United for Libraries to partner on ‘Summer Scares’ reading program

United for Libraries to partner on ‘Summer Scares’ reading program

BRYN MAWR, Pennsylvania — The Horror Writers Association (HWA) is developing a “Summer Scares” reading program that will provide libraries and schools with an annual list of recommended horror titles for adult, young adult (teen), and middle grade readers. The goal is to introduce new authors and help librarians start conversations with readers that will extend beyond the books from each list and promote reading for years to come.

HWA is partnering with United for Libraries, Book Riot, and Library Journal/School Library Journal on “Summer Scares.” 

Award-winning author Grady Hendrix and a committee of four librarians will be selecting three recommended fiction titles in each of three reading levels— Middle Grade, Teen, and Adult— for a total of nine “Summer Scares” selections. The goal of the program is to encourage a national conversation about the entire horror genre, across all age levels, at libraries all over the country and ultimately get more adults, teens, and children interested in reading. Official “Summer Scares” designated authors will also be making themselves available to appear, either virtually or in person, at public and school libraries all over the country, for free.

“Horror is one of those genres that is incredibly popular,” Grady Hendrix says. “But people look at you funny when you say you like reading horror. We want to use this opportunity to showcase the best of what’s out there today. These stories won’t just scare readers, but they’ll make them laugh, make them cry, and make them cringe. There’s more to horror than just saying ‘boo’.”

The committee’s final selections will be announced on February 14, 2019— National Library Lover’s Day. Some or all of the authors of those titles will appear on a panel to kick off “Summer Scares” at Librarian’s Day during StokerCon 2019 on May 10, 2019, in Grand Rapids, Mich.

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Reading motivation examined in new School Library Research article

Reading motivation examined in new School Library Research article

CHICAGO – New research published in the American Association of School Librarians’ (AASL) peer-reviewed online journal, School Library Research (SLR), reports the findings of two case studies focused on student reading motivation. SLR promotes and publishes high-quality original research concerning the management, implementation and evaluation of school library programs. Articles can be accessed for free at www.ala.org/aasl/slr.

Natalie Hoyle Ross, a library media center director at Spring Brook Elementary School, focused her research on school librarians’ perceived value of one children’s choice award––the Bluestem Award––and its effect on school librarians’ promotions and student behavior in the school library. To conduct her research, Ross completed a qualitative collective case study and single case study and collected data from site visits, questionnaires, book availability, book circulation and voting ballots.

Ross shares her findings in “Sparking Reading Motivation with the Bluestem: School Librarians’ Role with a Children’s Choice Award.” Results suggest that school librarians’ perceived value of the Bluestem was essential for their promotion of the award. When school librarians purchased multiple copies of Bluestem Award books and promotional material and combined these items with increased personal interaction with learners, reading motivation increased.

School Library Research (ISSN: 2165-1019) is the successor to School Library Media Research (ISSN: 1523-4320) and School Library Media Quarterly Online. The journal is peer-reviewed, indexed by H. W. Wilson’s Library Literature and by the ERIC Clearinghouse on Information & Technology and continues to welcome manuscripts that focus on high-quality original research concerning the management, implementation and evaluation of school library programs.

The American Association of School Librarians, www.aasl.org, a division of the American Library Association (ALA), empowers leaders to transform teaching and learning.

New eCourse bundle: Working with Children of All Ages

New eCourse bundle: Working with Children of All Ages

Chicago—ALA Publishing eLearning Solutions announces a new eCourse bundle, Working with Children of All Ages. R. Lynn Baker and Brooke Newberry will serve as the instructors for three, 4-week eCourses starting on Monday, September 10, 2018.

Save 20% when you purchase the bundle!

When you work in youth services, you’re serving a large community of users—from babies and toddlers to preteens. Children of different ages have different needs and perspectives and require different types of expertise. If you want to learn a practical approach to working with children of all ages, our new eCourse bundle is for you. Over a three-month period, you will work closely with expert instructors that will take you from creating baby storytimes all the way through to readers’ advisory for grade-school kids. Courses included in this bundle are

Creating Meaningful Programs for Infants and Caregivers with R. Lynn Baker – 4-week eCourse; begins Sept. 10, 2018

Early care expert and education trainer R. Lynn Baker’s teaches you how to create a school readiness program that prepares children for a successful transition into kindergarten.

Planning Programs and Services for Toddlers and Preschoolers with Brooke Newberry – 4-week eCourse; begins October 8, 2018

In this course, learn the basics of storytime and programming, best practices for serving children ages 2-5, how to build a strong collection, and the basics of child development for toddlers and preschoolers.

Practical Library Services for Grade School Kids (Kindergarten through second Grade) with R. Lynn Baker – 4-week eCourse; begins Nov. 5, 2018

Learn how to create intentional, literacy-based programs for children in kindergarten through second grade.

By participating in this group of three courses, you’ll earn a Certificate of Professional Development in Childhood Development and gain a broad set of skills that will serve you throughout your career.

You can purchase for these eCourses individually or as a bundle.

eCourse outline

Creating Meaningful Programs for Infants and Caregivers with R. Lynn Baker. Starts Monday, September 10, 2018

  • Week 1: Infant Development—Birth through 18 months
  • Week 2: Choosing Interactive Activities for Infants and Caregivers
  • Week 3: Choosing Developmentally Appropriate Books for Babies
  • Week 4: Creating an Effective Program Plan for Your Infant-Caregiver Program

Planning Programs and Services for Toddlers and Preschoolers with Brooke Newberry, Starts Monday, October 8, 2018

  • Week 1: Child Development for toddlers and preschoolers
  • Week 2: Storytime
  • Week 3: Beyond Storytime
  • Week 4: Collection Development

Practical Library Services for Grade School Kids (Kindergarten through second Grade) with R. Lynn Baker, Starts Monday, November 5, 2018

  • Week 1: Beginning Reading Skills that Grow from Early Literacy Practices
  • Week 2: Types of Programs for Children in Grades K-2
  • Week 3: Field Trips, Outreach, and Specialized Programs for Children
  • Week 4: Creating an Effective Program Plan for a K-2 Program

About the Instructors

R. Lynn Baker is the author of Counting Down to Kindergarten: A Complete Guide to Creating a School Readiness Program for Your Community and Creating Literacy-Based Programs for Children: Lesson Plans and Printable Resources for K-5. With a background in early childhood education and library programming for children, Baker provides training to early childhood educators and librarians. She holds her bachelor’s in Interdisciplinary Early Childhood Education; a trainer’s credential; and her Master’s in Library and Information Science. Baker is an adjunct professor for Northern Kentucky University, teaching Library Programming for Children.

Brooke Newberry holds a Master’s Degree in Library Science from Indiana University, and is the Collaborative Consultant for the Winding Rivers Library System (West Salem, WI). She currently teaches a course dedicated to serving babies in the library, previously was the Early Literacy Librarian at the La Crosse (WI) Public Library, served as chair for the Early Childhood Programs and Services Committee for the Association of Library Services to Children (ALSC), and co-wrote the Collaborative Summer Library Program Early Literacy Manual for three years.

Registration for this ALA Publishing eLearning Solutions facilitated eCourse bundle, which begins on September 10, 2018, can be purchased at the ALA Store. Participants in this course will need regular access to a computer with an internet connection for online message board participation, viewing online video, listening to streaming audio (MP3 files), and downloading and viewing PDF and PowerPoint files.

ALA Publishing eLearning Solutions (ELS) produces high-quality professional development events and materials for the library profession. ELS events cover modern issues on a wide variety of topics in formats that include live workshops, asynchronous eCourses, and print publications. We help ensure that today’s library employees have access to the professional development opportunities they need, whether they are brushing up on the basics or expanding their horizons with cutting-edge tools. Contact us at elsmarketing@ala.org.

ALA Store purchases fund advocacy, awareness, and accreditation programs for library professionals worldwide.

Public Library Association adds new awareness toolkit to suite of family engagement resources

Public Library Association adds new awareness toolkit to suite of family engagement resources

CHICAGO – As part of a key strategic initiative, the Public Library Association (PLA) has released a free promotional toolkit designed to help libraries raise awareness of family engagement through libraries. This new resource can be used to supplement libraries’ marketing, fundraising, community relations and political advocacy work.

The term “family engagement” describes a shared responsibility among families, educators and communities to support children’s learning and development. Building upon the early-childhood literacy success of Every Child Ready to Read@ your library® (ECRR), PLA established a Family Engagement Initiative in 2015 to help libraries serve families of all types with children of all ages.

Public libraries are critical to family engagement, given their ability to develop strong and lasting relationships with families, engage all members of the family no matter their ages or interests, and offer access to afterschool, weekend and summer programming, particularly in communities lacking many resources.

“Family engagement is all about nurturing the knowledge, attitudes, values, and behaviors that enable motivated, enthusiastic, and successful learners,” explains Clara N. Bohrer, co-chair of the task force and director of the West Bloomfield Township (Michigan) Public Library. “In libraries, that means forming respectful partnerships with parents and caregivers, and providing them with information, guidance, and opportunities to be active in their children’s learning and development.”

The Family Engagement Toolkit was developed in partnership with the American Library Association (ALA), as part of ALA’s Libraries Transform public awareness campaign. Best known for its signature “Because” statements, Libraries Transform was created to help libraries of all kinds communicate in one clear, energetic voice.

The Toolkit offers both strategy and tactics for family engagement advocates, including message points, customizable graphics, promotional ideas, and program examples from IDEABOOK: Libraries for Families, a family engagement publication released in 2017 by PLA and the Global Family Research Project. This is the second toolkit PLA has developed through the Libraries Transform campaign; a toolkit on Health Literacy was released last year.

Accessing the Toolkit
Registration on the Libraries Transform website is required to download the materials. To access the new Family Engagement Toolkit, please begin by clicking here. The link will bring you to a password-protected landing page where you must enter your existing credentials, or create a new registration, to proceed. Once the login/registration process is complete, reopen the URL http://ilovelibraries.org/librariestransform/family-engagement-toolkit to access the full toolkit.

For more information on PLA and family engagement, or to share examples of what your library is doing to engage parents in the education of children and youth, please contact Scott Allen at sallen@ala.org. Libraries are also encouraged to add their program information to the Living IDEABOOK, an online repository of family engagement ideas and success stories.

New workshop: Sensory Storytime Programs

New workshop: Sensory Storytime Programs

 

CHICAGO—ALA Publishing eLearning Solutions announces an exciting new workshop, Sensory Storytime Programs with Jennifer Roy. This workshop will last 90 minutes and take place at 2:30pm Eastern/1:30 Central/12:30 Mountain/11:30am Pacific on Wed., July 25, 2018.

For children with autism or sensory processing issues, a visit to their library’s storytime can be overwhelming and challenging for both parents and children. With as many as 1 in 59 children with autism according to the CDC, libraries across the country have begun to recognize and meet this need for an alternative storytime offering.

Whether you are thinking about starting sensory storytime or are looking to enhance your existing program, this workshop provides you with practical ideas for creating an interactive and responsive program that works for your community.

Jennifer Roy, an experienced children’s librarian, introduces you to sensory processing disorders and offers practical strategies so you can better connect with this target audience. Using step-by-step instructions, Roy teaches you how to structure a sensory storytime program and provides suggestions for selecting books, music, and materials for a range of budget and staffing considerations. You’ll walk away with the knowledge to set goals and objectives for the program that will help define and evaluate success.

About the Instructor

For 20 years, Jennifer Roy has been working with children in public libraries across the country and briefly in the United Kingdom. She has launched new services, reimagined spaces, and established productive partnerships. She earned her MLIS from San Jose State University in California and her BS in Early Childhood Education from Framingham State University in Massachusetts. With a special interest in early literacy, she has worked with non-profit groups, such as Reach Out and Read, Reading is Fundamental, and Imagination Library. She has created and led training programs for library staff at the branch, system, county, and state levels, including the creation of training manuals and evaluation tools. She currently works as an independent library consultant with a focus on training youth services professionals.

Registration for this ALA Publishing eLearning Solutions Workshop is available on the ALA Store. You can purchase registration at both individual and group rates.

ALA Publishing eLearning Solutions Workshops offer a convenient, hands-on learning experience that will help you and your colleagues make the best decisions for your library. This workshop is licensed for use by staff or users of the purchasing institution or library organization.

ALA Publishing eLearning Solutions (ELS) produces high-quality professional development events and materials for the library profession. ELS events cover modern issues on a wide variety of topics in formats that include live workshops, asynchronous eCourses, and print publications. We help ensure that today’s library employees have access to the professional development opportunities they need, whether they are brushing up on the basics or expanding their horizons with cutting-edge tools. Contact us at elsmarketing@ala.org.

ALA Store purchases fund advocacy, awareness, and accreditation programs for library professionals worldwide.

Free webinar on Integrating STEM and Coding into Makerspaces

Free webinar on Integrating STEM and Coding into Makerspaces

CHICAGO — There’s no doubt that foundational knowledge of science, technology, engineering, and math will help tomorrow’s job seekers to excel in the future of work. However, much of this success depends on the level of STEM instruction they receive while still in elementary, middle and high school.

While we often assume that STEM programs are being initiated by classroom teachers, new research suggests that librarians and media specialists are increasingly taking the lead in bringing new, innovative tools into their school programs.

Join us at 1 p.m. Eastern on Monday, June 11 for “Librarians’ Insights on How to Integrate STEM and Coding into Makerspaces,” a free, 60-minute webinar led by Dr. Azadeh Jamalian, head of education strategy at littleBits. Dr. Jamalian will talk about how school libraries are bringing STEM into their curriculum and the leading role that librarians and media specialists are taking to make this a reality.

Whether you’re an educator inspiring the next generation of problem solvers, a stakeholder involved in developing programs for your community, or a librarian interested in facilitating maker activities in your school or library setting, you will benefit from attending this session. Be sure to bring your questions!

Tune in to this free 60-minute webcast on Monday, June 11, 2018 to learn more. You can register here.

About the Presenter

Azadeh (Azi) Jamalian, PhD, is the head of Education Strategy at littleBits, an award-winning platform of easy-to-use electronic building blocks that is empowering kids everywhere to create inventions, large and small. Dr. Jamalian has a PhD in Cognitive Studies in Education from Teachers College Columbia University, and has published journal articles and book chapters on a broad range of topics such as designing learning platforms for children, emerging educational tech, game design, mathematical education, and cognition. Dr. Jamalian has received numerous awards including “IES Prize for Excellence in Research on Cognition and Student Learning” and “The Cooney Center’s certificate of innovation in Children’s Learning.”

This American Libraries Live webinar is sponsored by littleBits.

littleBits is an award-winning 21st century tool for invention-based learning. The easy-to-use electronic building blocks snap together with magnets empowering everyone to create inventions, large and small. Each color-coded Bit has a specific function (e.g. lights, sensors, internet connectivity) and is reusable. With endless inventions, guides, and resources, educators and students can engage in increasingly complex challenges and grow their TECHNOLOGY LITERACY, CRITICAL THINKING, CREATIVE CONFIDENCE, CODING and STEAM SKILLS.

American Libraries Live is an immediate and effective way to get to the heart of the real issues in our industry. Each program lasts 60 minutes. With the help of real-time technology, it’s like having your own expert on hand.  We look forward to you joining us. To receive e-mail reminders, register here. If you’re unable to attend live, this event will be recorded and available at americanlibrarieslive.org/al-live shortly after it concludes.

For information about advertising or sponsoring an AL Live event, contact: Carrie Smith, American Libraries magazine, casmith@ala.org, (312) 280-4216. For general information or press inquiries about AL Live, contact: Colton Ursiny, Administrative Assistant, cursiny@ala.org, (312) 280-5100.

The ‘kindness team’ at Dr. Michael Conti School – PS 5 receives AASL Roald Dahl Miss Honey Social Justice Award

The ‘kindness team’ at Dr. Michael Conti School – PS 5 receives AASL Roald Dahl Miss Honey Social Justice Award

CHICAGO – Mike Havener, school librarian for Springfield (Illinois) High School, is the recipient of the 2018 American Association of School Librarians’ (AASL) Ruth Toor Grant for Strong Public School Libraries. Sponsored by Jay Toor, the grant provides $3,000 in funding for the creation and implementation of a local public awareness/marketing campaign that promotes and positions the school library as a necessary resource in the community.

Havener will use the Toor funds to build a recording studio in an underused office space centrally located in his school library. Along with technological equipment, Havener plans to use a portion of the budget on painting the space and adding sound-dampening panels to the walls. His goal is to create a fresh, modern, and attractive space for students to work together in, while increasing foot traffic and advertising modern, non-traditional library services. Students and faculty will be invited to use the studio to record broadcasts that will bring greater public and administrative attention to the school library.

“One of the best ways to gain the attention and engagement of parents, administration, and community members is to showcase the work and creations of students,” wrote Havener in his application. “This project will give the library program the same kind attention that departments such as art and music receive through exhibits and concerts. All projects will be hosted on the school library website, uploaded to iTunes, and advertised throughout the building bringing crucial public and administrative awareness to the power, importance, and necessity of a strong school library program.”

“The recording studio planned by Mr. Havener will showcase student learning and creativity in ways unique to the school library,” said Lynn Gordon, award committee chair. “These broadcasts are the kind of creative collaboration that bring the library to the forefront of the school and serve as an advertisement for the school library! We give Mr. Havener, his partners Ms. Kaisner and Mr. Lightfoot, and the staff and students of Springfield High School our sincere congratulations and best wishes as they move forward with this project.”

Along with the $3,000 in funding for project creation and implementation, the grant includes $2,000 for both the school librarian and a school official to attend the ALA Annual Conference.

The AASL award winners will be honored at the AASL Awards Ceremony & President’s Program during the 2018 ALA Annual Conference in New Orleans. The ceremony will be held from 9 a.m. – 12 p.m. on Saturday, June 23. All are welcome to celebrate the accomplishments of their peers during this recognition event.

The American Association of School Librarians www.aasl.org, a division of the American Library Association (ALA), empowers leaders to transform teaching and learning.

Twenty-five libraries selected for Truth, Racial Healing & Transformation Great Stories Club pilot program

Twenty-five libraries selected for Truth, Racial Healing & Transformation Great Stories Club pilot program

Contact:
Sarah Ostman
Communications Manager
ALA Public Programs Office
312-280-5061
sostman@ala.org

CHICAGO — Twenty-five libraries have been selected to participate in the pilot phase of the Truth, Racial Healing & Transformation (TRHT) Great Stories Club, a thematic reading and discussion program series that will engage underserved teens through literature-based library outreach programs and racial healing work, the American Library Association (ALA) announced.

The TRHT GSC is supported by a grant from the W.K. Kellogg Foundation.

An expansion of ALA’s long-standing Great Stories Club program model, the TRHT Great Stories Club will feature books that explore the coming-of-age experience for young people in historically marginalized groups. The TRHT Great Stories Club is a part of the Kellogg Foundation’s Truth, Racial Healing & Transformation efforts, a comprehensive, national and community-based process to plan for and bring about transformational and sustainable change, and to address the historic and contemporary effects of racism.

The grantees represent twenty public libraries, two K-12 school libraries, one academic/college library and two prison libraries. Some grantees will work in partnership with alternative schools, youth detention centers and other organizations that serve youth. View a full list of grantee libraries and their partner organizations.

The libraries will work with small groups of teens to read and discuss three titles — selected by librarians and humanities scholars to resonate with reluctant readers facing difficult challenges — on the theme “Growing Up Brave on the Margins.”

Featured titles will include “Ms. Marvel Volume 1: No Normal” by G. Willow Wilson and Adrian Alphona; “The Hate U Give” by Angie Thomas; and “MARCH: Book One” by John Lewis and Andrew Aydin, illustrated by Nate Powell.

Participating libraries will host at least three book discussion programs and at least one interactive racial healing session, led by a racial healing practitioner familiar with the Kellogg Foundation’s TRHT framework and racial healing approach. Programming will take place between May and October 2018.

Towson University, a public university near Baltimore, Maryland, will implement the TRHT Great Stories Club program by drawing on partnerships between Towson’s Center for Student Diversity and students from Baltimore City Schools.

“Our primary goals are that participants in the program get these three empowering books in their hands and get to meet each other in a space where their voices are central,” wrote Miriam DesHarnais, research and instruction librarian at Towson University’s Albert S. Cook Library. “By connecting the high school students with university students who are involved with Towson University’s Black Student Union, Towson Freedom School and our library’s A-LIST Student Leadership Program, we hope to provide a window into what activism and engagement on a college campus can look like.”

Grantees will receive 11 copies of each of the three book selections (ten to gift to participants; one for discussion leader/library collection); programming materials such as discussion guides, reading lists and program activities; and training opportunities, including travel and accommodations for a two-day orientation workshop in Chicago for project directors.

The TRHT Great Stories Club will be administered by ALA’s Public Programs Office in partnership with ALA’s Office for Diversity, Literacy and Outreach Services.

About the American Library Association

The American Library Association is the oldest and largest library association in the world, with approximately 57,000 members in academic, public, school, government and special libraries. The mission of the American Library Association is to provide leadership for the development, promotion and improvement of library and information services and the profession of librarianship in order to enhance learning and ensure access to information for all.

About the ALA Great Stories Club

A project of the American Library Association (ALA), the Great Stories Club (GSC) is a reading and discussion program model that targets underserved, troubled teen populations. Launched in 2006, the GSC has received funding from Oprah’s Angel Network, the National Endowment for the Humanities, the National Endowment for the Arts and the Ford Foundation, bringing literary reading and discussion programming to more than 800 libraries and 30,000 young adults. The project seeks to inspire teens to consider “big questions” about the world around them and their place in it, affecting how they view themselves as thinkers and creators; establish important connections between underserved youth, their public library and community support agencies; and contribute to improved literacy and changed, positive attitudes toward reading.

Acclaimed author, ballerina, Misty Copeland to serve as 2018 National Library Week honorary chair

Acclaimed author, ballerina, Misty Copeland to serve as 2018 National Library Week honorary chair

CHICAGO – Bestselling author and American Ballet Theatre Principal Dancer Misty Copeland will lend her support to advocate for our nation’s libraries as honorary chair of National Library Week, April 8 – 14, 2018. Like librarians and library workers, Copeland’s efforts to lead social change through her writing and teaching fuel the transformation of lives through cultural understanding, education and lifelong learning.

[/media-credit] Misty Copeland

“Libraries Transform: Libraries Lead” is the theme for this year’s 60th anniversary celebration of National Library Week, reminding the public that libraries of all types serve as community compasses that lead users to endless opportunities for community engagement, enrichment and development.

“We are honored that Misty Copeland has agreed to join us as National Library Week honorary chair,” stated American Library Association President Jim Neal. “Copeland’s efforts to lead youth to pursue their dreams regardless of what challenges they may encounter, mirrors the efforts of librarians and library workers, as they work to inspire, educate and lead users to resources that improve lives.”

Copeland’s passion is giving back to communities. She supports many charitable organizations by giving her time and influence to support the greater good. Her generosity and support has extended to libraries by means of print PSAs, social media artwork and other materials that feature Copeland. Free downloadable tools are available now at ala.org/nlw, and more will be added throughout December.

“I’m thrilled to join leaders from the library community in celebrating National Library Week,” Copeland said. “Libraries help people of all backgrounds access the services and resources they need to discover their passions and achieve their goals.”

Copeland is the author of “Ballerina Body,” an instant New York Times Bestseller, published in March 2017. She is the author of the New York Times Bestselling memoir Life in Motion,” published March 2014. Copeland is also the author of the Coretta Scott King Illustrator Book Award-winning 2014 book Firebird,” an inspiring children’s book that shows that through hard work and dedication any young dancer can become a Firebird.

Born in Kansas City, Missouri, and raised in San Pedro, California, Misty Copeland began her ballet studies at the late age of 13. At 15, she won first place in the Music Center Spotlight Awards. She studied at the San Francisco Ballet School and American Ballet Theatre’s Summer Intensive on full scholarship and was declared ABT’s National Coca-Cola Scholar in 2000. Misty joined ABT’s Studio Company in September 2000, joined American Ballet Theatre as a member of the corps de ballet in April 2001, and in August 2007 became the company’s second African American female Soloist and the first in two decades. In June 2015, Misty was promoted to principal dancer, making her the first African American woman to ever be promoted to the position in the company’s 75-year history.

In the fall of 2014, she made history as the first black woman to perform the lead role of “Odette/Odile” in American Ballet Theatre’s Swan Lake during the company’s inaugural tour to Australia.

First sponsored in 1958, National Library Week is an annual observance by the American Library Association and libraries across the county each April. National Library Week celebrations include the release of the ALA’s 2018 “State of America’s Libraries Report,” April 9; National Library Workers Day, April 10; National Bookmobile Day, April 11; Take Action for Libraries Day, April 12; and the celebration of School Library Month throughout April.

For more information on National Library Week, please visit ILoveLibraries.org.

About the American Library Association
The American Library Association is the oldest and largest library association in the world, with more than 56,000 members in academic, public, school, government, and special libraries. The mission of the American Library Association is to provide leadership for the development, promotion and improvement of library and information services and the profession of librarianship in order to enhance learning and ensure access to information for all.

ILLINOIS — A comprehensive resource to help public libraries create and manage homework centers

ILLINOIS — A comprehensive resource to help public libraries create and manage homework centers

CHICAGO — For Immediate Release, Mon, 11/27/2017
Contact:
Rob Christopher
Marketing Coordinator
ALA Publishing
American Library Association
(312) 280-5052

rchristopher@ala.org

CHICAGO — Despite the proliferation of online homework websites and tutoring services, public libraries still have an important role to play when it comes to supporting young people’s educational needs. Public libraries that take a proactive approach—by setting up organized homework centers—have the potential to become catalysts for better performance in school, improved self-esteem, and engaged learning. Whether readers are investigating the possibility of setting up a center from scratch or are eager to revamp an existing center, Cindy Mediavilla’s “Creating & Managing the Full-Service Homework Center,” published by ALA Editions, shows the way forward with:

  • discussion of the philosophy behind a public library homework center and its many benefits, with useful talking points for getting stakeholders on board;
  • examples of model programs from across the country;
  • guidance on assessing the community’s educational priorities and utilizing outcome-based planning and evaluation methods;
  • pragmatic advice on how to collaborate with schools and educators to coordinate goals;
  • thorough consideration of such key issues as carving out a space, setting hours, scheduling staff, and selecting and procuring educational resources;
  • handy tools for a successful homework center, including sample surveys, homework helper application forms and contracts, staff and volunteer job descriptions, and focus group questions;
  • advice on equipment and technology considerations; and
  • methodologies for evaluation and improvement.

Mediavilla authored “Creating the Full–Service Homework Center in Your Library,” (ALA, 2001), which has been called “the quintessential guide to the practicalities of setting up a formal homework help center to provide one–to–one homework assistance to student patrons” (Intner, “Homework Help from the Library,” ix). In the early 1990s she managed a homework center, called the Friendly Stop, for the Orange (CA) Public Library, and she has been studying after–school homework programs ever since. She has published several articles on the topic and has evaluated homework programs for the Long Beach and Los Angeles public libraries. She has made presentations on homework help programs at the conferences of several major library associations, and she has also conducted many workshops on the topic.

ALA Store purchases fund advocacy, awareness and accreditation programs for library professionals worldwide. ALA Editions and ALA Neal-Schuman publishes resources used worldwide by tens of thousands of library and information professionals to improve programs, build on best practices, develop leadership, and for personal professional development. ALA authors and developers are leaders in their fields, and their content is published in a growing range of print and electronic formats. Contact ALA Editions at (800) 545-2433 ext. 5052 or editionsmarketing@ala.org.