Creating the Future: A 2020 Vision Update at 2013 New York Library Association Conference

More than 100 people attended the update on Creating the Future implementation during the 2013 NYLA Annual Conference in Niagara Falls. Attendees heard from John Hammond, Regents Advisory Council on Libraries (RAC) Chairperson and Jeffrey W. Cannell, Deputy Commissioner for Cultural Education. John Hammond summarized the outcomes of the June 2013 RAC report to the Board of Regents Cultural Education Committee.

In addition RAC members, John Monahan, Mary Muller, and Bridget Quinn-Carey, who chair Creating the Future Implementation Working Groups, reported on progress to date. Sheryl Knab, Director, Western New York Library Resources Council updated attendees on the implementation status of the I2NY report recommendations, which are closely aligned with Creating the Future. Topics included school libraries, public library districts, services to youth and young adults, and academic libraries. Deputy Commissioner Cannell wrapped up the event by discussing immediate next steps in making the recommendations in Creating the Future a reality.

The handouts from the program, which include the RAC report to the Board of Regents Cultural Education Committee as well as proposals for youth services may be found at
http://www.nysl.nysed.gov/libdev/future/index.html

Thank you to the RAC members, members of the Implementation Working Groups and others in the library community who are working so hard on implementing the 60 recommendations in Creating the Future.

Bernard A. Margolis

Creating the Future at NYLA

The New York State Library invites you to attend the following program at the 2013 New York Library Association Conference in Niagara Falls.

“Creating the Future: A 2020 Vision” Update

Last year the Regents Advisory Council on Libraries and the State Library collected your ideas about priorities for implementing “Creating the Future: A 2020 Vision and Plan for Library Service in New York State.” This year discover what your colleagues have accomplished and share your own successes and challenges. On Friday, September 27 at 2:15 p.m. in the Cataract Room of the Conference Center, join John Hammond, Chair of Regents Advisory Council on Libraries, Bernard A. Margolis, New York State Librarian and Assistant Commissioner for Libraries, and other members of the Regents Advisory Council and library leaders from across the State to hear about implementation progress. Speakers will include: John Hammond, Bernard Margolis, John Monahan, Mary Fellows, Mary Muller, Sheryl Knab, and Bridget Quinn-Carey, among others.

This program is sponsored by the New York State Library, the Regents Advisory Council on Libraries, the New York Library Association, and the Library Trustees Association of New York State. For questions about New York State Library programs offered at the New York Library Association Conference in Niagara Falls, September 26-28, 2013, please contact Mary Beth Farr, Library Development Specialist, New York State Library at mfarr@mail.nysed.gov.

“Creating the Future: A 2020 Vision” Program at 2013 NYLA Conference

Mark your calendar! On Friday, September 27, the Regents Advisory Council on Libraries and the State Library will be at the 2013 NYLA Conference in Niagara Falls to discuss the implementation of “Creating the Future”. The program is scheduled for 2:15 pm to 3:30 pm in the Cataract Room at the Niagara Falls Convention Center.
John Hammond, Chair, Regents Advisory Council on Libraries (RAC), and I, will provide an update on the implementation of the plan’s sixty recommendations. There will also be reports from the RAC Working Groups. Come share your own challenges, ask questions and find out more about what your colleagues are doing to create a vibrant future for library services in New York State.
This program is co-sponsored by the Regents Advisory Council on Libraries, the Library Trustees Association of New York State, the New York State Library, and the New York Library Association.
For more information about the 2013 NYLA Conference in Niagara Falls, please visit http://www.nyla.org/max/4DCGI/cms/review.html?Action=CMS_Document&DocID=281&MenuKey=conf_info
Hope to see you there!

Bernard A. Margolis

New IMLS Report Highlights Roles of Libraries and Museums in Preparing Young Children for Success

Growing Young Minds, a new report released by the federal Institute of Museum and Library Services (IMLS) highlights several New York libraries and museums! The report offers several examples of how libraries and museums are partnering with schools and parents to encourage the development of skills necessary for a lifetime of learning. The report also discusses ten key ways libraries and museums are helping to develop a strong start for young children’s learning with concrete examples of programs that are already in place in museums and libraries around the country.

The report also presents a list of recommendations for federal policy makers, state policy makers, communities, districts, schools, museums and libraries, parents, and funders to increase awareness and access to early learning programs at museums and libraries and to ensure the development of new early learning programs.

The full report may be found at http://www.imls.gov/assets/1/AssetManager/GrowingYoungMinds.pdf

The Reinvention of Libraries- Key Takeaways Presentation

Lee Rainie, the Director of the Pew Internet Project, presents the Project’s latest findings about the changing role of libraries and patrons’ interest in new services. Rainie describes the Project’s research into the way people use mobile devices and social media and how that fits into the larger patterns of their getting, sharing, and creating information.

This exciting and informative presentation is now available in its entirety on Youtube! The video is 59 minutes long. The original presentation was given the Georgia Public Libraries Directors Meeting on May 15, 2013.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=bLDReyt9Yp8&feature=youtu.be

Report of the Regents Advisory Council on Libraries

On June 18, the Regents Advisory Council on Libraries will present their annual report to the Board of Regents.  This year the focus of the report is the Creating the Future Plan and the actions that have been taken and are recommended about it.

            The Regents Advisory Council on Libraries will be discussing recommendations 10, 11, 23, and 57 from Creating the Future: a 2020 Vision Plan for Library Service in New York State: Recommendations of the New York State Regents Advisory Council on Libraries.  Recommendation 10 deals with creating an information fluency curriculum framework.  Recommendation 11 sets staffing standards for elementary schools.  Public library districts are the focus of recommendation 23, and recommendation 57 deals with the cost of e-resources.

New Jersey Study Highlights Contributions of School Libraries

The New Jersey Association of School Libraries (NJASL) recently released the findings of a 2010-2011 survey which looked at the contributions of school libraries. The NJASL noted that many recent studies have shown that well-funded school libraries have a positive impact on student achievement, so the NJASL wanted to examine how school libraries contribute to schools. The study was done in two phases. The first phase in 2010 was a survey of more than 700 librarians representing approximately 30% of school libraries in New Jersey. The second phase, which took place in 2011, was a series of focus groups with administrators, teachers, and school librarians.

The study focused on answering two questions: “What does a good school library look like?” and “What role does a good school library play in educating New Jersey students?” The study found that a good school library helps to educate students in a variety of ways. A good school library helps students to meet core curriculum standards, master information literacy competencies, develop familiarity with the research process, use information ethically, use technology responsibly, and read for learning. The study found that school libraries are seen as necessary learning environments which teach students skills such as evaluating information quality and the use of 21st century technology in research.

The first question, “What does a good school library look like?” had a more complicated answer. School libraries were viewed by participants in the study as “21st century classrooms that provide the information- and technology-rich learning environments” and as “learning centers linked to the learning going on in the school and the learning success of the school.” The study found that a good school library provides a place for instruction and collaboration for everyone in the school.

The study also briefly looked at the future of school libraries. Participants saw a need for more space in libraries for things like writing labs, more computers, and instructional areas. They also wanted more staffing to help with instruction of teachers and students and to provide more one-on-one assistance.

To read the full study or for more information, go to http://www.njasl.info/cissl-study/

I2NY Report Released by NY 3Rs

The New York 3Rs Association has released the I2NY: Envisioning an Information Infrastructure for New York final report. I2NY (New York Information Infrastructure) and its Final Report focuses on how New York libraries can work together to acquire resources and provide better service to library patrons.

The final report identifies the following initiatives as “highest importance”:

• Immediate access to paid electronic journals, e-books, and other materials at the level of best value, and the development of a framework for a united and collaborative statewide group to pursue negotiations with vendors to achieve these access and value goals.

• Development of methods for greater collaboration among libraries of all types, including transactional exchange models, incentives to grow successful local or regional projects statewide, and greater support for the sharing of information about innovative projects and ideas.

• Innovative development and deployment of staff to deal with the new technologies and the changing expectations of users.

• Connecting library services to patron and student outcomes at every level of school and academic libraries, and in public libraries for lifelong learners and researchers.

• Improved communications across all library types through a number of avenues, including continuing the work begun at the I2NY Summit, development of working groups to facilitate particular projects.

This report serves as an excellent starting point to address concerns about the libraries of New York State and to improve collaboration and communication among the libraries. Work groups are being developed to continue work on the initiatives identified by the report.

For more information or to read the full report, visit http://www.ny3rs.org/i2ny-2/

 

Bernard A. Margolis
Assistant Commissioner for Libraries and State Librarian

UPDATE – The Library in 2020 Will Be. . .

***REMINDER***

To register for this 4/23 webinar, visit: https://www.surveymonkey.com/s/TDDT2S2

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ACRL-Choice, Current Reviews for Academic Libraries, is hosting a free, one-hour webinar on Tuesday, April 23 at 2 PM. Joseph James, Associate Professor and Chair of the MLIS Program at the University of Washington Information School, will discuss multiple visions of libraries of the future, as well as provide a sneak peak into his forthcoming book, Library, 2020. For Library, 2020, James asked public and academic library leaders to finish the sentence, “The Library in 2020 will be…” and their answers will be revealed during this webinar.

The Association of College and Research Libraries (ACRL) is a division of the American Library Association, and Choice is a publishing unit of ACRL. ACRL andChoice have teamed up to present this new sponsored webinar program in an effort to connect academic librarians with publishers, service providers and other experts serving their market. This program on the future of libraries is the first in this webinar series. For more information, visit: http://www.ala.org/news/pr?id=12569.    

State Librarian Endorses “Empire State Information Fluency Continuum”

Bernard A. Margolis, the State Librarian and Assistant Commissioner for Libraries, has officially endorsed the “Empire State Information Fluency Continuum.”

The “Empire State Information Fluency Continuum,” developed by the New York City School Library System, is aligned to the New York State Board of Regents Common Core Learning Standards. It provides a K-12 framework for library programs in an effort to provide students with the skills necessary to become independent readers and learners, and is a crucial tool for improving information literacy.

Margolis stated that the Continuum, ”has already become the standard which defines information literacy and helps to define the inquiry skills essential for student success,” and commented that he is, “pleased with the enormous effort demonstrated by the work of school librarians on the Information Fluency Continuum and honored to join those endorsing this essential effort.”

Margolis joins the New York Library Association, the School Library Systems Association of New York State, Inc. and many individual school library systems in his endorsement of the Information Fluency Continuum. He recommends that the Benchmark Skills for Grades K – 12 Assessments/Common Core Alignment receive the widest distribution. To view this document, visit: http://schools.nyc.gov/NR/rdonlyres/1A931D4E-1620-4672-ABEF-460A273D0D5F/0/EmpireStateIFC.pdf.

The Continuum is also now available through the State Education Department’s EngageNY website at http://engageny.org/resource/selection-of-authentic-texts-for-common-core-instruction-guidance-and-a-list-of-resources, where you can click on the link for NYS School Library Systems Association, https://nyslsa-schoollibrarians-elamodules.wikispaces.com/. EngageNY can now also be accessed through the NOVELNY website, http://novelnewyork.org/, and NOVELNY is accessible from EngageNY. In addition, the Continuum has also been posted to the State Library website at http://www.nysl.nysed.gov/libdev/slssap/index.html

To read more about the State Librarian’s official endorsement of the Empire State Information Fluency Continuum, visit: http://www.nysl.nysed.gov/libdev/slssap/letter.htm. For more information, contact the Office of the State Librarian and Assistant Commissioner for Libraries by email at ppaolucc@mail.nysed.gov.