Cleveland Public Library Hires Buffy Hamilton, the Unquiet Librarian

Lauren Barack — Thu, 15 Nov 2012 03:43:14 +0000

The Cleveland Public Library (CPL) is broadening its reach in education and literacy with two new hires, including Buffy Hamilton, best known as the Unquiet Librarian. Set to start next year, Hamilton will serve as CPL’s Learning Strategist and as part of her job, will work to engage Cleveland’s patrons, from students to the greater public, through “library-supported communities of participatory learning,” according to a release. “I am over the moon and so very humbled and thrilled to be joining Team CPL! “ says Hamilton by email. Hamilton has spent more than 20 years with the Cherokee County School District, currently at Creekview High School, in Canton, GA, but will step down from her position December 20. Her first day with CPL is January 7, 2013 and to start, Hamilton says she’ll begin by helping CPL’s management, staff, and trustees explore the ideas of participatory learning—using tools, including digital technology and new media, to enhance and engage the way people of all ages learn, and allowing them, in many ways, to discover their own unique paths. Hamilton believes the role is one that every library should consider forming, particularly as libraries work to inspire and support learning for all their patrons. The position can also help libraries expand their scope of influence, by looking at other allies—and making libraries a more crucial educational partner within a community. “When we look at supporting lifelong learning in our communities, we know that a mission cannot be accomplished by one organization or educational space,” she says by email. “Libraries that have learning strategists have the ability to approach the mission of creating knowledge communities from a broader and more global perspective that can encompass multiple spaces and partnerships for learning.” Through her blog, Hamilton has inspired school librarians, educators, technophiles and students by illuminating how technology can enliven learning in any forum—from the classroom to the world outside. She is an evangelist for participatory learning—a process that can be both playful and engaging, according to her posts, while remaining germane to an educational idea or lesson. Along with Hamilton’s new position, CPL has tapped Sherri Jones, most recently the director of the Educational Opportunity Center at the Cuyahoga Community College in Cleveland, OH, to become its Literacy & Education Coordinator. In this role, Jones will help coordinate and develop Learning Centers, which provide students, children, and adults with support and resources for college preparation. These new hires are part of CPL’s mission to become what it calls a “People’s University,” to be a “center of learning for a diverse and inclusive community,” according to the release. And while Hamilton will be devoted to her new job at CPL—a position and institution that, she says by email, are “perfectly aligned with my philosophy of librarianship”—she will also continue to maintain The Unquiet Librarian, a move likely to reassure her multitude of readers. “As I have in the past, the blog will be my space to share my insights, projects, reflections and questions, and ideas that are rooted in my day-to-day work and use that as a lens to look at issues in our profession at large,” she writes.

SLJ Summit 2012 | Tweet Chat Provokes Insight into the Future of Libraries

Mahnaz Dar — Tue, 23 Oct 2012 18:47:07 +0000

Warming up for School Library Journal’s Leadership Summit October 26-27, Pam Moran (@pammoran) and Ira Socol (@irasocol), “unkeynote” speakers for the event, moderated a lively Twitter chat on October 22 that engaged with vital issues about the future of libraries. Teachers, librarians, and other educators used the hashtag #engchat to weigh in with opinions on hot-button topics: the prevalence of ebooks, the changing atmosphere of the school library, and the skills school library media specialists need to stay in top form—and relevant.

Space are meaningless without meaningful connections with adults and peers in libraries. #engchat

October 22, 2012 6:55 pm via HootSuite ReplyRetweetFavorite

@meenoorami

Meenoo Rami

Moran, Superintendent of the Albemarle County Public Schools in Charlottesville, VA, and Socol, a special education technology scholar at Michigan State University’s College of Education in East Lansing, emphasized that it’s crucial to the survival of librarians that they keep up with today’s technology driven world.

But how imperative are ebooks? Many tweeters cautioned against wholeheartedly embracing this technology. Middle school librarian Deven Black (@devenkblack) reminded participants that access to ebooks in poorer schools is limited. Jenn Cook (@cookout70), an associate Professor of English and Education at Rhode Island College, warned that abandoning physical books may make libraries less inclusive: “Just like when millionaires talk about poverty, when we assume that ‘change’ means going digital/virtual, we leave many behind.”

Similarly, Buffy Hamilton (@buffyjhamilton), a high school teacher in Canton, GA, and blogger at The Unquiet Library, urged restraint among librarians who view electronic materials as “a one size fits all solution.” Though ebook distributors like OverDrive may seem to hold all the answers, she noted, not all libraries can afford them, and their content may not be essential or interesting to students.

Participants agreed that librarians must maintain traditional skills—such as readers’ advisory—but also be savvy to new trends in order to stay relevant. Becky Fisher (@BeckyFisher73), an educator in Charlottesville, VA, tweeted that “Contemporary librarians have to understand contemporary means of accessing and making information!” and encouraged them not to fear sites like Wikipedia. Going back to basics, librarian Kathy Kaldenberg (@scsdmedia) stressed the importance of encouraging a love of literature: “Hands down. The most effective thing we do at our library is read the books and give personal recommendations.”

Librarians aired frustration that administrators on tight budgets do not always accept evidence showing that libraries improve student learning. Julie Goldberg (@juliegoldberg), a librarian in Rockland County, cited a three-year study conducted by the Center for International Scholarship in School Libraries (CISSL) at Rutgers University showing that school libraries have a positive effect on student achievement but lamented that “many decision-makers are unaware.” Hamilton tweeted, “many librarians are attempting to lead change but meet tremendous resistance from admin and faculty.”

Participants agreed that libraries should be warm and innovative environments, but opinions differed over whether they should also maintain quiet spaces. Shannon DeSantis (@shdesant), a library science graduate student at Syracuse University, tweeted that “the days of the shush library should be over. We want our space to be collaborative and welcoming!” On the other hand, Fisher spoke for many participants when she described her ideal space: “We are looking at providing cozy, quiet, curl up with a book spaces as well as noisy, collaborative, make things happen ones.”

Though participants had many diverse ideas about what future libraries must look like in terms of space and technology concerns, the belief that librarians are vital to the success of a school was a constant. Meenoo Rami (@meenoorami), founder and moderator of Engchat, underscored that what students need most is committed librarians: “Space are meaningless without meaningful connections with adults and peers in libraries.” Participants who want to continue the conversation can use the Twitter hashtag #sljsummit to follow Socol and Moran’s thoughts about the evolution of libraries at the Leadership Summit.

School Library Journal» buffy hamilton

Cleveland Public Library Hires Buffy Hamilton, the Unquiet Librarian

SLJ Summit 2012 | Tweet Chat Provokes Insight into the Future of Libraries