What is the EdHub? A 21st century learning commons

Posted by: Megan Enger

APA Citation: 

Boss, S. (2017, December 7). A small town school embraces a big vision. Edutopia. https://www.edutopia.org/article/small-town-school-embraces-big-vision/

Summary: This Edutopia resource explains how Superintendent Buddy Barry transformed a high school with declining enrollment in Eminence, Kentucky: by identifying the needs of a 21st century learner, he helped create the “EdHub” and transform not only enrollment numbers but the whole community. A nickel tax raised $6 million dollars and renovated the entire building to look more like Google’s headquarters than a traditional high school. Materials for student checkouts still include books, but also power tools and robotics equipment. There are eight makerspaces and opportunities for dual enrollment through the local community college. This article also includes three embedded videos showing the EdHub in action and with testimonials from students, teachers, and administrators; one video gives an overview of the space, another focuses on the Early College Program, and another showcases a hands-on learning project.

Evaluation: This article is a fantastic starting place for those interested in learning about the EdHub. It comes from a reputable source and succinctly explains how Buddy Barry accomplished such a transformation. The videos are a nice bonus that clearly illustrate the community impact. Even schools with small footprints and smaller budgets will be inspired by the EdHub–it asks us all to reconsider how the library can still be the hub of the school and envisions a 21st century learning commons to best serve student needs. Those wanting to learn more about the EdHub should check out their website, especially for Eminence’s mini-credential program that is structured like merit badges (earned when students demonstrate competency in things like 3D printing and stop motion). Additionally, Dr. Loertscher interviewed the EdHub’s librarian and an ELA teacher turned “integration specialist” who speak to the value of having a dedicated staff supporting this community.

A SWOT Analysis Approach to AI in Libraries

 

Petro, Corinne

International Federation of Library Associations and Institutions. (n.d.). Developing a Library Strategic Response to Artificial Intelligence. Retrieved from https://www.ifla.org/g/ai/developing-a-library-strategic-response-to-artificial-intelligence/

Summary:

This is a working document created by the International Federation of Library Associations and Institutions to create a strategic response to artificial intelligence (AI). First, the authors provide multiple definitions of AI, and discuss some of the ethical concerns that have arisen with the introduction of AI into the workforce. Then, the authors move to discussing how AI has impacted libraries in ways that are both “wide and deep.” There are various ways in which AI is currently used in libraries such as improving accessibility to library collections, aiding in metadata creation, supporting data scientist communities, translation, and text generation. Looking towards the future, AI’s predictive capabilities may be able to help libraries better understand user behavior and inform decision-making processes.To meet these changes, the authors stress that AI literacy is integral for both staff and patrons. In addition, libraries must think and act strategically within the context of AI’s impact on libraries by positioning themselves within institutional, sectoral, and national priorities and/or policies. The authors identify three categories of AI policies that are popular in different areas of the world: development, control, and promotion. Where a library is located will impact how it can develop and use AI. Then, the authors create a SWOT (Strengths, Weaknesses, Opportunities, Threats) for AI in libraries. One of the strengths they found is that libraries are trusted sources that have values like access to knowledge and privacy protection. These values could counteract some of the challenges that come with AI. One of the weaknesses is that commercial AI products can be costly and many libraries have limited budgets and limited technical capacities. One of the opportunities is that AI automates routine tasks and aids in professional tasks. Lastly, one of the threats is that there is a lot of fear surrounding AI, both in the public and in libraries. The authors move on to name ten institutional approaches to AI in libraries. These approaches involve hiring new staff that are already familiar with AI, upskilling current staff to be competent in AI, engaging with the library’s user base to see how they are using AI, studying best practices, etc. The authors state that some of these institutional approaches may be combined. They also list the pros and cons for each institutional response. Lastly, the authors outline what they believe to be the three most important strategies for libraries today. The first is using library AI capabilities to model responsible and explainable applications of descriptive AI. This includes using descriptive AI to improve the description and retrieval of library collections, ensuring usability and explainability of AI tools used in a library, documenting AI related projects thoroughly and openly. Some challenges with this include prioritizing collections, solving conceptual issues, and establishing sustainable services. The second strategy is using librarians’ data competencies to enhance organizational AI capability. This strategy includes using librarians’ data expertise to support data scientists and future AI applications. Activities include finding data sources, promoting data sharing and standards, and ensuring data quality and compliance. The third strategy is promoting AI literacy to enhance organizational and societal AI capabilities. This strategy includes libraries taking the lead in promoting AI literacy, especially in educational and public settings. Challenges with this strategy include librarians needing to understand the complexity of AI, including algorithmic literacy. Librarians will also have to grapple with the opacity of AI in infrastructure, especially Big Tech.

Opinion:

I found this article to be helpful in understanding what librarians can do now to facilitate the integration of AI into libraries. There are many articles on this topic that theorize a lot and do not offer much in the way of solutions beyond general advice. Although AI integration into libraries is still very new, the authors of this piece provide multiple strategies that librarians can use depending on their area’s relationship with AI. I liked that the authors used a SWOT analysis to break down this issue. Overall, I like how this article offered multiple approaches to a complex problem. Each approach was unique which allows for librarians to assess their current position in the AI landscape, and adopt whichever approach works best for them.

How Are Academic Institutions Innovating Under Pressure

Bimson, Amanda

Carpenter, T. A. (2020, April 7). How are Academic Institutions Innovating Under Pressure. Retrieved April 13, 2020, from https://scholarlykitchen.sspnet.org/2020/04/08/academy-innovating-under-pressure/

Carpenter did a good job defining all the pain points that colleges and universities are going through at the time of a crisis like the COVID-19 Pandemic of 2020. He explained how these institutions are having more of a technology gap in such a technologically advanced time is poignant. Some institutions already had some shutdown orders in place from previous issues he used as examples, however nothing had prepared them for the magnitude of what was being thrown at them now. Once they did the quick and dirty work of determining what and how to teach, it became apparent the need for documentation and definitions were needed for not only the staff but also the students. What was shown as a positive outcome of this crisis was how the support for such a time was already there from “educational technology support organizations,” librarians, and other institutions.

Why did this connect with me? I found this intriguing for a few reasons. Firstly, the concept of online learning should be present in every institution. Not every learning organization is prepared or even has a form of online learning. But if we can take away one point from the whole of the issues that COVID has brought to light within the learning communities, it is that online learning should be incorporated into every institution. Secondly, I work for one of those “educational technology support organizations” that have stepped up and provided assistance in the wake of this global need for online learning and access to information. To see the good from inside and out of an organization adn to hear how truly helpful and how much you have contributed to a crisis of this scale is a rewarding task. Finally, focus on guide production was a useful thought. Educators right now are having so much thrown at them and they have to learn quickly or be caught in the dust of others. Guides from their organizations, with the help of others per Carpenter, are essential items to start now and update often. This situation is not going to change any right now. So these guides will be what can save them in the longer term as their institutions make business decisions about how to proceed with the future of their organizations.

Futuring for future ready librarians

School librarians can lead change in specific areas by seeing trends and forecasting the future. Noticing trends makes it easier to anticipate the future. And because school librarians have the unique role of working with both students and teachers, they are better able to see global changes in learning and social behaviors. Prioritizing these trends means looking at the curriculum, using space, ensuring digital infrastructure, and creating professional partnerships among other things. Assessing and organizing trends allows librarians to see what services should be invested in or not.

Furthermore, librarians should be aware of ongoing trends in order to proactively respond appropriately to create effective change. In addition, it is best to communicate well so that other organizations and stakeholders of the library understand the direction the librarian wants to take. Librarians are the advocates for the future.

Figueroa, M.A. (2018). Futuring for future ready librarians. Knowledge Quest, 46(4), 14-18.

Our Future in Times of Change: How values guide our understanding of trends and transitions

Figueroa, M. (March/April 2017). Our futures in times of change: How values guide our understanding of trends and transition. American Libraries, 44(3/4), 32-37.  https://americanlibrariesmagazine.org/2017/03/01/our-futures-in-times-of-change/

In this article about the future of library services, author Michael Figueroa (director of ALA’s Center for the Future of Libraries) seeks to study change, but notes that in order to do so, core values--“confidentiality and privacy, diversity, equitable access, intellectual freedom and expression, preservation”-- must be considered (p. 33).   This article collects interview responses from three librarians, Emily Drabinski (Coordinator of library Instruction at Long Island University in Brooklyn, New York), Sarah Houghton (Director of San Rafael Public Library in California), and Charlotte Roh (Scholarly communications librarian at the University of San Francisco Gleeson Library) on the subject of change in light of values.

The interview highlights the importance of the above core values in implementing value-infused services and programs.  Most notably are core values that, in the current political and social climate in the U.S., unflinchingly continue to provide or seek to provide equitable access, sensitivity toward diversity, and policies that guard patron rights to privacy and intellectual freedom.   For example, interviewee Charlotte Roh notes, “Across our communities, people are demanding cultural competency from people traditionally considered experts...As librarians, it is important that our cultural competencies are on par with the depth and breadth of our critical knowledge-seeking behaviors” (p. 35).  

The article includes a subsection on pages 36 and 37 devoted to takeaways for the future.  It’s not a stretch to say that all nine takeaways are relevant to collection development have to do with pushing traditional boundaries to providing equitable, diverse access to patrons. The first is entrepreneurship--libraries can offer a “network of support” to aid patrons who lack access to minority, low-income patrons.  Second, libraries are poised to offer programs that boost civic engagement and innovation, whether in the form of microcollections, maker spaces, or meeting places to spark communication.  Thirdly, school libraries even now are pushing communication boundaries to connect with innovators, experts and other students to promote a positive global awareness, whether in hosting authors, or Skype conferencing, or using social media platforms to make connections.  The fourth takeaway is sustainability--as we take measures to provide our patrons with access to various informational formats, we must make sure that they are “environmentally sound, economically feasible, and socially equitable”.  The fifth is expanding horizons through virtual reality--using VR as “place-based learning that moves beyond the traditional field trip”.  Sixth is accessibility, which for most of us is a pretty obvious concern, but one that, nevertheless, must be a focus for the future of libraries.  The seventh takeaway is providing welcoming communities that builds unity for all Americans, no matter their background.  Eighth and ninth are geared toward young learners--it is vital that librarians in schools and youth public librarians are invested in technology trends AND understand and practice 21st century ethics (often relatable to current technology).  Speaking as a teacher librarian currently employed in a public high school, I thoroughly agree that students who are educated about online rights and privacies are well-equipped to handle the myriad ins and outs of life in a tech-focused society.

My greatest take away from the article is the importance of staying informed about information--keeping my eye on the services we offer to make sure that they are sustainable.  In continually evaluating patron needs and matching them with resources, I can make sure that the programs and services embrace ALA values.

Checking out tomorrow’s school library collections

Gates, Angela

Stephens, W. (2014). Checking out tomorrow’s school library collections. Young Adult Library Services, 12(3), 17-19.

I thought this was an interesting article on collection development trends in school libraries. The author interviewed three library professionals—a university faculty member, an instructional media/technology coordinator, and a school librarian—to assess their thoughts on the future of collection development.

One of the points made in the article that I found particularly relevant to what we have been studying lately was the idea that rather than trying to represent everything, school libraries should develop collections based on the unique needs and requirements of the schools that they serve. One of the interviewees is quoted in the article as saying that a school library’s collection should be “unbalanced”—meaning that the school library should not attempt to devote equal resources to all parts of the collection.  For example, a school library that serves a high population of students without access to books (either at home or through a public library) might want to devote more of its resources to the fiction collection.  The school library that I volunteer in serves an elementary school that has a quarterly science or social studies thematic curriculum (e.g. Geology, Immigration etc.), studied by all the grades in the school, so our library needs a depth of resources in these particular topical areas.

Other important points made in the article were very much in line with what we have been discussing this semester: for example, looking beyond purchasing print materials, particularly for non-fiction materials, and the impact of Common Core standards on school libraries.

A library of design: Electronic collections inspire modern research spaces

Pierucci, Jessica

Hampton, N. (2015). A library of design: Electronic collections inspire modern research spaces. Codex: The Journal of the Louisiana Chapter of the ACRL, 3(2), 68-79. Retrieved from http://journal.acrlla.org/index.php/codex

Summary

This article discusses the transition to focusing on curating an electronic collection at the Xavier University of Louisiana Library Resource Center. The library lost part of its collection when 18 inches of water flooded the first floor during Hurricane Katrina in 2005. The library did not have money available for easy replacement of lost materials at the time so the library relied on gifted items and interlibrary loan instead. In 2013, noticing the print materials left were not well used, the library undertook a collection evaluation and determined the best and most cost efficient way forward was through collecting electronic versions of many materials, including many journals, and getting rid of print versions to open up library space for a new information commons area where shelving could be removed after weeding. Feedback showed the project transitioning to more electronic resources and using the freed up library space for an information commons was overall a success.

Evaluation

The article is a great example of what I see as a likely future of academic libraries where parts of the print collection that duplicate the online collection move to just online, freeing up the library's physical space for study space. The article specifically discusses the transition of the library's journals, which I think are a prime candidate for removal from the print collection when the material is accessible, and more easily searchable and findable, online. Where I work we've weeded to only keep the last five years of print journals where we have online access and in the future I would be unsurprised if there's a decision to cancel all of these print subscriptions where we have online access to avoid duplication and free up shelf space for other uses. I really liked seeing how well this transition worked at one school and the benefits of having a nice new collaborative space for students to use in the library. I'm curious to see more examples of this transition and how it plays out in different types of library spaces in the coming years.

Ramos, Kristan

INFO 266

Fall 2015

 

What Kind of Library are you?

Inayatullah, S. (2014). Library futures: from knowledge keepers to creators 2014. The Futurist, 48(6). http://www.wfs.org/futurist/2014-issues-futurist/november-december-2014-vol-48-no-6/library-futures-knowledge-keepers-c

As we are learning about collection development and overseeing the various collections in library settings, whether it is a public physical building, a digital library, or a knowledge center library (non-traditional such as a historical society or private corporate library) we as librarians are marking historical space to help with the future.

This article is a great piece that made me think about my part as a future librarian or archivist and how I am currently a part of history in the making. Reading this article made me excited to be a part of technological history and at the same time made me wonder what kind of librarian I am going to be. As technology is more prevalent in library arenas today, so many non-traditional opportunities are becoming available. As the knowledge keeps flowing into library spaces, collection development will forever persevere!

What will libraries be like in 2100?

Mueller, Kara

O’Donnell, J. (2015). What Will Libraries Be Like in 2100? Retrieved December 9, 2015, from http://www.slate.com/articles/technology/future_tense/2015/11/what_will_libraries_be_like_in_2100.html

Summary: This article, written by Jim O'Donnell, the university library at Arizona State University, discusses his predictions for the state of libraries in the 22nd Century.  He asks the question "What will libraries be like in 2100?"  He offers three different answers to that question, and explains how he came up with those responses.  His first answer to the question is that there will be only one globally comprehensive and accessible library.  This library will be entirely online, and information will be available to anyone around the world.  His  second answer is that there will be approximately 3 million libraries around the globe.  These libraries will most likely hold special collections that are unique to that place and its history.  Patrons will come to these libraries to view these collections, but also to seek, share and create knowledge.  Librarians will be seen as "coaches, mentors, guides, and facilitators."  O'Donnell's third and final answer reflects a pessimistic outlook, and states that there will be no libraries in the next century.  This could be caused by disasters such as nuclear weapons, asteroids, global warming, or by the people and our arrogance.  No matter what happens by the year 2100, it is clear that we DO need libraries.  As they are "a place to meet, a place to talk, and most importantly, a place to read."

Evaluation: I really enjoyed this article as it outlined three different scenarios for the future of libraries.  There are many different things that could happen to libraries in the next hundred years, but it is important to have goals to work towards.  All three of the solutions O'Donnell mentioned above are very realistic; it just depends on how our society views libraries and their importance.

Miller, R. T.  (September 2015). Getting phygital:  Embracing space where digital and physical

intertwine.  School Library Journal, 6.

Summary:  The word ‘phygital’ is a combination of two words:  digital and physical.  Phygital relates to the idea of balancing physical and digital collections in the libraries of the future.   Some have claimed that the libraries of the future will not include physical materials at all, only digital.  This editorial argues that while there definitely has been a digital shift, in the end, it is not about choosing one format over another.   It is about moving between the physical and digital.  “Responsive library service should take advantage of the strengths of each and the power of them combined.”

Evaluation:  I appreciated this short article, as I do feel many librarians feel like they have to get on the digital bandwagon at the expense of the physical in order to stay relevant.  This has bothered me – I, for one, enjoy reading both a hardcover novel and a downloaded book.  We are often floating back from one format to another and back again.  This article made me realize that it is a good thing to maintain balance between the physical and the digital.