Jamie

Winchell
LIS 723
Program Observation
July 30, 2014

Program #1: Junior Librarians at Oak Park Public Library (July 11)

The Junior Librarians program is coordinated by one of my pals, Genevieve Grove, who is a
Childrens Librarian at OPPL Main. Offered Monday or Thursday from 3:30-5 PM each week for
6 weeks over the summer, the Junior Librarians are 5th to 7th grade pseudo-volunteers. This year
the program name was changed from Junior Volunteers to Junior Librarians because there
was less focus on volunteering and more focus on library fun and learning. Gennies goal is for
these youngsters to be comfortable with and develop a deeper appreciation of the library and
librarians. Attendance ranges from the mid-twenties to nine the week I attended, and
approximately 85% are girls. She has a focus and a plan for each week: exploring collections (touring tech services,
creating shelf talkers), sorting for the annual book sale, responding to childrens letters to the resident gerbils, learning
about story time, and exploring library technology.
POLISH
Overall, the program was very laid-back and smooth. Gennie greeted every kid and
reminded them to sign in and welcomed them to snacks; everything was ready to go: the
volunteer nametags, the check-in list, snacks, chairs set up around the rug, all of the
supplies for the later activities. Saying that theyd formally begin, she gave them a quick verbal overview: theyd been
exploring what librarians do and today they were going to explore what childrens librarians do--first, a tour of the
childrens collections and office and then a story time demo. 3 small groups would rotate between shelving, story time
practice, and craftsI helped supervise crafts, Gennie did story time, and our classmate Jez helped with the sorting. The
tour was efficient but relaxed, the story time demo was obviously well prepared, and there were plenty of supplies for
the craft time. Time was the only issue: 90 minutes flew by, and we only had 30 minutes to rotate between the 3 group
activities.
AUTHENTICITY & CONNECTION
I know Gennie to be easygoing, so it didnt surprise me that she effortlessly chit chatted with
each kid as they came in to make them feel welcome. During the tour and the story time
demo, she asked for input on a wide range of thingswhy the space is organized the way it is,
why story time is important for kids and familiesand she made small talk with them during
quiet times. She is a strong teacher: she knew what she wanted to convey to them, and she
was great at explaining the how and the why of childrens librarianship to tweens. She is a
self-professed library nerd, so this program fit her perfectly. She was encouraging of their
efforts and tactfully redirected one boys tendency to interrupt and wander. She was gracious

and verbally appreciative of their time.

The Junior Librarians themselves were rather quiet and reserved. Most came alone and

didnt know the others. A few of the girls knew each other, so they chatted (a lot) throughout. My
favorite comment was when the letters to the gerbils came up during the tour; Gennie was
explaining the shelving sections and two girls started quietly talking about the letters they had
written: I wrote as Ralph and said, I love pie. It was so funny but my mom got really mad at me.
This moment and a few others reminded me of how strong the need to talk is in tweens and teens. During the story time
demo, most of them were quietly captivated and enjoyed pretending that they were little kids again. But it wasnt until
Gennie showed them the die cut machine that they came ALIVE! They could not get enough and made hundreds of die
cuts. Gennies idea was to have the story time group make a few nametags with it and then go practice reading aloud,
but because they were so obsessed with the machine they never made it back into the story time
room. Being in the back office, too, helped them relax. One staff member walked past with a plate
of cake and a boy groaned that he couldnt have any, joking: But we are basically unpaid interns!
They became more comfortable with time. The only one who wasnt completely engaged the entire
time was a boy who Gennie had told me was disruptive. He was obviously a very smart kid with a
lot to offerso many thoughts on so many things!but I could tell that he lived with attention
issues. While we were crafting, he was often up and wanderinglooking in cabinets, etc. It was not malicious snooping
but rather reminded me of the ways my youngest son seeks sensory input: by touching absolutely everything without
realizing that it is not socially acceptable to do so. Gennie and I gently redirected him and he did his best to complete
each activity.
I love asking questions of young people, so it was great fun for me to sit at the craft table
and get them chatting. They told me about their science experiments, the sewing they like to do,
where they go to school, what they like to read, and very random stories. The activities at the craft
table were perfect Junior Librarian tasks: cutting out felt animals for the story board and drawing
images for summer reading posters. Though it was week 4 of the program and despite icebreakers
Gennie had done previously, most of the quiet students didnt know each other; I enjoyed helping
them find common ground through talk about books, pointing out work the others were doing, and asking about their
experiences in their different schools. Gennie was nearby, supervising the die cut machine, and she talked with us, too.
She had mentioned running out of time for things in weeks past, and once I realized we would only have 10 minutes for
each group activity rotation I decided to be a subtle time manager (this is the teacher and task master in me). Gennie
was receptive to my tactful reminders about time, and she then facilitated the group switches. She had a formal ending,
reminding each group to sign out, return their name tags, and that she would see them next week.
PURPOSE
This program seems to hold a direct line from OPPLs Mission, Vision, and Goals. Because it has a meta-library purpose,
it definitely provides the resources and services for lifelong learning and enjoyment, the space and opportunities to

gather and connect and fosters a love of reading. As a summer pseudo-volunteer program, it is a mentorship
program for young people: Tweens straddle childhood and young adulthood, so this program appropriately empowers
them to reflect upon childhood reading and encourages them to join the learning community of older library users and
staff. This is hands-on learning at its best, and indeed those opportunities to do (instead of to listen) were when the
young people were most animated and inspired.

Program #2: Crafteens at Berwyn Public Library (July 16)
Crafteens is a weekly, hour-long drop-in program run by Tara Cobb, a Teen Assistant Librarian.
Intended to tie in to the summer reading program Spark a Reaction, this weeks craft was
found art. Tara has not been able to discern a pattern in attendance: her spring craft activities
drew very few teens, sometimes the summer ones drew 10-12, and the day I attended there
were three girls present. During the school year, Tara tends to recruit teens already in the
library.
POLISH
Tara set up supplies 15 minutes before and was very calm and relaxed; she had time to talk to me and seemed to enjoy
sharing her insights about the program (and the many others that she is responsible for). She had plenty of supplies: 10
hot glue guns (which she plugged in so that they were ready to use) and a wide range of found objects that she had
compiled from a science wholesale store and from around the library-- coils, springs, wire, twine, marbles, beads, fabric,
magazines, googly eyes, corks, and more. Tara provided digital pictures of found art that she had printed from the
Internet.
The teen space is very smallits a room the size of the Butler Center with 4 big stacks of YA, 3 tables, a bank of
computer tables (but no computers), a couch facing a flat screen TV, and the librarians desk.
Two of the tables were taken when we started set-up; neither the tutor with her 2 teen tutees
nor the grandmother with her tween granddaughter showed any interest in the crafting
during set-up or once it got going. I did not observe Tara engage them in conversation or
encourage them to participate. One girl, a Crafteens regular, was waiting while we set up. At 5
after the hour, Tara sat down with this girl and said quietly, well, lets get started. She gave a
quick overview of the idea, the printouts, and the supplies. Soon after, two sisters came in and
Tara gave them the overview as well. After that, the girls and Tara quietly crafted.
Since it was such a small program with a wide-open purpose, very few unexpected situations arose. Everything
happened around one round table and the longer table for the hot glue guns. Tara seemed happy to roll with whomever
was there and to let it be what it waswhich was a perfectly fine opportunity for teens to get crafty.
AUTHENTICITY & CONNECTION
At times, the two sisters whispered and sometimes Tara interjected with a few ideas. It was my impression that they
were content not to really engage with each other, and I suspect that they would have had a perfectly enjoyable crafting

hour without my nosy interjections. But, like with Junior Librarians, I could not restrain myself from striking up
conversation with each of themI asked about books, school, their interests, their experiences with library programs,
their ideas for their found art projects, their opinions about miscellaneous things. Tara did not seem to know much
about any of the girls, even though shed seem them before; she did not do much to try to
connect with them, but she followed my lead a little and engaged in some of the things
they offered up. We learned that one attended a nearby parochial school and that the
sisters were homeschooled; none of them were big library users but each of them had
something to say about a book theyd recently read. Conversation never really got off the
ground, though, and the girls never chatted with each other. Tara was very animated
when she told me about the annual Fairytale Ball, and one of the girls pitched in that shed
been attending for many years.

Taras enthusiasm was understated but definitely present; it was obvious that she

enjoyed the experience of craftingshe was working on her own creation along with the
girls. She didnt talk much about her knowledge of found art or reasons she chose it, and without my prompting she did
not do much to put the girls at ease. She was not cold, however, and the girls did not seem uneasy; they were all very
content to focus on the crafting. The program was completely interactive and the girls were 100% engaged.
PURPOSE
This program connects nicely part of the Berwyn Public Librarys Vision of providing a stimulating sanctuary because
that is exactly what Tara created and what the girls seemed drawn to. It could be argued that this crafting drop-in
program is a vital service, tooit sends the message that the library is a place young people can be creative and
expressive.
But Tara seemed very young to meearly twenties, maybeand she did not seem to have all of the skills
needed to directly teach and engage teens; while there are definite benefits to quiet, learning is always (I believe)
enhanced by communication. This was part of the disconnect I felt with the librarys vision of being that sanctuary
where people of all ages and backgrounds can come together to discover a love of learning. Do these backgrounds
need to be made explicit in order for the learning to occur? I wonder about this given my instinct to encourage the girls
to talk. Is it unreasonable for me to expect that there be some togetherness during a program like this?
In an email, Taras supervisor said that this weeks found art was to be out of science-y things so that it would
tie into the summer reading theme. Other than the wire and the coils, none of the supplies seemed particularly science-
y to me and Tara didnt mention the science aspect other than the wholesale place shed visited. I could also tell that
Tara was not a trained librarian; she told me that her prior work had been in a childcare facility, and she was curious
about my experiences in library school. I was surprised that her instinct was to go to the Internet instead of the catalog
to find examples of found art; I checked Berwyns holdings and there were 4 different items for Found objects (art).
Even though it was a fine event, the girls made cute found creatures, and it was a positive experience for all, there were

so many opportunities missed: to share aspects of the collection, to discuss books more deeply, to authentically connect
with young people, to tie-in to and promote library programming, to explore the hows and whys of found art.
Program #3: Teen Tech Gurus at Oak Park Public Library (July 23)
Teen Tech Gurus is a summer volunteer program through which teens act as mentors for drop-in
tech-related questions and needs. This is the second summer; last summer the teens worked in
pairs at both branches and at the Main. Sharon Grimm, OPPLs Staff Learning Coordinator, decided
to host the gurus only at the Main this year and to put them in one big team of 8. Sharon had a
topic for each of the 7-week sessions and she had an ongoing Tic Tech Toe game for them to
play during downtime. She had written up a list of Teen Tech Guru Customer Service Tips and had
service logs for each date. The goals for the program were
clearly elucidated. All of these documents were nicely
organized in a binder, and the teens had access to it at all
times. In prior weeks, they had gotten 2-4 tech questions and
they only had to refer out one question to the upstairs librarians. The week I attended, the 3 team members present
fielded 7 questions total on a wide range of issues.
POLISH
Supplies needed for this program were minimal, but I loved the bright orange t-shirts the
Gurus had been provided. Signage was plenty and the event had been promoted in the
many avenues OPPL employs. The group gathered at a corner of the newly remodeled
lobby. Sharon had reserved two of the tables, and she encouraged the teens to take
patrons over to them to better discuss the queries; as with other customer service
aspects, the teens struggled to take charge of the interactions and leaned on Sharon for the greeting, listening to the
problem, volunteering to serve, formally begin the support, and logging the interaction. Sharon did a lot of coaching and
modelingshe initiated greeting and was involved in every interaction--and she told me that this is an area she wants to
help them improve in for future summers. I could tell that at each moment she waited for a teen to take charge; when
they didnt, she went ahead and did it, giving them reminders along the way. This did not impact the overall polish of the
program. At the heart of this program is being ready for anything, so in one sense the unexpected is the norm. Sharon
helped the teens talk out the issue after it had been presented; she led them to figure out who would take the lead on
each query. To the patron, I cant imagine this subtle awkwardness was not noticeable, and I know that patrons left with
a satisfactory solution for their issues.
AUTHENTICITY & CONNECTION
Sharon seems to be a big picture person and an important administrator; from her OPPL emails, I know she has her hand
in a wide range of teaching and training programs for staff and volunteers. I dont think its reaching to say that working
with teens for these few hours each week was invigorating for her; it gave her a chance to be out on the floor, to be
interacting with patrons, and to empower the teens to use their skills for positive customer service ends. She is a very

calm person, so her steady demeanor complimented the ways in which she engaged each of the gurus: with respect,
with kindness, with ease.
Before our OPPL connection, I knew Sharon because we attend the same church
and because her partner was one of my teachers at UIC. We definitely had a positive
rapport going, and I would like to think that this is part of what set the teens at ease.
Sharon greeted each one of them and had things immediately to chat about with each of
them. She brought snacks for them since it was their last weekbagels and hummus and
fruitand later one of the teen librarians brought down extra sweets. The food was a big ice-breaker: one boy got
talking about how he can eat an entire batch of brownies, and the girl shared a (very long) story about how her brother
thought she gave him food poisoning when she made brownies. Like with the Junior Librarians, I saw how some teens
use small openings through with to talk: it is something they really enjoy doing, even if in this case it meant talking to me
and Sharon. One boy sat off to the side and didnt engage any of us; he was working on his summer math packet and
alternately engaged with his phone.
Once I realized that all 3 of them retreated to their devices during any downtime, I decided to strike up
conversation around that. I like knowing how teens use their technology, and it was fun to learn that the quiet boy reads
about videogames on Reddit and that the other was playing Clash of Clans. This is a game Ive seen my former students
playing; this boy called it just messing around but that he has been addicted to the game for almost a year. This
morphed into talk about social media. I asked them to explain whats so great about Snapchat, and they berated but
then confessed their lurking on Facebook. This truly was conversation: though the one boy was off to the side and the
other teens didnt talk directly to each other, the 4 of us went around and around about these issues. Sharon knew
things about each of them and I was able to draw out even more: volunteer hours for Fenwick, college-level courses in
D.C. this summer, love of brownies, technology at OPRF. I loved hearing about the Degrees of Wikipedia game they
played with one of the librarians: each person, on their own device, has to get to a certain goal page from the featured
article on the Wikipedia home page; whoever gets to the goal fastest or with the least amount of clicks, wins. So, they
had played for Zelda while starting at the featured article about the Chicago Water Taxi. What most impressed me was
how they were able to articulate the cognitive skills it takes to play this game: harnessing prior knowledge, seeing
connections between things, fast reading. The teens also told me about OPPL resources theyd become more familiar
with. The aptitude piece was definitely a good fit here: these were tech savvy teens with an inclination toward service
(even if their moms or their volunteer requirements made them be there).
PURPOSE
Like with Junior Librarians, the meta-library nature of this program takes a direct line from OPPLs Mission and Vision. It
forges connections and provides resources to the diverse community for life-long learning. I love that this program
recognizes the expertise of young people and that it showcases that knowledge; we can all learn from each other, and
our young people have a lot to offer. This program also normalizes tech quandaries: we all have them, and the library is
ready to help you with your needs.


OVERALL COMPARISON
There seemed to be a wide range of reasons young people were drawn to these programs. Of the two volunteer
programs, some came because their parents wanted them to do something productive and others came for volunteer
hour requirements. Many came because the program was something to do and because they were drawn to it.
Regardless the reason, guarded participant engagement was a commonality: almost all of these young people came
alone, most of them didnt know anyone else, and they were all fairly reserved until the adults took the initiative to
break the ice. Most of the young people became much more conversational once adults helped forge connections and
fueled the fire for the talk. The least talk happened during the most independent of the programs, the Crafteens; it was
much easier for them to be quiet when they were working on their solo projects.

Presenters personalities seemed to have differing impact on the programs. Gennie is very talkativewhen we

were running out of time for the group switches she said, I talk too much! and young peoples voices tended to get
drowned out by her verbal enthusiasm. Quite the opposite was true of Tara: on the reserved and quiet side, she was
comfortable with silence and anonymity, and as a result the teen voices were almost completely silent. Sharon struck
the best balance, I think, with respect to listening attentively, sharing her own experiences and insights, and asking
questions or otherwise drawing teens out; these teen voices were quiet when they wanted to be and chatty when
didnt. Each of these programs was fine the way it wasreally!but I believe that part of the role of the librarian is to
embody the librarys welcoming atmosphere and serve as a conduit for connection to people and ideas. In this respect,
some of the interpersonal attributes of Sharon could enhance Taras program.

The two OPPL programs were quite similar with respect to promoting deeper engagement with the library itself.

As a spectator, I learned a lot about library programming and service from both of them, and I imagine the young people
came away with a better understanding of how the library works and why its services are so important. There was
evidence of deep planning and organization, and both asked for suggestions and ideas for improvement. (Sharon even
invited me to the staff debrief meeting about the Tech Gurus). Even though we chatted about other library programs
and experiences and Tara talked excitedly about the Fairytale Ball, there were many opportunities missed to help the 3
Crafteens engage in other library services and experiences.

Perhaps Berwyn operated with a smaller budget, and I only say this because there were no munchies provided.

All of these programs were inexpensive to produce; the biggest ticket item was probably the Tech Guru t-shirts. The
presence of foodeven just bags of chips and a container of browniesseemed to bring the young people out of their
shells; there is something about eating together that forges connections.

I chose these programs because I am most drawn to them for future application; I would love to harness student

volunteers in the library and empower students to showcase their skills and support other students and teachers. And
perhaps because the library at my school is so very uncrafty, I was curious about how library craft programming can be
done. Now I know that being clear on the purpose and making deeper connections to the library are essential elements
to thatand anytype of programming.