Big and Uncomfortable Conversations: Urban Librarians Conference 2018

On Friday, April 13th, I attended the Urban Librarianship Conference, a one-day conference at
Brooklyn Public Library’s majestic Central Branch. The conference, which is hosted by Urban
Librarians Unite, provides an opportunity for librarians who work in urban environments to
exchange resources and ideas.

Under the theme “Library Revolution,” presenters shared programs, policies, and endeavors
that are pushing libraries to become more equitable places. These discussions often push
librarians into an uncomfortable - but necessary - space of self-examination; for example,
keynote speaker Jessamyn West reminded us of the importance of creating a space that
reflects our community, not a place that seeks to indoctrinate a community with “correct” values.
(Jessamyn West created a webpage for her talk; it’s jam-packed with resources about justice,
inclusion, and library neutrality.) What signals are we sending to patrons with seemingly-
inoculate gestures?

Here are some of the thought-provoking resources and ideas discussed:

● Collections: Collection development librarians at Oakland Public Library examined their
children’s books containing portrayals of police. They found that almost all of these
books depicted police as “community helpers” who keep communities safe from “the bad
guys.” Recognizing that many children in their community have had poor experiences
with the police or have family members who have been incarcerated, selectors realized
they needed to create a collection showing a wide range of experiences and reactions to
police. In response, they created a toolkit with best practices on how to evaluate and
select books about police.

● Programs: Children’s librarians at Brooklyn Public Library created Genderful!, a two-
hour program inviting kids (ages 6-12) and caregivers to a safe place to discuss and
explore gender identity. Activities included button-making, zine-making, quiet reading
corners, storytelling, and musical performances. The program was well-attended, but
presenter Leigh Hurwitz hopes to make it even more inclusive next year for children with
a wide array of sensory needs and for families of color.

● Visibility: Asata Radcliffe and Jennifer N. Shannon introduced 2040 Review, a
forthcoming review journal that centers authors and reviewers of color. Asata, who is a
seasoned book reviewer, discussed the many barriers authors of color confront when
getting their book into readers’ hands; as they state on their website, “It is the mission of
the 2040 Review to provide an avenue of accessibility for authors of color within the
world of literature reviews.”

The Urban Librarianship Conference provided a great opportunity to explore how other libraries
are examining and challenging our normal operations. It also offered opportunities to learn
about other resources we can use to make Enoch Pratt a safe and welcoming space for all.

Rebecca Starr
Info. Services

Escape Room Activity

If you aren’t participating in the escape room activity, then thanks for reading this but please move on to the next blog post.  

If you are participating, your clue is:

 “it may not be in the middle, but it’s central to our system, three will unlock the secret” 

Good Luck!

PLA 2018: The Accidental Trainer: Teaching Technology in a Modern Day Library

So often as programming librarians we create our own presentations for workshops from scratch. I have found over the years that had I checked online I would have had a nearly there version that could have cut down on planning time while still being a high quality, unique program. Even so, putting together a detailed and intentionally educational program can be quite time-consuming. This is especially the case for librarians responsible for prioritizing the needs of patrons approaching their desks in addition to planning programs. There may be a few minutes here and there for planning but no dependable blocks of time. Creating materials for teaching technology and computer skills is just as time consuming.  

Fortunately, in 2015, the staff at Gail Borden Public Library in Elgin, IL developed a grant funded digital literacy toolkit for trainers.  This initiative continues via a partnership with the Public Library Association. The toolkit consists of an instructor’s guide and all necessary materials for each computer course. The toolkit is valuable because they follow best practices for quality e-learning content development. The trainer website can be found at https://training.digitallearn.org/  and the learner website is https://digitallearn.org/ .

During The Accidental Trainer workshop, I realized the importance of ensuring busy librarians have structured tools for creating programs and workshops that lessen the burden of planning, yet provide the freedom to add important personalized details.

Here are some of the highlights of the DigitalLearn Trainer website:

• Includes a content outline and agenda, topics, talking points and a step by step guide.

• Provides templates to create your own Powerpoint presentations and videos using Articulate Storyline software.

• Provides handouts that include screenshots to give to patrons in addition to a well-designed survey for evaluation of the course.
• Provides complete course material for relevant topics addressing hardware, software and applications, Google tools, Microsoft tools, resumes, social media and more. One course example is entitled: Learn how to build your own computer and perform basic computer repairs in this three-part, hands-on series https://training.digitallearn.org/courses/all-about-computers.

Rose Anne Ullrich
Info. Services

City Training Forms now on the blog

We added links to the City of Baltimore training forms to the "Forms" tab on the blog.  You should complete a 354 and goals statement, and then attach the appropriate form(s) so we can complete your registration on the city site.

Contact SD&T if you have any questions about completing these forms.

PLA 2018: Spark Talks II

The PLA 2018 Conference in Philadelphia was my first time attending this event. An interesting session I attended on Friday, March 23 was Spark Talks II. This session had a unique format: there were six presenters, and each was given five minutes to present a topic. The goal of the session is to spark ideas to pursue later. The topics included later literacy for teens, using MakerSpaces with the homeless, reliable sources of medical information, recognizing people with non-binary gender status, the strength of teen services staff, and quick and easy database training for library staff. My favorite of these topics was later literacy. The speaker argued that while there is an overwhelming focus on early literacy, there is very little attention paid to later literacy for teens. She used the example of author Jason Reynolds, who has stated that he had not read a book in its entirety until the age of seventeen. She offered five elements to later literacy (to match the five elements of early literacy) that teens should focus on: reading, writing, remixing (i.e. blackout poetry, fan fiction, etc.), hanging out, and creating. This was an insightful talk, and I hope this talk gets expanded into a full workshop at a future conference. 

Another Spark Talk that captured my interest discussed how to serve homeless patrons using the library's MakerSpace. This is not a connection one might usually consider when serving the homeless, but the presenter argued that learning the skills offered by a MakerSpace can help patrons gain some measure of independence, and access to community resources they may not encounter otherwise. She used the example a female patron, who had been living in her vehicle, to demonstrate her point. The patron used the MakerSpace to learn how to make small, decorative accessories, and after having her work noticed, was able to start a small business selling her goods. The money she earned allowed her to get an apartment, and a measure of financial stability. Her story reveals the vital link between developing practical skills and gaining ground toward employment and independence for people experiencing homelessness. 

Spark Talks was definitely one of the most interesting experiences I had at the PLA 2018 Conference, and hopefully, it is an event that will be adopted at other conferences in the future.

Anjanette Wiggins
Forest Park Branch

PLA 2018: Simply-e App Project

At PLA, I attended a workshop devoted to the Simply-e APP which is being developed by NYPLA and ALA librarians. This was the best presentation of this project I have seen yet. The presenters explained the project’s goals: 1) to simplify the user experience 2) to allow users to access data from different providers on one app, and 3) to help libraries gain more leverage when negotiating with vendors of the popular electronic formats. 

Several MD counties are piloting this app this year. The workshop recommended that interested librarians download the app to learn how it works. They also asked us to encourage co-workers to explore the app as well.

https://www.nypl.org/blog/2016/07/21/introducing-simplye

Sarah Kuperman

Collection Management Department

PLA 2018: South Philadelphia Library Tour

One of my favorite things to do when visiting a city during a conference is visit local libraries and
meet with the staff. As host library of the PLA conference in Philadelphia, PA, The Free Library of
Philadelphia offered tours of some of their newly renovated and modernized locations, including the
South Philadelphia Library. In June 2016, this branch reopened in the brand new South Philadelphia
Community Health and Literacy Center, which combines the services of a library, recreation center, city health clinic, and Children’s Hospital of Philadelphia (CHOP) pediatricians’ offices in one building. As many of you may know, the Hamilton Branch Library serves as a safe, after-school space for approximately 100+ students in a neighborhood that lacks a much needed recreation center. I was therefore very excited to see how a library and a recreation center might coexist in the same physical space.

What I found was a beautiful, bright space for the library, located on the first floor. All the furniture is moveable and is easily arranged for programs, including small concerts. The second and third floors host the health clinic and pediatricians’ offices. The recreation center, complete with an outdoor playground and basketball court, can be found in the back of the building. Library staff indicated that the building partnership has brought in more customers and boosted circulation, particularly in the area of health education. The library even has blood pressure cuffs and kitchen scales to loan. The shared space with the recreation center has allowed children the best of both worlds – completing homework assignments and participating in programs in the library as well as blowing off steam playing in a supervised environment at the rec center. The South Philadelphia Community Health and Literacy Center is truly a result of responding to community needs. I see a similar need in Hamilton. How wonderful it would be to combine a library and recreation center in the same place, creating a focal space for the community.

Laura Millay
Hamilton Branch