Emily Benoit's LIS 768 blog

So now that I am finally done with the semester I have time to take a look back on my experience in LIS 768. Overall it was a very great class. My eyes were opened to many new technological trends that people and teens are in to. I no longer feel the need to fear the changes in technology. Now I know that I should embrace them and see where they can take the library. During this class I found the joys of setting up a flickr account, but I still am not sure if twitter is the place for me. Unfortunately right  now I am not in the monetary position to purchase a “smart phone” or have a phone with internet capabilities. Since I do not have internet on my phone, some of these social media applications end up being more of a chore. I did set up an RSS feed for the class blog, which helped for that site, but twitter is such an immediate in the now kind way to communicate that if you do not receive the tweets right away, by the time you check your twitter page most of the info is irrelevant. I think this would be completely different if I were connected at all times, either through a computer at work or a smart phone that would alert me when updates have been posted. Overall though, I am very happy to have taken part in this class and to have had the chance to have Michael Stephens as my professor. The amount of information and passion that Michael contributes to the subject of libraries in the 2.0 world is uplifting and amazing. Great work everyone in LIS 768!!

During my examination of Digital Natives or Millennials, I was surprised by the varying amount of research on the topic of “teens and internet safety, privacy, and identity.” A lot of the media portrays young-adults as aloof, consuming beings who do not pay any attention to their physical surroundings and are only concerned with their online image. While researching this topic I discovered that people who actually interviewed teens and young-adults on the topics of internet safety, identity, and privacy reported different findings; teens are aware of safety, privacy, and advertising online.

Reassured that teens are concerned with these issues, I turned to their ability to communicate their unease with the interviewer. Most of their stories were not complete and did not make sense. In this age of technology with concepts and ideas changing at an ever rapid pace, teens are no longer relying on the traditional forms of storytelling, i.e. orally or through the written word. Now teens have the ability to incorporate multi-media into their stories to keep up with the constant change that is occurring around them. Digital natives have learned how to adapt the tradition of storytelling into the world of technology with digital stories.

So here is a list of most of the articles I have found to use for my paper. There may be more when I actually write the entire thing, or some of these may not be used but here we go.

Born Digital by John Palfrey and Urs Gasser

Library 2.0 by Michael Casey and Laura Savastinuk

“Is Google making us Stupid” by Nicholas Carr

The rest of my articles I have split up by category either dealing with “teens & privacy online” or “teens & storytelling.”

Teens & Privacy:

Fredrick, Kathy. “Privacy Please!.” School Library Media Activities Monthly 25, no. 6 (February 2009): 43-5.

Harris, Frances Jacobson. “Teens and Privacy: Myths and Realities.” Knowledge Quest 39, no. 1 (September/October 2010): 74-9.

Kranich, Nancy. “Librarians and Teen Privacy in the Age of Social Networking.” Knowledge Quest 36, no. 2 (November/December 2007): 34-7.

Yates, Kristen. “Reaching Out to Young People about Online Privacy – One Kid at a Time.” Feliciter 55, no. 3 (2009): 114-15.

Pew Internet & American Life Project “Social Media and Young Adults” and “Millennials Judgments About Recent Trends Not So Different”

http://www.pewinternet.org/Reports/2010/Social-Media-and-Young-Adults.aspx

http://pewresearch.org/pubs/1455/millennial-generation-technological-communication-advances-societal-change

Teens & Storytelling:

Thompson, Mary. “Digital Storytelling: Combining Literacy and Technology.” Information Searcher 15, no. 4 (2005): 1, 3-6.

Ward-Crixell, Kit. “Games Have Stories to Tell.” School Library Journal 55, no. 6 (June 2009): 28-9.

Huffaker, David. “Spinning yarns around the digital fire: Storytelling and dialogue among youth on the Internet [computer file].” First Monday (Online) 9, no. 1 (January 2004): .

http://www.uic.edu/htbin/cgiwrap/bin/ojs/index.php/fm/article/view/1110/1030

Rule, Leslie. “Digital Storytelling: Never Has Storytelling Been So Easy or So Powerful.” Knowledge Quest 38, no. 4 (March/April 2010): 56-7.

Zachary, G. Pascal. “A story’s a story: teaching interactive storytelling requires looking back as much as looking forward. That isn’t easy for students raised on the Internet.” Wall Street Journal (Eastern Edition) (March 1997): R16.

http://proquest.umi.com.ezproxy.dom.edu/pqdweb?index=372&did=23845432&SrchMode=3&sid=2&Fmt=3&VInst=PROD&VType=PQD&RQT=309&VName=PQD&TS=1291822356&clientId=8773&aid=3

“Empathy in the Time of Technology: How Storytelling is the Key to Empathy”

PJ Manney  http://jetpress.org/v19/manney.htm Journal of Evolution & Technology

I will have to start off by saying that I couldn’t have asked for a better group. Our communication styles meshed well together making for a very enjoyable group project. Once we picked our topics in September, our group decided over our sign group discussion board to leave it alone until we met face to face in October. That’s not to say that we were not thinking about the project, but it was on the back burner for a little while. When we finally met face to face in October we started to go over our ideas on how to approach signage in the library. Initially we decided to break it up between the different types of libraries (public, academic, and school) and why we even use signs in the library. There was a little concern on how many articles or sources we would be able to find about why we use signs specifically in libraries.

After our discussion during the day, I was inspired before falling asleep that night by my literary theory class from my undergrad English degree from U of I. I started thinking about the idea of deconstructionism within literature, the signifier, the signified, and Edward Said. When we hear a word we have a mental picture that goes along with it and vice-versa when we see a picture a word or phrase is associated with the symbol. The word or picture can be the signifier or the signified. Since I didn’t want to put the class to sleep with literary theory (and since I didn’t want to explain myself either), I suggested looking at why we use signs in general and in society. Then we divided up the work based on the rest of the groups interest.

For the most part we communicated via email and through our Googledocs that we created for the project. We did also use the library signage group through the class site to post interesting articles or ideas/concerns we were having. We all worked on our parts separately adding to the power point presentation and the handout. Thanks to the time we received in class to work on our project we were able to work out any last kinks before the presentation. By the way thanks so much to teachers/professors who account for group work during class time. Just by providing even one class period to group work helps out significantly. It’s amazing how hard it can be to meet face to face and I still need that time to feel comfortable with a project. Anyways it was a really great group to work with and an interesting topic that I enjoyed researching. I wish that all group projects would flow this well, but I do live in the real world.

For my social media policy I decided to focus on a fictional high school named after my cat. I chose a high school setting because I think that might be the age group I am headed towards. It’s still hard to pick in the School Library Media Program which age range to work with. I think that social media is more prevalent in high schools so that is why I chose a high school for this project. I also decided to focus on the staff member side of the policy because this is where the most problems can occur. Also, the students for the most part have grown up with social media, when the staff members have not. I thought it would be more beneficial to come up with guidelines for the staff members to then model to the students. This is obviously not an exhaustive list, just a start to build off of for in the future when new concepts like different forms of social media come along.

Horace C. W. High School Social Media Policy for Staff Members

Definition- Social media are any websites or web services which use social ideals as tools to promote communication and the sharing of information between and among human beings. These websites or web services can be defined as but are not limited to blogs, wikis, social networks (Facebook, Youtube, Myspace, Twitter, etc.), message boards and podcasts.

Purpose- At Horace C.W. high school, we understand the importance of incorporating social media into our method of contact with students. It is an important way to reach, understand, collaborate and share with our students of the 21^st century. With this in mind, Horace C.W. has developed a social media policy to aide and guide the online interactions between students and staff members. Any employee of Horace C.W. high school participating in online social media must comply with the guidelines listed below. Any staff member who wishes not to participate in social media sites may do so. The Horace C.W. guidelines should encourage all members of the school community (teachers, staff, administrators, and students) to contribute responsibly to social media sites. Information created by Horace C.W. high school is a reflection on the entire school community and should be considered before posting to an online social media site.

Guidelines-

• All existing policies from the school’s general handbook apply when dealing with students in the online environment. School-related activities online are treated as normal school activities.
• Use good judgment when posting to social media sites. The information will be there forever after you publish, so be certain you want it to represent yourself as well as Horace C.W.
• Any staff member with a personal social media page may not contact students through said page. Only communicate with students through school related social media sites. At Horace C.W. we have school accounts for sites such as Twitter and Flickr and have the ability to set up class accounts for staff members interested in creating class groups. Contact the librarian for information.
• Be transparent. Allow parents and other staff members to view and join your Horace C.W. affiliated social media sites.
• Any staff member wanting to create a personal social media site should consider how they present themselves in the online environment. If they identify themselves as an employee of Horace C.W. they should be consistent with the image reflected by the school.
• Be responsible for what you publish.

For this assignment I thought about following a larger library, possibly one in Chicago, but then I was drawn back to my roots and decided to check out one of my hometown libraries, the Kankakee Public Library. Let me first start off by saying that I absolutely love the library system in the Kankakee/Bradley, IL area and I do not mean to be disrespectful at all by anything that I am about to say, these are just observations on their web presence.

It was not until I had moved away for almost 10 years (I can’t believe that I’ve really been gone for that long) that I realized how awesome and forward thinking the library system is in the Kankakee area. Growing up in the town, I know that the majority of the town falls into the blue collar/working class category. There is nothing wrong with this at all, but just looking at the demographics of the town, one might not think that we would have such a strong, innovative library program. I am proud to say that over the last eight years or so despite the economic downturn, the Bradley Public Library and Kankakee Public Library have both been able to completely renovate/remodel the buildings they reside in (Kankakee moving to a different location entirely) and are now able to offer even more services and programs to their patrons. Libraries may be in a tough time right now, but if the community values and supports their library things can get done.

Main Page

So now with a little back story, here goes the brand monitoring that I did on the Kankakee Public Library. Initially, I went to our good friend Google to start searching. I was very impressed to find from my initial searching that the Kankakee Public Library seems to have a very large web presence. They have their own website that can be accessed through two web addresses either http://www.lions-online.org/index.html or http://www.kankakee.lib.il.us/. KPL’s website is very informative and user friendly with new events listed in the middle, basic info like hours and phone number at the top, navigation bar on the left for the site and links to blogs, podcasts and other online resources on the right side. I was very excited to see how advanced KPL has become over the years with technology. The fact that they even have staff blogs and podcasts available to their patrons blew me away. I was also very impressed to see that one of the podcasts was done by our very own Michael Stephens in 2007. For people who do not know what a blog is there are informational videos and instructional videos on how to set up an RSS feed if you want to follow any of their blogs or podcasts. Staying ahead of the trend and getting people comfortable and used to using different forms of technology seems to be one of their goals with the new library space.

Blogs

Diving deeper into the web presence of KPL I started to notice a trend, the use of blogs by their staff was very strong in the beginning around 2005-2008/09 but recently there web presence seems to be waning. KPL does advertise three different blogs on their website; She Said/ He Said (blog by the directors), Library Musings (staff blog) and Teenzone blog (teen blog) but actually visiting the blogs shows another picture. Most of the posts are old and don’t really have much to do with the library aside from the She Said/ He Said blog which hasn’t been updated in over a year. I’m not sure why there are a lot of blog posts for years past but not currently; did the novelty wear off? is the staff too busy? were people not responding to the posts? There are many variables as to why there is not as much blogging going on in KPL anymore.

Searching other blogs through Google didn’t bring up too many other results, I was directed to their personal blogs again. Two blogs that did come up mentioning KPL were the Rambling Librarian from Singapore and again Michael Stephens’ Tame the Web. Yet again there are posts about KPL but they are from 2006 and 2008. I’m guessing the blog was possibly not received well in the Kankakee area and so that is why they have not been utilized lately?

Facebook/ Flickr

Two online areas where KPL is going strong and connecting with their users is through Facebook and Flickr. KPL has a general Facebook page with info on author visits, book clubs and other community events being held at the library.

For the past two years KPL has put together an event called Rock the Stacks. Kankakee has always been a very musical town and this event brings together Kankakee bands from the past for a reunion. This has been a very popular event and has even expanded to have its own web presence. There is a separate Facebook page for Rock the Stacks and pictures are on the KPL flickr page. Since the teenzone blog does not get much action, I think this might be where the kids are getting their info. This page has more of a teen feel but with the same information as the main KPL facebook page. It might be cooler to be “friends” with Rock the Stacks opposed to KPL. Here’s a great video from the 2010 Rock the Stacks concert. See how cool a library can be!! Rock the Stacks! 2010

KPL’s flickr page has a lot of activity on it with pictures from most of the events held at the library. This is a great way to show people what actually goes on in the library. There are a lot of community events going on that may sound all right on paper, but when you can actually see kids interacting, having a good time and being able to enjoy the library as a space it is that much more rewarding.

Wiki

Another online presence I want to discuss with KPL is the start of their Kankakee Public Library Wiki. This wiki was made as a place to put together pieces of history about KPL. It is set up like a wikipedia page with many different fun facts about the history of KPL.

I had no idea growing up that the lions at the front doors of the original KPL building are actually from the original Carson Pirie Scott store on State St. here in Chicago. It’s amazing to find these little things out and I’m glad there is one place to find the history of the library.

In an online world where the general public can make or break a business based on their reviews, it is important to be transparent and open about how a business runs.  Overall I think KPL is making a good name for themselves online. They may need to keep up on their blogs if they are going to advertise them on their homepage. I tried to search through twitter for KPL but was unsuccessful. It seems like they are doing a good job getting their name out there but it is not creating much buzz with the general public on social media sites. Whatever they do in the future with their online presence, I hope that the KPL system sticks to their core values and continues an amazing library program for generations in the future.

So when I originally received the syllabus for this class I thought that paper topic 2 would be the route to go. Then when I was finished with Born Digital I wasn’t quite sure that I wanted to devote 12-14 pages of my life to this book. I started to panic a little when no topics where coming to my head. It was not until the second time our class met that I was inspired by something a fellow classmate said and my own wheels started spinning. It all started after Jamie brought up the idea that yes social media does limit people on how many characters they can use to get their point across, but so does many forms of great poetry.

Looking at the limiting of characters for social media sites like poetry is very interesting, I thought. But it also made me question, do kids actually view it this way or is the limiting of characters in some way inhibiting kid’s ability to tell stories. Born Digital does an excellent job interviewing teens of today to find out their concerns about being “digital.” It surprised me in two ways; first, how concerned the teens actually were about their privacy and safety online and second how horrible their storytelling abilities are. In my paper I will explore how teens are actually aware of these issues that adults always talk about when referencing teens and the internet. Then I want to go into if social media is having an effect on the younger generations ability to tell or listen to a story. I will also compare literal translations from teenagers today and from the past and see the differences, if any, that I find. Social media is helping kids stay connected, but the ever changing environment in which it happens and their shrinking attention spans may be endangering the worlds oldest past time, storytelling.

Social networking. According to my demographics, a 27 year old female in grad school, I should be fully immersed in all kinds of social networking. I’m not sure what happened while I was in undergrad, but I never caught on to the whole myspace facebook phenomenon. I guess since I never joined, started to hear horror stories on the news and have witnessed facebook addiction firsthand I have put up some barriers around myself on this topic. These facts are the number one reason why I am taking this class now in Library school. I need to get over these fears and realize that with everything else in the world there are advantages to using social networking and there are ways to abuse social networking.

Going into school libraries, it is even more important that I familiarize myself with these concepts. It really does seem like every kid you meet these days has a facebook page and wants to know if you have one too. Having a page set up for the school library would be a great idea because then you can still communicate with the kids and help them if they have questions, but it can still stay professional. Normally I really enjoy sharing my interests and likes with new people. Unfortunately with the world we live in today, we sometimes have to self-censor because what we may find fun and interesting could possibly offend the next person or their parents. That’s why it seems like it’s a good idea to have a professional facebook page, say for the school library and then have your own personal page with a disclaimer. I’m still wondering if the personal page with a disclaimer could possibly get you in trouble?

Teaching kids about this subject is very important and I am glad that I will have these opportunities. The kids use these tools but really don’t understand what could happen. I also think that besides being warned about what can go wrong, we need to teach kids how to use these networks to their advantage. They may find a job or a relationship through social networking. Using these tools to create and connect with people is extremely powerful and kids should be able to navigate the online world of social networking with ease and confidence.

I want to first start off this blog post by saying that the picture from “The Visitors” article from ALA Tech Source might be the coolest librarian picture I’ve ever seen. You guys look like an 80′s metal band instead of librarians and I say that with the greatest respect possible. And saying that brings me to the topic of the “hyperlinked library.” Libraries and librarians, for the most part, are changing and evolving along with our modern world. Unfortunately there are some libraries that are not catching on with the trend and are viewed as ancient relics.

When I first started library school last year I was a little on the rule oriented/control freak side of things. I thought that you really needed to enforce rules to keep order. Over the past year with classes and being able to visit multiple school libraries, I am changing my mind. People and kids really aren’t that bad when given some freedom. I really enjoyed the “Unquiet Library” article for this week. It really showcased how a school library can actually be functional and productive when students are allowed to have conversations in the library or have a drink while researching. My old high school library runs this way and it also is the most popular place to be in the school. It is completely full of life and a very inviting place to be. On the other hand I visited a private Catholic high school, which will remain nameless, and was shocked by how many rules they had. It almost felt like the librarian wanted to punish the kids more than teaching or helping them. It was sad to see and she told me “no one checks out books from this library.” No wonder.

Making services available to people when they need them and coming up with new and exciting services like the ones at the Dutch library are what we need to be moving towards. Just getting people through the doors to possibly create their own story with new technology they may never have a chance to use is important. Once they are in the building they then have access to all of the other “traditional” services we offer. We need to get over this fear of change, embrace technology, be aware of technolust and make sure we have a spot in the future of the 21st century.

Palfrey, John, and Urs Gasser. Born Digital: Understanding the First Generation of Digital Natives. New York: Basic Books, 2008.

Born Digital: Understanding the First Generation of Digital Natives. What exactly does it mean to be “born digital” and why do we as librarians need to understand these “digital natives?” According to Palfrey and Gasser, digital natives were “all born after 1980, when social digital technologies…came online. They all have access to networked digital technologies. And they all have the skills to use those technologies.” (p.1). As librarians, especially school librarians, it is important for us to understand these “digital natives” because they are our patron base and the potential future of the library. Instead of fearing the unknown with technology, Palfrey and Gasser suggest the older generations who support digital natives to become at least knowledgeable on the subject. Too often parents, “cut themselves off from their Digital Native children because the language and cultural barriers are too great. Rather than banning the technologies or leaving kids to use them on their own in their bedrooms, … parents and teachers need to let Digital Natives be their guides into this new, connected way of living.” (p.10). As school librarians we need to educate ourselves on the issues that students will be facing these days online such as privacy, identity, safety and how personal information is gathered and stored. One reassuring point that is brought up in Born Digital is the fact that these are not new problems kids will be facing; they are just facing them in a new environment. We still have the skills to solve problems; we just need to adjust them to fit the online world.

Written by the parents of “digital natives,” Born Digital is a clever look into the world of technology consumed youth. Learning what it is like to exist in a digital, online world not only gives us an understanding of what it is like to be a kid in this environment, it also helps us educate them on how to be safe and still have fun. In need of an editor to cut down on repetitiveness, Born Digital is still an important book for anyone who plans on working with the youth. Librarians of all kind will benefit from this insightful glimpse into the world of “digital natives.”