1. Service Learning:
Bringing the World into
LIS Education
Carolyn Doi, McGill University
Melanie Sellar, Marymount College
Erin Walker, Bradford West Gwillimbury Public Library

2. Session Goals
 Introduce the concept of service learning (SL)
 Connect SL to work of Librarians Without Borders (LWB)
 Present case studies of LWB-SL projects

3. Overview of Presentation
1. Introduce Service Learning (SL)
2. Introduce Librarians Without Borders (LWB)
3. Connect work of LWB to SL
4. SL case-study: LWB initiative in Costa Rica
5. SL case-study: LWB initiative in Guatemala
6. Answer your questions!

4. Overview of Presentation
1. Introduce Service Learning (SL)
2. Introduce Librarians Without Borders (LWB)
3. Connect work of LWB to SL
4. SL case-study: LWB initiative in Costa Rica
5. SL case-study: LWB initiative in Guatemala
6. Answer your questions!

5. What is Service Learning?
It is a form of experiential education
in which students engage in activities
that address community needs
together with structured opportunities
intentionally designed to promote
student learning and development.

6. History of Service Learning
• Renaissance of civic engagement on campuses
1960s • Peace Corps, Civil Rights Movement
• First conference in United States
• Resurgence in response to materialistic image
1980s • Launch of many national service organizations
• Campus Compact is founded
• Becomes a formally established field
1990s • Emergence of conferences, journals
• Growing body of research literature
• Adoption of pedagogy begins in Canada
2000s • Canadian Alliance for Community Service Learning
• LIS Literature begins to recognize SL

7. Service Learning is Different From:
Recipient BENEFICIARY Provider
Service FOCUS Learning
Service- Learning
Community
Field Education
Service
Volunteerism Internships
Pictorial from Andrew Furco, “Service-Learning: A Balanced Approach to Experiential Education.” 1996.

8. At the Intersection: Service Learning
Academic
Material
Relevant Critical
Service Reflection

9. Why Care About Service Learning?
Internationalize Higher Respond to
Campuses Education Workforce Needs
Priorities
Access Funding Enrich
Opportunities Pedagogy

10. Overview of Presentation
1. Introduce Service Learning (SL)
2. Introduce Librarians Without Borders (LWB)
3. Connect work of LWB to SL
4. SL case-study: LWB initiative in Costa Rica
5. SL case-study: LWB initiative in Guatemala
6. Answer your questions!

11. Where We Began
Linguistics LIS program, Angola –
Course, UWO
UWO UWO collaboration

12. How We Grew
Executive Team (across North America)
Board of Directors (across North America)
>1,000 members (across the world)
2005 2007 2007 2009 2010

13. Who We’ve Become
Librarians Without Borders is an non-profit organization that
strives to narrow the information divide worldwide by supporting
libraries in developing regions.
We collaborate with partner communities to identify their needs
and then mobilize our volunteers — the core being student
librarians — for in-the-field development.

14. Overview of Presentation
1. Introduce Service Learning (SL)
2. Introduce Librarians Without Borders (LWB)
3. Connect work of LWB to SL
4. SL case-study: LWB initiative in Costa Rica
5. SL case-study: LWB initiative in Guatemala
6. Answer your questions!

15. At the Intersection: Service Learning
Academic
material
Relevant Critical
service reflection

16. Attributes of Effective Service Learning
 Ownership of projects
 Via autonomy, but not independence
 Sense of mastery and fulfillment
 Via accomplishments of clear goals and feedback from clients
 Sense of connectedness
 With colleagues, instructors, community
 Meaningful experience
 Prolonged involvement, intensity of effort
 Reflection and assessment
 Frequent, structured, and guided

17. Overview of Presentation
1. Introduce Service Learning (SL)
2. Introduce Librarians Without Borders (LWB)
3. Connect work of LWB to SL
4. SL case-study: LWB initiative in Costa Rica
5. SL case-study: LWB initiative in Guatemala
6. Answer your questions!

18. LWB in Costa Rica
Project Overview
 September 2009-April 2010
 Student-led project
 Goal: to build school library in El Humo, Costa Rica
 Fundraise for books & building supplies
 Develop start-up collection
 Service-learning trip to construct & set-up library
 Partner with local organization, VIDA

19. Local Partner: VIDA

20. Costa Rica

21. Pre-departure
Timeline: September 2009 to April 2010
 Recruiting trip participants & forming work teams
 Planning trip itinerary and budget
 Fundraising activities
 Collection development
 Learning about Costa Rica

22. Fundraising
Calendar sales; Pancake
Fundraising Goal = Breakfasts; Wii Raffle;
$5,000 Silent Auction; Button
Sales; Knit-a-Thon;
Donations

23. Collection Development
Start-up Collection
Spanish- Science & Costa Rican Basic
English Geography Literature English
dictionaries books • Picture
Books
• English
Language
Learning

24. Collection Development
Questions & Challenges
Curriculum How to find & Cultural Getting the
support or evaluate considerations: books to El
recreational Spanish- • Language Humo?
reading? language • Relevant & How much could
Size of collection children’s appropriate we purchase
books? locally?
Dealing with
foreign vendors

25. Collection Development
Selection Tools & Resources:
 IBBY (International Board on Books for Young People)
 Fundalectura (Columbia)
 Banco del Libro (Venezuela)
 Barahona Center for the Study of Books in Spanish for
Children & Adolescents
 School Library Journal reviews
 Críticas (English-lang review source for Spanish-lang books)
 CR Ministry of Education curriculum & required reading

26. Collection Development
Booksellers:
 Tap Peques ̶ Oakville, ON
 Libreria Lehmann ̶ San José, Costa Rica
 Libreria Legado ̶ San José, Costa Rica
Publisher Donations:
 Annick
 Kids Can Press
 Scholastic Canada
 Groundwood Books

27. Collection Development

28. On the Ground
 Getting to know the El Humo school and
community
 National Library of Costa Rica
 Physical construction of library building
 Setting up the library
 Created a cataloguing method, processed books,
created a basic card catalogue, and wrote a
policy/handbook for the school staff

29. Escuela

30. Una casa típica

31. Los chiquitos

32. ¿Habla Español?

33. ¡Bailamos!

34. ¡Bailamos!

35. National Library of Costa Rica

36. National Library of Costa Rica

37. National Library of Costa Rica

38. National Library of Costa Rica

39. Building site

40. Digging post holes

41. Mixing cement by hand = least favourite job!

42. Moving very heavy concrete beams

43. Concrete wall slabs

44. Concrete wall slabs

45. We were never short on spectators

46. Walls are up!

47. Working on the floor

48. Peeking from behind the newly installed door

49. Setting up the library
 Basic system based on subject area and author
surname – had to be simple enough for staff
and volunteers to maintain
 Simple card catalogue
 Policy manual & procedures

50. Setting up the library

51. Setting up the library

52. Setting up the library

53. Finished space

54. Finished space

55. Finished space

56. Presenting the library to the school

57. Impact of the Library
 El Humo students learned about libraries and
how they work in class
 Project inspired the El Humo community to
fundraise to purchase computers for the library
& additional resources
 Practicum student from LIS program at
University of Costa Rica from neighbouring
village

58. Presentación de gratitud

59. Presentación de gratitud

60. One Year Later
 Update from school principal, Don Jorge
 Continue to benefit from presence of LIS practicum
student
 Computer now available for student use in library
 Source of pride for the school and greater El Humo
community
 Believe that it is inspiring student success and
encouraging literacy

61. What did we learn?
 Practical application of “hard” professional skills
 Information Resources
 Reference & User services
 Community Development
 Development of essential “soft” skills
 Creativity
 Leadership
 Project Management
 Time Management
 Communication
 Flexibility

62. Overview of Presentation
1. Introduce Service Learning (SL)
2. Introduce Librarians Without Borders (LWB)
3. Connect work of LWB to SL
4. SL case-study: LWB initiative in Costa Rica
5. SL case-study: LWB initiative in Guatemala
6. Answer your questions!

63. LWB in Guatemala
The Asturias Library Project

64. Project  Partner institution: Miguel Angel
Asturias Academy
Overview
 Location: Quetzaltenango,
Project Goal Guatemala
Collaborate  Started in 2009 by McGill student
with the committee
Asturias  Asturias identified a need for
Academy to library experts
implement a  Ongoing fund raising
library at the  Service-learning trips in spring
school. 2010 and 2011

65. The Miguel Angel Asturias Academy

66. Introduction to the  Private, non-profit Pre K-12
Asturias Academy school
 Location: Quetzaltenango,
Two main missions Guatemala
(1) Get ALL
 Founded: 1994
Guatemalan
children in school  Serves students from
(2) Break cycles of varying background:
poverty through Indigenous, non-
education indigenous, poor, working
class and middle class.
 Implements teachings of
Paulo Friere

67. The Asturias Library
When LWB arrived in
Guatemala in 2010, the
Asturias Library was in a
pre-construction phase.
Since then, the Asturias
Library has gone from being
an idea to a functional
library space.
The library is currently open
during school hours, and is
used on a daily basis by
Asturias students and staff.

68. Partnership Benefits for LWB students
Make a positive impact on a
community in need
Partner with an organization that
can use expertise in the field
Apply lessons and knowledge
from the classroom
Prepare to enter the workforce
by getting hands on experience

69. Asturias Library Project – Year One
 Begin and develop relationship with Asturias
 Initial work in Guatemala – 2010 Trip
Manual of recommendations
Deliver books and school supplies
 Reflection
 Articles
 Presentations

70. Asturias Library Project - Year One
On the ground in Guatemala (April – May 2010):
 Cultural Activities
 GOAL: Better get to know the community
 One week of service work at the school
 Developed handbook of recommendations including
cataloguing, layout, shelving, programming, etc.
 Meet the students: classroom visits, recess, reading
club
 Communicate with Asturias staff and volunteers
 Blogging
 2847 visitors during the trip

71. Library Space Planning
Conceptual Drawings – April 2010

72. January 2011
First story time at Asturias Library, January 2011

73. Asturias Library Project – Year One Participants

74. Asturias Library Project – Year Two Participants

75. Asturias Library Project – Year Two
 Bigger scope
 Organization wide:
 Fundraising push
 Collection development projects
 2nd service learning trip to Guatemala
 27 participants
 Members from executive and 4 library schools
 Cultural activities
 Week of work at the school

76. Cultural Activities

77. Collection Development
• 350 Books purchased by 4 LWB student committees
• Increase size of Asturias collection to 2000 items.

78. Activities at Asturias
Developed & based on discussions with library staff
 Day 1: brainstorm, prioritize, pitch (short & long term)
 Day 1: division into project teams; set goals:
 Organization Team
 Information Literacy Team
 K‘iche‘ Audio Books Team
 Knowledge Management Team
 Blogging/Photography Team
 Day 2-5: work, work, work towards goals!
 Day 6 + (in Canada): document and compile materials

79. Meet the students

80. Library Organization

81. Library Organization

82. Information Literacy
 Guides for teachers on how
to use the library
 Classification
 Floor plans
 How to implement library
into curriculum
 Resource lists
 Book talk best practices
 Information literacy games

83. Knowledge Management
 Wiki
 High turnover rate among Asturias
volunteers
 Goals
 Capture best practices
 Document and organize collective knowledge
 Share knowledge with future volunteers
 Survey
 Evaluate trip for future improvement

84. K’iche’ Audio Book Project
 K’iche’ is the predominant
Indigenous language in Xela
 Audio to support Asturias K’iche’
language curriculum
 Work with students to create
audio material for the collection
 Build library holdings
 Give students a sense of
ownership over the collection
 Manual of best practices

85. Blogging/Photography Team
http://lwb-online.org/?cat=27

86. What’s next?
 Continue to create opportunities for
reflection
 Continued collaboration with Asturias
 As their priorities change, so will our
relationship with them:
 Another trip
 Continued fundraising
 Expansion of the library

87. “We can never repay you, but know that
you are cultivating a love of reading in
Guatemalan students. We hope you take
with you in your hearts a sense that you
have done something good, not only for
our students, but for the whole of
Guatemala, you have made a difference.”
Jorge Chojolán,
Founder and Director

88. Opportunities
for Reflection

89. Reflection “Structured opportunities
for reflection can enable
learners to examine and
Wrap up form their beliefs, values,
Articles
webinar
opinions, assumptions,
judgments and practices
related to an action or
Presentations Blogging
experience, gain a deeper
understanding of them
and construct their own
Trip Document meaning and significance
for future actions.”
Moon, J. Reflection in Learning and Professional
Development . London : Kogan Page Limited, Stylus Publishing
Inc, 1999.

90. Student learning outcomes
Social
Experience Skills
Justice
Collection development Problem Solving Education and Literacy
in Guatemala
Time management
Budget management
Flexibility Challenges facing local
population
Cataloguing Team Work
Communication Paulo Friere teachings
Collection Maintenance
& Organization
Leadership
Incorporating local
Technical Writing challenges into library
Project Management planning

91. Relevant course work
2010 Trip: “What aspects of your MLIS program were
applicable to the Asturias Library Initiative?”
Cataloguing Library Space Planning
Collection Development Information Literacy
User services Group Work
Programming Writing Training Manuals

92. Relevant Skills
 2010 Trip: “What skills or knowledge did you feel
were most important during the Asturias Library
Project?”
Spanish Team Work
Communication Presentation skills
Analysis of user needs Flexibility
Cataloguing Understanding needs of user group

93. Summary of Benefits of LIS Students
Connects curriculum to real-world, complex experiences, which:
 Engages them in problem-solving, critical thinking
 Promotes deeper learning: no “right” answers
 Develops interpersonal skills and teamwork approach
 Develops leadership and management skills
Provides immersion into societal issues relating to LIS, which:
 Socializes them into values of the profession
 Sensitizes them to the realities, experiences, and needs of
marginalized people
 Develops civic responsibility through community
involvement

94. Into the Future
How can we formally integrate LWB
with the LIS curriculum?

95. Overview of Presentation
1. Introduce Service Learning (SL)
2. Introduce Librarians Without Borders (LWB)
3. Connect work of LWB to SL
4. SL case-study: LWB initiative in Costa Rica
5. SL case-study: LWB initiative in Guatemala
6. Answer your questions!

97. Thank You!
www.libarianswithoutborders.org
twitter: lwb_online