In our library 559m module on creation, we explored ways in which libraries and information professionals use social media to create new ways for patrons to interact with their libraries. Many libraries are making strong efforts to keep up with the trends, including creating Flickr photostreams, YouTube videos, blogs, Facebook pages and much more. With the ever expanding list of tools available to try out and experiment with, it is an exciting time for those wishing to introduce new ideas and services to their communities.
In addition to using these digital creation applications to create content ourselves, these tools provide us with a great opportunity to foster creativity within the community, particularity with kids and teens in public and school libraries. After fiddling with Glogster, I feel that this is one tool out of many that could appeal to kids. Since it is web-based, it would be easy to hold a Glogster day in a library’s computer lab, where kids and teens could showcase their design skills and could express themselves in their own personal glog. The glogs could then be showcased on the library website. By giving kids tools and opportunities to express themselves, we empower them and give them confidence.
This can obviously be supplemented with fun non-digital projects. A couple of summers ago, I developed and implemented curricula at an urban day camp, where the most successful activity I planned was a creative writing unit. We had the kids, aged 4-12, create superhero comics about themselves and illustrate them. This project made it abundantly clear that these kids really need creative outlets in their lives, and that they may not be getting the opportunity within schools. With No Child Left Behind in the United States, teachers are limited in what they can do with their students; because necessary funding is doled out based on standardized test scores alone, they feel the pressure to only teach the tests. This unfortunately leaves a gap that must be filled elsewhere. Low cost summer programs such as the one I participated in are a great option, but I feel that there is a great opportunity here for public libraries (and the school libraries that haven’t already been cut). We need to develop creative and interesting programming in order to stimulate our new generation to become our future creators.
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