School Libraries and Careers of Future Students

This report by littleBits was able to delve more deeply into the types of programs that are offered as part of maker and STEAM education, the challenges librarians face as they start and scale these programs, and some of the best practices to ensure an effective and engaging implementation for all students. This report highlights the importance of three initiatives to further enable librarians and media specialists:

1. PROVIDING PROFESSIONAL DEVELOPMENT RESOURCES to librarians and media specialists so they can more successfully be the leading force of innovation in their schools.

2. DESIGNING STAFF MEETINGS AND A SCHOOL CALENDAR THAT ALLOW LIBRARIANS TO INTERACT MORE FREQUENTLY WITH TEACHERS in their school so they can better integrate maker activities with curriculum and scale these activities beyond the library space.

3. RETHINKING THE DESIGN OF SCHOOL LIBRARIES to allow integration of STEM and maker tools, collaboration between students, and opportunities to share knowledge in the community.

Jamalian, A. (2018). The role of school libraries in the 21^st century maker movement. New York, NY: littleBits. https://fs24.formsite.com/edweek/images/wp-littlebits-Research_Shows_School_Libraries_in_New_Light.pdf

Library Use Among Youth

This Pew Research Center report found that 53% of millennials ages 18 to 35 last fall said they have used a public library or bookmobile within the last year. The data doesn't include on-campus libraries. Also, roughly half of adults ages 18 and older say they used a public library or bookmobile in the previous 12 months – a share that is broadly consistent with Pew Research Center findings in recent years. The survey also found that women are more likely to visit a library and use a library website. A person's schooling can affect how often someone finds themselves in a library. College graduates were found to be more likely than high school graduates to use libraries in the past year.

Horrigan, J. B. (2016). Libraries 2016 – Trends in visiting public libraries have steadied, and many Americans have high expectations for what their local libraries should offer. Washington, D.C.: Pew Research Center. http://www.pewinternet.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/9/2016/09/PI_2016.09.09_Libraries-2016_FINAL.pdf

Continuing Education and Library Services

This report by Young Adult Library Services Association (YALSA) is the result of a year-long national forum that took place from June 1, 2017 to May 31, 2018. These discussions took place both in-person and virtually and resulted in the following overarching recommendations to help improve the CE landscape for serving teens through libraries:

1. Commit to CE (continuous learning) that promotes deeper learning  
2. Connect with others to provide a richer learning experience 
3. Create an organizational culture that prioritizes staff learning   
4. Embrace effective models for CE

Young Adult Library Services Association (2018). Transforming library services for and with teens through continuing education. Chicago, IL: Young Adult Library Services Association. http://www.ala.org/yalsa/sites/ala.org.yalsa/files/content/YALSA_TransformingLibServicesThruCE_report.pdf