Partnerships that Work: Tikatok, Drop-in Science, and Community Learning Too

Wednesday May 6 2009 10:45-12:00pm

Boston Public Library (BPL) Director of Partnerships and Communications, (and 2009 Library Journal rising star), Koren Stembridge facilitated a panel to discuss the benefits of community partnerships and to highlight three from the BPL.  The BPL has over 100 different types of partnerships going on at any given time.  Most of these are neighborhood specific and can range from creating murals, to raised garden beds, to festivals.  This session focused more on system-wide partnerships.  But first....

Why partnerships?

• Partnerships double our ability to reach outside of our own institutions to those who can help us.
  
• As the technological landscape has become more participatory, it stands to reason that users now expect to participate more in our libraries.
• The tough economic climate provides an excellent opportunity for libraries to serve as a port in the economic storm by providing career support, increased programs for kids and stress relief.  The evidence so far supports this, as use at BPL is increasing.  Overall use has gone up 10% every month for the last year and card signup has increased by 33% in the last year.

Before entering into a partnership, your institution should ask the "Five W's" (who-what-where-when-why),  Some of these questions may include:

Why

• Does it add value to your institution? 
• Does the partnership fill a need?

What

• Programs
• Services
• Giveaways
• Fundraisers 

Who

• Schools
• City departments
• Individuals
  
• Vendors.  Yes even vendors.

When

• Timing is everything.  Partnerships have an ideal time.  Strategize for the maximum impact

Where

• Onsite vs offsite?  Benefits to both.

Whatever you decide to do, think outside the box.  However don't work outside the capacity of your organization.  Don't partner with orgs that don't support the core values of your library.  Use a partnership checklist.  (available at the back).  Be hands-on.

The following examples work for the BPL, but could easily scaled back for a smaller institution.

Tikatok Books

Tikatok Books is a primarily web-based 2.0 community where kids can write, illustrate, share and publish their own high quality hard, softcover or digital "print on demand" books. Tikatok works with BPL and other libraries to create a flexible online and offline program to help kids write books.  A couple weeks later, the kids have the books in their hands!  

Libraries are perfect environments for bookmaking activity, as they provide an environment where childrens librarians are enthusiastic and highly skilled at stimulating cretivity and patrons are education-focused.  

Drop-in Science

Beverly Nadeau, Boston public schools science elementary science specialist, gave an overview of how Drop-in Science works. Drop-in Science is a grant-funded program that provides easy-to-create youth explorations in science kits. These kits provide materials to create objects that educate students about scientific concepts.  Objects such as a mini-catapult, a thumb piano, or a mini-wind turbine.  The lessons associated with the kits fit into the Massachusetts curriculum frameworks as well as MCAS tests. After the lesson, the kids get to keep the item.  Lessons revolve around Physical Science (Chemistry and Physics) for grades 3-5.  The best part is that each kit comes with a manual designed for a non-science person.  So anyone can learn.

Melisa Baily, from the BPL talked about how successful the program has become.  Students at BPL, which has a large percentage of Latino and African-American students has been a huge success.  Instructions included to use when assembling kits with kids.  Having helpers is good as well.  Pairing little kids with older people helps as well.

Benefits: A whole different group of kids are coming in to work with the kids.  Word of mouth is positive.  Appeals to boys.  Not in school, which appeals.  Kids love being able to take the projects home and share with family and friends.

Countdown to Kindergarten

Krystal Beaulieu spoke about the Countdown to Kindergarten program whose mission is to enhance early learning opportunities for pre-k kids.  The program was started 10 years ago to ease the transition to kindergarten from pre-school, home, or wherever.  The program benefits kids and parents by explaining the process of choosing a kindergarten and how to prepare for kindergarten. 

The program includes:

• Workshop for spanish speaking families.
• Info to parents to help in choosing a school.
• Working with the Boston Children's Museum on a Countdown to kindergarden night.  Such a sucess that it was turned into a permanent group.  
• Transition activities such as

• Talk, Read Play: A guide to help parents work with their kids to reach developmental milestones.  
• Play to Learn: Free facilitated, structured play times.

The whole process takes place over the course of a year.  CTK works with libraries to have kindergarden days. Teachers from neighborhood schools come to the events.  Programming includes pennant making, face-painting, physical activities, and a parade to a local business.  Kids can also sign up for library cards at the library events.  Working with the library makes sense as they share the core learning values of the program. 

Sherry Eskin from the Honan-Allston Branch of BPL talked about how the program works from the perspective of a library.  Because the shirts that kids need to attend all CTK events are only available at BPL branches it brings people into the library that might not otherwise come.  The shirts are displayed in the library. Info on the program is available in 8 different languages.  The event shows that the library is a place for community gathering, and fun.

Writers Live! Libraries Bringing Authors and Readers Together

Wednesday May 6, 2009 4:00pm-5:15pm

A very informed and frank panel discussion of how to bring writers, known and unknown to your library and to make it work!  

Virgina Stanley Director of Library Marketing for HarperCollins started us off with these tips.

• There are many ways to spread the word.  For your first author event, start small with local authors.  The bigger the author the bigger the expectations.  Chapple Langemack has written a great book on how to host author events.
• One of the best ways to stay in contact with patrons is to collect email addresses. http://www.constantcontact.com is a great way to create a database of patrons to email, especially if an event happens last minute.  In some cases this has tripled attendance at events.
  
• Don't expect to get the big names if you've never done an event before.  Star small. Possibly with a local author.  Get to know your audience.

Judy Cooper, coordinator for Public Programs at Pratt County Library in Baltimore had this to say:  

• Although it may be easier to get authors to larger cities, it might be worthwhile to make partnerships with people at the larger city libraries to funnel authors to smaller libraries. A followup comment from the audience was that often times in big cities, there is a lot of competition for people's attention.  Something that might fail in a large city might do really well in a small city where there is less going on. 
• http://www.programminglibrarian.org. is a great resource for programming library events.
• Why should libraries host library programs?  It is very important to connect readers to writers and would-be writers to writers.  
• A successful author program must happen with other institutions in the community such as a college, the ACLU, whatever.  
• Programs help sell books!  A writers series is very good PR for your library.
• Bookstores are not competitors.  It's good to work with a local bookstore to sell books at an author event.
• Before you call a publisher, have an idea for an event.  Describe your community and why the event will be sucessfull.  Know what will work in your community.

Talia Sherer, Library Marketing Director from Macmillan.  

• Who is the target audience? How well do you know your patrons and what they are reading?  What kind of events do local bookstores host?  Are they successful? Do research.
• Work with speakers bureaus.  It can't just be you alone.  Everyone on staff needs to be in on it and excited about the program.  
• Sometimes panels of authors from different genres can attract a wider range of interested readers.  
• Get in contact with a publisher to discuss possible collaborations.  
• Go on websites and ask to recieve seasonal catalogs to see authors tours, addresses, etc.  Some authors can be contacted directly.  
• In New Caanan, CT, author events are videotaped and circulated in the library collection.

Audience comments

Academic Librarian.  Felt it was difficult to get people to come to events in an academic setting, even with a wonderful lineup.  Virginia suggested programming events with more of a popular cultural appeal. Students won't go out at night to learn, they want to be entertained.  

Public Librarian.  Sometimes regular times and events can build up an audience.  At their library they hold book events every Monday morning and there is a regular crowd.

Q: How do libraries find out about book tours?  

A:No easy source.  Get in touch way ahead of time.  Book tours are usually booked a year in advance.  Develop relationships with library marketing people at publishing houses.  Don't be discouraged.  Don't give up.  Keep coming back and something will eventually work out.  

Links

harpercollinscatalogs.com for "up to the minute" catalog info.

librarylovefest.com Virginia's blog

talia.shererATmacmillan.com

virginia.stanleyATharpercollins.com

Asperger's Syndrome: A View From Within Libraries

9:00am-10:30am Wednesday May 6, 2009.

Jean Stern from the Asperger's Association of New England  (AANE) delivered a fascinating workshop with practical advice for librarians on dealing with patrons who have Asperger Syndrome, or as they refer to themselves, Aspies.   AANE is a non-profit organization created to promote awareness of Aspergers and provide support for people with Asperger's and their families. Jean's background is in early childhood education.   She is an educational consultant in Connectucut and Massachusetts.  AANE supports young and adult people with Asperger's. 

Jean's program began with some definitions of Asperger's Syndrome (AS). She preferred to use the definition of Steven Shore , a noted author with AS.  Steven is author of the books Beyond the Wall: Personal Experiences with Autism and Asperger Syndrome, and Understanding Autism for Dummies. His definition of AS describes the world of the "neurotypicals" (people without AS) and their "circular" experience of the world, where everyday things run smoothly along the edge of a circle. People with Asperger's, on the other hand, experience the world as a polygon, with bumps around the circle.

Asperger's is a neuro-developmental disorder that affects several areas of development where skills mask difficulties.  They should be seen through a neurological rather than a psychological lens.  People with AS have heightened or reduced senses.  Jean compared this to a neurotypical who is sprayed by a skunk.  We might react by running away or screaming.  This can be how people with AS react to everyday encounters such as loud music, smelly perfume, or bad breath.  People with AS have major problems with space. They do not understand differences in touch (playful, aggressive, congratulatory, etc).  They do not know or understand other people's point of view.  Their own view is the only way they see the world.  

Some of the tell tale signs of Asperger's are:

• May not make eye contact.
• May stay alone.
• May not know to stop talking. Good intent. Not necessarily socially aware.
• May make comments out of context.  
• May follow routines and always sit in the same place
• Minds have massive problems organizing.  The world is chaos to them.  They will cling to sameness.  
  

Librarians should make people with Aspergers feel more comfortable.  They do not learn by exposure to others as most of us do, they need direct instruction.  The goal of this session was to "get inside the head" of someone with Asperger's.  Jean gave some concrete ideas for how librarians can interact with people with AS.  

• People with AS don't know "hidden library behavior". Be explicit with instruction. They will need support from you.
• They know what's in their head, not what's in your head.
• Do not assume disrespect or negative intent. Give them the facts.
• Use rules, not discussion of feelings if there is a behavior to change.
• Help them problem-solve.
• Provide visual schedules, maps of library, lists of supplies, samples, list expectations, upcoming events, etc.
• Clarify essential vs non-essential info.
• Use specific and simple language. People with AS will take everything you say literally. Use language like "put the card under the scanner" rather than "scan to check out".
• Only give oral directions one at a time or write them down for more than one direction.
• Script and practice alternatives for ineffective choices

Libraries can be a haven for people with AS.  They are quiet, have an orderly system, encourage reading, allow routines and systems, have lots of personal space and natural light.  Libraries are a place where people with AS can obtain facts about their interests.  Librarians should learn about and encourage the interests of their AS patrons.  These interests can turn into careers.

A question from the audience that is likely to be commonplace was about dealing with disruptive AS patrons. This person has dealt with the parent of an AS child at her library only to get a defensive reaction from the parent.  Jean said to ask the question "how do we get to yes"?  Negotiate with the adult in a positive way.  Additionally make a plan before disruptions occur.  Create an environment to prevent outbursts using some of the strategies discussed above.

Some ASD facts... 

• Community for Disease Control data confirms that 1 in 50 8 yr olds surveyed in 2000 and 2002 have ASD.
• Many people with AS are unemployable due to their lack of traditional social skills.
• People with AS love reading. They would rather read that interact. Reading is a safe haven.
• Fluorescent lights are bothersome to people with AS. They notice the flicker that we don't. They prefer natural light.
• Actor Dan Aykroyd has been diagnosed with Asperger's

For more info contact Jean Stern, M.Ed. Director of Children's Services at Asperger's Association of New England 85 Main St. Suite 101, Watertown MA 02472 617.393.3824 jean.sternATaane.org

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