Back to School Rebecca Starkey Reference Librarian / Instruction Specialist Bibliographer for Education The Joseph Regenstein Library The Challenges and Rewards of a Research Library's Instruction Program for a Charter High School in Chicago LOEX 39th Annual Conference, 2011

School Libraries in the News “Sit-in demands library: Pilsen parents want ramshackle building rehabbed for school” - Chicago Tribune (September 18, 2010) “Pilsen sit-in enters Day 6; Protesters, CPS still at impasse over library” - Chicago Sun-Times (September 21, 2010) CPS agrees to build library inside Whittier” - Chicago Sun-Times (October 19, 2010) “After sit-in, no site yet for Whittier School library” - Chicago Tribune (October 29, 2010) “Whittier library dispute flares up again” - Chicago Tribune (March 23, 2011)

Losing School Libraries  Chicago Tribune reported 164 Chicago public schools do not have standalone libraries staffed by a trained librarian  Nearly 1 in 4 elementary schools  51 high schools Ahmed-Ullah, N. S. (2010, October 27). CPS library void transcends one sit-in: Lack of money, space forces more than 160 schools to go without. Chicago Tribune, p. 1.

 Illinois State Board of Education requires districts to provide a program of "library media services" but doesn't specify that schools need a library or a librarian  CPS encourages schools to apply for grants to support library collections or hire a professional librarian Libraries in Chicago Public Schools Ahmed-Ullah, N. S. (2010, October 27). CPS library void transcends one sit-in: Lack of money, space forces more than 160 schools to go without. Chicago Tribune, p. 1. Barack, L. (2009). Chicago schools trade librarians for other staff. School Library Journal Extra Helping. Retrieved from 347/chicago_schools_trade_librarians_for.html.csphttp:// 347/chicago_schools_trade_librarians_for.html.csp

Challenges for Charter Schools  Different management, funding, staffing, and culture  New schools with few facilities  Shared buildings with limited access to:  Cafeterias  Gyms  Computer labs  Libraries  Budget problems and tensions within CPS over charter schools make negotiating access difficult Ahmed-Ullah, N. S. (2011, February 24). Charter schools seek more space: Critics say it’s taking away others’ resources. Chicago Tribune, p. 12.

The University of Chicago  Private research university  4 graduate divisions  6 professional schools  Undergraduate college  Medical Center  Our community  5,134 undergraduates  10,492 graduate/ professional students  2,211 faculty and staff  154,286 alumni

Urban Education Institute

University Charter Schools University of Chicago Woodlawn (UCW)

UEI Library Request  Like many charter schools, UCW does not have its own building or its own library  UEI staff requested borrowing privileges for UCW seniors at the University of Chicago Library

University of Chicago Library  Six campus libraries  7.7 million print volumes  Over 1 million e-books  93,000 online serials  39,000 linear feet of archive and manuscript collections  Staff  70 FT professional staff  173 support staff  83 student workers

Library Access Policies  Traditionally, very restrictive access  Since the mid-1990s, the Library has been increasingly open to outside users  K-12 access remained extremely limited

Public School Field Trips  Library Tours  “I would like my students to experience what a research library is like”  Significant staff time with little pedagogical benefit  “Research” visits  Class visits to work on a project (2-3 hours)  Students couldn’t complete assignments in one day

Outreach to Neighborhood Schools  Borrowing privileges for AP and IB students at two local high schools:  Kenwood Academy  Hyde Park Academy  Our experiences:  Limited instruction opportunities  Students struggled to use our collections

 Extensive planning meeting with UCW faculty  Scheduled visits  More library instruction  Follow-up with UCW faculty Making it Work for UCW

Program Logistics  UCW wanted to bring students in one group (59 students)  Solutions  Morning visits only based on room availability  UCW students would only use their laptops during visits  University would provide wireless access

Instruction Program Planning  Orientation program  Students obtain ID cards  Presentation highlighting electronic resources and help guides  Building tour  Academic honesty and bibliography  Plagiarism prevention  Introduction to style guides  Overview of Zotero, a citation management tool

Problems We Experienced  Little context to instruction  Students had not started their research  Zotero training was not appropriate  Size of group  Difficult for hands-on instruction  Staffing was not adequate  Little staff experience with classroom management  Limited engagement from teachers  Teachers attended, but remained in the background

Program Follow-Up  Evaluation sent to the UCW coordinator asking about their thoughts on the program:  Student use of the Library  Difficulties their students encountered  Impact of library access on student work  Improvements we could make for next year

Program Follow-Up  Responses from UCW positive  Students used more books  Students visited on weekends  Students asked librarians for help  Requested Changes  Start visits earlier in the year  Shorten Zotero training

Try, Try Again!  New year, new UCW coordinator  Enthusiastic about Library programs  How do we do this better?  Short sessions based on an assignment, with achievable outcomes  Involve teachers in instruction  Add additional instruction programs as students progress

Student Program – Success!  UCW Students divided into three groups  Smaller classes  One librarian and teacher per group  Students rotated through three programs  Library tour  Library Catalog training  JSTOR and GoogleScholar training  Students completed tasks for an assignment  Students more engaged and asked questions  Successfully completed their work in time allotted

Teacher Involvement  Arranged for borrowing privileges for UCW teachers  New library program for UCW teachers:  IDs and Library tour  Overview of the Library’s online resources  Visit to the Library’s K-12 curriculum materials collection

Teacher Session Outcomes  Limited instruction  Many of the teachers arrived late  ID card processing took too long  Library instruction time was significantly was reduced  Positive feedback from faculty  Many questions and comments about collections  Desire for more library programs for students and faculty

And Then…  UCW visits continue…  Students checking out books and using reference librarians  …but offers of additional instruction programs were politely turned down  “Overwhelmed”  “Roller-coaster ride”  “Unexpected challenges”

Was the Program a Success?

UCW: Yes!  Fulfilled a real need: a library and librarians  Student use of libraries increased  Students moved beyond free web resources to scholarly materials  Teachers have access to academic and professional development resources to support their teaching

Library: Maybe…  Did UCW students use our collections effectively?  Did we help students gain information literacy skills?  Did we help prepare them for college research?  Can we achieve these goals through a limited outreach program?

What We Learned  Reexamine your expectations  Successful outreach programs take time  Best results from collaboration based on mutual goals  Step out of your comfort zone  Learn from your mistakes  Redesign programs and alter teaching methods

What We Learned  Look beyond your institution and academia  What are the challenges facing US public schools?  State funding cuts  Charter schools  Vouchers  Standards-based assessment  And more…  How will these issues impact college and university libraries in the future?

Where Do We Go From Here?  Our outreach program for UCW will continue  We will look for new ways to support the University’s efforts in urban education and our local community

Think - Pair - Share  What role should academic libraries play in supporting public schools?  Have you conducted outreach programs with public schools at your library?  How did you determine if these programs were successful?

Thank you for attending! Presentation will be posted on the LOEX website Rebecca Starkey University of Chicago Library