elsewhere. To use a famous phrase, “if you build it, they will come.” BPL operates in a small community of approximately 35,000 citizens. We are a town of great readers but also one of the most elderly populated cities in America. Iowa is one of eight states that have not doubled in population in the last century. It can be hard to keep citizens here after college. Before the rest of the Echo Boomer staff and I went gaga with ideas, we decided to look into the rationality and need for such services in our library. From reading and observation, I’ve noticed that my generation is starting families later in life. While our parents were having us in their twenties many of us are waiting until our mid-thirties and early forties before we even think about bringing little ones in for library storytimes. 22

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Because Echo Boomers are digital natives, I have read that we are leaving the library after our teens and staying away longer than previous generations. By comparison, we rarely seek basic digital assistance. We consider the platforms for eresources available through public libraries less than intuitive and we purchase more books than any other group. Perhaps we have not been taught the value of the public library, and therefore do not typically perceive it as the place to be. Throw into the mix that Echo Boomers comprise nearly 40 percent of the electorate1 and make decisions for public libraries—informed and uninformed as they may be—a call for action is quite clear. BPL has created a successful service plan for this demographic with tailored resources to meet their tech, budget, lifelong learning, professional, and social needs. In October 2012, we started a monthly series of adult after-hours programs with a Bollywood Night. Attendees enjoyed an authentic Chaat buffet with recipes and cookbooks available for checkout. A local instructor came in to teach us belly dancing. The night ended with a hennainspired craft and a viewing of the Bollywood fantasy film, Paheli. Since this initial success, we have added other fun evening events, such as an Apocalypse Party held on December 21, 2012, to ring in the end of the Mayan calendar. Participants enjoyed a presentation on disaster response from a member of our Community Emergency Response Training Committee and played the game Zombie Fluxx. Representatives from a local vineyard came in to offer a wine-tasting series. Library users learned the basics of wine, how it is made, and which wine goes best with specific dishes. Patrons were then asked to rate their samples and gather into groups by similar palates. We enjoyed seeing double-daters at this event and watching others make friends. Actor Wil Wheaton even tweeted about our amazing Big Bang Theory night that brought about hilarious renditions of the show’s theme song, an epic “rock-paperscissors-lizard-Spock” challenge, and a brief introduction of physics.

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Data-creation classes (such as simple coding, blogging, and social networking classes) have been added to our library’s roster as well. Résumé writing, LinkedIn demos, and interviewing skills allow for instruction and create a natural environment for Echo Boomers to network. We offer a Librarian Hacks for E-Resources series and Tech Talk Tuesdays to introduce topics of technology interest for Echo Boomers. These programs have given us opportunities to educate the public about our logic behind public library platforms, copyright, and making information and material accessible. Discussion on security, Internet futurism, and net neutrality has increased in our community as well. BPL librarians are enlisted to recruit Echo Boomers from other community groups—pulling them in with the assurance that the public library is a safe, fun, and relevant place to go. Our experience with dialogue, checkout, and citizen response is what librarians dream of. Adult programming can be difficult to justify in libraries because while the importance of early literacy has long been established, the significance of YA and adult services is less axiomatic. Some of the most obvious benefits of adult library services that we have observed at BPL and that have been observed in studies are: the development of natural abilities, improved knowledge, increase in adaptability to change, selffulfillment, and keeping our brains consistently engaged so the neurons continue to fire across our synapses to prevent intellectual atrophy. To rephrase it in a homespun way: If we build it they will come and if they come they will grow better.

Reference 1.

David Madland and Ruy Teixeira, New Progressive America: The Millennial Generation (Washington, D.C.: Center for American Progress, May 2009), accessed Feb. 10, 2014, www.americanprogress.org/issues /2009/05/pdf/millennial_generation .pdf.

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The Wired Library

Contributing Editor R. TOBY GREENWALT is Director of Digital Strategy and Technology Integration, Carnegie Library of Pittsburgh.

Contact Toby at theanalogdivide@ gmail.com.

The Wired Library explores web topics relevant to public librarians. Your input is welcome.

It’s All Around You Creating a Culture of Innovation

I

Follow Toby on Twitter @theanalogdivide

Toby is currently reading Woke Up Lonely by Fiona Maazel.

nnovation, you say? Ha, I respond. Being an innovator is easy. All you need is a brilliant idea that no one has ever come up with before. It also helps if you have the resources and team to make the idea a reality. And you should probably also have the ability to knock out these brilliant ideas on a regular basis. Okay, maybe this isn’t as easy as it looks. There’s a tendency to mythologize the “lone innovator”—you know, someone like Steve Jobs or Ron Popeil. But that myth ignores the fact that Apple and its brethren have massive teams working together to capture lightning in a bottle. Some of these ideas may come from the top, sure, but there are just as many ideas emerging from the trenches. The lone innovator isn’t just a myth, it ignores the fact that anyone can make innovation happen. Innovation is a value that needs to permeate the organization. New ideas can’t simply be the territory of the new kid in the library, or the one staff member who answers all the e-book questions by default. (It also bears mentioning that technology is only one of many arenas in which innovation can occur.) If you wish to pursue and implement new ideas, you need to create an environment where staff at all levels feel comfortable proposing improvements to any aspect of library service. Websites often have developer environments, spaces where web designers test out new design features or software tools before they go live on the main site. This is a place where developers can ask “hey, what happens if I do this?” and not have to worry about breaking publicly accessible services. Failure is an option here—it helps build a better product. Just as with web developers, libraries should have analog developer environments, areas where staff can experiment with new ideas and find ways to improve upon any of their services. Do these have to involve technology? Not necessarily. Whether you’re pursuing innovation in virtual space or meatspace, it’s increasingly important for libraries to get their entire staff involved in positive change.

Creating a Collective Brain

You can’t predict when innovation will strike. Some of us get our best ideas at four in the morning, when we’re walking the dog, or when we’re in the stacks shelf-reading biographies. I almost always have a pocket-sized notebook with me, just in case something crosses my mind. (This also means I have a large collection of pocketsized notebooks, each with about three pages filled out.) Not every idea that emerges in these unguarded moments is worth pursuing, naturally. But having a stack of unfulfilled ideas is much better than having one great idea vanish as soon as you hit the snooze button. How does this scale? Documenting those initial ideas is a first step, but for innovation to really be an organizational value, these thoughts need to bounce off one another in order to truly coalesce into viable improvements. I often find that it’s the informal gathering spaces that tend to be the best breeding grounds for this kind of thinking. Hallways and break rooms are great opportunities to spark dia24

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The Wired Library

logue between disparate departments. If you’re removed from the front line, it’s also your chance to find out how your procedures translate into practice. I’ve found that my coworkers tend to be more willing to be candid if you approach them on level ground. If you can set up a dry erase board in that space, it can be a catalyst for interaction between the lunch crowd and the late shift. But having a virtual environment for these conversations might be where things really take off. You don’t have to worry as much about running out of space, and you’re far less likely to erase something should you accidentally brush against the screen. Regardless of budget or technical know-how, there is a tool for you. Even something as simple as a WordPress blog can serve you well, if all you need is a blank canvas for conversation. It’s easy to make the site private, so that only invited users can view the site content.1 This is probably most useful for organizations with a smaller number of staff, as viewers will have to be invited individually. Open-source bulletin board software (such as phpBB) requires installation, but can help you facilitate multiple threaded conversations on a variety of topics.2 And learning management software (such as Moodle) can be incredibly helpful if you wish to create dedicated communities of practice around specific topics.

Tools for Catalyzing Innovation Whether you’re working in the break room or on the intranet, it’s likely these spaces won’t become useful until staff feel comfortable putting their own ideas out there. Fear of failure is a very real thing. If employees have never felt like they’ve had a voice, it will take time for them to feel confident in their own abilities.

Create Prompts In 1975, music pioneer Brian Eno and artist Peter Schmidt published Oblique Strategies, a deck of cards designed for musicians to provoke creativity and override mental blocks. When drawn at random,

each card offers a unique prompt (such as “work at a different speed”) for examining your creative process from a new perspective.3 We may not want our prompts to be as esoteric as Eno and Schmidt’s, but we can create our own library-centric provocations. Questions and prompts such as “what’s the most relaxing spot in the building?” or “design a new checkout desk from scratch” can go a long way toward getting staff thinking creatively. Offer new prompts at regular intervals, and make sure people have access to past responses. Invite staff to create prompts of their own, and introduce them into the rotation. Over time, this process should help your coworkers to feel more confident about potential innovations.

Think Visually Along with all my notebooks, I am always taking pictures. Some of these things might have direct ties to the library: an appealing display I saw at the supermarket or a unique sign on the street. If you have colleagues doing the same thing, you can pool your efforts. Using a Dropbox, Evernote, or Flickr account, you can create a shared repository for all of these unique things your coworkers find out in the wild. Pay close attention to patterns—if different people take photos of the same thing, there’s a good chance that something in the image is worth adapting for your library.

Take It Public I used to teach a very formal Introduction to iPad class. By the second session, I abandoned my lecture, because attendees simply had too many questions about specific features on their own devices. I switched the class to a show-and-tell model, where each person had a chance to share their favorite apps and ask questions about their own trouble spots. Not only did my students enjoy the class more, but it helped them realize just how much they knew about their own devices. It gave them a real sense of confidence that emerged every time they came back to show me what new apps they had discovered. PUBLIC LIBRARIES

I think we can apply this same principle to other library services. People have a lot of personal attachment to their home libraries, and with that a need for customization. By bringing more of our patrons into the conversation, we can improve those feelings of involvement across the board, hopefully upping our usage in the process.

Learning to Breathe

These strategies may seem simple at first. But simplicity is key when it comes to getting staff members to start working collaboratively with new and untested ideas. The “fake it ’til you make it” principle is definitely at work here. Each staff member has their own comfort level with this stuff, and you want to make sure those who are less comfortable with change aren’t drowned out by the more enthusiastic members of your staff. In time, having a more flexible, collaborative approach to change will click into place. Once that happens, innovation becomes like oxygen: new ideas are simply part of the environment. As libraries continue to adapt to this rapid cycle of change, it’s going to be the responsibility of staff at all levels to make innovation happen. Digital resources will be an important part of this, but it’s a shared attitude toward improvement that will really move things forward.

Notes 1.

See the instructions at http://en .support.wordpress.com/settings /privacy-settings. If you are hosting your own WordPress installation, you will need a plug-in such as Private Only (http://wordpress.org/plugins/private -only).

2.

Many commercial hosting sites offer one-click installations of this software. If you have space on something like BlueHost or DreamHost, this could make it much easier to create one of these environments.

3.

You can draw from a virtual Oblique Strategies deck by visiting www .oblicard.com.

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Fundraising Beyond Book Sales

WENDY MOYLAN is Director of Institutional Relations and SUSAN DOWD is Capital Campaign Coordinator and Special Projects Coordinator for The Friends of the Saint Paul (Minn.) Public Library. Both authors are also consultants with Library Strategies Consulting Group.

Contact Wendy at wendy@the friends.org. Contact Susan at [email protected].

Wendy is currently reading Let the Great World Spin by Colum McCann. Susan is reading One Summer: America, 1927 by Bill Bryson.

Fundraising Beyond Book Sales shares innovative fundraising strategies for public libraries.

Your Library and a Sponsor Creating a Win-Win Relationship

B

usiness sponsorship of library activities is an example of innovation that is on the rise. It is attractive because it creates (or builds on) relationships for a winwin situation for both the library and the business. Here’s how: The library is one of our society’s most beloved and valued institutions, and a business that sponsors a library program or service becomes connected to those positive feelings. The library, in turn, receives cash, goods, or services that it needs. It’s a business-tobusiness transaction, a partnership formed for mutual benefit. There’s even a term for it, “cause-related marketing,” the partnering of business with worthy causes. You don’t need to look far to realize that shared business and nonprofit marketing is all around you these days. Cheerios and the American Heart Association, or Valspar paint and Habitat for Humanity, are two examples. Library and business partnerships have raised controversy, however, even when challenging economic times have called for creative solutions. There are many people who want libraries to remain advertising-free. They fear over-commercialization or inadvertent censorship. They are concerned that a business presence might imply that the business, not the library, is in charge. Nothing could be further from the truth. Sponsorship does not require that your library give away any control of content, nor design its activities around outside influences. This concept is well understood in the business community, but not always by librarians or the public. For you to be successful in this arena, you must educate your visitors and supporters about the benefits to your library, and to them.

Would a Business Sponsor a Program At Your Library? Absolutely. The halo effect of being associated with your well-respected library can be a great incentive. Your library may already be giving this benefit away, so the real change is only to create a policy in which the benefit to the library is greater. For instance, do you accept things that you will give away to your visitors, such as bookmarks? Commonly a sports team may want to provide you these items, because it is good marketing for them. Shouldn’t they be asked to also provide financial support for that program? Ask your staff and consult your budget—could you live without the giveaways if they will not make a token financial gift? This is the first step to giving the library brand its true value. Businesses are also attracted to sponsoring library activities because attendees are potential new customers. For example, do you have a summer reading program for kids? A business that caters to families might be interested in providing cash support in return for placing its logo on program materials. Another approach is to 26

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Fundraising Beyond Book Sales

contact a local business and ask leaders of that business what kind of library program might interest them. Might your local garden center want to sponsor a series of spring programs featuring a popular local horticulturist? It’s worth asking. “Ask” is the operative word here. But who at the business should you ask, and who should do the asking? In a small business, it is probably the business owner who makes these decisions. In a larger one, marketing or community relations departments are often charged with forging relationships with nonprofits or special causes. It’s imperative to ask the right person at the business, and the best way to get to this person is to use a relationship you already have. That’s because business sponsorships, like individual donations to your library or its Friends group, must start with a relationship first, then progress to financial support. Does a member of your Friends group, a library volunteer, or a frequent library user have a personal connection with decision-makers inside the targeted business? If so, this may be the best person to approach the decisionmaker(s) and say, “I know of an opportunity to sponsor a library program and wonder if it might fit your priorities. Can we chat about it?” If you have a business in mind you would like to work with, don’t forget that they may already have a connection to someone who is passionate about your work. With events in particular, a sponsorship is best presented by a current client of the business—ask your board and volunteer pool if they have attorneys, accountants, landscapers, or other service providers they are willing to ask on your behalf. It can be a great way to get a foot in a door that might otherwise be closed. Be sure you are clear about what you’re asking for and what the business will receive in return. Present a written proposal. Clearly state the sponsorship fee that your library, its Friends group, or its fundraising organization expects. Base this fee on the value and cost of similar marketing exposure, not on your library’s budget or need. Be ready to negotiate. Most of all, make it easy for the business to say, “Of course!”

What Library Activities Might a Business Sponsor? Just about anything. Here are a few ideas: • Author readings • Themed programs (cooking, gardening, travel, how-to, financial management, etc.) • Programs for children, teens, or families • Programs for seniors • Technology programs • Bilingual programs • Film series • Special library or fundraising events How could a business sponsor these kinds of activities? It could help pay the cost of printed materials (such as flyers, calendars, newsletters, and reading lists) in return for including the business’ name and logo on these materials. It could put its name and logo on bookmarks promoting your teen book club. It could supply promotional mouse pads for your library’s computers, or give out imprinted paint sticks to participants of a do-it-yourself class on home improvement. In a capital campaign, businesses may be offered the opportunity to have a special area of the library bear their name in exchange for a very large gift. In Sun City (Calif.), the library’s Friends group offers business memberships for $50 a year. The memberships allow businesses to have their logos printed in Friends’ newsletters and displayed in the library’s window. The Port Chester-Rye Brook (N.Y.) Public Library (PCRBPL) discovered an unusual advertising vehicle: toilet paper. The idea came from two young local entrepreneurs who had grown up under that library’s roof. The library received the advertisement-printed toilet paper free and placed it in public restrooms for about nine months, until the supply ran out. Despite the fact that the rolls of toilet paper disappeared faster than anticipated (due, perhaps, to the handy inclusion of coupons), the library director gave the venture a solid thumbs up and would do it again. A point to consider carefully: if you agree to receive goods, especially in lieu PUBLIC LIBRARIES

of cash, think about impact upon the value of the library brand. At PCRBPL, presumably there was a savings in not having to purchase toilet paper, plus income from the ads. Every agreement like this should be held up and considered within a costbenefit context.

You’ve Found a Sponsor, So Now What? It’s a good idea to present your business sponsor with a written letter of agreement that reflects your mutually satisfactory terms. The letter should state what each party is committing to do, and what each expects in return. Be specific by including dates and deadlines. Spell out how and how often promotion of the business will take place. Be clear about invoicing and payment requirements. You might want to include an escape clause too, in the event that an unforeseen occurrence causes one party to wish to break the agreement. (For example, what if one party unexpectedly and publicly takes a political stand or makes a statement that is perceived as reflecting negatively on the other party?) Representatives from both the library and the business should sign the letter of agreement. When the ink is dry, your library has a big responsibility. In business language, this is called “fulfillment.” It refers to all the actions your library, Friends group, or fundraising organization must do to merit the business’s financial support. Follow your agreed-upon terms, and do it well. Communicate regularly with your business sponsor to ensure that they feel in the loop. Provide written reports with quantified results (number of program attendees, number of imprinted book bags distributed, and so on). Make sure your business sponsor knows how much you appreciate their support. Be smart, and use this sponsorship opportunity to get to know your sponsoring business even better. This could be the start of a beautiful relationship, and like any relationship, it takes care and work, but can benefit your library, your business sponsor—and most importantly, your library’s patrons.

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Passing Notes

Contributing Editor SARAH BEAN THOMPSON is Youth Services Manager at Springfield-Greene County (Mo.) Library.

Contact Sarah at greenbeanteen [email protected] and visit her blog at www.greenbeanteenqueen .com.

Farewell Sarah Bean Thompson is moving on! Thank you, Sarah, for all of your excellent columns. We will miss you! Readers, please keep an eye on this spot for an exciting new column coming soon.

Passing Notes focuses on YA service issues and creating stronger connections with YA patrons.

Innovation Frustration

I

nnovation is a word that’s used around libraries a lot. Merriam-Webster defines innovation as “the introduction of something new” and “a new idea, method, or device.”1 According to MerriamWebster.com, innovation is in the top 1 percent of lookups.2 Obviously a lot of people are talking about, and interested in, innovation. And this is no different in the library world. I feel like every training session, conference, and staff meeting I attend includes something on how libraries can become more innovative. It can be overwhelming as a librarian to always be on the lookout for something new and exciting, a way to reinvent libraries and teen services. As much as I love networking with my colleagues, reading blogs and library journals, and discovering programs and ideas that are happening in libraries around the country, I can’t always stop that little stab of guilt telling me that I’m not innovative enough. It’s an easy trap to fall into. I compare my library to other libraries and myself to other librarians. I think about what great ideas they have and wish I would have thought of it first. I convince myself I could never pull off a program like that because my budget is much smaller, or my building isn’t located next to a school, or I don’t have a good enough connection with someone in the community to bring in an outside guest. I feel as though I’m not creative enough to come up with an inventive and unique program. I convince myself that none of my ideas are new and fresh. I look at other libraries and compare my department with theirs—if only I had that display space, shelving, or furniture, then my department would be great. For me, this is the frustration of innovation. We often get so caught up in wanting to try something new that we lose sight of what we already have. Sometimes it feels like the library is full of recycled ideas. From Listservs to blogs to library conferences and associations, librarians love to collaborate and share ideas. But it can be hard to think that what I’m offering teens is just the typical stuff that libraries are supposed to be offering teens. We’re supposed to be giving them great customer service, readers’ advisory, and homework help. We’re supposed to have teen nights, teen councils, and programs based around pop culture and teen interests. We’re supposed to lead book clubs and give book talks and make displays of new teen titles. We’re supposed to have a party or program for the latest book or movie release all the teens are talking about. But what I have to remember is that while I know this is what the library is providing for teens, not everyone else does. Community members, fellow librarians, and even teens themselves aren’t aware of everything that is happening in the library just for teens and how much libraries can offer. Instead of trying to create more new programs or come up with something that will be the next teen trend or innovation, I focus on making the programs I already have great. Maybe I don’t think my program for teens is the most innovative program there is. But then I think about what else is offered in the community, what teens are asking for, and how the program is meeting their needs. What might seem

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Passing Notes

like a simple program to me might not be so simple to those who attend. A Hunger Games party might not seem innovative to me, but for the teen boy who attended and met his best friend, it was something new and different. A fan club meeting for Doctor Who might seem like a program that libraries are supposed to provide. Yet, the teens who attend the program, and tell me that they don’t know anyone else who watches it, are so grateful for the chance to connect with other fans and geek out about the show. To them, our program is innovative. The teens who attend library council and give feedback and share their ideas and are able to make a difference in their library find the council to be a place to suggest something new—the very definition of innovation. The teens who attend library prom and are given the chance to connect with each other, dance like crazy, listen to music, and make noise in the library

think that is innovative. While I might tell myself these programs aren’t unique and creative, the teens who attend them see them differently. To them, these programs are something new and different, providing a chance to feel as though they belong in the community, which is what— to me—providing an innovative program is all about. Sure, I would love to provide a big program for teens with lots of cool new gadgets and technology. I would love to create a makerspace or connect teens with books in a new and exciting way, or be at the forefront of the next big teen trend in libraries. And while those ambitions are great to have, and maybe someday I will get there, in the meantime I focus on the programs I do offer at my library and remind myself that they are innovative in their own way. They are unique to my community and it’s a chance to show the library in a new light. I’m always encoun-

tering people who are surprised to learn of all the programs and services the library has to provide. And when I can surprise someone and teach them something new about the library, that’s when I feel innovative. I have enjoyed writing about YA programs and librarianship for Passing Notes over the past year. My husband and I recently welcomed our first child and so I say farewell to writing this column. I hope you continue to share your ideas about YA librarianship with me at [email protected] or www.greenbeanteenqueen.com.

References 1.

Merriam-Webster Online, s.v. “innovation,” accessed Feb. 3, 2014, www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary /innovation.

2.

Ibid.

V I S I T FA C E B O O K . C O M / P U B L I C L I B R A R I E S O N L I N E Advertiser Index

Candidate Slate for 2014 PLA Election Ballots must be received by April 25, 2014, at 11:59 p.m. (U.S. Central Daylight Time), to be included in the tabulation of votes. Visit www.ala.org to cast your vote. President-Elect l James D. Cooper, Salt Lake County (Utah) Library l Vailey B. Oehlke, Multnomah County (Ore.) Library Director-at-Large (three-year term) l Rita Hamilton, Phoenix (Ariz.) Public Library l Melanie Huggins, Richland Library, Columbia, S.C. l Nancy R. Ledeboer, Spokane (Wash.) Library District l Manya Shorr, Omaha (Neb.) Public Library Division Councilor (three-year term) l Paula  Brehm-Heeger, Public Library of Cincinnati & Hamilton County (Ohio) l Rivkah K. Sass, Sacramento (Calif.) Public Library

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ALA-APA ���������������������������������������������������������������������������������������� 11 ALSC ������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������ 8, 28 Baker & Taylor ������������������������������������������������������������������� back cover Crowley ������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������ 15 Gale Cengage ��������������������������������������������������������������������������������� 23 Innovative Interfaces �����������������������������������������������inside front cover PBS �������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������� 7 PLA......................................................8, 28, 31, 43, inside back cover

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FEATURE

From Crisis to Collaboration Pima County Public Library Partners with Health Department for Library Nurse Program By Kenya Johnson, Amber Mathewson, & Karyn Prechtel All customers of the Pima County (Ariz.) Public Library system are important community members regardless of race, domiciled status, age, gender, sexual orientation, or physical ability. It is the goal of the Library Public Health Nurse to improve the physical and mental health of library patrons through education, referral, crises prevention, nursing intervention, and disease management nursing care models.—Library Nurse Program Mission1

A

s one of twenty-seven libraries in the Pima County (Ariz.) Public Library (PCPL) system, the Joel D. Valdez Main Library serves a wide array of patrons who represent every sector in this community of nearly 980,000 people. Located in the heart of downtown Tucson in the 85701 zip code, the 96,000-square-foot library opens its doors to government employees, tourists, students, families, business owners, retirees, and residents who live or work nearby. In 2012, there were more than 648,000 visitors at the Main Library alone.2

About the Authors KENYA JOHNSON is Community Relations Manager, AMBER MATHEWSON is Deputy Director–Strategic Initiatives, and KARYN PRECHTEL is Deputy Director–Public Services at Pima County (Ariz.) Public Library. Contact Kenya at [email protected]. Contact Amber at [email protected]. Contact Karyn at [email protected].

Kenya is currently reading Hope: A Tragedy by Shalom Auslander. Amber is currently reading The Miracle Life of Edgar Mint by Brady Udall. Karyn is currently reading The Goldfinch by Donna Tartt. 32

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Like many urban and rural libraries, Joel D. Valdez Main Library also serves many patrons with significant social service needs. The staff here is accustomed to referring patrons to outside community agencies regarding housing, medical care, food resources, and other basic needs. However, they also handle incidents involving behavioral health issues, traumatic crisis episodes, medical emergencies, loitering, substance abuse, and volatile physical or verbal confrontations that occur inside and outside the facility. When necessary, staff will call 911 for assistance with these incidents. While traditional library service provides for information and referral to people in crisis, librarians and library associates do not receive special training in making referrals to social service agencies and seeing someone in need through that process. When situations escalate, the protocol involves onsite security guards or calling law enforcement or emergency medical services to the scene. PCPL’s systemwide procedure also requires staff to document serious incidents—especially those involving 911 calls— in the library’s online incident report tracker. What can a public library system do when faced with the challenge of having an unsafe and unwelcoming environment for the community and staff, and at the same time, helping patrons get connected to the critical services that they need? How could we minimize the number of calls to 911 for non-medical emergencies and free up law enforcement resources?

An Idea Sparks

For most people in this community, the library is the place to go for books, programs, events, information, and learning. For others, the library means refuge, free public computers, and help. Various government and community organizations in Pima County identify the 85701 zip code as being plagued by homelessness, poverty, and mental illness. With an increase of incidents that coincided with the economic downturn, PCPL staff was concerned for the welfare of the individuals with behavioral health issues and the well-being of the general public that visited any of our libraries. We were looking for ways to better serve our patrons with exceptional social service and mental health needs when staff

FEATURE

learned at a workshop in 2010 that San Francisco Public Library (SFPL) had partnered with the San Francisco Department of Public Health to hire a social worker. SFPL inspired us to “think outside the library.” Our goals to mitigate the situations at Main Library were straightforward: • offer more options to help the public; • reduce calls to 911 for behavioral health related issues; • improve the community health overall; and • create an environment that was more comfortable for all patrons and staff. In 2011, PCPL Library Associate Nicole Huggett (also a graduate student in social work at the time) completed an in-depth white paper that included an analysis of the incident reports at Main Library, a literature review about homelessness in public libraries, and an interview with SFPL’s Leah Esguerra, the nation’s first full-time social worker employed in a public library.3 Huggett’s research also involved data from a voluntary survey completed by Main Library staff to identify gaps and barriers in library services and community needs. Lastly, the white paper proposed a program plan to hire a full-time social worker at the Joel D. Valdez Main Library. The components of this position initially included one-on-one consultation with patrons, staff training, workshops and programs, outreach to community members, and outreach to community agencies.4 With an opportunity to make a significant change in how libraries addressed patrons with critical needs, we needed a solution that was more than just doable; we wanted a program that would be effective and sustainable.

Making It Work “Pima County Public Library is addressing conditions that have long existed in nearly every urban and rural library in the country.”—Maureen Sullivan, 2012-13 American Library Association president5 After getting the approval from PCPL’s Executive Team to move forward with the proposal, we approached the Pima County

Library nurse Martha Cooper at Pima County (Ariz.) Public Library. (Photo courtesy of PCPL)

Health Department. They were a natural partner to help determine how we could create a social worker position similar to the one that SFPL had implemented. In talking with the Health Department, library staff learned that a public health nurse (PHN) would be a better fit for the library’s needs. PHNs are population-focused, and their work in the community highlights health promotion and disease prevention. Moreover, PHNs provide nursing assessment, education, and case management to patrons of all ages.6 Together, PCPL and the Pima County Health Department (PCHD) outlined the scope of what would become the Library Nurse Program. The PHN position was located within the library department, PCPL funded the full-time position, and the PHN would be stationed at the Joel D. Valdez Main Library. PCPL and PCHD would co-supervise the position, with PCHD providing clinical oversight of the program. Both departments would be involved in the hiring process. In January 2012, PCPL hired the first PHN to work in a public library. The forty hours would be divided among six library locations (Joel D. Valdez Main Library, Eckstrom-Columbus Library, Martha Cooper Library, Sam Lena-South Tucson Library, Santa Rosa Library, and Woods Memorial Library). These were the libraries that staff identified as not being safe and welcoming for patrons and staff. It was PUBLIC LIBRARIES

clear that the difficulties were primarily due to other patrons with traumatic crisis episodes and behavior issues. The PHN works closely with library staff and security staff to intervene during traumatic episodes and provide crisis intervention to patrons with social, behavioral, health, and emotional problems. The PHN also conducts assessments for social, medical, and related services; helps individuals access services and information provided by community agencies; and make referrals.7 Although the responsibilities for this newly created library position were expansive, they directly addressed what our libraries needed.

Helping the Human Condition “Suspending judgment goes a long way.” 8 Homelessness, personal hygiene, domestic violence, unemployment, detoxification, psychiatric crisis, arguments, substance abuse, nutrition, injury, medication education, and acute or chronic illness were just some of the many issues that patrons in our libraries faced in 2012. Initially, the Library Nurse Program concept involved hiring one full-time PHN. Six months after the Library Nurse Program began, however, we determined that the work load was too much for one nurse to J A N U A R Y/ F E B R U A R Y 2 0 1 4

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FEATURE | From Crisis to Collaboration

Library nurse Daniel Lopez shaking hands at Pima County (Ariz.) Public Library. (Photo courtesy of PCPL)

handle. Instead of sharing one PHN among six libraries, PCPL and PCHD developed a different staffing model that was more sustainable. We were able to come up with a work plan that would distribute the fortyhour position among five PHNs. Members of the team were assigned to work at the six libraries. One nurse, the team lead, worked twenty-four hours between the Main Library and a second library (Woods Memorial Branch Library). The day-to-day experience for a PHN can vary, but there is a routine that the program has developed. As part of their work, PHNs chart their interactions and communications with patrons, library staff, and security personnel. They walk through the library wearing a stethoscope around their neck to let people know that they are there, and offer blood pressure checks as a comfortable way to engage patrons in conversation. A regular workday also includes checking on the status of established patients and educating library patrons about the PHN’s role, schedule, and contact information.9 Daniel Lopez, the PHN assigned to Joel D. Valdez Main Library and the Woods Memorial Library (and the program’s team lead), makes a point to ask patrons to come back to tell him how things worked out. He believes that having good relationships with agencies is the key to his ability to help people who need it the most. For Lopez, the feedback from patrons is an important part of the evaluation pro34

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cess. “I want to know who in the community is taking care of people,” he said.10

Successes

@pimalibrary Congratulations on this story and the entire program! Working toward a similar program here—you inspired us! 11 In 2012, the PHNs had a total of 2,181 encounters with patrons over 180 visits at the six libraries. The impact of the Library Nurse Program at the Joel D. Valdez Main Library is especially palpable among the library staff. Overall, 911 police calls were reduced by six percent in 2012, and 911 medical calls decreased by 20 percent.12 Today, we have a team of PHNs that have regular visit hours scheduled at seventeen of PCPL’s libraries and on our bookmobile as well. The PHNs are coordinating trainings for library staff on relevant topics, mentoring interns and nursing students, and attending meetings with library staff. The University of Arizona, for example, has become a part of the program by sending nursing students to the library for their community health rotation. The students work with the PHNs to conduct community assessments, health education classes, and targeted community interventions, such as an awareness program that was aimed to prevent people from falling. Another group of nursing students developed a project to address hunger. PCPL workers, on the other hand, are

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the eyes and ears for the PHNs and now feel supported to have onsite professionals to handle patron issues that may have resulted in 911 calls in the past. PCPL, however, is not the only one excited about the program’s success. We receive positive feedback from patrons, the community, and other public libraries in the United States, Canada, and overseas. PCHD staff is also presenting the program at national conferences, and stories have been published in professional library and nursing publications as well as on library, nursing, and health-related websites and blogs. Local and national media have brought attention to PCPL by highlighting our unique program and collaboration as the first of its kind. But when we hear from the people who are being directly helped because of the Library Nurse Program, we know that what we are doing is making a difference. In 2012, we received a letter from one such patron who took the time to let us know the impact the library and the PHN has had on his life: I would like to especially thank the Library Nurse Emily. As she provided me with shaving razors to have a clean shave on the date of my interview. In addition she provided me with deodorant and lip balm so that I’d feel good/confident going to my interview. These things may sound simple, however without the self confidence that they brought me, I wouldn’t have gotten the position.13

PCPL was recognized by the Urban Libraries Council (ULC) as one of its ten 2013 Top Innovators at the ULC Annual Forum in Chicago. The Library Nurse Program was selected by a panel of expert judges from more than 140 applications for the fourth annual ULC Innovations Initiative and was recognized in the category of health, wellness, and safety.

Looking Forward

In late 2012, PCPL was invited to be a part of the Community Health Assessment Taskforce in Pima County and was given the lead to help address the need for health education and literacy in our community.

From Crisis to Collaboration | FEATURE

The taskforce identified five priorities that would make a significant positive impact on the health status of Pima County residents. These priorities include (1) obesity, (2) access to healthcare, (3) economy, (4) quality of care, and (5) health education and literacy.14 PCPL has created a Health Information Literacy Team of library staff members to take on this project, which will improve the lives of even more people. The success of the Library Nurse Program is evidence that a public library can and does play an important role in building the overall well-being of a community with a population as diverse as ours. The Pima County Board of Supervisors and county administration are both strong supporters of the library’s programs and services and have included PCPL in several literacy outreach efforts, as well as the county’s economic development plan. When we first initiated the program, our main goal was to increase the safety and welcoming environment of the library for our patrons and our staff. As we were able to find out more information about the people the PHNs were working with at our libraries, we added some additional goals. Childhood hunger, for example, was identified by the PHNs as a key issue at the Santa Rosa and the Eckstrom-Columbus Libraries.15 As a result, PCPL staff worked with the PHN at the Santa Rosa Library and a University of Arizona nursing student to create an after-school healthy snack program in the fall of 2013. Twentytwo children participated on the first day of the new program. The people we are helping through the Library Nurse Program represent every sector of our community in Pima County. They range from the young pregnant woman who is homeless, to the recently laid-off university employee without health insurance, to the underemployed senior citizen facing age discrimination, to the mentally ill veteran who sleeps on the streets. In some

cases, they are gainfully employed, yet facing some challenges that, unbeknownst to them, are compromising their health. The commonality is that all of these people are experiencing some sort of individual hardship. Many of them come to the library because it is a safe place, and a place where they know they can get good information. By having a PHN in our libraries, PCPL is providing both a compassionate presence and a path toward wellness through education, connecting people to community resources, and direct intervention. Three years ago when we first learned about the social worker at SFPL, we did not have a clear vision of what we needed at our own library. We did know, however, that we had to do something. Because of the Library Nurse Program, PCHD staff is forging good relationships with community and government agencies that can provide the support and services to library patrons in need. Our collaboration with PCHD has increased our resources and our ability to help more people in our community. Yes, we are a public library; but we are—in many ways because of this program—so much more. As a librarian for over thirty years, I have come to cherish the social role of libraries. We spend a lot of time protecting and building collections of books and other resources, and I hope that will always be the case. But today you and your colleagues in the Pima County Library System have built on the concept of library as a social crossroads, and you have stepped forward to serve the community in an innovative and daring manner.16

References and Notes 1.

2.

Pima County Public Library, Activity Measures, 2013, accessed Feb. 10, 2014, www.library.pima.gov/about /board/#statistical.

3.

Nicole Huggett, “Changing Community, Changing Needs: Fusing Social Services and Information Referral for Revolutionary Library Services” (white paper, Pima County Public Library, 2011).

4.

Ibid.

5.

Eun Kyung Kim, “More than Just Books: Arizona Libraries Add Public Health Nurses,” TODAY.com, Mar. 28, 2013, accessed Jan. 21, 2014, www. today.com/health/more-just-booksarizona-libraries-add-public-healthnurses-1C9122592.

6.

Pima County Health Department, Community Health Services Division, Library Nurse Project 2012 Annual Report.

7.

Memorandum of Understanding, Pima County Public Library and Pima County Health Department, Oct. 24, 2011.

8.

Daniel Lopez, personal interview with the author, Oct. 17, 2013.

9.

Daniel Lopez, “The Public Health Library Nurse” (presentation at the Pima County Library Advisory Board Meeting, Nov. 5, 2012).

10. Lopez, personal interview with the author. 11. Albuquerque Bernalillo County Library, Twitter, Mar, 28, 2013. 12. Pima County Health Department, Community Health Services Division, Library Nurse Project 2012 Annual Report. 13. Personal letter to Joel D. Valdez Main Library, May 31, 2012. 14. Pima County Community Health Improvement Plan, 2013-2017. 15. Pima County Health Department, Library Nurse Project 2012 Annual Report. 16. Amy Rule, personal letter to the authors, Oct. 22, 2012.

Pima County Public Library, Library Nurse Program Mission Statement, 2012.

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FEATURE

Sensory-Enhanced Storytime at Douglas County Libraries An Inclusive Program By Laura Baldassari-Hackstaff, Sheila Kerber, Ruth Ann Krovontka, & Laura Root Olson

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ensory-enhanced storytime at Douglas County (Colo.) Libraries (DCL) is an inclusive program developed for all ages, children through young adults, who are on the autism spectrum or differently abled, and presented at a preschool level of development. Everyone is welcome at each of our library storytimes, but we began this storytime because some find greater enjoyment in its modified environment of a closed room where lighting and music are lower, movement and conversation are encouraged, and there are multi-

About the Authors LAURA BALDASSARI-HACKSTAFF is a Youth Librarian, SHEILA KERBER is Branch Manager, RUTH ANN KROVONTKA is Youth Services Department Head, and LAURA ROOT OLSON is a Youth Librarian at James H. LaRue Library, Douglas County (Colo.) Libraries. Contact Laura at lbaldassari-hackstaff@dclibraries .org; Contact Sheila at [email protected]; Contact Ruth Ann at [email protected]; Contact Laura at [email protected]. Laura and Sheila are both currently reading Contagious: Why Things Catch On by Jonah Berger. Ruth Ann is currently reading Mrs. Lincoln’s Dressmaker by Jennifer Chiaverini and The Book Thief by Markus Zusak. Laura is currently reading The Living by Matt de la Peña. 36

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ple ways to engage through the senses. Public libraries offer many programs based on their patrons’ age, abilities, interests, and other factors, and sensory-enhanced storytime at DCL is another expression of our commitment to the American Library Association’s (ALA) Core Values of Librarianship. At the very heart of the ALA code of ethics is the promise, “We provide the highest level of service to all library users.”1 We at DCL realized that this special population was not receiving storytime services. Many parents with children who are differently abled do not attend library storytime because they are concerned that their children will be disruptive, and yet these children need and benefit from our services. We were determined to provide a safe, comfortable environment that would welcome these children and young adults, and their families, so they too could benefit from the literacy-rich environment that the library provides. Since beginning sensory-enhanced storytime in September 2012, we have received many expressions of thanks from parents, caregivers, and medical therapists. Their statements of support can be summarized as thanking us for providing a program where a son can be who he is, where siblings can interact just as they do at home, and where weekly growth can be observed. Children, teens and young adults with a variety of special needs attend our program, revealing a broader need than originally anticipated. Our program has connected us with a young adult daycare, whose clients attend weekly, and where we visit monthly to present our storytime. When these young adults visit the library for storytime, they may also use our computers or check out materials.  Many of our attendees are new to the library, and they apply for library cards after storytime. We see them using the library before and after our sessions, and we encourage them to attend upcoming

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events and participate in our seasonal reading programs. Further, by welcoming siblings, extended family, and medical professionals to each session, we are providing a therapeutic and informative program with value beyond the immediate experience. We are dedicated to making our libraries welcoming to all patrons.

The Stories of SensoryEnhanced Storytime From the start, we have been pleased by our attendees’ age range and developmental levels. This is an expression of the importance of this program for a large segment of people in our community. We have infants, toddlers, preschoolers, children, teens, and young adults attend, each with their unique abilities to interact and enjoy the event. When we were developing the program, we expected that our audience would be largely children of toddler and preschool age on the autism spectrum, but we have learned that this storytime fills a need for a much more diverse demographic. We currently have an average of eight youth attending each session. While we anticipate increased attendance over time through word-of-mouth and outreach, we know that our program is making a difference in the lives of our regular participants. They attend once or even twice weekly, giving us the opportunity to see their attention, language, and social skills develop. Initially some are hesitant to come into our storytime room, or may cry during their first visit. After a few sessions they are comforted by their growing familiarity with the songs and activities that we repeat at each session, and gradually begin to engage and participate. Some make progress during their first storytime. A mother noted that her daughter did not cover her ears at all during her first sensory storytime at our library, which she regarded as a significant milestone. We also see that repeat participants become more engaged over time. They gain selfconfidence and improve their language and social skills. They may gradually develop their ability to make eye contact. Their attention spans and participation increase

as they are more able to anticipate each activity. We have learned that children who may not appear to be interested in the session will smile when we call them by name and make note of the scarf color they have selected, for example. Equally gratifying, some children choose to sit closer to us with each storytime they attend, and eagerly join in our activities. Mason, a twoyear-old participant, is now comfortable coming up to our easel and placing his flannel shape on the board. A few short months ago his dad had to do this for him. New friendships among the children, their parents/caregivers, and the program staff are another important benefit of sensory storytime. Raising a child with special needs can be an isolating experience for families. Our program offers a weekly time for them to visit the library and socialize. They begin to call each other by name, the typically developing children interact freely with those with special needs, and the relationships continue beyond storytime. At the conclusion of a recent session, one of our youngest participants looked up into the face of a young adult participant and said “Goodbye, James!” Our storytime parents and caregivers are very appreciative of the safe and welcoming environment that our program provides for their children, and the developmental growth that it helps promote. Holly, whose son has a sensory processing disorder that makes it difficult to stay engaged, likes our sensory storytime as “it is hard to go to the library because he goes from thing to thing.” Our contained storytime room, with volunteers watching the closed doors, enables the parents and caregivers to relax and help their children benefit from our activities. The reassuring environment engenders a sense of security in their children. They talk, sing, sit, stand, walk, and move freely as they express themselves during the storytime activities. Patrice, mother of two sons with Prader-Willi Syndrome, says of the program, “There have not been any negatives. It’s really a valuable resource for people like us that the kids don’t have to try and fit in. No one minds their little issues or idiosyncrasies. It’s very welcoming and we can just relax and be ourselves.” PUBLIC LIBRARIES

Sensory-enhanced storytime is also a place for parents to connect with our staff, volunteers, and other parents and caregivers to seek and exchange information on library and community resources. As they enter our storytime room, we provide take-home information on our library programs, the Autism Society of Colorado, therapy centers, and other community organizations that have partnered with us or are recommended by our families.

Where to Begin

We began planning our sensory storytime program in fall 2011 with the formation of a district task force. The task force was composed of staff from several DCL departments. This group established working relationships with two organizations having extensive knowledge and expertise in providing programs for youth with special needs: (1) the Autism Society of Colorado (ASC) and (2) the Douglas County Preschool Program (DCPP). These collaborative relationships continue today, and our sensory storytime program is based to a great extent on their contributions, as described next. During the ten months of storytime development, the ASC partnered with us in numerous ways. We attended their Autism Answers program, which is an introduction to their mission and staff, and to autism spectrum disorders, presented by their executive director. Following the program, we discussed the plans for our sensory program with them, and they provided ideas and information that are integral to how we market and present our storytime. The ASC has included our storytime schedule in their website since our program began. Additionally, three members of the ASC staff visited our library. They attended preschool storytime, in order to discover which elements of this traditional program could be included in our sensory storytime, and to suggest appropriate modifications and enhancements. They also toured the library meeting room where sensory storytime is held, to help ensure an optimal and safe environment for our attendees. We set up our room for sensory storytime based on ASC staff suggestions: the J A N U A R Y/ F E B R U A R Y 2 0 1 4

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fluorescent light banks remain off, as some children may be sensitive to their buzzing and flickering; ceiling fans remain off due to their vibration and sound; the emergency and hallway exit doors are labeled with red STOP signs and monitored by volunteers; we place our meeting room tables in front of our stacked chairs to eliminate the chairs as a climbing hazard; and we secure all miscellaneous items such as push pins, pens, pencils, rubber bands, and so forth. Additionally, the ASC staff suggested that we use our rug with multi-colored squares to allow each participant to select a color to sit on. We also encourage our participants to bring their own seating, if they wish. In June 2012, the ASC presented their Autism 101 program at our district staff day. As described by the ASC, “Autism 101 is an introduction to understanding autism spectrum disorders. Through this interactive and quick-paced presentation, you will learn the signs of autism, how to interact with individuals with ASD, and how to appreciate the gifts of autism.”2 We gained valuable insights from this presentation into the sensory and learning challenges of children on the autism spectrum, and a higher level of confidence in our customer service skills for serving patrons with special needs. Our task force also worked extensively with the DCPP during the development phase of our sensory storytime. We observed a preschool class session, where the teacher sat with her students and acted out “Humpty Dumpty.” The children were enamored and engaged. We came away inspired that we could stretch ourselves in our sensory storytime without being over the top for the children. Additionally, a DCPP occupational therapist attended our task force meetings. She provided guidance on the children’s seating, fidgets, and many other aspects of the storytime. Another crucial step in our sensory storytime’s development was reading Tricia Bohanon Twarogowski’s blog post, “Programming for Children with Special Needs,” which details her preparation and launch of a sensory storytime for the Public Library of Charlotte & Mecklenburg County (N.C.).3 Along with the vital participation of the ASC and DCPP, 38

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Twarogowski’s blog post is another part of the foundation upon which we developed our program. Among the many valuable tips she shares, we have incorporated into our storytime her recommendations to invite siblings and medical therapists to attend, to add to the family’s enjoyment and therapeutic understanding of their child; to develop the storytime for all ages and at a preschool developmental level, in order to welcome children, teens, and young adults; and to offer parents and caregivers surveys of their experience with us in order to adapt and improve the storytime. We also benefited from information provided by the Inclusion Collaborative of the Santa Clara County (Calif.) Office of Education. According to its website, the Inclusion Collaborative’s focus is “the successful inclusion of children with special needs in child care, preschool programs, and the community through education, advocacy, and awareness.”4 They replied to our request for assistance with the design and implementation of a sensory storytime with useful guidelines for organizing the storytime space, activities, and social story. A social story is a digital slideshow to introduce the library and storytime presenters to the children and families before they attend their first sensory storytime. We created our social story based on the Inclusion Collaborative’s example.5 Our social story includes photos of our storytellers, a staff nametag for easy identification of a staff member, the front exterior of our building, main entrance, book return, storytime hallway, storytime room interior, information desks, restroom, children’s department, and self-check machines. We also incorporated Inclusion Collaborative’s suggestions for seating, quiet fidget toys, and adapted storybooks to increase storytime interactions.

Staff and Volunteers

With the task force’s research complete, we (the authors), along with Carol Wagstaff and Leeann O’Malley-Schott, began to plan the details of the fall 2012 pilot. We offered the pilot program weekly, with morning and afternoon sessions on the same day. Realizing the daily demands on

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families of children with special needs, we could not predict an ideal day of the week for them. Consequently, we varied the storytime day monthly during the pilot, in order to help us determine the best day and times by surveying the parents and caregivers.  Next, we considered the staffing needs of the program. We learned from our work with ASC and DCPP that it would be ideal to have three people at each storytime: the librarian to lead the presentation and two additional staff or volunteers to assist with the parallel storybook/flannel board presentations, hand out manipulatives, and monitor the doors for safety. In order to provide ongoing continuity in our storytime, which is an important factor for those on the autism spectrum, each storytime has its assigned youth librarian presenter. Due to scheduling and budgetary restrictions, we recruited volunteers to fill the additional positions. DCL District Volunteer Services Supervisor Ali Ayres and Branch Volunteer Coordinator Kim McClintock developed and led the volunteer recruitment. We asked volunteers for a minimum six-month commitment, and to be available for a specific weekly session. We wanted them to have experience with, or a professional interest in, children with special needs so that the program would be enhanced by their understanding and skills. Ayres and McClintock contacted our library’s existing volunteers, and advertised the positions in our district’s volunteer newsletter as well as in external publications. As our district does with all volunteer applicants, the candidates underwent a background check before being accepted. Ayres’ and McClintock’s dedication to finding the best candidates resulted in the formation of a core group of twelve wonderful teens and adults, some of whom have been with the program since the pilot. Our volunteers have formed friendships with the participants, and enrich our presentations with their experience and love. Next we created a volunteer orientation to the program. With the permission of the ASC, Wagstaff developed a synopsis of their Autism 101 program. We began the orientation with this, followed by

Sensory-Enhanced Storytime at Douglas County Libraries | FEATURE

a discussion of the volunteers’ storytime tasks. Finally, we presented a portion of the storytime to demonstrate those tasks for them.

Themes, Plans, and Materials The next step was to develop the storytime themes, plans, and materials. We selected themes that are supported by numerous and well-loved storybooks, songs, and flannel stories (see figure 1). We designed a sensory storytime plan template (see figure 2) to ensure that we would offer the same opening and closing songs, bubbles, parachute, and other activities at each session. Using information from the ASC, DCPP, and Twarogowski’s blog, we then enhanced the sensory experience of our storytimes in multiple ways. To offer a richer visual experience to our audience, we read a storybook while our volunteer simultaneously engages the audience with the flannel board version of the book. The pieces of the flannel board story are placed on a portable flannel board for our participants to select and place on the easel flannel board as the story is read aloud. We made adapted storybooks and manipulatives to further engage the children. The adapted storybooks are color copies of storybooks that are laminated and put into a three-ring binder. A second set of copies is used to cut out and laminate key illustrations from the pages. Those illustrations are then attached with Velcro on top of their identical images on the pages in the binder. Prior to a storytime, we remove the Velcro-attached images from the book and place them on the flannel board. While we read the storybook, children take turns placing the images on the pages of the adapted book. We also attach laminated characters from select storybooks to large craft sticks and distribute them, allowing the audience to act out the story as it is read. A variety of movements and sounds are incorporated into our storytime as well. We sing songs that include waving, clapping, stomping, and swaying. Musical instruments such as tambourines,

sound blocks, tapping sticks, shaker eggs, and water bottles filled with rice add to the movement and sound opportunities. We move colorful scarves through the air at every storytime to the song “Shake Your Scarves” by Johnette Downing from her album The Second Line Scarf Activity Songs. Each session also includes moving a parachute up and down to the tune of songs such as “Tick-Tock.” Some children also need to walk or run around at some point during a session, which we can accommodate in our room. A selection of puppets is also an integral tool to engage our attendees. Finger puppets serve as both characters from our stories and fidgets for their hands, and the larger puppets join us on the floor where they serve as props, pillows, and cuddly friends for the children. They provide an additional sensory source as well, as the children can stroke, swing, or squeeze them. In all of these ways, puppets help our audiences participate in the storytime. We engage the children’s tactile sense with sensory balls, felt teddy bears, small beanbags, squishy paint bags, large feathers, chunky paint brushes, and other stimulating objects. For those children who enjoy scents, we pass cotton balls in plastic jars saturated with pleasant smells relating to specific stories. Bubbles from our bubble machine are included in every sensory storytime, which attract and delight many of our participants. We have found that by incorporating different sensory experiences into each storytime, we are able to engage and re-engage our diverse audiences. Another important component of sensory storytime is the visual schedule, a tool commonly used in inclusive classrooms. Wagstaff created our smiling caterpillar whose individual circles depict a different storytime activity- read a book, sing a song, bubbles, and so forth. As we complete an activity, our volunteer or an eager audience member removes that circle from the caterpillar and moves his face down to meet the next circle. The visual schedule is a reassuring element for our audiences because they are familiar with its purpose and it tells them exactly what to expect at each session. PUBLIC LIBRARIES

Figure 1. Sensory-Enhanced Storytime Themes Pilot Program • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • •

Colors Things That Go Farm Animals Mice are Nice Family Feelings Shake Your Sillies Out Dinosaurs Bathtime Bedtime Bears Yummy in My Tummy Bundle Up/Clothes Snow Friends/Penguins Under the Sea Move

Figure 2. Sensory-Enhanced Storytime Template • Hello Song • Welcome and Visual Schedule • Book or Adapted Book and Flannel/ Manipulative • Fingerplay/Nursery Rhyme • Song • Book or Adapted Book and Flannel/ Manipulative • Fingerplay/Nursery Rhyme • Scarf Song • Bubbles and Song • Parachute and Song • Goodbye Song

Resources

In order to gain a foundational understanding of the autism spectrum, and to aid in the development of our storytime plans, we consulted and recommend the following books (see figure 3). These titles are part of the wealth of information available to you to supplement what you will learn from your local Autism Society and school districts.

Still Learning

September 2013 marked our first full year of offering sensory-enhanced storytime at J A N U A R Y/ F E B R U A R Y 2 0 1 4

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Figure 3. Recommended Reading Materials The Autism Book: What Every Parent Needs to Know About Early Detection, Treatment, Recovery, and Prevention. Robert Sears, M.D. (2010) Autism Every Day: Over 150 Strategies Lived and Learned by a Professional Autism Consultant with 3 Sons On the Spectrum. Alyson Beytien (2011) The Autistic Brain: Thinking Across the Spectrum. Temple Grandin (2013) How to Talk to an Autistic Kid. Daniel Stefanski (2011) Music for Special Kids: Musical Activities, Songs, Instruments and Resources. Pamela Ott (2011) Ten Things Every Child with Autism Wishes You Knew. Ellen Notbohm (2012)

the Highlands Ranch Library. Throughout this year we have offered our storytime each Thursday (at 10:30 a.m. and 4:15 p.m.) and on the third Saturday of each month (at 10:30 a.m. and 1:30 p.m.). This schedule was, in large part, determined by the survey and in-person recommendations that we received from our participants during the pilot program. We learned that our public school district’s preschool program offers families the choice of half-day morning or afternoon classes, so it was logical for us to offer both a morning and afternoon weekday session. The times of day were likewise chosen based on our pilot audience’s suggestions. Thursday was chosen because it was the day that most attendees preferred. Additionally, because we do not have a dedicated storytime room, it is most efficient for us to set up our storytime once on Thursday morning, and offer two storytimes before putting our supplies away. Both sessions have a core group of weekly attendees and regularly attract new families who can attend because of a change in their school schedule or medical appointments. We request that the child attending storytime be signed up for each session, and patrons can register up to one month 40

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in advance. A maximum of fifteen children can register for each session. If non-registered participants arrive, we welcome them into the storytime with the request that they register in the future. No one who wants to attend is turned away. There is no registration required for those accompanying the registered children. An adult must attend with the child, but a one-to-one ratio is not necessary. We have a storytime email group that is regularly updated with new registrants. This group receives the storytime plan from us at the beginning of each week. This was requested by a mother who wants to make the storytime session more enjoyable for her child by reading the storybooks and singing the songs prior to attending. We know that this can be helpful to all of our participants, so we include this in our weekly tasks. We also email a pre-survey to families who register for the first time, and send a post-survey after they attend (see appendixes on page 42). The pre-surveys tell us how our registrants found the program and the specific needs of their children that they choose to share. The post-surveys allow them to tell us what they did and did not like about the storytime, and to make suggestions for how to improve it. With this information, we adapt our sessions to better meet their needs. Our 2013 storytime themes follow the weekly themes of our traditional storytimes. We present the theme that our traditional storytimes offered during the previous week. By following this schedule, we do not use resources needed by our traditional storytimes, while allowing us to choose from the books, flannel board stories, and songs that have already been gathered. We changed our storytime floor seating from our large rug to foam squares (approximately 18" x 18" in size) that adhere to our library carpeting with Velcro dots. This was prompted by our concern that the curled edges of the rug would be a tripping hazard. The foam squares are colorful puzzle shapes decorated with animal and plant designs and numbers. Upon arriving, the designs and numbers prompt some of the children to discuss which square they will sit on, creating im-

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mediate engagement. Of course, some children prefer their parent or caregiver’s lap or snuggling with one of our large puppets during storytime, while others bring their seating from home or remain in their wheelchairs. A volunteer passes out hand fidgets at the beginning of each session for sensory stimulation and to assist with engagement during the storytime. Some fidgets are related to the theme of the storytime or to a specific book being read, while others are provided for their calming properties, like the cooling sensation from the paint bags when placed on a cheek or forehead. When we sing everyone’s first name after our welcoming announcement, we pass a sensory ball from child to child. The sensory ball has raised nubs covering its surface for an increased tactile experience. Periodically an adult in the audience will use the sensory ball during our storytime to soothe their child by rolling it gently along the child’s back or limbs. We have found that our participants greatly enjoy storytime when we read our oversized storybooks or sing select storybooks. The oversized books enhance our audience’s visual experience and allow for easier viewing. One volunteer holds one side of a large book and helps the storyteller turn the pages. Singable books (such as Five Little Ducks, Over in the Meadow, or Today Is Monday) encourage movement with their rhythms and hand gestures and increase participation for many children. Bubbles and a parachute song conclude each storytime with smiles and laughter. Most of the children are delighted with the bubbles and they often stand under them or try to catch them as we sing a song from “The Mailbox Magazine” (see figure 4). There is much excitement as we break out the parachute and beach ball. We sing a song while everyone moves the large parachute up and down or sits under the parachute for a sensory-rich experience. The children move the parachute to try and keep the beach ball on it, and take turns retrieving it whenever it is bounced off. To encourage everyone to let go of the parachute at the end of the song, we say that we need our hands to wave as we sing our goodbye song.

Sensory-Enhanced Storytime at Douglas County Libraries | FEATURE

Parents use our program to encourage their children to participate in group activities, follow directions, and develop social and cognitive skills.

Figure 4. “Bubble Song” Lyrics Bubbles floating all around, Bubbles fat and bubbles round. Bubbles on your nose and toes, Blow a bubble, up it goes. Bubbles floating all around, Bubbles floating to the ground.

Over the past year we have heard from our participants about some of the many ways in which our storytime is useful and beneficial for them. Parents attend with children who will begin preschool in the next school year. They use our program to encourage their children to participate in group activities, follow directions, and develop social and cognitive skills. Families attend for their typically developing children to enjoy an activity with siblings who have special needs. Caregivers attend with their clients to provide them with a weekly change of environment and informal instruction at a preschool level. Medical therapists join their patients at storytime to observe them in a non-clinical setting and to understand the therapeutic benefits of the program. Parents and caregivers also appreciate the library and community information we provide, as well as the relaxing environment.

Outreach

Community outreach has been an important part of our storytime’s growth over the past year. We have created partnerships with a variety of community organizations that serve the needs of special populations. Our collaborations were initiated by DCL, by the organizations them-

selves, or through parent recommendations. As we did during the development of our storytime, we continue to partner with the ASC and the DCPP through mutual program promotion and referral. We also collaborate with the HighPointe Center, a daycare facility for young adults with developmental disabilities. They attend our weekly storytime at the library, and we present a storytime at their location once a month. Our storytime bookmarks are available at their center’s reception desk, and we offer their information on our resource table. We are also fortunate to have the STAR (Sensory Therapies and Research) Center as a local resource and collaborator. We offer their informational brochure on our storytime resource table, and they display our storytime poster in their reception area. The Highlands Ranch Community Association’s therapeutic recreation program provides classes and activities for youth with special needs, and we are pleased to have a partnership with them. Their class offerings and community events are advertised at our storytimes, and they provide information on our program in their facilities. Throughout 2014, we are planning to offer additional programs and services for the special populations in our communities. The families who attend sensory storytime have established connections with each other through our program, and we would like to help them develop a parent support group to be held at our library and therapeutic recreation centers. We will also forward to our participants relevant community information, with their permission. We encourage you to consider offering a sensory storytime program at your library.

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We have told you about how it benefits our patrons and community. What you also should know is that our two-year journey to develop and present sensory storytime has been one of the most joyful and satisfying experiences of our careers. We welcome you to join the community of libraries that present sensory storytime. Editor’s note: The authors will present “Sensory Storytime: All Differently Abled, All Ages, All Inclusive,” at 10:30 a.m. on March 15 at PLA 2014 in Indianapolis.

References 1.

American Library Association, “Code of Ethics of the American Library Association,” accessed Feb. 5, 2014, www.ala.org/advocacy/proethics /codeofethics/codeethics.

2.

Autism Society of Colorado, “Autism 101,” Aug. 16, 2013, accessed Feb. 5, 2014, http://autismcolorado.info /2013/08/autism-101.

3.

Tricia Bohanon Twarogowski, “Programming for Children with Special Needs, Part One,” ALSC Blog, June 23, 2009, accessed Feb. 5, 2014, www.alsc.ala.org/blog/2009/06 /programming-for-children-with -special-needs-part-one.

4.

Santa Clara County Office of Education, “Inclusion Collaborative,” accessed Feb. 5, 2014, www.sccoe.org /depts/students/inclusion-collaborative /Pages/default.aspx.

5.

It is posted on the sensory-enhanced storytime page of our website at http://douglascountylibraries.org /storytime/blog/announcement -sensory-enhanced-storytime.

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Appendix 1. Sensory-Enhanced Storytime Pre-Survey Thank you for your interest in attending our sensory-enhanced storytime at the Highlands Ranch Library! Please help us to make this storytime an effective and worthwhile experience by answering the following questions: Child’s Name: Age: Parent or Caregiver: Phone Number: Email Address: 1. How did you hear about our sensory-enhanced storytime? 2. Have you used any library services at the Highlands Ranch Library previously? If so, what type? 3. What challenges do you face when you visit the library? 4. We have created a Social Story on our DCL website. Do you think you will use this to orient your child to the library? 5. Are there any safety or medical concerns you have for your child that our library staff should be aware of? 6. What additional information about your child would you like us to know? We encourage you to bring any special accommodations for seating that your child may need.

Appendix 2. Sensory-Enhanced Storytime Post-Survey Thank you for attending our sensory-enhanced storytime!  In order to serve you and your child better, we would appreciate it if you would give us feedback on your experience. 1. Prior to attending our sensory-enhanced storytime, did you watch our Social Story on the DCL website?  Was this helpful for you and your child? 2. Did our sensory-enhanced storytime offer a unique and valuable experience? What did you enjoy the most about the storytime you attended? 3. How can we make this experience better? 4. Currently, our sensory-enhanced storytimes are offered on a variety of days and times.  What days and times of the week would work best for you? 5. What additional services would you like to see the library provide for your child? 6. Please share any additional thoughts or comments that you may have. Thank you so much for your feedback!

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11/30/2010 10:00:19 AM

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Babies in the Library Creating a Truly Baby-Friendly Early Literacy Play Space By Debra Knoll

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f course babies are welcome in the public library! Or are they? The benefits of a literacy-rich environment for babies and toddlers are well documented, and the library is a go-to place for families with young children.1 But the actual presence of babies and toddlers in the library creates unique challenges for everyone. We often see babies kept in restraining seats due to a lack of alternatives and, after a reasonable amount of time, they voice their complaints loudly. Often, new mothers find the idea of entering a library a bit daunting. After all, babies can be unpredictable, disruptive, and just plain noisy. Staff members are all too familiar with managing unsupervised toddlers while adult caregivers are preoccupied with computer-related tasks, and with fielding complaints from less tolerant adult patrons. The little ones themselves don’t really have a place of their own to just be themselves while in the library. These are just a few of the problems we’ve identified when considering how to truly accept and welcome babies and their caregivers in the library. As librarians, we actively strive to accommodate everyone as much as is reasonable. As children’s librarians, my colleague Kristy Spreng and I are well aware of the need to expose children as early as possible to literacy-rich environments. There seems to

About the Author DEBRA KNOLL is Children’s Librarian at Loudonville (Ohio) Public Library. Contact Debra at [email protected].

Debra is currently reading The Mouse with the Question Mark Tail by Richard Peck and The Divine Conspiracy: Rediscovering Our Hidden Life In God by Dallas Willard. 44

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be an unending creation of task forces, initiatives, and committees formed to find ways to assist families in educating their children. We wanted to take action, so we resolved to make a radical change in how we provide service to babies and their caregivers by rethinking the layout of a small section of our children’s area. We wanted to be able to point to a specific place for parents to visit, for professionals working with families to refer, and for babies to play and learn. We also wanted to take better advantage of babies’ rapidly developing social, intellectual, physical, and emotional skills, placing special emphasis on pre- and early literacy. After visiting several notable libraries whose children’s departments are award-winning and certainly on track with providing excellent service, we still didn’t find any such area. Babies’ brains are developing more rapidly in the first two years of life than at any other time.2 Most child learning initiatives, however, do not formally provide guided learning for children until about the age of three. What are we waiting for? We consulted with Dr. Kim Kiehl, designer of the “Little Kids Space” at the Center of Science and Industry (COSI) in Columbus, Ohio; other child development specialists and researchers; local school personnel; and families with babies and toddlers. We then set up a prototype play area and observed its overall use and function. At our request, the Loudonville Public Library’s (LPL) Friends group purchased an enclosed play mat large enough to hold an adult. We observed how the parents did (and did not) interact within this structure. We also noted that, although functional, it was unattractive and felt like an afterthought. The colors were too vibrant, and the interior was simply meant to enclose, not inform or enrich. As we recognized these limitations, we greatly expanded on our idea of a simple place for babies. It should be respectful of infants, neutral in color, soft and inviting, include pre- and early literacy elements, and provide a level of comfort for adults. We wanted the area to look intentional, permanent, and aesthetically pleasing. Backed by LPL’s board of trustees, administration, and staff, we called out to the community to help us fund our project. With strong financial support from several organizations, foundations, and the community at large, we hired a variety of consultants and construction specialists to help us turn our vision into reality.

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For the Babies and Toddlers Realistically, the needs of babies, toddlers, and caregivers within the library setting are quite simple. We envisioned a clean and comfortable area for both the baby and the caregiver. The area should allow the baby to move about and be free from constraints. We would need to be careful to avoid overstimulation, yet offer a space that is interesting and gently educational. And, optimally, there should be a computer for adult use and relevant parenting materials available. If these basic needs are overlooked, or haphazardly met as an afterthought, optimal library service is difficult to accomplish. As long as we were rethinking all of this, and in keeping with such initiatives as Every Child Ready to Read @ your library, the PLA/ALSC (Association for Library Service to Children) parent education initiative, we focused on fostering the development of pre- and early literacy skills. Every element in the area was carefully chosen to address these needs and goals. We removed a few pieces of furniture and turned a corner of the children’s department into an enclosed permanent play area. A padded, curved bench seat was installed to form an enclosed yet airy corner in which the baby could play. The bench allows an adult to be seated while interacting with the child, especially when the caregiver is unable to sit on the floor. A soft, padded mat covers floor and windowsill. Installed discreetly within the mat, only accessible from beneath, are three large “discovery” pockets filled with seeds, marbles, and corn. The babies encounter these tactile pockets while crawling around. This interior space is large enough to include adults as well as several babies at one time, thus supporting multiple social interactions. The padded surfaces are covered in durable hospital grade vinyl and very easy to maintain. The overall use of neutral colors is soothing and calming. And, of course, we want books! We regularly observe infants turning pages and otherwise manipulating books as objects of exploration as early as six months of age. By around eleven months, we wit-

Baby space at Loudonville (Ohio) Public Library. (Photo courtesy of LPL)

ness babies paying attention to the printed page. They actively follow an adult’s pointing finger and are lifting flaps, touching pages with intention, absorbing vocabulary words, and anticipating the next page. So, through grant funding, we purchased and housed a large selection of non-circulating interactive board books that are readily available to little hands as well as big ones. The bench also contains carefully detailed custom designed alphabet blocks mounted on compelling vertical spinners. Inviting touch, the consonant blocks are deeply engraved on two sides with upper and lower case letters, and the remaining two sides contain a picture and corresponding word. The vowel blocks are shaped like the letter itself. The artwork was chosen to reflect our geographical area. For example, we used the letter “Q” as in quail, “M” as in mosquito, and “Z” as in zucchini. Since we know that children learn words as much by shape as by letter, we boldly used lengthy words.3 The blocks promote letter awareness, visual perception, fine motor skills, eye–hand coordination, and cause and effect. We included a large mirror in the play area. Not only does the mirror introduce more light, it reflects faces, intrinsically interesting to babies. It fosters the development of self-identity.4 The inclusion of a pull-up rail supports balance and gross motor activity, and is especially helpful for children with certain forms of developPUBLIC LIBRARIES

mental delay. The placement of the mirror also reflects the color and excitement of the board books without overwhelming the area. Along the wall adjacent to the mirror, we installed three mildly interactive units. The first unit contains a simple, interchangeable, Velcro-friendly panel currently covered with a piece of white-tailed deer hide. The panel invites touch, curiosity, and conversation. It also allows us the opportunity to add a bit of diversity to the area by switching up the tactile element. The second unit is a custom-built set of colored rollers. The rollers are deeply engraved with the corresponding color word. The smooth rollers respond to touch and also help the child self-soothe. Built by local artist Colleen Sandusky, the third interactive panel is a simple device designed to engage the toddler in many ways. By pressing any of the four small panels on the board, a corresponding colored shape lights up. The four panels are defined by the color coordinated outline of left and right hands and feet, and labeled “left” and “right.” So, in the process of play, this device is teaching eye–hand coordination, cause and effect, body awareness, color, shape, handedness, peripheral exercise, and print awareness. It also subtly invites the adult to help teach these concepts.

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FEATURE | Babies in the Library

Baby space at Loudonville (Ohio) Public Library. (Photo courtesy of LPL)

For the Caregivers A frequent issue arises for parents who need to accomplish computer-related tasks at one end of the building where the “unattended” or problematic toddler doesn’t belong. We found a solution by installing a workstation. The seating is positioned so that the caregiver can face into the play area. This allows the adult to monitor play activity while conducting necessary computer tasks. The general area also includes a “mommy nursing corner” with glider rockers that are designed for the comfort of nursing mothers and safety of little children. The chairs are located in such a way that a parent can observe toddler play while nursing a new arrival. We strategically relocated the parenting magazines and books to this area of the library, making them easier to browse and access, and installed magazine racks with toddler materials within toddler reach. We found that relocating our collection of nursery rhyme books within this area caused an immediate increase in circulation. For further parent-led play, toys, puzzles, and games are also available upon request.

We Built It and They Are Coming A common frustration among librarians is how to reach those who do not currently 46

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use the library and are mostly unaware of all that we offer. These are often the people in our community who need our services the most. So, perhaps most importantly, the construction of this area sends a solid message to the generally underserved public that babies and their caregivers are respected and are deserving of public library services unique to their needs. This message of acceptance and welcome, as we are already seeing, is enticing former non-users to discover the library. And they are spreading the word! The effort to reach non-users is furthered by the work of the LPL children’s staff in collaboration with county agencies. We actively serve on the Family and Children First Council of Ashland County. Our presence on this council aligns the library with children’s service entities such as Help Me Grow, Job and Family Services, the Ashland County Health Department, and other county service agencies. These agencies are encouraging their clients to visit the library and discover the play space. Historically, children have not always been welcome in libraries. Thankfully, this type of thinking has radically shifted over the last several decades. As technology has advanced it has provided us with a deeper understanding of how babies and toddlers learn. We now know that in infancy the child is rapidly acquiring language skills, including the syntax of the written

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word. So, the earlier a child is exposed to healthy, literacy-enriching environments, the better.5 Although the idea that “children should be seen and not heard” in the library is an outdated stereotype, the reputation of “hush” in the library persists, perhaps more intensively for the traditional non-user. Parents with babies and toddlers are keenly sensitive to how unpredictable children can be in their behaviors, and to how others may react to unexpected outbursts. Creating a dedicated space for their children speaks to our acknowledgement of this normal, not-necessarily-quiet scenario and even invites it. For the staff, creating such a space helps to contain the noise, paraphernalia, and general fluster of activity, thus offering real solutions to known issues. For us, the end result has been better rapport among staff, families, and the general public. Children, babies in particular, are just developing the skills they will need in order to be readers. We should not expect them to visit the library in the same way as active readers. Instead, we should be inviting them as “do-ers” in the library. They should be presented with opportunities to engage socially, emotionally, physically, and intellectually. We also know that play is the avenue in which this happens. We envision a truly baby friendly place for every library.

For the Librarians

A common lament among professional children’s librarians is that our position is not seriously valued. Perhaps it is because children’s librarians are not expected to be educated in child development or because we have not been sufficiently advocating for ourselves. We have already seen changes in library service to babies in recent years such as providing lap-sit story times, board books, and play areas, but much more can be done. The construction of a research-based, intentional play space such as we have detailed herein can potentially move children’s libraries and librarianship significantly forward. As librarians utilizing this space, we are moving out from behind the desk and interacting more with parents. We are actively playing, modeling board book exchanges,

Babies in the Library | FEATURE

Babies should be presented with opportunities to engage socially, emotionally, physically, and intellectually. We also know that play is the avenue in which this happens.

You Are Invited

Spinning letters invite babies and toddlers to touch and learn. (Photo courtesy of LPL)

and relating with babies. Programming is changing to allow for spontaneous group activity and expanding to include such topics as making baby food, cloth diapering, and how to foster math skills in the kitchen. We are also offering more educational programming in collaboration with area agencies such as the Ohio Department of Natural Resources, the Ohio State University Extension Office, and the Ashland County Health Department.

As previously cited, researchers have long reported that most learning is accomplished within the first two years of life. Creating an aesthetically, permanent, and developmentally appropriate place for the most vulnerable and avid of learners in a public library setting is long overdue. We strongly believe that the creation and implementation of the Early Literacy Play Space brings awareness of the library as a valuable entity and welcoming place for patrons at the very beginnings of life. It puts librarians squarely in tandem with other children’s services professionals. And it meets the needs of babies and their families. Since its construction, we have been very gratified to see that the many problems we identified and the rather lofty goals we hoped to meet are beginning to be realized. We encourage you to consider crafting a similar space in your library.

References 1.

Grover J. Whitehurst and Christopher J. Lonigan, “Child Development and Emergent Literacy,” Child Development 69, no. 3 (1998): 848-72.

2.

Charles A. Nelson, Michelle de Haan, and Kathleen M. Thomas, Neuroscience of Cognitive Development: The Role of Experience and the Developing Brain (Hoboken, N.J.: John Wiley and Sons, 2006).

3.

Bernard Lete and Joel Pynet, “WordShape and Word-Lexical-Frequency Effects in Lexical-Decision and Naming Tasks,” Visual Cognition 10, no. 8 (2003): 913-49.

4.

Maria Legerstee, Diane Anderson, and Alliza Shaffer, “Five- and Eight-MonthOld Infants Recognize Their Faces and Voices as Familiar and Social Stimuli,” Child Development 69, no. 1 (1998): 37-50.

5.

Kimberly Kopko, “Research Sheds Light on How Babies Learn and Develop Language,” Cornell University, College of Human Ecology, Department of Human Development Outreach & Extension, accessed Nov. 8, 2013, www.human.cornell.edu/hd /outreach-extension/upload/casasola .pdf.

ALSC and PLA Receive Award for “Every Child Ready to Read” Initiative The Association for Library Service to Children (ALSC) and PLA are proud to announce that Every Child Ready to Read @ your library (second edition) was awarded the 2014 Opening Minds Innovation Award. ECRR is a parent education initiative that stresses that early literacy begins with the primary adults in a child’s life. It empowers public libraries to assume an essential role in supporting early literacy within their community. The Opening Minds Innovation Award honors individuals and organizations whose innovations advance the field of early childhood care and education. The award was announced on Friday, January 31, 2014, at the Opening Minds USA Conference & Expo in Chicago.“In focusing on parents and caregivers, Every Child Ready to Read is a unique initiative,” said ALSC President Starr LaTronica. “This award brings valuable recognition to the notion of outreach and quality parent education in early literacy.” PLA President Carolyn Anthony added, “We are very appreciative that this award acknowledges and reinforces the critical role of public libraries as a vital community resource for early literacy.”

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FEATURE

Technology Center Focuses on Innovation and Creativity By Mary Anne Hodel

W

hen former Orlando resident Kendrick Melrose telephoned out of the blue in August 2011 and asked what the library would do with a substantial donation, about a half a million or more, I caught my breath, ignored the half million and told him we had some really good ideas for services that we would like to offer, and would offer, if we had a million dollars. The donor wanted a space named in memory of his mother, Dorothy Lumley Melrose. What we proposed to Mr. Melrose was a daring and different plan, where no other public library has gone before with such a concerted multi-pronged effort. While a few other libraries have created digital video labs or makerspaces, no other public library has created a space with the many creative functions assembled in the Melrose Center. This project exemplifies Orange County (Fla.) Library System’s (OCLS) willingness to embrace unique new roles for a public library and its ability to live with risk-taking and be on the edge of completely new library services. By fostering and creating community content and not just serving up content from other vendors, OCLS has done something very dramatic and game changing, which other public libraries might perhaps follow. What was presented to the donor was a technology innovation and creativity space of 26,000 square feet that opened to the public in early February 2014, comprising the following areas:

About the Author

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MARY ANNE HODEL is Library Director/Chief Executive Officer at Orange County (Fla.) Library System. Contact Mary Anne at [email protected].

Mary Anne is currently reading Gulp: Adventures on the Alimentary Canal by Mary Roach. • 48

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Dorothy’s story and introduction to the Melrose Center. In the story area space, users are introduced to the functions and services available in the center, but more importantly, they are introduced to who Mrs. Melrose was, what she stood for, and how her influence has shaped the services offered. A large-scale avatar of Mrs. Melrose greets visitors to the center and tells how she is thrilled by this new OCLS space. She speaks about her life, and her commitment to education and technology. Visitors can hear the narrative from Mrs. Melrose and listen as she introduces them to library personnel, who talk about the services available in the facility and explain how easy it is to use the reservation system and the special terms of use for the facility and equipment. Visitors can also see one of her artifacts, a clock that Mr. Melrose provided, which is enclosed in a small shadowbox in the story area. Video Production Studio. The place is equipped for HDTV multi-camera production, live streaming of shows, narrative and documentaries, and YouTube-style content. It features a three camera set up, with two controlled remotely and one on tripod; an industry standard studio lighting and grip package; and a green screen that can be live chromo keyed or digitally composited in the many editing stations equipped with Adobe CS6. It’s a learning center for camera operation, lighting, audio recording, and editing, designed to allow patrons to learn by doing and to start and finish a professional-grade production. Two editing bays are also available. Audio Production Studio with a control room, vocal booth, and big space tracking room, with a ProTools HD system that has 16X16 IO and a C/24 control surface for Pro Tools HD recording, editing and mixing. Various dynamic and condenser microphones. It also has a separate editing/cueing room, separate viewing room, with space for a twenty five person choir and the editing software necessary to produce professional sound records with professional sound abatement utilized throughout the studio. There are also two individual soundproof vocal recording booths suitable for voice over and narration function. Simulation Lab features a driving simulator that can teach

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one how to drive a vehicle, with driving exercises in 200+ driving scenarios and exercises. This includes crash avoidance, night driving, and driving under the influence scenarios, with expressway, mountains, test track and driving track, crash avoidance, and adverse weather conditions. Simulator displays vehicle dynamics modeling, including compact car, midsize sedan, small SUV, large SUV, minivan, and large delivery truck. There is another simulator that can teach one how to fly a fixed wing aircraft, using full cockpit displays, panoramic views, and surround sound to give a realistic audio experience. It has approach training for most every airfield on the planet, with the airfields geographically and topographically correct. Users can follow a flight plan and are able to train for visual flight rules, instrument flight rules, and GPS flight plans, as well as fly instrument landing system approaches. A third simulator features a construction excavator that scoops up materials and moves it to another site in a simulated environment. A fourth simulator demonstrates how to use a forklift. The Learning Classroom next to the Simulation Lab is equipped to teach the aspects of simulation creation with particular emphasis on learning and using underlying math concepts of geometry, algebra, kinetics, and physics to create simulation scenarios. Fab Lab where participants can learn how to program on a raspberry pi, configure arduinos, make jewelry, create their own 3D printed objects, learn electronic circuitry, make snapbots, and learn the software needed to create the digital files to create these objects. Classes are currently offered in Introduction to Radio Electronics using Snap Circuits; Introduction to Electronic Prototyping Using Arduinos; Adobe Photoshop; Introduc-

First Nail Ceremony held June 12, 2013, at Orange County Library System’s (OCLS) Dorothy Lumley Melrose Center. (Photo courtesy of OCLS)

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tion to Computer Programming; Introduction to Mobile Web App Development; 123 Design; InDesign, teaching layouts and formats in digital publishing; Adobe Illustrator; Adobe Premier; and Adobe Audition. Photography Studio where users can photograph their favorite models, or objects to sell on eBay, or create the photographs to accompany their graphic designs or video commercials shot in the Video Production Studio, along with the graphical design digital software. It is outfitted with a light box, Canon T51 Digital SLR Camera with tripod, monolight strobe softbox, flash boom lighting, muslin background, and portable green/ blue screen. Tech Central where residents can attend live presentations about digital designs, creative projects, and entrepreneurship efforts launched and perfected in the Melrose Center for Technology, Innovation & Creativity. Conference Room (equipped with teleconferencing capability featuring two 80-inch display screens, sound system, and Internet connection) that is also available for renting out to local groups. Interactive Media Wall featuring PUBLIC LIBRARIES

digital screens where users of the center can display project designs on a thirteen-foot surface, as well as share and collaborate on their projects created in the center.

The Gift

After Mr. Melrose reviewed suggestions for a possible space named for his mother and the concept of how the space would be used, he chose the west side of the second floor of the Main Library. The close proximity of the hands-on technology classrooms and the public computer space clinched the selection for him, due to the steady stream of visitors to that area. Once Mr. Melrose accepted the space, he signed a letter of intent to donate the money to the library in March 2012. Preparations were made to present the ideas to the board. In April 2012, a formal check ceremony was held after hours, with many of Mr. Melrose’s former high school mates in attendance. A legal agreement was drawn up and signed by both the library board and Mr. Melrose in May 2012, spelling out the commitment the library was making to him and for how long a time the space would remain named for Mrs. Melrose. In turn, Mr. Melrose agreed to the two-part gift spanning two fiscal years. The first $500,000 check was received in June 2012 from the Kendrick B. Melrose Family Foundation and the second in October 2012. A First Nail Ceremony was J A N U A R Y/ F E B R U A R Y 2 0 1 4

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held on June 12, 2013. Periodic updates and presentations on the progress of the center were made to the board.

Planning and Implementation Focus groups from the public were invited from the various creative segments of the community to give the library input. The facilitated sessions with invitees brought forth ideas, potential concerns, perceived conflicts, and suggestions. A blog was set up for the public to provide ideas and to share progress on the center. Addressing employees at each quarterly branch meeting and at Main Library staff meetings, the director explained how the gift came to be given and elicited suggestions about the services to be offered, as well as how to improve on the focus-group concepts. Many staff members indicated, even at this early stage, that they were quite interested in being a part of this and learning the new technology and definitely wanted to help provide these new services. A request for proposal (RFP) was advertised to find local creative firms to help the library flesh out the ideas and bring forth a concept that could be used to advertise for architectural and construction bids. The local team of FX Group/Design Island was awarded the bid as digital media consultants in May 2012 and worked with library administration to create the concept paper that would form the basis of the delineation of services. This white paper became part of the RFP to seek architectural services to redesign the current space of 26,000 square feet and create an edgy feel in the space. The design team of HKS Architects and TLC Engineering submitted the winning bid and were awarded the architectural services contract in December 2012. The Library Board awarded the construction manager contract to Skanska in February 2013. The design and specification work began in January 2013. The board approved the guaranteed maximum price of $1,311,820 with Skanska in June 2013. Construction of the space by Skanska started in summer 2013 and was completed in January 2014. The initial cost of the project was estimated in 2012 to be $2,000,000, to be split 50

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between two library fiscal years. With a delay in the permitting, the majority of the construction costs fell into the FY2013 budget. Total budget approved by the board for the project was $2,500,000, with the interactive screen addition added later to the project at an additional cost of $215,000. It was decided to purchase the products on the Florida State contract, when possible, to enable our money to go further.

Staffing

Project management and implementation of the Melrose Center was given to Debbie Moss, OCLS assistant director and head of the Technical Support Division. The center was aligned administratively with the Technical Education Center (TEC) due to the similarity of staff roles and the technical classes already being offered to the public by the TEC staff. TEC Manager Ormilla Vengersammy was named manager of the Melrose Center. Ann Collins became the assistant manager under Vengersammy. The team immediately looked into the various software options commercially available for the different labs, using the guidance of TLC Engineering’s recommendations. The team chose to go with open-source software, where available, with the Adobe Creative Suite 6 Master Collection as the standard package that staff would teach. Copies were ordered and staff began learning the software in preparation for teaching in a few months. Vengersammy and Collins immediately started reaching out to the community, briefing the project to Full Sail University, Valencia Community College, University of Central Florida, DeVry, ITT Technical Institute, the Downtown Development Board, the Downtown Orlando Partnership, and Orange County Public Schools (OCPS); meetings were also held with OCPS administrative staff, school board, and local organizations such as Girl Scouts, YMCA, and homeschoolers’ groups. The managers and staff have continued to reach out to community groups throughout the construction process to recruit volunteers for the space and to spread the word about the coming Melrose Center.

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New Software and Equipment Classes Training classes were already a big part of OCLS’s public services, accounting for more than 13,600 classes in the 2013 fiscal year. The system currently averages 1,200 classes a month, the vast majority of them hands-on, and many given in Spanish and some in Haitian Creole, as well as English. There are such “untypical for a library” offerings as Advanced Image Editing using GIMP, Understanding Computer Networking Concepts, Cloud Computing, HTML5, Microsoft Visio Fundamentals, and Preparing to Become A Microsoft Office Specialist (MOS), among others. In planning for the rollout of the Melrose Center, more classes for the public were developed that would feed into the services the Melrose Center was already offering. The additional classes featured Basic Electricity Using Snap Circuits and Basic Engineering Using K’nex to stimulate STEM learning in children. These products were introduced to all branch staff at hands-on meetings and toolkits were subsequently purchased for branches to facilitate handson programs for children and their families. These STEM-oriented classes have been given on a periodic basis by branch personnel at all of our facilities across the 1,000 square miles of our library district. By November 2013, OCLS was already offering hands on courses in Autodesk 1-23-D to create designs for the 3D printer; Adobe Dreamweaver for creating professional looking websites for graphical user interface; Adobe InDesign to create layouts for prints and digital publishing; Adobe Illustrator to create vector images for publishing; Adobe Premiere to edit, split and trim video clips; and Adobe Audition to edit, arrange, and mix audio clips. Design and Print Your Own Custom Cookie Cutters Using the 3D Printer, Introduction to Radio Electronics Using Snap Circuits, Introduction to Electronics Prototyping Using the Arduino, and Adobe After Effects were offered to the public in December 2013.

Access Policies

Because the Melrose Center featured extremely expensive equipment, and because

Technology Center Focuses on Innovation and Creativity | FEATURE

Preparing for videotaping in front of the green screen. (photo courtesy of OCLS)

of the complexity of the software needed to be learned in advance of using most of the equipment, the library decided to control access to this very special space to those who can establish competency or who already knew the software and how to use the equipment. Competency can be established through attendance at the specialized classes or instructional sessions in the use of the equipment or through successful passing of a quick assessment administered by staff. A special one-hour session on the unique rules governing the Melrose Center spaces and equipment would need to be attended and an electronic signature obtained that verified the user was agreeing to abide by all the rules of conduct for the center. The signed agreements and the competencies a customer established would be recorded in the integrated library system’s customer database, where all staff would have easy access to the competencies a customer had earned or established. Casual entrance to the center is not allowed, with the exception of open public events (such as periodic group visitor tours or speaker presentations in the presentation area). A staff desk is positioned just inside the entrance for this purpose. Violation of the rules of the center are grounds for terminating privileges to the center for one year, or up to three, based on the severity of the offense. The center is available to use for anyone with a valid OCLS library card, under the competency requirements. For those not living in our district, a fee-based structure was established for out-of-district residents. The same competency requirements for entrance to the Melrose Center still apply. After-hours access to the center is a feature that the library staff thinks would be desired. We

would like to offer this service, but it has not yet been fully costed out nor presented and approved by the Board of Trustees. Much thought has been given to these special access policies and they could be modified in time, as our circumstances and our experiences with customers and their interactions with the center evolve.

Before Opening

Construction was completed by January 2014 and the month-long “shake down period” began. During this month, staff from branch locations and other departments had opportunities to test out equipment, learn the appropriate software, and become familiar with the offerings and capabilities of the center. In this way, they will be able to help promote the center to their local customers. Pre-opening special tours for dignitaries, VIPs, and Friends of the Library Board members are planned.

Marketing of the Center

Finally, we needed to introduce the Center to the community. To that end, a logo was developed by a local graphic design studio, Lure. A marketing plan was created by OCLS Community Relations Administrator Tracy Zampaglione, with input from library trustee Herman Tagliani. The aim of the marketing plan is to introduce the Melrose Center brand, build awareness, create buzz, and attract new users to the library and the Center. OCLS plans to use its own media, including our newsletter Books and Beyond, our website, announcements during OCLS classes and programs, outside banners, and posters at all locations to promote the Melrose Center. We also will be using Facebook, Twitter, Pinterest, email blasts, blogs, promoted posts, and other social media to share details about the center with the community and build excitement. We are also planning to use print media, online ads, and back-of-the-bus ads. In addition to all of this, we are creating t-shirts and flashing badges with the Melrose logo for all library staff to wear.

Gala and Grand Opening

the Library was held on February 7. This ticketed event featured hands-on opportunities for invited guests. The gala was sponsored by the University of Central Florida. The center opened to the public on February 8 with state and local dignitaries in attendance. There were demonstrations of the equipment and software for the attendees.

Melrose-ing the Branches

OCLS’s challenge for the future remains how to keep the Melrose Center fresh and up-to-date with the current versions of the software and technology. Systemwide, OCLS needs to address how to incorporate the successes and extend the availability of the services provided in the Melrose Center to the smaller spaces of the fourteen branches of OCLS.

Giving Thanks

OCLS is extremely indebted to Mr. Melrose and the Kendrick B. Melrose Family Foundation for making the Melrose Center possible. Without his gift, none of the services would have been possible. The expert advice, questions, and ideas generated by members of the Board of Trustees added much to the success of the project. The library’s administrative team, managers, and staff all made significant contributions to the success of the Melrose Center and without their scrutiny, suggestions, and comments, it would be much less than it is today. The initial help from FX Group and Design Island got us started on the road to defining the concept of the center. The expert advice and guidance of HKS Architects, TLC Engineering, Skanska USA, and Empire Office kept us from losing focus and staying the course to completion. And the fantastic media wall and avatar made possible by the combined talents of EdgeFactory, LMG, and TLC brought Mrs. Melrose to life for all of us. Together, all of these groups have made possible a wonderful place for the greater Orlando community to learn new skills and technology, pursue new creative opportunities, and experience collective and individual innovation.

The center opened in early February 2014. A fundraiser sponsored by the Friends of PUBLIC LIBRARIES

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By the Book

Contributing Editor CATHY HAKALA-AUSPERK is Executive Director of the Northeast Ohio Regional Library System and the owner of Libraries Thrive Consulting.

If you’d like to write a review or if there’s a new book you’d like to see reviewed here, please contact Cathy at chakalaausperk @gmail.com. Cathy is currently reading the Cork O’Connor Mystery Series by William Kent Krueger.

Editor’s note: Public Library Association policy dictates that PLA publications not be reviewed in this column. Notice of new publications from PLA will generally be found in the PLA News section of Public Libraries.

By the Book reviews professional development materials of potential interest to public librarians, trustees, and others involved in library service. Using Social Media in Libraries: Best Practices Edited By Charles Harmon and Michael Messina / Lanham, Md.: Scarecrow Press, 2013 102p. / $45 / ISBN-10: 081-0887-541; ISBN 13: 9780810887541 / LC: 2012044728

What is the purpose of social media in libraries? The most valuable takeaway from Using Social Media in Libraries: Best Practices is the range of views on this matter, rightly considered in an era of shrinking staff and budgets. To market the latest acquisitions, to serve as another vehicle for reference, to act as a public relations vehicle, to be an archive of the library’s events—these are some objectives cited by the contributors and which can be catalysts for starting a discussion at your library. The subtitle “Best Practices” is a misnomer. Using Social Media in Libraries is a compilation of descriptions and commentaries by librarians about their institutions’ forays into the brave—and no longer so new—world of social media. Libraries covered include public, undergraduate, and a university hospital system. Chapters vary in tone and content, shifting from academic prose to a casual recollection to dry technical narrative. Sometimes there is a useful tip or resource mentioned. By no fault of the authors, social media by its nature is constantly evolving, and the tools of today may not be those of tomorrow. None of the cases described here are longitudinal in scope; their durations are generally two years or less, and sometimes still in the pilot stage. Additionally, the practical how-to and step-by-step tips that would be valuable to librarians on a limited budget are not to be found. Thus, while this book gives a glimpse of how social media technologies are being used (and not necessarily successfully or effectively) in different libraries, it is not overly helpful in crafting pertinent strategies or best practices.—Rebecca Kennedy, Adult Services Librarian, Seattle Public Library

E-Learning in Libraries: Best Practices Edited by Charles Harmon and Michael Messina / Lanham, Md.: Scarecrow Press, 2013 134p. / $45 / ISBN-10:081-0887-503; ISBN-13:9780810887503 / LC: 2012043420

Following an introduction that defines e-learning as a broad term encompassing the use of technology in all kinds of formats and settings, this book goes on to describe nine case studies of library e-learning projects. Three of the case studies highlight how academic libraries are tackling information literacy instruction through online classes and platforms. These ranged from adapting existing literacy instruction classes to online versions, to providing open-source software that can be shared and improved by the libraries using it, to how online literacy instruction at community colleges might help to improve the critical thinking skills of under-prepared students. The latter, however, seems to highlight the hurdles involved rather than best practices when at the conclusion plans for follow-up and further investigation had to be abandoned. 52

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VOLUME 53, NUMBER 1

By the Book

A chapter focusing on video e-learning applies the success of YouTube in capturing the attention of young adults to the literacy instruction model. While this intuitively seems like a good idea, the author has yet to complete or assess her project. More useful is the chapter on screen casting, which includes many practical suggestions for possible uses as well as information on how to begin. For libraries just starting to use video instruction, this chapter provides excellent resources, while those libraries looking for the next step would be better served by the chapter on streaming live-action videos. Two more chapters focus on e-learning for other audiences: (1) as a platform for distance training of librarians and (2) as a promotional tool to market library services to professors. A final chapter looks at the progression of e-learning with specific content (Holocaust studies) from online lesson plans to using iPads and Moodle. As a public librarian looking to incorporate e-learning into our services, I was disappointed by the lack of examples in those settings. Clearly, every example will not be practical for adaptation at every library. Still, the variety of projects ensures that the book would be a useful purchase for librarians seeking inspiration and direction.—Cynthia Bermudez, Service Area Manager, MiamiDade (Fla.) Public Library System

Developing Community-Led Public Library Services: Evidence from the UK and Canada By John Pateman and Ken Williment Burlington, Vt.: Ashgate, 2013 / 243p. / $79.95 ISBN-10: 1409442063; ISBN-13: 978-1409442066 LC: 2012034187

Believing that citizens possess expert knowledge about the needs of specific groups and communities, the authors have provided a valuable guide to involving citizens in planning needs-based public library services. The philosophy and approaches presented herein result from

extensive involvement in two projects. Open to All? (OTA?) assessed British public libraries’ attempts to provide services to excluded individuals and groups and explored focusing services on disenfranchised segments of society. Its recommendations and suggestions for change “had a significant impact on national public library policy and strategy [and] influenced library practice across the UK” (p.10-11). OTA? inspired Canada’s Working Together Project (WTP) (p.12), which used “a community development approach to build connections with socially excluded communities and individuals,” to “identify and investigate systemic barriers to library use,” and to “break the barriers by influencing internal policy and procedural changes” (p.13). The authors consider the resulting “universal service planning model” which libraries can (and should) adapt for local communities and libraries (p.16) most significant among its many valuable experiences and accomplishments. Developing Community-Led Public Library Services combines recommendations of OTA? and experiences and lessons learned during WTP. It compares the new planning model (staff and community members select and plan library services) with the traditional model (planning by staff) and instructs readers in benefits and specifics of community-led planning. Chapters follow a similar format: recommendations from OTA?; discussion of past UK library policy and practice regarding social exclusion; and findings and discussion of WTP’s community-led service philosophy. Each chapter’s “Helpful Hints” and the syntheses of recommendations and lessons learned contained in the final chapters, “The Community-Led Library Service: A Blueprint for Change” and “A Roadmap towards the Community-Led Library Service,” are especially helpful, as is Community-Led Libraries Toolkit. Developing Community-Led Public Library Services includes thought-provoking, consciousness-raising discussion and practical methods for involving members of disenfranchised groups, other non-users, and present library users. The book also offers valuable guidance in integrating and sustaining needs-based, PUBLIC LIBRARIES

community-led approaches to planning and delivering library services.—Annabel K. Stephens, Associate Professor Amerita, School of Libraries and Information Studies, University of Alabama

Implementing Virtual Reference Service: A LITA Guide Edited by Beth C. Thomsett-Scott Chicago: ALA TechSource, 2013 / 152p. / $70 ISBN-10: 1555708994; ISBN-13: 978-1-55570-899-3 LC: 2012042317

The actual scenario of virtual reference looks like a mosaic of tools, from simple webpages to Second Life. Each one has its own strengths and weaknesses. This volume adopts a 360-degree approach towards the topic and this makes it very informative, because it contains not only tips on technology, but also on staffing, training, marketing, and evaluation. Practical information that is usually internal to organizations is sometimes reported. This book is a collection of case studies from the public and academic sector, but also from nationwide multi-type partnerships. The mix is well-balanced, though, and, except for a few cases, most success stories from the academic sector seem transferable to public libraries. Web 2.0 is transforming reference services and this is widely considered. Chapter two is entirely about Twitter. Challenges in software selection are addressed with an overview of the software industry and with descriptions of the adoption of specific aggregators, which manage instant and text messaging, offering widgets on the website and chat transcriptions. A couple of chapters are dedicated to the benefits and downsides of cooperative experiences in Illinois and Colorado. A valuable book, enriched by illustrations and suggested readings for further explorations.—Corrado Di Tillio, Services Manager and Southeast Area Coordinator, Roma Capitale – Istituzione Biblioteche (Italy) J A N U A R Y/ F E B R U A R Y 2 0 1 4

53

New Product News

Contributing Editor HEATHER TEYSKO is Assistant Director of Innovation and Development and Contributing Editor TANYA NOVAK is Member Services and Outreach Manager for Califa, a nonprofit membership cooperative serving libraries in California.

Contact Heather at hteysko@ califa.org. Contact Tanya at [email protected].

Heather is currently reading Winter King: Henry VII and the Dawn of Tudor England by Thomas Penn. Tanya is currently reading The Age of Wonder: The Romantic Generation and the Discovery of the Beauty and Terror of Science by Richard Holmes.

54

PUBLIC LIBRARIES

New Product News delves into the world of library vendors and products to find the standouts that combine innovation and quality.

A New Take on New Products

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elcome to our first New Product News column, where in each and every issue we will delve into the world of library vendors and products to find the standouts that combine innovation and quality.

Mango Languages

Have you ever watched a foreign film, and thought that would be a cool way to learn a language? Well, Mango Languages did just that. They’ve been promoting it for a while, but it’s finally available. They’ve taken the structure and features of their learning courses and applied it to films. Best of all, it’s very adaptable to your needs. If you just want to watch a foreign film, if you are somewhat familiar with a language and just need a little help, or if you don’t understand the language at all and want to learn the language from the film, Mango Première lets you customize your movie experience. You have the ability to watch a movie in two modes, movie and engage. In movie mode you can watch the movie in its entirety like you would any film, and if you like, you can select subtitles in English, the film’s language, or both. Engage mode is very much like their courses. The movie is broken down into scenes and the dialog is taught part by part. There are five steps to this learning process: (1) scene introduction, (2) view scene, (3) scene follow-up, (4) scene replay and (5) scene completion. Scene introduction provides an overview of what is going on in the scene. Key sections of the scene are highlighted and Mango uses its color mapping feature that not only helps with the translation but also teaches grammar and sentence structure. Next is a list of words you will encounter in the scene. The list of words and the color mapping are completely interactive—you get the translation, a phonetic pop-up, and audio. Next you view the scene in “scene follow-up” where they use dialog from the film and then break it down into sections. You do not have to go section by section if you are more advanced, but can choose only the sections you did not understand. Like their courses, each section is broken down word by word and you are quizzed to see if you remember a word and can put words together. You then watch the scene again and finally you have the option to re-watch the scene or move on to the next scene. This looks like an exciting and fun way to learn a language. There are currently sixteen films and four more to be released this year. They are available in English for Spanish speakers, French, German, Italian, Japanese, Mandarin, and Spanish. In addition to the new Mango product, there are several other vendors offering products for patrons who put “learn a language” at the top of their list of 2014 New Year’s resolutions. If you’re looking for a language learning product, be sure to evaluate Gale’s Powerspeak, Pronunciator (created by a librarian), Transparent Languages, and

VOLUME 53, NUMBER 1

New Product News

Rocket Languages from Library Ideas. The ever formidable Rosetta Stone appears to be making a comeback in the library world with their recent purchase of Live Mocha, but based on our experience in our consortium, they are still working out the details of their offerings to libraries.

Hoopla

In addition to foreign films, there are a host of new entertainment products being marketed to libraries now. One of the new bright lights is hoopla (www.hoopladigital .com), a service being offered from Midwest Tape. Best used through the app, once a user authenticates and creates an account, he or she may check out music, e-audiobooks, television shows, and films. The model is unlimited simultaneous usage. The library pays for each checkout, and there are different ways to limit the number of checkouts and put budget caps in place. They have a wide variety of new releases, and they are still working to acquire more content. I currently have four e-audiobooks checked out to listen to on some upcoming flights and road trips— ones with holds on other services, but that I could check out immediately on hoopla. There is no platform fee for hoopla, but they do ask for a “good faith deposit,” though all of the money put on deposit goes towards content.

Peek-A-Book

Entertainment products for kids can be tricky, especially when you want to encourage them to read and love books. Peek-ABook (http://peek-a-book.com) is a cool product for children that essentially creates book “trailers” that entertain, inspiring kids to read and discover new books, while teaching them where to find the titles. They have several different models, including a kiosk or a tablet version, but they all revolve around the same principle. Books are reviewed in a fun and engaging way, so that the children watching the trailers will be drawn into the story and want to read the book right away. New book talks are

Peek-A-Book end cap. added monthly, and subscribers have access to the full list of book talks.

Enki Library

Because people start out the New Year with thoughts of innovation and plans for new developments, we wanted to share information about the development of our own library-created e-book platform, Enki (www.enkilibrary.org), which we created in partnership with Contra Costa County (Calif.) Library (CCCL). Named after a Sumerian deity of mischief and intelligence, we created Enki so we could have ownership of both our platform, as well as the e-books that we placed on it. The service went live in May 2013 with CCCL and San Francisco Public Library, and to date there are nearly thirty Califa members up and running on the platform. We currently have a shared collection of nearly 20,000 items in which the libraries are participating. The publishers represented have all agreed to ownership of files rather than a lease, and include some great names such as F+W Media, Workman, Independent Publishers Group, McGraw Hill, Smashwords, and University of California Press, among others. As word gets out, each week we are approached by more publishers wishing to make their titles available on our platform, and we are

PUBLIC LIBRARIES

incredibly proud of the collection that we have put together. The platform works similarly to the other products out there. A patron may view the titles and read a synopsis, but in order to check out a title they need to log in and be authenticated with their library card. Once there, they may view their account, read titles online (useful for titles such as recipe books, where they may not wish to download the whole book, but just bring their tablet into the kitchen while cooking), return titles they are finished with, and place holds. We are providing participating libraries with a series of reports which, in addition to circulation information, include the most popular titles and most popular searches (romance, fiction, and cats). Many times librarians ask what the point of “another platform” is; it can get lost in talk of publishers and features and holds ratios. But the point of Enki is that right now patrons with new holiday gifted e-readers are checking out consortiumowned titles on a consortium-owned platform, and we think that’s pretty cool. Califa/CCCL aren’t the only folks building an e-book platform to host owned titles, though. We took inspiration from Douglas County (Colo.) Libraries, which pioneered e-book ownership in 2012. There are several other consortia building their own platforms and other statewide groups are piloting a hybrid approach, using vendors to host owned content. So the chances are that your library will soon have a chance to experiment with one of these projects, and I’d encourage you to start to get involved, and learn about the issues surrounding e-book and platform ownership. What these groups are doing is providing something beyond “just another” e-book platform! We’re trawling the exhibits floor at ALA Midwinter Meeting in Philadelphia to find the coolest new products to add to your wishlist, and will report next time on our new discoveries. Until then, if you have a product you’ve discovered, let us know!

J A N U A R Y/ F E B R U A R Y 2 0 1 4

55

Under the Radar

Under the Radar is where you’ll find books, movies, and other media of note that might not be getting tons of publicity, but your patrons are sure to be interested in.

The Reading Innovation

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ong before technology became synonymous with innovation, librarians observed the process in books. Perhaps there is no profession more innovative than that of storyteller. As readers, we’re always delighted with a wholly original story peopled with unique characters in heretofore-unknown places. How much more marvelous is it when an author takes a recognizable tale or character and adds an inventive twist? We get the benefit of two stories in one—the original tale we know and love with an added layer of creativity. Look for the innovation in the stories, songs, films, and television shows below. Shakespeare has been inspiring writers for years. In Marina Warner’s Indigo (Simon & Schuster, 1992), the tale of Prospero and his magical island is reworked and told from the viewpoints of three women spanning three hundred years. On a seventeenth-century Caribbean island, Sycorax rescues a baby who grows up to be Caliban. In twentieth-century London, two sisters return to the Caribbean island of their heritage to restore their family fortune and succumb to the family tragedies. Warner’s magical language enhances this creative retelling of a Shakespearean fantasy. Greek myths are also rich in inspiration for Marion Zimmer Bradley with Firebrand (Roc, 2003) and Madeline Miller’s The Song of Achilles (Ecco, 2012). The Trojan War story is dropped in a literary kaleidoscope and turned into two colorful distinctive novels. Bradley offers up a feminist twist to the tale of doomsayer Kassandra and her twin, Paris. Kassandra gets a happier ending in Bradley’s version than Homer’s. Miller sticks to the mythological facts with her lively adaptation. It’s a testament to an author’s writing prowess when an oft-told tale carries an element of surprise in the retelling. Fast forward into the realm of science fiction and H. Beam Piper’s beloved classic, Little Fuzzy (Ace, 1962). Forward some more to John Scalzi’s witty update, Fuzzy Nation (Tor, 2011), a hipper, more layered version of the classic (and, some readers may argue, better). Hillary Jordan ventures into futuristic territory with When She Woke (Algonquin, 2011), her deftly veiled reimagining of The Scarlet Letter. When Hannah wakes, she discovers she is a Red, a punishment that turns her skin scarlet and shows the world she is a convicted murderer. A heart-stopping story with details that ring true enough to almost classify this dystopian novel as horror. Hollywood loves to mine the classics for contemporary film fodder and sometimes they get it right. Joss Whedon’s modern take on a beloved Shakespeare play, Much Ado About Nothing (2012), 56

PUBLIC LIBRARIES

VOLUME 53, NUMBER 1

becomes a classic in its own right. The twenty-first century is a great place to set this sexy, sizzling quipfest between screwball comedy’s godparents, Beatrice and Benedick. Baz Luhrmann drops Romeo + Juliet (1996) in a gang-infested California beach town and the result is a film that pulses and thrums like the heavy bass line in an ’80s hair band music video. Look to cable network FX’s Sons of Anarchy, a Hamlet-driven biker soap, for the kind of blood, gore, and betrayal the Bard could only dream of. Need a playlist of musical updates? That’s easy. The Man in Black, Johnny Cash, saw his greatest hit, “Ring of Fire,” get a punked-out version in 1990 from Social Distortion and then returned the musical favor in 2002 with his gut-wrenching version of the Nine Inch Nails song, “Hurt.” And if you’ve never heard Gloria Jones’ original cut of “Tainted Love” it’s because you’re infatuated with the compulsively hummable 1981 synth-pop remake from Soft Cell. Everything old is new again. How retro is that?

Contributing Editor KAITE MEDIATORE STOVER (left) is Director of Readers’ Services at Kansas City (Mo.) Library. Contributing Editor JESSICA MOYER (right) is Assistant Professor, School of Information Studies, at the University of WisconsinMilwaukee. Contact Kaite at [email protected]; contact Jessica at [email protected].

Kaite is currently reading The Storied Life of A.J. Fikry by Gabrielle Zevin and listening to This is the Story of a Happy Marriage written and narrated by Ann Patchett. Jessica is currently reading The Thousand Names: Book One of The Shadow Campaigns by Django Wexler and listening to Murder and Mendelssohn by Kerry Greenwood, narrated by Stephanie Daniel.

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