Children's Services Fundamentals

Format: Online

Fee: $75 for those in the California library community and Infopeople Partners, $150 for all others.

(An Infopeople Online Learning Course)
Tuesday, January 4, 2011 - Monday, February 1, 2011

Have recent cutbacks meant that you are now serving children in the library? Or are you new to working in a library with children? Many library staff members, beyond and besides the children's librarian, are called upon to serve children. This course will help anyone assisting children in the library, empowering you with skills so you can:

• search for reference and homework help, including online sources,
• offer effective readers' advisory assistance to find recreational reading,
• understand library policy on unattended children, and children's use of the internet,
• develop library tours and perform booktalks,
• do basic promotion of books to children, and
• construct displays, reading lists, and other handouts.

Even new children's librarians can benefit from the class, as well as experienced library staff who may now have to serve children due to staffing changes, or those working at branch libraries with just one service point. When you complete the course you will have the basic skills to serve children ages 0-12 in a library.

Course Description: We have structured this four week online course with maximum flexibility in mind. Each week we provide readings and then various assignments and discussions among which you may choose. If you choose only one option per week, you should be able to complete each week's work within two-three hours. The instructor will provide resources, best practices, and useful tips and techniques that can be applied immediately.

During the course, you will be doing practical assignments. You will also participate in discussion forums and optional online meetings as part of the online learning process. We will schedule two online meetings later in the course, to share what we have covered. These meetings are a great way to connect, share ideas, ask questions, and explore the material further in a friendly, convivial way. We will use Webex technology for the meetings; all you will need is a computer with an internet connection and a telephone. Those who cannot attend can listen to the archived record of the meeting.

Preliminary Course Outline: Using your web browser and your Internet connection, you will log in to the Infopeople online learning site and complete the following learning modules:

Week 1 Topic: Your Community and Its Children: Partnerships, Library Policies and Legal Issues Regarding Youth
Learning Outcome(s):

• Understanding of developmental needs of children and their reflection in policy and practice at your library
• Familiarity with local policies regarding unattended children in the library and a child's use of the Internet at the library.
• Be able to make simple handouts to promote the library's services.
• Points to be covered in the main reading:
• Overview of child development by age group and how that affects how we serve each child.
• The philosophy and values involved in library service to children.
• Collaborating with community groups and schools to market library programs and services.
• Legal issues affecting youth, including behavior issues in the library, safety, staff liability, copyright law, privacy issues.
• Internet Safety for Youth, CIPA (Children's Internet Protection Act) and COPPA (Children's Online Privacy Protection Act).

Week 2 Topic: Children's Reference and Homework Help
Learning Outcome(s):

• Able to conduct a reference/homework interview with a young person to determine what information is needed.
• Familiar with how to evaluate several websites, databases, and other online resources that can help a student with homework assignments.
• Acquainted with appropriate Internet sites, rules for safe navigation, and use of online search tools and other technological applications for youth.
• Points to be covered in the main reading:
• What is reference? How child development level affects reference.
• Reference interview questions and techniques, including body language.
• Homework: Getting what they need, which may not be what they ask for initially.
• Math reference questions and homework.
• Useful online resources for information and homework.

Week 3 Topic: Readers Advisory for Children
Learning Outcome(s):

• Able to conduct a readers' advisory interview with a parent or young person to determine what type of recreational reading the child desires.
• Able to find books that meet that need.
• Familiar with how to evaluate several websites and databases that can help in the readers' advisory task.
• Comfort with finding recreational reading for reluctant readers.
• Ready to write up a handout of recommended reading for children.
• Points to be covered in the main reading:
• What is readers' advisory? Overview of the variety of recreational reading for children.
• Recreational reading by grade level, and by genre.
• Readers' advisory interview questions and techniques.
• Finding read-alikes, books for reluctant readers.
• Online resources to assist with readers' advisory.

Week 4 Topic: Children's Programming, Library Tours and Displays
Learning Outcome(s):

• Able to conduct a library tour for a school class visit to the library, which would include a fun activity to make the tour memorable.
• Familiar with how to plan and construct library displays that promote books to children.
• Ready to create participatory displays like the "Sob-O-Meter" and First Line Contest.
• Able to demonstrate oral and written communication skills for working with youth, parents and caregivers, and other agencies serving youth.
• Points to be covered in the main reading:
• Overview of children's library programming- what we do, why we do it.
• Conducting exciting tours for classes visiting the library.
• Forms of book promotion including booklists, online book promotion.
• Simple library displays.
• Online resources for tours, library instruction, displays, and book promotion.

(Optional) Pre-workshop assignment: Survey as to which day/time is best for optional real-time class meetings.

Time required: To complete this course, you can expect to spend two-three hours per week, for a total of eight-twelve course hours. Each week's module contains readings and various optional assignments, discussions, and online meetings. You can choose the options most relevant to your work and interests. Although you can work on each module at your own pace, at any hour of the day or night, it is recommended that you complete each week's work within that week to stay in sync with other learners.

Who Should Take This Course: Any library staff member who provides services to children, including reference or other staff who substitute at the children's desk; new children's librarians or other library staff who are relatively new to serving children. This course is particularly valuable for support staff whose work includes children's services responsibilities.

Library Support Staff Certification (LSSC): This course is approved as covering the Reference and Information Services competencies for the LSSC program.

Online Learning Details and System Requirements may be found at
http://www.infopeople.org/training/learning_details.html.

Course Start: This 4-week-long online learning course starts on Tuesday, January 4, 2011.

After the official end date for the course, the instructor will be available for limited consultation and support for two more weeks, and the course material will stay up for an additional two weeks after that. These extra weeks give those who have fallen behind time to work independently to complete the course.

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