Service Learning: Putting the World in LIS Education
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Service Learning: Bringing the World into
LIS Education
Carolyn Doi, McGill University
Melanie Sellar, Marymount College
Erin Walker, Bradford West Gwillimbury Public Library
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
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!
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!
What is Service Learning?
It is a form of experiential educationin which students engage in activities
that address community needs together with structured opportunities
intentionally designed to promote student learning and development.
History of Service Learning• Renaissance of civic engagement on campuses
• Peace Corps, Civil Rights Movement
• First conference in United States1960s
• Resurgence in response to materialistic image
• Launch of many national service organizations
• Campus Compact is founded1980s
• Becomes a formally established field
• Emergence of conferences, journals
• Growing body of research literature1990s
• Adoption of pedagogy begins in Canada
• Canadian Alliance for Community Service Learning
• LIS Literature begins to recognize SL2000s
Service Learning is Different From:Recipient BENEFICIARY Provider
Service FOCUS Learning
CommunityService
Field Education
Volunteerism Internships
Pictorial from Andrew Furco, “Service-Learning: A Balanced Approach to Experiential Education.” 1996.
Service- Learning
At the Intersection: Service Learning
Academic Material
Critical Reflection
Relevant Service
Why Care About Service Learning?
Internationalize Campuses
Enrich Pedagogy
Respond to Workforce Needs
Access Funding Opportunities
Higher Education Priorities
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!
Linguistics Course, UWO
LIS program,
UWO
Angola –UWO
collaboration
Where We Began
How We Grew
2005 2007 2007 2009 2010
Executive Team (across North America)
Board of Directors (across North America)
>1,000 members (across the world)
Who We’ve BecomeLibrarians 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.
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!
At the Intersection: Service Learning
Academic material
Critical reflection
Relevant service
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
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!
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
Local Partner: VIDA
Costa Rica
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
Fundraising
Calendar sales; Pancake Breakfasts; Wii Raffle; Silent Auction; Button Sales; Knit-a-Thon; Donations
Fundraising Goal = $5,000
Collection Development
Start-up Collection
Spanish-English
dictionaries
Science & Geography
books
Costa Rican Literature
Basic English
• Picture Books
• English Language Learning
Collection Development
Questions & Challenges
Curriculum support or
recreational reading?
Size of collection
How to find & evaluate Spanish-language children’s
books?
Cultural considerations:
• Language
• Relevant & appropriate
Getting the books to El
Humo?
How much could we purchase
locally?
Dealing with foreign vendors
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
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
Collection Development
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
Escuela
Una casa típica
Los chiquitos
¿Habla Español?
¡Bailamos!
¡Bailamos!
National Library of Costa Rica
National Library of Costa Rica
National Library of Costa Rica
National Library of Costa Rica
Building site
Digging post holes
Mixing cement by hand = least favourite job!
Moving very heavy concrete beams
Concrete wall slabs
Concrete wall slabs
We were never short on spectators
Walls are up!
Working on the floor
Peeking from behind the newly installed door
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
Setting up the library
Setting up the library
Setting up the library
Finished space
Finished space
Finished space
Presenting the library to the school
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
Presentación de gratitud
Presentación de gratitud
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 Humocommunity
Believe that it is inspiring student success and encouraging literacy
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
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!
LWB in Guatemala The Asturias Library Project
Project Overview
Partner institution: Miguel Angel Asturias Academy
Location: Quetzaltenango, Guatemala
Started in 2009 by McGill student committee
Asturias identified a need for library experts
Ongoing fund raising
Service-learning trips in spring 2010 and 2011
Project GoalCollaborate with the Asturias Academy to implement a library at the school.
The Miguel Angel Asturias Academy
Introduction to the Asturias Academy
Private, non-profit Pre K-12 school
Location: Quetzaltenango, Guatemala
Founded: 1994
Serves students from varying background: Indigenous, non-indigenous, poor, working class and middle class.
Implements teachings of Paulo Friere
Two main missions
(1) Get ALL Guatemalan children in school
(2) Break cycles of poverty through education
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.
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
Asturias Library Project – Year One
Begin and develop relationship with Asturias
Initial work in Guatemala – 2010 TripManual of recommendations
Deliver books and school supplies
Reflection
Articles
Presentations
Asturias Library Project - Year OneOn the ground in Guatemala (April – May 2010):
Cultural ActivitiesGOAL: Better get to know the community
One week of service work at the schoolDeveloped 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
Library Space Planning
Conceptual Drawings – April 2010
January 2011
First story time at Asturias Library, January 2011
Asturias Library Project – Year One Participants
Asturias Library Project – Year Two Participants
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
Cultural Activities
Collection Development
• 350 Books purchased by 4 LWB student committees• Increase size of Asturias collection to 2000 items.
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
Meet the students
Library Organization
Library Organization
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
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
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
Blogging/Photography Team
http://lwb-online.org/?cat=27
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
“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
Opportunities for Reflection
Reflection
ArticlesWrap up webinar
Presentations Blogging
Trip Document
“Structured opportunities for reflection can enable learners to examine and form their beliefs, values, opinions, assumptions, judgments and practices related to an action or experience, gain a deeper understanding of them and construct their own meaning and significance for future actions.”
Moon, J. Reflection in Learning and Professional Development . London : Kogan Page Limited, Stylus Publishing Inc, 1999.
Student learning outcomes
Experience
Collection development
Budget management
Cataloguing
Collection Maintenance & Organization
Technical Writing
Skills
Problem Solving
Time management
Flexibility
Team Work
Communication
Leadership
Project Management
Social Justice
Education and Literacy in Guatemala
Challenges facing local population
Paulo Friere teachings
Incorporating local challenges into library
planning
Relevant course work2010 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
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
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
Into the Future
How can we formally integrate LWB with the LIS curriculum?
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!
www.libarianswithoutborders.org
twitter: lwb_online
Thank You!
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