Improving Libraries in Africa

A Never Failing Spring in the Desert

According to Andrew Carnegie "A library outranks any other one thing a community can do to benefit its people It is a never failing spring in the desert" (Zhou, 2015). Carnegie is known for using his wealth to build libraries throughout the United States. Carnegie's Libraries are known for finding innovative ways to serve the community. One library in Iowa loans out cake pans because not everyone has the right size or shape at their house (Stamberg, 2015). Libraries in developing nations need innovative ideas to provide the communities with access to resources and to encourage more people to utilize the library by providing services that will benefit the community.

Challenges African Public Libraries Face

A study conducted by Electronic Information for Libraries (EIFL) (2014) revealed that library users in 6 African countries described their public libraries as being"...small with limited space and are resource constrained. Most lack technology related facilities and in some cases relevant books to meet the needs of users" (‘Perceptions of public libraries in Africa’, p. 9). In the graph below, non-users were surveyed as to what would motivate them to start using the public library:

(EIFL, ‘Perceptions of public libraries in Africa’, p. 23)

While access to resources (both print and digital) and location of the library top the list, there are several barriers that prevent libraries from solving these problems. These constraints include lack of funding, not having a proper classification system for resources, and not having a librarian, or having one who lacks proper technological skills. According to another EIFL study (2015), in order to encourage innovation in the library, these are three requirements that need to be met:

 ('EIFL Public Library Innovation Programme', 2015, p. 14)

More innovation is necessary to provide developing nations in Africa and around the world with better equipped libraries to meet the needs of their communities.To help these libraries overcome the constraints they face, people and organizations from around the world donate unused or out-of-date books. While book contributions help, developing nations cannot rely on weeded library books to provide the necessary resources needed to make the library relevant. As well, this also does not provide the support, and infrastructure needed to make the library relevant to the community.

There are several organizations that are working towards innovating libraries in Africa and around the world. One of these organizations, Librarians Without Borders, was established in Canada in 2005 and has partnered with organizations around the world to make improvements to libraries in developing nations through literacy projects.

Literacy Projects Supported By Librarians Without Borders

The Ideas Box

The Ideas Box is a project sponsored by Librarians Without Borders who partnered with United Nations Refugee Agency to provide developing nations such as Ghana with a simple library kit that can be set up in under 20 minutes to create a fully functional mobile library. Each box contains a satellite internet connection, multiple devices including tablets, laptops, cameras, and e-readers, along with offline learning resources, board games, arts and crafts, and various other resources. Eve Saumier, Head of Communication of Librarians without Boarders, stated in an interview with National Geographic regarding the Ideas Box supplies that “One device alone can provide the service and content equivalent of a small town library, or up to 5,000 users. That’s only several dollars per user...Several dollars per user to connect a soul with life-changing education, literature, ideas, communication, theatre and more via technology..."  (Banks, 2014). Below is an image of what an Ideas Box would look like once it was set up.

(Kowalczyk, 2015)

Librii

Librii is a company founded by David Dewane which plans to provide African communities with "an e-hub made from a modified shipping container that contains high-speed computers along with other digital tools and an agora that serves as a public plaza equipped with WiFi" (Zhou, 2015). Librii argues that while cell phones are helpful for looking up information quickly, an infrastructure of stronger computers is required to improve information access to African communities. The video below explains a brief overview of Librii.

(Dewane, 2015)

References

Banks, K. (2014). Thinking outside the box brings cinema and community libraries to refugees. National Geographic Emerging Explorer. Retrieved 28 October 2015, from http://voices.nationalgeographic.com/2014/05/02 /thinking-outside-the-box-brings-cinema-and-community-libraries-to-refugees/

Dewane, R. (2013). Librii Overview. YouTube. Retrieved 28 October 2015 from https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=GhWd5jx4QV4

EIFL. (2014).Perceptions of public libraries in Africa. Retrieved 30 October 2015, from http://www.eifl.net/system/files/ resources/201408/perceptions_of_public_libraries_in_africa_-_full_report_hi.pdf

EIFL. (2015). EIFL Public Library Innovation Programme: Evaluation of the takeup of PLIP innovation by other libraries. What sparks innovation in the public library sector? Retrieved 27 October 2015, from http://www.eifl.net/system/files/resources/201506/eifl_take-up_study_may_2015.pdf

Kowalczyk, P. (2015). A Revolutionary Mobile Library Centre. Retrieved 27 October 2015 from http://ebookfriendly.com/mobile-library-center-philip-starck-video/

Stamberg, S. (2013). How Andrew Carnegie Turned His Fortune Into a Library Legacy. Retrieved 27 October 2015 from http://www.npr.org/2013/08/01/207272849/how-andrew-carnegie-turned-his-fortune-into-a-library-legacy

Zhou, Li. (2015). Building Libraries Along Fibre-Optic Lines in Sub-Saharan Africa. Retrieved 27 October 2015 from http://www.smithsonianmag.com/innovation/building-libraries-along-fiber-optic-lines-in-sub-saharan-africa-180954192/?no-ist

Teacher Librarians as Promoters and Implementors of ICT Professional Development

Winning the Technology Battle

Teachers around the world are being asked to implement technology in the classrooms, but aren't always given the time, the tools, or the training necessary to do so effectively. Teachers' views of technology can be quite negative because they feel as though it is being imposed upon them and they see it as an uphill battle. Once they finally learn how to use one device or tool, a new one has already been developed.

Walker, D. (2007). You vs. Technology. Retrieved from www.weblogcartoons.com.

With the shift from the traditional library, to a Library Learning Commons, the Teacher-Librarian is in a position where he/she can offer support by not only locating resources, but also by sharing their expertise in digital learning and teaching. According to Project Tomorrow (2011), "With the increased variety and depth of the digital resources available for classroom use, the librarian is emerging as a critical player in enabling the use of these tools in the classroom, taking on the twin roles of cheerleader and exploration sherpa" (p. 13). It is important that the Teacher-Librarian helps teachers navigate the mountain of digital tools available and encourages and supports teachers in using them. In a study conducted by Project Tomorrow (2011), as shown in Figure 1 below, the Teacher-Librarian has several roles they need to play.

Figure 1: Project Tomorrow. (2011). The New 3 E's of Education: Enables, Engaged, Empowered. Retrieved from http://www.tomorrow.org/speakup/pdfs/SU10_3EofEducation_Educators.pdf.

How can Teacher-Librarians SHARE their Expertise in Digital Learning and Teaching with the Educational Community?

Start a Digital Curation

Creighton, P. (2013). Digital Curation.
Retrieved from http://creightonblog.typepad.com/
addison-media-center/2013/11/digital-resource-curation.html

Through the school library website, Teacher-Librarians can collect and share digital tools and resources to the educational community including educators, students, parents, and fellow Teacher-Librarians. While the process of collecting and sorting digital tools might be time consuming, a digital tool curation will be a valuable resource for the entire educational community. One tool for digital curation I would like to try is Symbaloo, which can be easily published and shared with others.

Host an EdCamp

By hosting an EdCamp or EdCafe, a Teacher-Librarian is able to discover what topics the educational community is interested in discussing or learning about. This is also a good way for Teacher-Librarians who feel as though they may not be an expert in digital learning and teaching to learn from others in the community. At my school we hosted an EdCafe for one of our Professional Development days and invited members from the educational community including students, parents, educators, support staff, administration, and school district employees. We focused the sessions around 21st Century learning and skills and much of the conversations were focused around digital resources and tools. Here is a video that explains what an EdCamp or EdCafe is:

Lee, S. (2014). EdCamp 101. Retrieved from https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=I7DwCI7j0Bg.

Attend department meetings

By attending department meetings, Teacher-Librarians can focus on sharing tools that are subject specific with a smaller group of people. At our school we have six Collaboration sessions throughout the school year. During these sessions, the Teacher-Librarian can rotate between the departments and give them some practical digital tools they can start using in their teaching.

Request time at staff meetings to introduce a new tool

Ripp, P. (2013). Staff Meeting. Retrieved from www.someecards.com.

While staff meetings are never fun, teachers will appreciate taking away something practical from the meeting. Request time at a staff meeting to share one digital tool that you think is user-friendly and would be most useful to the staff as a whole.Of course, make sure to keep the presentation short and sweet. Offer to help any teachers interested in using the digital tool in their classroom.

Enlist as the Professional Development Rep. for your staff

The Keep Calm-O-Matic. (2009). Keep Calm I'm Your
Professional Development Council Representative.
Retrieved from http://www.keepcalm-o-matic.co.uk/

As the Professional Development Representative for a school, a Teacher-Librarian would be able to plan and facilitate professional development sessions for the school and/or district in regards to digital teaching and learning. This is a good way for the Teacher-Librarian to correspond with other Teacher-Librarians in the district and create Personal Learning Networks. As well, it would give the Teacher-Librarian the opportunity to discuss with their colleagues any ideas they would be interested in learning about at the next professional development day so that the Teacher-Librarian can organize sessions that will be practical for the staff. Hopefully the mug comes with the position since it is completely voluntary!

References

Creighton, P. (2013). Digital Curation. Retrieved from http://creightonblog.typepad.com/.

The Keep Calm-O-Matic. (2009). Keep Calm I'm Your Professional Development Council Representative. Retrieved from http://www.keepcalm-o-matic.co.uk/

Lee, S. (2014). EdCamp 101. Retrieved from https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=I7DwCI7j0Bg.

Project Tomorrow. (2011). The New 3 E's of Education: Enables, Engaged, Empowered. Retrieved from http://www.tomorrow.org/speakup/pdfs/SU10_3EofEducation_Educators.pdf.

Ripp, P. (2013). Staff Meeting. Retrieved from www.someecards.com.

Walker, D. (2007). You vs. Technology. Retrieved from www.weblogcartoons.com.

Maintaining and Developing Professional Learning

Happy Lifelong Learning Day!

According to the United States Senate, today (October 15th) is the day that lifelong learning will be celebrated across the United States and Road Scholar (2015) will release findings that reveal "that learning is an essential activity to a healthy and happy older age and makes life richer." While it might seem silly to celebrate something that should occur over a lifetime on one day a year, it is meant to bring awareness and encouragement to communities about the importance of learning and the impact it can have on one's life (Road Scholar, 2015).

Take the Road Scholar Lifelong Learner Quiz

After reading Will Richardson's (2012) book Why School?, the one idea that I would like to start implementing this year is to start sharing my ideas with others. I often share my work and ideas with colleagues at my school, but I have always been hesitant about putting my work on the Internet. Richardson (2012) explains that we can and should "raise the teaching profession by sharing what works, by taking the best of what we do and hanging it on the virtual wall" (loc. 387). While I feel I already have a decent Personal Learning Network, I need to step out of my comfort zone and find a broader network within the educational field. I quite often "borrow" lessons or ideas that other teachers have shared, but I have never returned the favor. My goal for the remainder of this school year is to broaden my Personal Learning Network using the following strategies, tools, and resources.

Creating Personal Learning Networks 

Twitter (#lifelonglearning)

Twitter is an excellent tool for teachers to use in order to connect with people all over the world. This digital tool allows a teacher to network with authors, educational organizations, and other educators in order to learn from them. I have a Twitter account, but I never use it. I haven't made time to actually follow anyone and I definitely haven't taken the time to post anything. This is one tool that I would like to start making more use of in my teaching and learning. 

Blogs

Blogging is a great way to share with others your thoughts on particular topics, and, the teaching profession, a place to share ideas with others in the education field. I have created a couple of blogs for classes, but I have never continued with them once the course has ended. I feel like in order for me to continue blogging, I would need to widen my audience and network with more people in order for it to be a worthwhile endeavor.

Webinars

 While I would prefer meeting up with colleagues at a winebar rather than watching a webinar, I have several colleagues that collect webinars to view during their professional development days and find it to be a great resource. While I often receive invitations to attend webinars related to education or my subject area, I have never attended one.  Webinars are not only a great resource for information, it can also be a way to create a network of teacher-librarians or classroom teachers.

District Collaboration

As much as the Internet can help connect people around the world, it is also important to correspond and collaborate with the schools and educators in one's own district. At my school the teacher-librarians collaborate about 1-2 times per year or in order to speak about what is happening in our school libraries across the district. I feel that rather than waiting for our meeting, there are quicker and more efficient ways of sharing information with one another. It is nice to have colleagues in the district to rely on for support, as usually there is only one teacher
 librarian at each school and it can be isolating.

References

Collaboration (Image). Retrieved from http://cdn.makeuseof.com/wp-content/uploads/2013/10/creative-commons-collaboration.jpg?c4f255.

Couros, A. (2013). Using Twitter Effectively in Education. Retrieved from https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=EqSCR3HU4eg.

O'Bauer, C. (2013). Webinar? (Eecard). Retrieved from http://www.someecards.com/usercards/viewcard/ MjAxMy0zYWQwOTIyYzUzZjM0Y2E.

Richardson, W. (2012). Why School?: How Education Must Change When Learning and Information are Everywhere. TED Conferences.

Road Scholar. (2015). Road Scholar Launches Lifelong Learning Day On October 15th to Share Research and Educational Resources with Lifelong Learners. GlobeNewsWire. Retrieved from http://globenewswire.com/news-release/2015/10/13/775737/10152379/en/ROAD-SCHOLAR-LAUNCHES-LIFELONG-LEARNING-DAY-ON-OCTOBER-15TH-TO-SHARE-RESEARCH-AND-EDUCATIONAL-RESOURCES-WITH-LIFELONG-LEARNERS.html.

Road Scholar. (2015). Quiz: What Famous Lifelong Learner Are You? Road Scholar. Retrieved from http://www.roadscholar.org/lld/default.asp.

Tips to Make Effective Use of Blogger (Image). Retrieved from http://btechwire.com/tips-make-effective-use-blogger-post-editor/.

Fostering Reading Cultures in Schools

5 Reasons Students Don't Read in School

(and how school teachers and librarians can change this to create a positive reading culture)

1. They don't get to choose what they read

Students often don't have any input in what they read at school. They have to read a particular chapter from their textbook or a particular novel. Many students don't do the readings they are assigned because they aren't engaged in it.

Allow students to read for pleasure and provide them with choice

Students need to be able to choose their own reading material. In my classroom, I provide students with choice by using literature circles. The books I offer all share a particular theme or conflict, but there is a wide variety of subjects to choose from. I also allow students to choose their own book for an independent novel study. This way students are able to spend time in the library finding a book that sounds interesting to them.

2. They have to answer questions after each chapter or fill in worksheets

Students don't become engaged in a book by simply answering questions at the end of each chapter or filling out vocabulary worksheets.

Create engaging multi-modal lessons and activities

Students need to be engaged in what they are reading through lessons and activities and using student-centred rather than teacher-led activities will help. Using inquiry-based projects that focus on developing critical literacy is one way to accomplish this. For example, I have students conduct mock trials by putting a character from the novel on the stand, or they make a newspaper or blog as we read through the novel together, or they put on Shakespeare performances by creating a music video or a putting on a puppet show.

3. They have to attend boring author presentations

We have all attended our fair share of presentations that are uninspiring. Students will not be inspired to read a book if the author isn't a passionate speaker.

Author visits can inspire readers.

Broken Sky Chronicles #1: Below (Illustration). (2014). 
Retrieved from http://www.harpercollins.ca/ 9781443407793/
broken-sky-chronicles-1-below

 Last year our school brought in a local author, Jason Chabot, to speak about how he became a published author and the lengthy process he had to go through to get there. He is an inspiring speaker who was able to connect with our students; his passion for writing (and reading) was apparent. He gave out a few copies of his first novel, Below (Read Sample Chapter), and the students who received copies were excited to read the book over the weekend. They loved it and couldn't wait for the next book in the trilogy to come out. Writers can inspire readers!

4. They can never find a good book to read 

Students constantly struggle to find a book they are interested in reading when browsing the library shelves because they don't know where to look or what authors they would like.

Reclassify fiction books by subject rather than by author

Juhasz, V. (illustrator). (2012). Dewey is not amused!
Was he ever though?(Cartoon), Retrieved from https://librarycartoons.wordpress.com/2013/02/03/
dewey-is-not-amused-was-he-ever-though/

Our school library hasn't made the switch yet, but a few school libraries I have been to in BC are starting to reclassify and reorganize their fiction section. Reclassifying the fiction books in the library is important to fostering a culture of reading in the library. Students have a difficult time finding books they are interested in reading because they don't have a particular author they look for, they have a particular subject they are interested in reading about. There are different methods to classifying resources; although most libraries continue to use the Dewey Decimal System. A couple of methods that have been gaining popularity over the last few years are the Metis model and the Sur~F model. Rather than classifying the fiction books by author, the books are classified by subject. Many libraries are tossing out the Dewey Decimal system altogether and reclassifying the non-fiction section as well. I think it is still important that students, especially in high school, still know how to locate non-fiction books using the Dewey Decimal System because universities and colleges have not made this switch and students need to know how to use this system.

5. They have negative views of the library

Students quite often hold the stereotype that a library is silent, musty smelling, and full of old books. That is no longer the case in many school libraries across BC.

Transform the Library into a Library Learning Commons

Our library is in the midst of making the transformation to a Library Learning Commons. We have a library space with flexible seating, access to technology, and spaces where students can meet and collaborate without feeling like the librarian is going to shush them. Many school libraries in the BC are making this change and students are beginning to see the library as a space where they can feel comfortable reading a book, exploring different topics, finding information from around the world, and connecting with people face to face or online. The Library Learning Commons will be at the centre of the school with a positive reading culture as shown in this video by BCLibraries (2011).

References:

Balas Kaplan, T., Dolloff, A., Giffard, S., & Still-Schiff, J. (2012). Are Dewey's days numbered?: Libraries nationwide are ditching the old classification system. School Library Journal. Retrieved from http://www.slj.com/2012/09/collection-development/are-deweys-days-numbered-libraries-across-the-country-are-giving-the-old-classification-system-the-heave-ho-heres-one-schools-story/

BCLibraries. (2011, October 18). Learning Commons in BC [Video file]. Retrieved from https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=LglFl1BYfFs

Broken Sky Chronicles #1: Below (Illustration). (2014). Retrieved from http://www.harpercollins.ca/ 9781443407793/broken-sky-chronicles-1-below

Gibson, M. (2011). Innovative 21st century classification schemes for elementary school libraries. School Library Journal 57(2), p. 48. Retrieved from http://connection.ebscohost.com/c/articles/ 60167178/innovative-21st-century-classification-schemes-elementary-school-libraries

Juhasz, V. (illustrator). (2012). Dewey is not amused! Was he ever though?(Cartoon), Retrieved from https://librarycartoons.wordpress.com/2013/02/03/dewey-is-not-amused-was-he-ever-though/

READING REVIEW BLOG POST #3

          In Part A, I had a few ideas that I was interested in exploring for this project. An issue I wanted to tackle was ethical behaviour online, particularly plagiarism. An interest I was thinking about delving into was finding ways to teach students some basic word processing and emailing skills that I feel many of them are lacking. Finally, an opportunity I was interested in pursuing was to search for digital tools I could use with my students to engage them in the assignments and subject matter using the 30 tablets our department purchased last year. As I thought about this project more, I narrowed down my topic to focusing on the issue. I decided that finding ways to incorporate word processing and emailing skills into my course is easy enough to do, I just need to take the time to teach it. I didn’t think I would get much out of researching the topic. As for the opportunity to search for digital tools for the tablets that my students could use, I decided that since I’m taking a leave of absence this year and I don’t have access to the tablets, that this could wait until my return. Therefore, my plan for this reading review has become a search for possible ways to teach students about plagiarism and the importance of citing their sources properly. Not only is this important for an English teacher to look into, it would also be applicable for a teacher librarian. My keywords became: plagiarism, ethical online behaviour, information literacy, digital tools, and high school students.

          In Part B, my research experience started with me browsing through the links provided on the recommended reading list for this course. I discovered the draft for the new BC Education Curriculum which I had never seen before. One of the learning outcomes pertained directly to my topic: “Model legal and ethical behaviours when using information and technology by properly selecting, acquiring, and citing resources” (“Profile for digitally literate students”). Using ethical behaviour, such as citing sources, is an important part of becoming digitally literate. I decided to continue my exploration using the UBC library databases. I have used ERIC in the past which is an excellent database for teachers to use. The first article I found about teaching information ethics to high school students provided a set of standards for the 21st century learner developed by the American Association of School Librarians (AASL). The second standard: “Ethical behavior in the use of information must be taught” deals directly with my topic because here is another large school organization supporting the idea that high school students need to be taught ethical online behaviour (2007). With the idea that this draft from the BC Ministry of Education will soon become a reality, I decided to search for information on why plagiarism is a problem (this seemed a little obvious, but I found some interesting information) and ways to help solve the problem. According to one article by Evering and Moorman (2012), students choose to plagiarize because they lack integrity, maturity, were never taught ethical online behaviour; they are lazy, they don’t understand an assignment, or they don’t see taking someone else’s words or ideas as stealing because they aren’t publishing it as their own. The key learning that I took away from this article was that it is important to create a culture of academic integrity. This includes creating meaningful assignments and choosing topics that aren’t easily searchable on Google or other search engines. The article also suggests that having students complete more student-centered, inquiry-based assignments that focus more on critical thinking and application of knowledge will help prevent students from plagiarizing (Evering & Moorman, 2012, p. 39).

          Along with interesting information, this article also provided excellent resources to check out including a 3 part lesson plan from readwritethink.org and some interesting tools such as RefMe, an online way to organize and cite sources. After going through several resources from ERIC, I looked up the BC Teacher-Librarian Association’s website to see what resources were available and they offer a resource section called Noodle Tools that supplies teachers with assignments to teach students how to properly research and cite their sources. These practical tools that I found will hopefully help me create an introductory lesson to proper research skills and etiquette that will help my students develop ethical online behaviour that they can take with them to university, their workplace, or even home. All in all, I found quite a bit of information on the subject of plagiarism, but I would have liked to find more digital tools to use to teach students how to cite sources properly without a program like RefMe to do the work for them.

References

21st Century Literacies: Tools for Reading the World. (2015). Retrieved 25 September 2015, from http://www.noodletools.com/debbie/literacies/

American Association for School Libraries. (2007). Standards for the 21st Century Learner. Retrieved 2 October 2015, from http://www.ala.org/aasl/sites/ala.org.aasl/files/content/guidelinesandstandards/ learningstandards/AASL_Learning_Standards_2007.pdf

BC Ministry of Education. (2010). Profile for Digitally Literate Students. Retrieved 25 September 2015, from http://www.bced.gov.bc.ca/dist_learning/1012profile.htm

Byrne, R. (2011). Ten Search Tools and Tactics Teachers and Students Need to Know. Retrieved 25 September 2015, from http://www.freetech4teachers.com/2011/11/ten-search-tools-and-tactics- teachers.html#.VgiHYdJVikp

Code of Best Practices in Fair Use for Media Literacy Education. (2008). Retrieved 2 October 2015, from
http://www.ncte.org/positions/statements/fairusemedialiteracy

Evering, L. C. & Moorman, G. (2012). Rethinking Plagiarism in the Digital Age. Journal of Adolescent and Adult Literacy, 5(1), 35-44. Retrieved 25 September 2015, from Ebscohost.

Kardick, M. (2008). Exploring Plagiarism, Copyright, and Paraphrasing. Retrieved 25 September 2015, from http://www.readwritethink.org/classroom-resources/lesson-plans/exploring-plagiarism-copyright- paraphrasing-1062.html

Lehman, K. (2009). Teaching Information Ethics to High School Students. Library Media Connection, 27(6), 28-30.Retrieved 25 September 2015, from Ebscohost.