Librarians, Technology, Brain Development: Reflecting on SEPLA’s Annual Conference
On December 14, I attended the Southeast Pennsylvania Library Association’s (SEPLA) Conference and Annual Meeting, which was hosted by the Upper Merion Township Public Library. The conference featured Dr. David Walsh and his presentation The Impact and Promise of Technology in the 21st Century: From Online Safety to Digital Citizenship. Although the focus of the presentation was somewhat different than I expected, it proved to be incredibly informative and captivating, and it impressed upon me even more the responsibility we as librarians have as information guides in a digital society.
After reading the brochure and registering for the conference, I knew we would discuss how people (children, adolescents, and young adults) learn and how technology impacts that; however, I thought this would focus more on teaching strategies and how we can integrate technology into information literacy, or even on how technology changes how we teach, and we would also discuss the pros and cons of technology such as privacy. I had no idea we would spend the first half of the session talking about brain development. However this was necessary background to understand how attention spans work and how our memory functions. It also provided the background necessary to understand why people behave the way they do at different stages of brain development, and how this brain development, which is not complete until the age of 25, impacts the use of technology.
As librarians, we are no stranger to the “promises and rewards” of technology that Dr. Walsh discussed. We know this allows us to access information, collaborate and, among other things, to network in ways never before possible. We know this can be very positive. We also know that privacy issues are important, that multi-tasking is not always the best thing, and that technology can impact social skills. What we aren’t always aware of is how brain development makes people in our libraries more susceptible to engage in behaviors that invade their privacy or that put them in harm’s way. We also aren’t always aware of the fact that, as Dr. Walsh explains, technology “is a natural match for the seeking circuits of the brain.”
These seeking circuits, or the seeking brain, is essentially what we want as opposed to what we need, it fulfills our curiosity. Think about how a simple question or a desire to look at a YouTube video can lead to more and more searching or more and more viewing. It’s an adventure for our brains. And this adventure fulfills the values society emphasizes which, according to Dr. Walsh, are “more, fast, easy, fun.” Technology can make everything “more, fast, easy, and fun.” It’s instant gratification.
This concept of instant gratification can be taken down many different avenues. To examine it from a library perspective, data mining was discussed. I teach an online library research course at my local community college, and we have a lesson on privacy. Many people are surprised to learn about the concept of data mining, and how their privacy diminishes even if we never dream of using a social networking site. As I discuss with my students and as Dr. Walsh discussed, data mining actually shapes our searching experience. A Google search might turn up results of places that are close to me geographically, advertisements that pop up on sites are tailored to me, companies that have my information may offer me different deals or prices on items. In effect, data mining improves this instant gratification by tailoring your online experience to your personal preferences, allowing you to live in an information bubble.
We librarians know that people often seek the easy, fast answers, and that’s why we must teach people to evaluate the credibility of our sources. Dr. Walsh stressed this point as well. We must teach people to critically evaluate their information and their use of technology. We must teach them how to sift through the biased information and find the credible sources. PA Forward’s website says it best and really drives these connections home: “Libraries have moved far beyond just being book repositories. They’re agile institutions serving real-life needs. Libraries can be key to powering progress and elevating the quality of life in PA by fueling the types of knowledge essential to success: Basic Literacy, Information Literacy, Civic and Social Literacy, Health Literacy, and Financial Literacy.”
Clearly this is nothing new to me or to any librarian, but when you learn what we are up against in terms of brain development and how technology appeals to the seeking brain, which distracts us and may be fun but ultimately can lead us to less than credible information, you have an even greater understanding of how deep our responsibility is at every stage of a person’s development to help them understand and evaluate information.
New issue of Communications in Information Literacy
Communications in Information Literacy is a refereed electronic journal dedicated to advancing knowledge, theory, and research in information literacy. Their newest issue has recently been released and can be accessed on their website.
A list of the articles which appear in the new issue is below, but one article might be of special interest considering the importance being placed on proving our value. That is the article called: “Measuring the Impact of Library Instruction on Freshmen Success and Persistence: A Quantitative Analysis” .This article “analyzes two years of academic and demographic data in an attempt to quantify the effect of librarian-led one-shot classroom instruction on students’ grade point averages and their likelihood of returning to school for the sophomore year.”
Results showed that “Although the data do not provide evidence of a direct connection between library instruction and student retention, library instruction does appear to have a small measurable correlation with student performance.”
Table of Contents
Teaching Matters: The Necessity and Challenge of Teaching Information Ethics (editorial)
Notes from the Field: 10 Short Lessons on One-Shot Instruction
Rethinking Information Literacy in a Globalized World
Information Literacy on the Web: How College Students Use Visual and Textual Cues to Assess Credibility on Health Websites
Measuring the Impact of Library Instruction on Freshmen Success and Persistence: A Quantitative Analysis
Collaboration and Problem-Based Learning: Integrating Information Literacy into a Political Science Course
Embedding Affective Learning Outcomes in Library Instruction
Considering Information Literacy Skills and Needs: Designing Library Instruction for the Online Learner
Predictors of Student’s Attitudes toward Science Literacy
Engineering Integration: Building a Quick and Effective Faculty Seminar
Between the Hammer and the List: Doable Accessibility
The Hammer
The List
Accessibility discussions are a perennial marginal topic in the library literature and at conferences. No librarians known to library literature are staunchly anti-accessibility. Despite friendly intentions, however, libraries can be a bit behind on accessibility in some way or (perhaps more commonly) librarians just aren’t sure. This may be partly attributable to the tenor of the discussion around accessibility which tends to focus on two organizing schemata: it’s federal law and must be done or lawsuits will soon follow (the hammer) or here is a 508 compliance checklist, tick the boxes (the list). Getting beyond the hammer and the list maybe require a shift in mindset. Librarians of various passions can get excited about accessibility. Are you interested in:
- Outreach
- Issues of access
- Usability
- Library as place
- Web design
- Technology
- Student success/assessment/retention
- Multiple intelligences/modes of learning/literacies
If accessibility is conceptualized as somewhere “over there,” outside the purview of a speciality (or librarianship itself), then it can be deprioritized. But there is hope. Beyond the quick fear of lawsuits and the arcane meanderings of accessibility laws lie simple steps that libraries can take to create a welcoming atmosphere for learners of all types.
A little knowledge
Librarians are deluged with many yet-another-thing-to-worry-about issues. Not every library has the resources for a dedicated accessibility position. A doable solution is to widely spread shallow knowledge. Librarians and all library staff need to have a baseline familiarity with the accessibility options provided by the library. What adaptive technologies and software is available at library accessibility stations? Librarians do not need to be able to troubleshoot, but a little familiarity will stave off that moment of hammer fear when a patron asks “Do you have JAWS 11+?” Librarians that don’t get asked these questions often will need periodic reviews or, in the best case, a section in a institutional knowledge platform with accessibility information. If you don’t have these avenues, a “cheat sheet” placed around the desk or station can also work. It should detail basic functions and current version numbers. Versions are important and can have major updates that make one internet technology or another greatly more accessible.
A point person
Another way of streamlining accessibility knowledge is to appoint an accessibility liaison that has the responsibility to keep other folks in the library abreast of current accessibility issues. This person won’t *only* work with accessibility, but can liaise with the office on campus that deals with accessibility issues. Accessibility offices tend to be looking for partners in much the same way librarians do and it can be a “natural ally” situation. This point person can break through the hammer and the list with practical accessibility knowledge hopefully grounded in experiential knowledge.
For more great ideas see the Oct. issue of Library Technology Reports: Making Libraries Accessible.
Photo credits: ‘the shopping list’ or ‘another one of the reasons why I adore him’ by Aaron Edwards http://www.flickr.com/photos/evill1/105814713/
Perfect Handle Counterfeit Hammer by Noel C. Hankamer http://www.flickr.com/photos/nhankamer/4703022414/in/photostream/
Academic librarians and PA Forward
The new PA Forward initiative, officially launched in February 2012, continues to have a relatively low level of participation by academic librarians. We want to change that! In order for PA Forward to be a strong and effective advocacy initiative, all types of librarians must participate. And to participate, they first must recognize the benefits of a program that clearly demonstrates the value that libraries provide to their communities, whether students on their campuses or citizens in their towns.
This fall, PaLA President Debbie Malone created an ad hoc committee to encourage more academic librarian participation in PA Forward. She asked Erin Dorney and Erin Burns, members of the CRD Board, to conduct two focus groups at the Annual PaLA Conference. The goal of the focus groups was to understand the reluctance of academics to get involved with PA Forward and to identify what can be done to make it clear that PA Forward is not just an advocacy effort for public librarians and public libraries but for all librarians and libraries.
The summaries of the focus group discussions were fascinating. Many participants saw the activities described in the PA Forward Best Practices for Literacy database as mostly programs for public libraries, which academic librarians could not recreate without “stepping on the toes” of other units on their campuses. They were unsure as to what they could contribute to the initiative and what they could gain from it.
Clearly, we need to clarify what constitutes a ‘best practice.’ A ‘best practice’ is simply something a library does that effectively meets the needs of its patrons. It does not mean peer-reviewed or award-winning or grant-funded. A best practice can certainly also be a new well-funded or award-willing initiative, with lots of bells and whistles, but the important thing is that it makes a contribution and difference in the lives of the people the library serves. A best practice can also be something you think other librarians could adapt for use in their own situations. In short, a best practice is something that works.
Why is the PA Forward Best Practices for Literacy database so important? The PA Forward Partners and the public need to clearly see the multiple ways that academic libraries provide value to their campuses and surrounding communities. Recently three new academic associations have joined PA Forward as Partners: ACRL/Delaware Valley Chapter, PALCI, and ACLCP (Associated College Libraries of Central Pennsylvania). They also need to see examples of academic librarian involvement in the initiative so they can clearly understand how they can contribute.
The following is a partial list of some of the activities in which academic librarians regularly participate that could easily be included in the best practices database. Each supports one (or more) of the five PA Forward literacies: information literacy, financial literacy, health literacy, basic literacy, and social & civic literacy:
- Library involvement in an institution’s open access repository or online open access journals created and/or edited by faculty members
- Pedagogies that work or assessment techniques that measure student learning outcomes of importance to the institution
- Library participation in One Book, One Campus events
- Online tutorials that engage students and provide assessment of student learning
- Library participation in first-year experience programs and events
- Library collaborations with student life departments
- Librarian contributions to the work of significant campus committees
- Programming created and hosted by the library which is designed for the campus community and/or the public at large
- Other creative ways you reach out to faculty, staff and students on campus!
We know there are many academic librarians doing similar, creative things on their campuses, significantly contributing to their institutional mission and students’ education, and we want to hear about it! Please take a moment to add a description of your work to the PA Forward Best Practices for Literacy database. It’s very easy. Just go to our online form at http://tinyurl.com/PAFBestForm. The database is moderated by the PaLA Public Relations/Marketing Committee, so it will take a day or two to appear. If you have any questions, feel free to contact either Debbie Malone (debbie DOT malone AT desales DOT edu) or Linda Neyer (crdpala AT gmail). We want to hear from you!
Debbie Malone, 2012 PaLA President, and Linda Neyer, 2012 CRD Chair
Reflections on PaLA Annual Conference 2012
by Tom Reinsfelder and Christina Steffy
Each year, PaLA’s annual conference is filled with informative, educational events to help librarians in all areas of the field gain valuable knowledge through sessions and through networking opportunities. Although we know this when we attend, or when we see if it’s possible to attend, we don’t always take the time to actively reflect on the conference and to share our thoughts with other librarians. This week, we’re sharing our thoughts on the PaLA 2012 Annual Conference that was held in Gettysburg.
Christina Steffy
This PaLA conference is not the first one I’ve attended, but it was certainly filled with “firsts” that made this a unique experience for me. This was my first PaLA annual conference as a librarian – my previous annual conference I attended was as an MLIS student – so I had a new perspective on things. Rather than seeing this as a chance to learn about what I will be doing in my field and to perform information interviews, I was viewing this through the lens of, “How can I use what I’m learning here to improve my library services?” This was also my first year on CRD Board, so it was the first year I really felt like I had a stake in the conference. Through reviewing conference proposals, serving as a moderator for a session, and attending a session to distribute materials and help promote Pennsylvania Libraries: Research & Practice, I was contributing to the growth and development of the profession in addition to my own personal professional growth.
While at PaLA, I attended the following sessions: The Embedded Librarian: A Crucial Addition to Online, Graduate Research Courses(I moderated this session); Sustainability Usability Testing in Academic Libraries through Student Staff Training; Evidence-Based Practice and Information Literacy: Connections and Possibilities; A New Online Open Access Publication for Pennsylvania’s Academic Libraries: Updates & Opportunities; and Course & Subject Guides: Evolved Learning Spaces or Instructional Crutches. I also viewed many of the poster presentations. As a solo librarian, it was nice to get out and be around other librarians so that I don’t become “isolated” and not keep up with what’s going on outside my library. Also, through these sessions, I was able to network (which is important for anyone, not just for someone in the early stages of her career), and I was able to engage in formal and informal exchanges of ideas. I found the sessions on course guides and evidence-based practice to be especially interesting and relevant to me. I’m currently creating guides for my nursing schools using a “home grown” method and it was nice to connect with others about this, and to make sure that I’m critically evaluating the need for these guides. Also, evidence-based practice is important in the health sciences and, since my background was not in the health sciences prior to my position in a nursing school library, it was nice to have the opportunity to learn more about this and to see how it’s spreading into other fields. I also found the poster sessions incredibly valuable because they forced me to step out of the academic library focus I had when choosing the sessions and to see what all types of libraries are doing. For example, I learned about projects to recycle old books, and I learned about Reading Public Library’s Saturday cultural events like music and food tasting. I was also able to see the Patron Behavior: Be Aware! poster and learn about patron behavior and library staff safety; this was especially important to me since I’m not only a solo librarian, but I’m also the only library staff person working in a high stress environment.
Although I was only able to attend two days, I learned a lot and I stepped outside the box of my library world. I will continue to attend conferences in the future and to give back to my profession by actively participating in library boards and conferences.
Tom Reinsfelder
Like Christina, this was not my first PaLA conference, but it was my first as a member of the CRD board and included my first presentation at this conference. It was exciting to announce and share some news about our new publication Pennsylvania Libraries: Research & Practice. I also enjoyed being able to see many of the people from around the state who I have been working with, but rarely meet in person. And of course, it is always nice to meet new people and make new connections. The location was excellent. The facilities were very nice, and in some ways unique. It was my first time attending a presentation at a library conference in a movie theater. (As I walked past the popcorn I was directed to theater 4 on the right).
The presentations and poster sessions at PaLA are always interesting, making this one of my favorite conferences to attend. All of the sessions I attended were valuable, but this year one of my favorites was where I learned about he concept of the “Using the Filter Bubble” to engage students (by Allyson Valentine & Laura Wukovitz). If you didn’t make it to PaLA this year, consider making the trip next fall if you can.
Were you able to attend? Please share your thoughts and reflections with us. Also, whether you were able to attend or not, you can view the session handouts here.
