Evaluation of Tumble Book Library

PD Activity

Evaluate a children's website

Topic

Digital resources and emerging technologies

Detailed description of activity undertaken

I evaluated the children’s website, Tumble Book Library (www.tumblebooks.com). I came across this site while browsing the electronic resources offered by ACT Government Libraries (www.library.act.gov.au). Unlike the other children’s sites listed, Tumble Book Library (TBL) was accessible immediately. I am from Canberra but my library card, which I needed to sign in to access other free resources, is long lost. While the TBL website is not very well designed, it is great to see a resource that is accessible and of reasonable quality. The resources themselves vary in quality, though there are some impressive content contributors such as National Geographic, Simon & Schuster, and HarperCollins.

What did you learn?

TBL is a long established site that is popular with teachers and librarians alike. The multimedia books are “created by adding animation, sound, music and narration to existing picture books in order to produce an electronic picture book” (TumbleBooks, n.d.). Interestingly, a United States library system created a book, Why Libraries Matter, in partnership with TumbleBooks (Bourdon, 2006, p. 83). Stories of collaboration between like-minded people and organisations make me proud to be a part of the library profession. They remind me that making connections and building professional networks is important not only for career progression, but also for the content that can be produced through collaboration.

How was the activity relevant to your professional practice as a librarian for children or young adults?

Spatariu, Peach, and Bell (2012) discuss the ubiquity of technology in children’s lives, highlighting the many benefits and concerns regarding children’s use of technology. While there are many emerging technologies available to libraries it can be difficult to adopt and successfully use new technologies as they arise, due to both time and monetary constraints. However, it is important for children’s librarians to experiment with new technologies independently of the library’s agenda; doing so provides insight into youth culture, enabling a librarian to better promote and target children’s services. While TBL could not be considered ‘emerging technology’, it is a popular platform and Platt (2011) suggests that patrons at New York Library like TBL because it is a ‘safe’ online option for their children (p.249). With strong focuses on new and emerging technologies, it is important for children’s librarians to consider that in some cases older technologies are still valid and useful to their cause. 

Were any gaps in your knowledge revealed? How might you fill those gaps?

I don’t work with children so was unaware of the scale of online resources available to children. Browsing the internet provided me with some useful children’s resources, but I found the quality varied wildly. Once I turned my searching toward public libraries and online journals I was much more successful in finding useful children’s resources. As I complete each professional development activity I keep finding that the best way to address a gap in knowledge is to research, talk to colleagues, and practice.

References

Bourdon, C. (2006, 2006/01//). Why libraries matter. American Libraries, 37, 83.

Platt, C. (2011). Popular E-Content at The New York Public Library: Successes and Challenges. Publishing Research Quarterly, 27(3), 247-253. doi: http://dx.doi.org/10.1007/s12109-011-9231-6

Spatariu, A., Peach, A., & Bell, S. (2012). Enculturation of Young Children and Technology. In S. Blake, D. Winsor & L. Allen (Eds.), Technology and Young Children: Bridging the Communication-Generation Gap (pp. 24-48). Hershey, PA, USA: IGI Global.

TumbleBooks. (n.d.). About the TumbleBookLibrary. Retrieved October 2, 2014, from http://asp.tumblebooks.com/library/asp/about.asp