Communities and Computing

Creative Project Proposal

The evolving student and librarian relationship as an extension of other important avenues of education and environments

background research:

Observing the working relationships in an already established environment of public access, the public library system.

On the first occasion in the University Hills public library lab, I noticed something very interesting, the extension of the nearest elementary school. Several children all working on the same assignment for their class. I like to think of this as an extension of their learning environment within the scope of an after school activity. Even though under very studious conditions, the children are given a chance to interact with their fellow classmates in a different setting, one in which they have more freedom and more interaction to problem solve and socialize. Furthermore, the children are afforded another chance to make adult connections with respected people in the community, besides their teachers and family. The librarian has become a valued member of society in communities with low income due to the increasing push of information technologies. Not only do librarians still hold the duties of stamping and shelving, they have to provide assistance to the computer area of the library. While checking out books for traditional library goers, they also have to cater to the password environment as well, in which children...'students' need assistance with computers.

This project will take on the form of an interesting interdynamic working relationship, in which students and librarians evolve much like a relationship in a classroom. Are librarians and students ready for this evolving relationship, and are teachers out of the loop. I'd argue that the answer is no, the teacher becomes a person who issues assignments to children with certain criteria, which for the most part are increasingly in typed form. In communities where money is more abundant teachers can confidently issue such assignments to their students, but in areas of low income students are expected to hack at an early age in order to get issued a grade by the teacher. The librarian is the necessary middle man in the process, and increasingly has an important job to the children that frequent the library. Furthermore, they have a duty in a business sense by getting funding for more staff, computers, and organizing an orderly educational environment.

Proposal for project:

1. Assist on Monday evenings at the University Hills Public library in the lab funded by the Dells, because as Mr. Schmitzer says he can only work the current woman 40 hours a week and on Mondays this section of the library is closed.

2. Find out more about the regulars that frequent the lab, at after school times.

3. Visit teachers at the nearby elementary school for interviews.(audio or otherwise)

4. Interview librarians at the library to get their input about the evolving working relationship they are involved in.

5. The final project will involve a documentary style format with my own interpetation of what future libraries may look like as this continuing extension of school and libraries merge. I plan on designing perhaps an architectural scheme which would cater to the pressures felt by both students and librarians which can make them feel at home in their working environment.

6. As a sidenote, I want to explore what it means to librarians to go from saying shhhh to students to one in which they themselves become emersed in problem solving with the students.