PD Activity
Observe and document a program delivered for children of young adults at a local library, reflect on the experience
Topic
Diversity
While the Library wants parents and children from all backgrounds to attend classes, I noticed that those in attendance were predominately middle-class Caucasian. Michael advised they were unsuccessful in attempts to improve Indigenous attendance. The Library now provides space for Indigenous Storytime instead, which is well-attended by Indigenous parents and children. This meets the Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Library Information and Resource Networking (2012) Protocol 4.6: “Encourage the use of the organisation’s facilities as meeting places and resources for Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples.” I learnt that it is important to try and prevent one’s own cultural experiences and expectations from imposing upon expectations of patrons from diverse backgrounds. While at first I may think the best outcome would be for Indigenous patrons to attend the general session, removing my cultural expectations would lead me to conclude that the provision of space for an Indigenous Storytime, which appears to be the preference of this particular group, is a suitable and appropriate solution.
McKenzie, P. J., & Stooke, R. K. (2012). Making a difference. Children & Libraries: The Journal of the Association for Library Service to Children, 10(2), 47-52.
Detailed description of activity undertaken
I attended two children’s sessions at Wagga Wagga City Library: Babybounce, for children aged 0-12 months, and Storytime, for children aged 0-5 years. Currently the Babybounce sessions are run exclusively by the librarian, Genie. The session comprised of a mixture of nursery rhymes and poems, with accompanying movements demonstrated by Genie, and punctuated with interesting facts about the benefits of certain activities toward children’s development. The Storytime session is run on a rotating roster; Michael was responsible for the class on the day I attended. This session comprised of vigorous storytelling, puppetry, volunteers to get eaten up by a big snake, followed by craft activities.What did you learn?
Genie’s presentation provided me a practical example of inclusivity and value-adding. McKenzie and Stooke (2012) discuss the problems that can arise when there are conflicting purposes, such as parents undervaluing the service as ‘just another option’ and librarians being inflexible and unable to adapt to parent and child needs. Genie encouraged participation, allowed chatter, accommodated special needs, and told parents how each activity would benefit their child’s development. I learnt that flexibility, adaptability, and knowledge about child development are very important traits in a children’s librarian.While the Library wants parents and children from all backgrounds to attend classes, I noticed that those in attendance were predominately middle-class Caucasian. Michael advised they were unsuccessful in attempts to improve Indigenous attendance. The Library now provides space for Indigenous Storytime instead, which is well-attended by Indigenous parents and children. This meets the Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Library Information and Resource Networking (2012) Protocol 4.6: “Encourage the use of the organisation’s facilities as meeting places and resources for Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples.” I learnt that it is important to try and prevent one’s own cultural experiences and expectations from imposing upon expectations of patrons from diverse backgrounds. While at first I may think the best outcome would be for Indigenous patrons to attend the general session, removing my cultural expectations would lead me to conclude that the provision of space for an Indigenous Storytime, which appears to be the preference of this particular group, is a suitable and appropriate solution.
How was the activity relevant to your professional practice as a librarian for children or young adults?
I don’t work in a public library and therefore had only read about how children’s sessions are conducted. As such, this was an opportunity for me to see how two very successful children’s programs are prepared and presented, thus providing me with an idea of how the process works and what outcomes can be expected.Were any gaps in your knowledge revealed? How might you fill those gaps?
Prior to attending these sessions I had given little consideration to diverse groups. I realised that I did not know enough about diverse groups, such as ethnic groups or people living with a disability, which would hamper my ability to cater to their needs as a librarian. These gaps would be best filled with research followed by practice. I took the first assessment task for this subject as an opportunity to learn more about ethnic and Indigenous groups.References
Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Library Information and Resource Networking. (2012). ATSILIRN protocols for libraries, archives and information services. Retrieved September 2, 2014, from http://aiatsis.gov.au/atsilirn/protocols.phpMcKenzie, P. J., & Stooke, R. K. (2012). Making a difference. Children & Libraries: The Journal of the Association for Library Service to Children, 10(2), 47-52.
It was interesting to read that Wagga Wagga Library provides a space for Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander patrons to hold their own storytime sessions, which you write is their preference over attending the general storytime sessions. If indigenous patrons felt that the library’s storytime didn’t suit their needs, what reasons did they give? Perhaps the content or style of the sessions did not meet their expectations or needs?
ReplyDeleteI was intrigued as to why previous attempts by the library to improve indigenous attendance had failed. Did traditional Aboriginal stories and activities feature in the sessions, and were indigenous parents included in the design of the programme? Whatever the reasons, it’s a shame that the storytime sessions have become effectively segregated. As you point out, it’s a complicated situation: public libraries need to promote diversity and inclusion but must also meet the needs of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander patrons, even if these needs result in the situation you have described.