August 10, 2009
Six
students enrolled in the federally funded Institute of Museum and
Library Services (IMLS) program at St. John’s University recently
competed against library professionals and other library students
for the esteemed honor of making presentations at the annual
conference of the American Library
Association (ALA) in Chicago.
Photo Gallery
Mentored by Assistant Professor Stacy Creel, Ph.D., and Associate
Director Elizabeth Pollicino, Ed.D., the graduate students were
selected after submitting proposals and subsequently presented
three posters at the July conference.
“Most noteworthy,” says Dr. Pollicino, “is that this was not a
competition for students, as is customary at some conferences, but
rather open to professionals and students alike. Our students were
judged against other professional presentations, not a special
student track. I think this is a remarkable achievement.”
Each
of the students is pursuing a Master of Library Science degree
thanks to a nearly $1 million June 2007 grant to St. John’s
Division of Library and Information Science. Entitled “Partnership
for Underserved Urban Children and Families: Connecting LIS
Education, Libraries, and Museums,” the program partners St. John’s
with the Queens Public Library, the New York City Education
Department’s Office of School Libraries, and the New York Hall of
Science in Flushing, Queens.
Students in the program have demonstrated a commitment to the
development of organizations and the underserved in society and the
profession, are interested in a career in youth library services
and have committed to spend three years directly applying their
education to the field.
“Bridging the Gap: Combining the Resources of
a Public Library & High School to Reach Out to Teen
Moms”
Peggy Gallagher and Lindsay Klemas presented a poster highlighting
their project to promote early-childhood literacy and a support
system for teen mothers and their children by creating a
partnership between Long Island City (LIC) High School library and
the LIC Branch of the Queens Public Library. Making parenting and
literacy information availableas a follow-up to special programming
events will support mothers who need to stay in school and their
babies who need a strong start.
“Welcome to Our Libratory: Promoting
Scientific Literacy in the 21st Century”
Victoria Ross and Katja Rossi displayed how they developed and
implemented hands-on scientific units accommodating visual,
auditory, kinesthetic, and tactile learning activities for first-
and fifth-graders at an inner-city school in the Bronx. These
“inquiry-based learning” skills were based on the American
Association of School LibrariansStandards for the 21st
Century Learner and highlighted on a project wiki that shows
how to make the school library a science learning hub.
“Educate Einsteins without Evaporating Your
Budget: A Cost-Effective Guide to Integrating Science into Your
Library”
For their project, Alaina Cauchie and Kelly Sanders developed
separate websites for K-12 students and teachers to access online
science information and activities. The educator resources include
standards-based lesson plans, a product of the partnership with the
Hall of Science and other local scientific organizations.
Suggestions are provided for teachers and librarians who want to
develop partnerships with local organizations such as museums,
aquariums, and zoos.
“What is particularly encouraging about these student-designed
projects is not only that they were selected in a competitive forum
to be presented at a national professional meeting, but that they
are sustainable and may be replicated,” Dr. Pollicino remarks. “The
activities will now be shared with fellow students as well as
school and public libraries in the metropolitan area for the
benefit of many children and families.”
Students Also Related
Experiences
In addition to their presentations, the students had the
opportunity to present project-related activities and experiences
while in Chicago. Drs. Creel and Pollicino were accepted to present
one of 10 Grassroots Programs, an initiative of 2008-09 ALA
President James Rettig. Their presentation entitled “Hiring the
Best: Looking for Experiential Learning in MLS Students and Asking
the Right Questions” included the students discussing their active
learning experiences (service days, literacy carnivals, science
workshops, grant-writing, etc.). Students sat at tables with
participants leading discussions during active engagement segments
of the presentation.
The faculty members report that proposals for additional conference
presentations have already been accepted, while others have been
submitted and/or are under development. They are intent on
mentoring as many students as possible through professional
presentations before the project period concludes at the end of
June 2010.
“Providing students with opportunities for competition and
professional networking at the state and national levels will
prepare them to step into their careers with confidence,” Dr. Creel
notes.