Massachusetts Library System is proud to host Ignite Session presentations crafted by our 2016 Project SET participants as part of our annual meeting program. During this second year of Project SET, participants took a deep look at emerging trends in libraries, inspired by the American Library Association’s Library of the Future. Explore the links on this page to discover the inspirational results of this six-month project, designed to cultivate presentation and leadership skills among your Massachusetts library colleagues.
“Constructing a Library Program: Constructivist Educational Philosophies in Library Programming”
The Constructivist Educational Philosophy argues that learners construct their own meaning and understanding through their experiences. Librarians are educators who facilitate exploration every day and can harness this philosophy to create deeper more meaningful experiences for our patrons. Whether we are designing programing for children, organizing adult education, or building a Makerspace, the Constructivist Education Philosophy can offer a great deal of insight for any librarian. For more information about this philosophy and its implications for a library, check out my blog post at bit.ly/constructivist.
Contact Emily: ebredberg@shrewsbury.k12.ma.us
For the last year and a half Emily Bredberg has worked as the Library Media Specialist at Shrewsbury High School. Before that she worked as the school librarian at Lakeside Elementary in Coppell, TX. She currently lives with her husband and two strange dogs in Leominster.
“Are You Prepared? Assisting In-Crisis Patrons in the Library”
In recent years, the librarian/social worker dichotomy has become a hot topic of conversation in our field. Librarians in both public and academic libraries are having to deal with growing levels of in-crisis patrons that require social-work (and related) assistance. This presentation will consider how librarians are being trained to provide assistance to this distinct patron group.
Contact Anna: agbognolo@stcc.edu
Anna Bognolo is the Outreach/Technical Services Librarian at Springfield Technical Community College (STCC) in Springfield, MA, where she has worked since 2010. Anna has a broad range of library science-related interests including social justice, outreach, access and preservation. In addition to her work at STCC, Anna is actively involved in a number of professional organizations including the Digital Commonwealth, Simmons, NELA’s IT section and Simmons’ LIS Alumnae/i Board. Anna lives in Deerfield, Massachusetts with her husband, two children and no pets (much to the dismay of the children…).
“Step into Your Office: The Library as a Co-Working Space”
With the arrival of the Digital Age has come the rise of the remote worker. Will your library adapt to fit the needs of this new segment of the work force? How can libraries help to foster collaboration among their working professionals? Commercial coworking spaces may offer some ideas.
Contact Susannah: sborysthen-tkacz@minlib.net
Susannah Borysthen-Tkacz began her library career in 2013 while completing her MLS at Simmons College. She loves being involved in the rich programming at Newton Free Library, where she hosts trivia nights, assists with the ELL program, and co-chairs Newton Reads, the library’s city-wide book program. She believes in going the extra mile to make the library a welcoming hub of endless learning for everybody.
“Hey Girl, I Know What You Meme: Incorporating Pop Culture into Libraries”
This presentation will explore how memes and GIFs can increase the relevance of a presentation, particularly when speaking to younger audiences. With a proper understanding of the history of memes, as well as which memes and GIFs can be employed for instructional purposes, any presenter can exponentially improve the reach of a lesson plan or lecture to reach more diverse audiences, and help to foster a culture of inclusion among potential attendees.Contact Miki: mwolfe@ocln.org
Miki Wolfe is the Assistant Director at the Sharon Public Library. She received her MLIS from Florida State University, as well as an advanced degree studying the intersection of social media and libraries. She is passionate about using technology to connect with the community and improve library services. When not busy reading, she crafts up a storm, teaches her family how to properly execute memes, collects mystery books by the stack, and relives her glory days on the softball field in a local league.
“Guiding Patrons Through Personal Digital Archiving”
Librarians are no strangers to the importance of preserving and maintaining data; in fact, we have traditionally been leaders in this area. As our society continues to grow its reliance on the Internet, the public at large needs guidance on how to preserve and maintain their data in the event of loss, emergency and for posterity. Libraries need to identify ways to foster awareness and services that will help guide their patrons through best personal digital archiving practices.
Contact Andrea: andrea@pittsfieldlibrary.org
Andrea Puglisi works at the Berkshire Athenaeum, Pittsfield’s Public Library as a Reference and Serials Librarian. She enjoys a number of responsibilities which includes leading technology classes; social media marketing; working with tablets & 3D Printers, and more!
“It’s About Who’s Watching: Teaching Teens Digital Privacy”
While we point to teens first as examples of privacy shifting, the cultural assumptions we hold about how much teens care about privacy are not wholly accurate. This presentation will focus on the values that inform teens' privacy habits and how we can teach teens to better protect their privacy.
Contact Rachel: rmoir@mywpl.org
Rachel Moir is the Teen Services Librarian at Worcester Public Library, where she works to design innovative programming and services, cultivates relationships with her teens, and maintains a robust and diverse Young Adult collection. She is currently piloting a LGBTQ+ outreach collection. She received her Master of Science in Information at the University of Michigan's School of Information in 2014 and worked previously as a Public Library Associate at Ann Arbor District Library.
It's Complicated by
An essential read, written by a leading expert, for anyone who wants to understand young people's use of social media What is new about how teenagers communicate through services such as Facebook, Twitter, and Instagram? Do social media affect the quality of teens' lives? In this eye-opening book, youth culture and technology expert danah boyd uncovers some of the major myths regarding teens' use of social media. She explores tropes about identity, privacy, safety, danger, and bullying. Ultimately, boyd argues that society fails young people when paternalism and protectionism hinder teenagers' ability to become informed, thoughtful, and engaged citizens through their online interactions. Yet despite an environment of rampant fear-mongering, boyd finds that teens often find ways to engage and to develop a sense of identity. Boyd's conclusions are essential reading not only for parents, teachers, and others who work with teens but also for anyone interested in the impact of emerging technologies on society, culture, and commerce in years to come. Offering insights gleaned from more than a decade of original fieldwork interviewing teenagers across the United States, boyd concludes reassuringly that the kids are all right. At the same time, she acknowledges that coming to terms with life in a networked era is not easy or obvious. In a technologically mediated world, life is bound to be complicated.
"FoMO to JoMO: Libraries, Personal Technology, and the Need to Unplug”
Personal technology and its attendant social media have revolutionized modern life, including library services and programs. But current research suggests that incessant connectivity is creating psychological, emotional, and physical problems that should not be ignored. Examples of current ‘unplugged’ spaces and programs will illustrate how libraries are taking the ethical high-road in providing a digital detox for our patrons.
Contact Bill: wdmongelli@gmail.com
Since 1986, Bill Mongelli has worked as Librarian for the MA Dept. of Correction, and teaches inmates Lexis research skills, consequential thinking, humor-as-therapy, book discussions, and ABE library orientation. Bill has given DOC workshops on legal research, prison library history, and constructive workplace humor. Since 2001, Bill has taught both in-person and online courses in prison library management for San Jose State University. Bill has had a book and articles published on his prison work, authors the prison library blog Jailfire.net, and is honored to be part of the 2016 Project SET team.
Digitale Demenz: Wie wir uns und unsere Kinder um den Verstand bringen by “It's Time for Libraries to Level Up!”
Are you ready to take you library to the next level? Video games are quickly becoming a force to be reckoned with in the entertainment industry and libraries can't afford to ignore them anymore. We'll discuss who gamers are, how to make the case for video games in your library, & how Massachusetts libraries are doing in terms of video game collections & policies.
Contact Rob: rlorino@minlib.net
Rob Lorino is an Adult Services Librarian at the Robbins Library in Arlington, MA, where he runs the library's Queer Book Group. He tried out several other careers before finding his calling as a librarian, including fashion designer (he can't sew to save his life) & photographer (that one he's actually good at). When not concocting exciting plans at the library, you can usually find him playing video games, admiring artwork, or consuming any and every form of media he can get his hands on.
“Cake Pans and Tools and WiFi, Oh My! Nontraditional Materials and Why Libraries Lend Them”
From fossil replicas in Ann Arbor, Santa suits in Mississippi, and neckties in Queens, to cake pans, garden tools, and ukuleles everywhere in between, the trend of circulating nontraditional materials, especially in public libraries, has exploded. Learn best practices and get inspired about what your library might choose to circulate in the future based on what Massachusetts public libraries are currently lending, what materials are most popular, and the reasons behind this growing phenomenon.
Contact Amy: aklein@mywpl.org
Amy Klein recently celebrated her fourth year as a Reference Librarian at the Main Library of Worcester Public Library. A native New Yorker, Amy received her MLS from Queens College in 2012 and was fortunate to obtain the position at WPL shortly thereafter. In addition to leading the library’s weekly knitting circle and other programs for adults, engaging in the collection development of a myriad of subjects, assisting with the weekly Drop-In Tech Help, and so much more, Amy is currently the President of WPL’s Staff Association.
“Project Outcome: Capturing Impact in Your Community”
Project Outcome is a new initiative from the Public Library Association (PLA) that will help libraries measure impact in their communities. Using simple survey questions libraries can measure outcomes along with outputs. Project Outcome is free to public libraries and will become a useful tool for librarians to further prove to stakeholders their importance in communities.
Contact Kim: kbutler@amesburylibrary.org
Kim Butler is the Assistant Director at the Amesbury Public Library where she manages the adult fiction and non-fictions collection, implements and plans all adult programming, and coordinates all staff scheduling. She has also worked as a Children’s Librarian and Technical Services Librarian at the Newburyport Public Library. She lives in Newburyport with her husband, daughter, and dog where they enjoy watching New England sports, traveling to new places, and eating out.