Service Learning: Putting the World in LIS Education
1. Service Learning:
Bringing the World into
LIS Education
Carolyn Doi, McGill University
Melanie Sellar, Marymount College
Erin Walker, Bradford West Gwillimbury Public Library
2. 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
3. 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!
4. 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!
5. What is Service Learning?
It is a form of experiential education
in which students engage in activities
that address community needs
together with structured opportunities
intentionally designed to promote
student learning and development.
6. History of Service Learning
• Renaissance of civic engagement on campuses
1960s • Peace Corps, Civil Rights Movement
• First conference in United States
• Resurgence in response to materialistic image
1980s • Launch of many national service organizations
• Campus Compact is founded
• Becomes a formally established field
1990s • Emergence of conferences, journals
• Growing body of research literature
• Adoption of pedagogy begins in Canada
2000s • Canadian Alliance for Community Service Learning
• LIS Literature begins to recognize SL
7. Service Learning is Different From:
Recipient BENEFICIARY Provider
Service FOCUS Learning
Service- Learning
Community
Field Education
Service
Volunteerism Internships
Pictorial from Andrew Furco, “Service-Learning: A Balanced Approach to Experiential Education.” 1996.
8. At the Intersection: Service Learning
Academic
Material
Relevant Critical
Service Reflection
9. Why Care About Service Learning?
Internationalize Higher Respond to
Campuses Education Workforce Needs
Priorities
Access Funding Enrich
Opportunities Pedagogy
10. 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!
11. Where We Began
Linguistics LIS program, Angola –
Course, UWO
UWO UWO collaboration
12. How We Grew
Executive Team (across North America)
Board of Directors (across North America)
>1,000 members (across the world)
2005 2007 2007 2009 2010
13. Who We’ve Become
Librarians 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.
14. 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!
15. At the Intersection: Service Learning
Academic
material
Relevant Critical
service reflection
16. 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
17. 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!
18. 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
21. 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
23. Collection Development
Start-up Collection
Spanish- Science & Costa Rican Basic
English Geography Literature English
dictionaries books • Picture
Books
• English
Language
Learning
24. Collection Development
Questions & Challenges
Curriculum How to find & Cultural Getting the
support or evaluate considerations: books to El
recreational Spanish- • Language Humo?
reading? language • Relevant & How much could
Size of collection children’s appropriate we purchase
books? locally?
Dealing with
foreign vendors
25. 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
26. 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
28. 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
49. 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
57. 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
60. 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 Humo
community
Believe that it is inspiring student success and
encouraging literacy
61. 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
62. 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!
64. Project Partner institution: Miguel Angel
Asturias Academy
Overview
Location: Quetzaltenango,
Project Goal Guatemala
Collaborate Started in 2009 by McGill student
with the committee
Asturias Asturias identified a need for
Academy to library experts
implement a Ongoing fund raising
library at the Service-learning trips in spring
school. 2010 and 2011
66. Introduction to the Private, non-profit Pre K-12
Asturias Academy school
Location: Quetzaltenango,
Two main missions Guatemala
(1) Get ALL
Founded: 1994
Guatemalan
children in school Serves students from
(2) Break cycles of varying background:
poverty through Indigenous, non-
education indigenous, poor, working
class and middle class.
Implements teachings of
Paulo Friere
67. 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.
68. 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
69. Asturias Library Project – Year One
Begin and develop relationship with Asturias
Initial work in Guatemala – 2010 Trip
Manual of recommendations
Deliver books and school supplies
Reflection
Articles
Presentations
70. Asturias Library Project - Year One
On the ground in Guatemala (April – May 2010):
Cultural Activities
GOAL: Better get to know the community
One week of service work at the school
Developed 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
75. 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
77. Collection Development
• 350 Books purchased by 4 LWB student committees
• Increase size of Asturias collection to 2000 items.
78. 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
82. 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
83. 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
84. 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
86. 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
87. “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
89. Reflection “Structured opportunities
for reflection can enable
learners to examine and
Wrap up form their beliefs, values,
Articles
webinar
opinions, assumptions,
judgments and practices
related to an action or
Presentations Blogging
experience, gain a deeper
understanding of them
and construct their own
Trip Document meaning and significance
for future actions.”
Moon, J. Reflection in Learning and Professional
Development . London : Kogan Page Limited, Stylus Publishing
Inc, 1999.
90. Student learning outcomes
Social
Experience Skills
Justice
Collection development Problem Solving Education and Literacy
in Guatemala
Time management
Budget management
Flexibility Challenges facing local
population
Cataloguing Team Work
Communication Paulo Friere teachings
Collection Maintenance
& Organization
Leadership
Incorporating local
Technical Writing challenges into library
Project Management planning
91. Relevant course work
2010 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
92. 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
93. 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
94. Into the Future
How can we formally integrate LWB
with the LIS curriculum?
95. 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!