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Descriptors:
Disabilities; Social Justice; Ethnography; Discourse Analysis; Inclusion; Visual Impairments; Library Services; Reading Programs; Educational Practices; Accessibility (for Disabled); Phenomenology; Disability Discrimination; Library Policy; Longitudinal Studies; Program Attitudes; Discussion Groups; Group Dynamics; Observation; Semi Structured Interviews; Library Role

Abstract:
Inclusive practice is well embedded across society and has developed over time. However, although policy and public view have moved forward, the way organisations address the agenda for inclusion often represents a superficial interpretation of this concept. Qualitative data were gathered using new ethnography to explore the experiences of a library-based reading group for visually impaired readers. The voices of the individuals shed light on the individual and collective experience of reading. These insights challenge the traditional views of distinct provision that are designed to address targets for inclusion of individuals with disabilities. We argue for a clearer focus on the unintentional consequences of practice in the name of inclusion that leave individuals feeling marginalised. This paper suggests the alternative focus on social justice as offering a discourse that focuses on society and away from the individual. (Contains 1 figure.) Note:The following two links are not-applicable for text-based browsers or screen-reading software. Show Hide Full Abstract

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Foreign Countries; Developing Nations; Homeless People; Emergency Shelters; Nongovernmental Organizations; Motivation Techniques; Educational Technology; Children; Program Descriptions; Program Effectiveness; Capacity Building; Vocational Education; Informal Education; Training Methods; Access to Education; Enrollment; Adults; Library Services; Health Services; Libraries; Legal Aid; Documentaries; Video Technology; Educational Objectives; Reading Habits; Reading Motivation; Poverty; Community Centers; Community Education; Community Programs; Community Services; Community Information Services; Academic Libraries; Library Materials; Library Role; Community Development

Abstract:
Each night, around 20,000 people--both adults and children--make the streets of Dhaka (the capital city of Bangladesh) their home. Living amongst the noise, rubbish, and traffic, thousands of families walk down the streets of Dhaka, looking for a safe place to rest for just a few hours each night. Trapped in a vicious cycle of poverty, the pavement dwellers are amongst the most vulnerable people in Bangladesh. Pavement dwellers can be found in ferry landings, train stations, bus stations, market centers, religious shrines, parks, and on footpaths. There are very few organizations which are serving for them. CWW (Concern Worldwide) (one of the International Non-government Organizations) and DCC (Dhaka City Corporation) have jointly come forward to support 10,000 pavement dwellers through dedicated pavement dweller centres, providing them with the opportunity to make their own choices for a better future. It will also establish sustainable services for providing basic functional education for 900 children/youth and 400 adults, psychosocial counseling for 600 children and 150 adults, market-based vocational skills training for 450 children/youth and adults, entrepreneurial skills training for 400 children/youth, and life skills education for 800 children/youth. With a view to this, the project decided to set up libraries based on their shelter centres. The project realizes that as of today in Bangladesh, the poorest communities do not have access to a library. This damages educational outcomes for many. The author has been appointed as a library consultant in that project. It is an amazing experience that based on the demand of the pavement dwellers, the author had to collect the resources and different audio-visual aids. At the beginning, the author had to face tremendous challenges to get their attention because most of the children of the pavement dwellers did not feel interest to any attractive reading books or illustrative collections. They were very much fond of watching movie, cinema, drama, cartoon, Hindi film, action film, and so on. To attract them on library resources, the author has prepared and presented different video documentaries on how river erosion affected children encouraged to read and go to school, how children sex workers become curious to create reading habit which leads them to go to school. For motivating youth pavement dwellers achieving social skills on different professions (like barber, carpenter, shopkeeper, hawker, micro-investor, cooperatives, maid-labour, day-labour, rickshaw-puller, van-driver, etc.), short video documentaries have been made and presented on different IGAs (income generating activities). Thus, libraries have turned into integral part in the lives of the pavement dwellers. The basic aim of the paper is to share the ideas on how a considerable number of children pavement dwellers have been admitted in government and public schools during the last couple of years by the help of the library services. This will reveal how the youth pavement dwellers' capacity has been increased through training and library services. It will also explain a good progress in enabling better access for pavement dwellers and their children to basic services in education, health and legal aid through library and information services. Some interesting case studies will also be discussed in this paper. (Contains 4 tables.) Note:The following two links are not-applicable for text-based browsers or screen-reading software. Show Hide Full Abstract

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Descriptors:
Public Libraries; Library Role; Human Capital; Quality of Life; Cultural Centers; Internet; Access to Computers; Immigrants; Urban Areas; Career Readiness; Older Adults; Library Services; Electronic Publishing; Adult Literacy; Games; Library Administration; Technological Advancement; English Language Learners

Abstract:
As more and more New Yorkers turn to digital books, Wikipedia and other online tools for information and entertainment, there is a growing sense that the age of the public library is over. But, in reality, New York City's public libraries are more essential than ever. Far from becoming obsolete, the city's three public library systems--Brooklyn, Queens and New York, which encompasses the branches in Manhattan, the Bronx and Staten Island--have experienced a 40 percent spike in the number of people attending programs and a 59 percent increase in circulation over the past decade. Although they are often thought of as cultural institutions, the reality is that the public libraries are a key component of the city's human capital system. With roots in nearly every community across the five boroughs, New York's public libraries play a critical role in helping adults upgrade their skills and find jobs, assisting immigrants assimilate, fostering reading skills in young people and providing technology access for those who don't have a computer or an Internet connection at home. The libraries also are uniquely positioned to help the city address several economic, demographic and social challenges that will impact New York in the decades ahead. Despite all of this, New York policymakers, social service leaders and economic officials have largely failed to see the public libraries as the critical 21st century resource that they are, and the libraries themselves have only begun to make the investments that will keep them relevant in today's digital age. One way or another, New York needs to better leverage its libraries if it is to be economically competitive and remain a city of opportunity. This report takes an in-depth look at the role that New York's public libraries play in the city's economy and quality of life and examines opportunities for libraries to make even greater contributions in the years ahead. (Contains 38 endnotes.) Note:The following two links are not-applicable for text-based browsers or screen-reading software. Show Hide Full Abstract

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Descriptors:
Art Education; Library Services; Public Libraries; Artists; Library Materials; Community Programs; Youth Programs; Art Activities; Adolescents; Library Role; Librarians; Surveys

Abstract:
One of the hottest terms among public librarians today is "content creation," which involves stuff that library patrons make instead of simply use in a library context. Videos, music, fiction, paintings, 3D printed materials, websites--all these are made in public libraries, and will increase in popularity as more libraries shift from purveyors of content to facilitators of creation. Libraries are becoming "incubators" of art, ideas, economic benefits, and community benefits. A library seething with creative energy can shock some traditionalists, who still see the library as a quiet place to read a book. Yet the mission of many public libraries is not only to inform via printed or multimedia materials but also to connect ideas and people, to build communities, and to offer transformative experiences to all by bridging opportunity divides. In light of the "library=transformation" model, art programs are a natural fit. And art programs require teaching artists to lead them. In this article the author looks at the librarians' perspective on hiring teaching artists, running successful art programs, and ways in which librarians and artists can build mutually beneficial partnerships. This article focuses on teen art programs, because few libraries currently have as comprehensive an adult art focus as they do for teens. The phenomenon of adult or all-ages art programming in libraries still appears sporadic or centered in large urban libraries. Teaching artists can use the data and discussion of this research to focus their practice in a public library setting. The author offers recommendations for getting in on the library program action, suggests ways to support the public library's goals and mission, and describes how libraries are supporting teaching artists in particular, and the arts in general. (Contains 10 images and 2 tables.) Note:The following two links are not-applicable for text-based browsers or screen-reading software. Show Hide Full Abstract

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Descriptors:
Elementary Education; Childrens Literature; Classrooms; School Libraries; Sexuality; Behavior Standards; Social Behavior; Books; Censorship; Intellectual Freedom; Library Role; Psychological Patterns; Sexual Identity; Social Theories; Content Analysis; Literary Criticism; Homosexuality

Abstract:
This essay explores what it might mean to read children's literature in elementary school classrooms through a queer lens. The authors argue that because queer theory has a history as a literary theory that destabilizes normative associations among gender, sexuality, bodies, and desire, it provides a set of analytical tools classroom communities can draw on to create alternative readings of a wide range of familiar texts. Such readings of books already on the shelves of elementary school libraries and classrooms can highlight experiences and subjectivities of nonnormative sexualities and gender identities in the hopes of making classrooms more inclusive. Specifically, we argue that four high-quality, award-winning children's books already included in many schools and classrooms--Sendak's (1963) "Where the Wild Things Are", Woodson's (2001) "The Other Side", DiCamillo's (2003) "Tale of Despereaux", and Patterson's (1977) "Bridge to Terabithia"--can be fruitful sites for opening up these more inclusive readings and conversations. The article offers possible queer readings of these texts as well as suggestions for how to encourage elementary-aged students to think about both books and the socially constructed norms of real life through a queered lens. By first queering on-the-shelf texts and then asking students to think about how that queering connects to larger social issues, elementary classrooms can become places where strict identity categories--categories that can marginalize queer students and families--are made visible, are questioned, are stretched, and can even fall apart. (Contains 4 notes.) Note:The following two links are not-applicable for text-based browsers or screen-reading software. Show Hide Full Abstract

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Descriptors:
Higher Education; Academic Freedom; Tenure; Profiles; Information Sources; Reputation; Periodicals; Labor Market; Writing for Publication; Scholarship; Faculty Publishing; Professional Recognition; Faculty Promotion; Library Role; Electronic Publishing; Information Services; Vendors; Teacher Attitudes

Abstract:
With faculty balking at the price of academic journals, can other digital publishing options get traction? University libraries are no strangers to one of the most popular online alternatives, the open-access archive. These archives enable scholars to upload work--including drafts of articles that are published later in subscription journals--so they can be accessed for free by the public. In the current higher education environment, though, no up-and-coming scholar can advance his career by placing articles in an open-access archive alone. In academia, there's no prestige in self-publishing. Fair or not, prestige matters. Publishing in high-profile journals--or failing to do so--can make or break a career in academia, where the American Association of University Professors estimates the ratio of tenure-track openings to new doctorates at around 1:4. Having an article appear in a big-name publication isn't just a win for the scholar. Schools use the prestige of their faculty to bargain for bigger budgets, draw new hires, and recruit students. Prospective students look for programs with high-profile faculty whose reputations will give them a boost in the grad school, post-doctorate, and job markets. The stakes are high, particularly in the hard sciences where there's big money to be won. Which explains why new journals--or new digital modes of scholarship--are slow to take off. It remains to be seen whether there's enough pent-up frustration in academia to overturn systems that are stacked in favor of publishers. There are encouraging signs that new open-access journals--following fair publishing practices--can achieve success online. While much of the anger about journal pricing has been aimed at Elsevier, the truth remains the company is a for-profit business that will charge what the market can bear. The real culprit in all this is the tenure-track culture of higher education that places a market-distorting emphasis on publishing in prestigious journals, often at the expense of academic freedom and efficiency. Note:The following two links are not-applicable for text-based browsers or screen-reading software. Show Hide Full Abstract

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Descriptors:
Research Universities; Research Libraries; Library Administration; Educational Innovation; Library Development; Library Services; Entrepreneurship; Librarians; Administrators; Educational Finance; Educational Facilities Improvement; Library Role; Outreach Programs; Technology Uses in Education; Social Influences; Leadership Styles; Interior Space; Physical Environment; Space Utilization

Abstract:
This case explores various entrepreneurial initiatives introduced by Dr. Ron Dow, dean of libraries, at a private, research-extensive institution in the northeastern United States. The case serves as an example of how entrepreneurial ideas can be applied within educational contexts, specifically, the academic support context of the university library. The accompanying teaching notes facilitate analysis of the potential and limits of entrepreneurial practice for educational leaders who operate within the ever-changing fiscal landscape of academe. Note:The following two links are not-applicable for text-based browsers or screen-reading software. Show Hide Full Abstract

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Descriptors:
College Choice; College Libraries; Library Services; Academic Libraries; Library Role; Performance Factors; Student Recruitment; Student Surveys; Student Attitudes; Interviews; Admissions Officers; Partnerships in Education; Employee Attitudes; Library Research

Abstract:
This study investigates the extent the Library factors into college choice; impact of recruitment efforts on Library service is also considered. Much is written about college choice, but a literature review reveals little about Library influence. A survey was administered to students who currently attend college, or have in the past, that asked how much or little college Libraries influenced their choices; additionally, interviews were conducted with Admissions professionals. The results provide insight into the question, and ideas on how Libraries and Admissions departments can work together without detracting from their missions. Note:The following two links are not-applicable for text-based browsers or screen-reading software. Show Hide Full Abstract

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Descriptors:
Evidence; Librarians; Influence of Technology; Value Judgment; Library Services; Library Role; Library Development; Web 2.0 Technologies; Mass Media Effects; Mass Media Role; Mass Media Use

Abstract:
Although it is pretty easy to find colleagues who will express fatigue or frustration about the constant need for libraries to prove their value proposition, there is also an upside to the exercise of crafting a message that justifies librarians' mission. The catch is that however good their crafted message may be, they must forget about ever finishing their dog-and-pony show once and for all. Since information professionals live on the front lines of disruptive technology, they are subject to the force of digital convergence, which is forever pushing knowledge workers closer together and challenging them to rethink what they do. The sheer cascade of new technologies throughout the workplace, the entertainment sphere, and society in general requires constant review of their top goals, how they frame them to their users, and what "deliverables" they rely upon to build an evidence-based record of their relevance. And then there is the future. They must search not only for this year's value proposition but also next year's, and for the year after that. Debating about the profession's value and place in organizations and society is an effort well spent. Indeed, the accumulated wisdom gained from conducting the search for the current value proposition provides foundational learning for a successful library career. With that in mind, the author is going to hearken back to some of his favorite value propositions and see if they retain their rhetorical power. He will conclude with an assessment of the most intriguing strategies librarians might use to craft compelling value points during this digitally accelerated era. Note:The following two links are not-applicable for text-based browsers or screen-reading software. Show Hide Full Abstract

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Descriptors:
Library Services; Institutional Mission; Influence of Technology; Technological Advancement; Library Development; Library Materials; Organizational Change; Institutional Characteristics; Access to Computers; Electronic Publishing; Library Role; Library Automation

Abstract:
The core mission of libraries has always centered on making content and related services available to patrons. The form in which that content is delivered has changed continually. The most ancient libraries or archives organized clay tablets or cylinders written in cuneiform. Centuries ago, the transition from scrolls to codices must have been traumatic. Many may have seen the humorous video where a scholar in the middle ages who was used to unwinding scrolls experiences a book for the first time and struggles with how to open it and find information in the unfamiliar format. In the present times, these kind of radical transformations happen not every few centuries but every few years. In recent decades, libraries have worked their way through a succession of changes in technology and in media that creates opportunities for library services that may or may not endure. The author does not anticipate any end to the ongoing cycle of technology-related services offered by libraries, as long as libraries adapt quickly to each round of change. Note:The following two links are not-applicable for text-based browsers or screen-reading software. Show Hide Full Abstract

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