Past Tense // Future Tense
Why School Libraries Matter
Dr Ross J Todd
School of Communication & Information
Rutgers, The State University of New Jersey

• to ensure the development of reasoning,
reflection and scientific curiosity, as well as an
enhanced knowledge on the key elements of a
humanistic, artistic, scientific and technological
culture
• to promote the acquisition and application of
knowledge, based on study, critical reflection,
observation and experimentation
• to educate young people interested in solving
the country's problems and awareness of the
international community issues
• to promote vocational guidance and training
through technical and technological support,
with a view to their entry into the working life;
• to create individual and group work habits,
favouring the development of attitudes of
methodical reflection, open-mindedness,
sensitivity, openness and adaptation to
change.
Portugal
Ministry of Education
and Science:
Comprehensive Law on
the Education System

Do we really need a school library?
• Availability of information
technology
• Access to vast quantities of
information on the Internet
• Costly infrastructure; increasing cost
of print material
• Cost of personnel: certified school
librarian
• Students using libraries less since
they first began using internet
research tools
• Search engines are primary starting
point for information searching

The Changing Information Landscape
• Transformation of information
access: digital devices, smart
technologies, voice activation,
haptic technologies
• Changing arena of content
publishing; apps-driven access;
wearable computing; breakdown
of traditional publishing control
• Changing culture of reading:
visual, linked, interactive,
participatory
• New technology frontiers for
learning: VR, gaming, robotics,
makers and innovation

6
https/stephenk1977/2046536210
CENTER FOR THE FUTURE OF LIBRARIES
AmericanLibraryAssociation:
FutureTrends

7
http://www.ala.org/transforminglibraries/future/trends
American
Library
Association:
Future Trends

8
“With the school library literally the
heart of the educational program, the
students of the school have their best
chance to become capable and
enthusiastic readers, informed about
the world around them, and alive to the
limitless possibilities
of tomorrow.” Mary Gaver, 1958
Gaver, M. Every child needs a
school library. Chicago, ALA,
1958
Gaver, M. Effectiveness of
Centralized Library Service in
Elementary Schools. Rutgers
University, 1963
Mary Gaver:
60 Years of Research

WHAT IS A
SCHOOL
LIBRARY?

What
is a
School
Library?
The school library is the school’s physical and
virtual learning commons where reading,
inquiry, thinking, imagination, discovery, and
creativity are central to students’ information-
to-knowledge journey, and to their personal,
social and cultural growth.


11
60 Years of Evidence of School Library Impact on Learning
and Student Achievement

The Value of the School Library: Research
12
• Access to quality and diverse information sources needed for
deep learning
• Nurturing reading and literacy development
• Development of information, inquiry and critical literacy
capabilities
• Development of knowledge of subject curriculums
• Development of technical, analytical and reflective skills for
accessing information and constructing & producing knowledge
• Development of independent learning capabilities
• Academic achievement: Instructional interventions focus on how
you undertake good research and apply research skills to
constructing knowledge
School Library Research: Guiding Principles for the Future

http://www.ala.org/aasl

• free voluntary reading
• reading motivation
• reading engagement
• reading fluency
• reading comprehension
• strategic reading
• reading for pleasure
• reading remediation
• Writing process, and
support of for conventions
of citation and writing
formal papers
• Communication in spoken
and digital contexts
• Prof. Stephen Krsashen
Transformative Role of School Libraries: Reading and Literacy

School Library Research and the Digital Context
• The instructional role of SL is significant mechanism for the
development of students as digital citizens
• Help students recognize and access quality information in multiple
modes and across multiple platforms
• Develop digital communication in collaborative, ethical ways for
students to share ideas, work together & produce knowledge
• Provide sophisticated information technology tools to search, access,
create and demonstrate new knowledge
• Instruction that develops ethical uses & behaviors in relation to
digital technologies
• Help students understanding the dangers inherent in the use of
complex information technologies – cyberbullying, pornography,
stranger danger: mindfulness

https://www.sparkpeople.com/mypage_public_journal_individual.asp?blog_id=6204906

Model instructional strategies that center on:
• Integrating and evaluating multiple sources of information presented in
different media or formats
• Engaging with strong and thorough textual evidence to support analysis
• Showing how themes interact and build on one another to produce a
complex account
• Analyzing and synthesizing multiple interpretations
• Identifying and addressing conflicting information
• Writing arguments to support claims with clear reasons and relevant
evidence
• Producing clear and coherent writing in which the development,
organization, and style are appropriate to task, purpose, and audience
• Using technology, including the Internet, to produce and publish writing:
knowledge producers

Humanistic Study as Key to SL Futures
• Schools and School Libraries as cradles of civilization and democratic society
• Schools and school libraries as breeding grounds for ideas generation, disruption
and intellectual discontent: diversity of ideas as foundation for critical thinking,
argument, debate and building knowledge, developing powers of observation
and comprehension, and an aversion to dogmatism. Ideas / Thinking Networks
• Schools and school libraries as opportunities for social, collaborative and global
learning: global, local, formal, informal, unofficial, unscheduled, impromptu
learning: Social and Cultural Networks
• Learning without borders: connected learning, global collaboration, removing
obstacles, seeding community formation, encouraging conversation, and
growing student networks. Community Networks

20
http://www.mirror.co.uk/news/world-news/ferguson-riots-
police-filmed-firing-4697300
FERGUSON, MISSOURI AUGUST 2014

Scott Bonner and the Ferguson
Municipal Public Library, Missouri
21
http://www.ala.org/transforminglibraries/libraries-transforming-communities/blog/one-year-later-interview-ferguson-mo-library-director-scott

Civil Discourse
Informed Discourse
Human Rights
Human Agency
Social Justice
Civic Responsibility
Open Access
Equity of Access to Resources /
Technology
Community Building
Diversity
Commitment to the Social Good
Humanistic Study

http://www.ala.org/tools/librariestransform/libraries-transforming-communities/blog
From “Source” / ”Selfie” / “Ego-Centric” narratives to
outcomes narratives that place focus on the subject:
Communities transformed by…..
Student Learning through Ohio School Libraries

24

Disruption, Dualisms and Directions
Donna Haraway: Cyborg Manifesto (1985)
Breakdown of boundaries between human and machine
• Breakdown of dualisms: self/other, male/female, civilized/primitive,
right/wrong, truth/illusion, fact/fake news, god/human;
• Role of technology in challenging these dualisms: technological development
creates new interpretive & innovative opportunities.
Mary Chakyo: Superconnected (2016)
• Techno-social life: “digital life is simply real life”
• Terms such as “virtual”, “cyberspace” even “digital” are misleading in that
they imply something almost, but not quite real.
• Amidst robotics, automation, devices immersion: critical set of dynamics and
realities around human agency.
• Creates the problematic around terms such as “digital natives” “digital citizens”

26
http://www.ditii.com/2010/03/28/new-born-baby-tweets-omg-i-just-got-born/

“digital life is
simply real
life”
Prof Mary
Chayko

https://www.ndtv.com/offbeat/viral-celebs-share-
touching-pic-of-kids-taking-a-selfie-with-slipper-
1987869

SCHOOL ACTION: Visible Agenda and Evidence of Social /
Cultural Diversity, Inclusion, Access, Justice & Wellbeing
29
• Diverse information ecosystem: for all, enabled by IT, regardless of social and economic
and access circumstances.
• Knowledge ecosystems: Opportunity to examine diverse interests, diverse perspectives,
arguments, even controversial topics, in privacy and anonymity, and without
interruption: inclusion for diversity.
• Wisdom ecosystems: individual help, mentoring, empathy, resilience, coping,
interacting as needed without any kind of judgment. Access to expertise, help, support
• Safe ecosystems: where students can retreat and work without interruption and
intervention by other people without any kind of threat: identity, sexuality, social
relationships and interactions
CONNECTION. OPENNESS. AUTONOMY. INNOVATION.

FUTURE TENSE // FUTURE PERFECT
• In an era of banishing truth and the suppression of ideas, we
have to have professional, intellectual and social courage to live
our values, ethics and practices = the courage to practice them.
• Beyond pessimism: ok today, better tomorrow. Critical
constructive capacity.
• Leadership that is encouraging and nourishing: our students,
our colleagues: wellbeing as a central mindset.
• Sustainability is built on common language, common platforms,
conversations and formative feedback (moving beyond the
jargon / bibliobabble of librarianship) eg. Information Literacy.

2 studies
In collaboration with Vjay Medina,
Children and Youth Librarian,
Qatar National Library

148 students in Grades 5 – 10; IB school Qatar
Self-reported responses to 28 checklist items, as well as
open-ended questions, developed by the Open University
UK titled “Being digital: Digital literacy skills checklist”
available at:
http://www.open.ac.uk/libraryservices/beingdigital/accessible/acce
ssible-pdf-35-self-assessment-checklist.pdf
• Protocols with online communication
• Identifying quality of information
• Online researching
• Online production
41% 59%
GATHERINGEVIDENCE

FINDINGS Confidence in digital worlds
Overall, high levels of confidence in all attributes
Highest confidence
• technical skills of
using digital tools
• accessing and
selecting
information
sources
• perceptions of
personal capacity
• participation in
online
environments
Higher levels of
confidence
• searching for
information
• finding information,
evaluating sources,
• keeping track of
found information
through
bookmarking and
citations;
participating in
forums
• chatting with others
online.
Lower levels of
confidence
• advanced technical
skills
• integrating and
using different
media into research
projects as different
approaches to
representing ideas
• analysis and
synthesis of
information and the
construction of one’s
own knowledge.

Perceptions of competence
1. Name
some things
that you find
easy to do
online?
3. What some of
the difficulties
you encounter
when you are
online?
2. What do you think
that the (school)
library can do for
you to help you to
become a good
online learner?
GATHERINGEVIDENCE

ACTIONS&INERVENTIONS From Digital Confidence to Digital
Competence: An Evidence-Based Action Plan

RECOMMENDATION From Digital Confidence to Digital
Competence: An Evidence-Based Action Plan

ONLINE SAFETY AS CORE ELEMENT OF
DIGITAL LITERACY: QUESTIONS
• How do students define and describe
online safety?
• What does it mean to be safe in an online
world?
• How do students recognize whether a
website is safe or not?
• What are the actions/strategies students
use to ensure they are safe in online
environments?
https://www.turnerusd202.org/schoology/parent-and-
student-resources/digital-safety

• Perceptions about unsafe websites
• Grades 5 to 10 in 2 schools in
Philippines. (425 Students
approximately)
• Series of regular library classes:
general theme of digital awareness
and safety
• Mind mapping activity: unsafe
websites
• 38 groups (5-12 per group)
Research Methodology

Findings
Category 1: Sexual and violent content;
Category 2: Malware pop-ups and spam;
Category 3: Privacy and security issues;
Category 4: Technical errors/virus/auto
download;
Category 5: Social media: unsolicited sharing;
Category 6: Search engines: unsolicited sites.
FrequencyTerm

FindingInsights • Specific knowledge of technical terms: eg Deep Web, Torrent;
specific knowledge of risk web sites and malicious files.
• Predominant conception of being unsafe online centers on aspects
of access, technical structures, potential for technical harm.
• Limited acknowledgement of role of self in the safety equation: eg
stranger danger, establishing privacy boundaries, cyberbullying
indicators, managing offensive posts, interactions and images.
• “Unsafe” predominantly seen as system problem, not as personal-
social-interaction problem: No explication of active role of self in
the digital environment.
• Shift from technical notions of unsafe, to understanding and
enacting the role of self: building a mindset of digital safety; digital
wellbeing

Potential Interventions
• interventions are not based on exaggerations of the nature and scale of risks
• Focus on the development of coping and resilience strategies
• Empower children to cope, provide advice to parents on how to mediate, and
ensure library websites contain appropriate positive support and guidance.
• Avoid top-down interventionist approaches which tend to be negative and
ascribe blame and fear (this is akin to bullying tactics).
• Develop active strategies equip children to manage online risks themselves in
so far as they are able and practical to do.
• Enabling children to craft meaningful profiles; what constitutes a good profile.
• Build resilience, coping and self-efficacy through awareness of self-help
resources that build understanding and provide proactive strategies that do not
overdramatize the risks.
• Anonymous help lines where children can discuss their issues in anonymity and
privacy.
• Open up communication avenues that create opportunities seek social support
and talk to someone (peers, parents, teachers). Build trust.

Constructing a Bright Future
• Leadership role in fostering human agency and wellbeing in context of
building information-knowledge capacity: access to devices, access to
intellectual competencies, capacity for developing the ethics and values
– wellbeing of our students; coping and resilience.
• Leadership role in fostering enactment of the social good: our agenda is
bigger than student achievement: it is about social justice, social good,
community empowerment, sense of the global.
• Leadership in duty of care for each other: mentoring, sharing, best-
practice networks; communities of practice; nurturing the newbies.
• Find your space to take time to reflect, to refresh, reshape, redirect.