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56 Knowledge Quest | What Makes a Literacy?
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Carolyn Foote at only 64 percent on average (for Anthony J. Onwuegbuzie identify
public universities) and much areas that are stressful for students
[email protected]
lower for students of color or and for which students are most at
low-income students (ACT 2015), risk. Issues that Jiao and Onwueg-
School librarians make
how can school librarians provide buzie particularly identified are:
it a priority to create an
interventions that help the other
environment in which students feel
third of our students make their (1) barriers with staff (the
safe, welcome, and supported. We
transitions more successful? The perception that librarians and
can help students take that feeling of
Partnership for 21st Century other library staff are intimi-
safety and security with them as they
Learning’s P21 Framework dating and unapproachable;
move into adult spaces, including
identifies two areas for student (2) affective barriers (feelings
university and public libraries.
outcomes that relate to our work of inadequacy about using the
Many of our students’ future
in school libraries: Information library); (3) comfort with the
interactions with libraries will take
Media/Technology Skills and Life library (how safe, welcoming,
place primarily through digital
and Career Skills (Partnership for and non-threatening students
tools, which school librarians are
21st Century Learning n.d.). perceive the library to be);
well positioned to teach students
(4) knowledge of the library
to use. Helping students gain basic
Students need help specifically in: (how familiar with the library
knowledge about what is available to
students feel they are); and (5)
them at libraries beyond high school,
1. Understanding post-secondary mechanical barriers (feelings
develop skills with using the library
digital resources and tools which emerge as a result of
itself (including self-efficacy), and
reliance on mechanical library
learn about building a professional
2. Engaging in self-efficacy when equipment). (Jiao and Onwueg-
presence online for job hunting and
needing help buzie 1995)
career work are all ways in which
school librarians can effectively
3. Creating academic digital Their research makes it clear that
support students in transition to
archives or portfolios library anxiety impedes college
their post-secondary lives.
students’ research tasks because
4. Creating appropriate digital it interferes with the more-
When we speak of literacies our
social self-representation mechanical tasks of using the
students need, how do college-
library or research tools effectively.
ready and life-ready literacies fit
In their research on library Furthermore, they found that this
into that puzzle? Too often high
anxiety, a concept first identified anxiety impacts a large percentage
schools send graduates into the
by University of North Caro- of students, particularly non-native
world without practical tools that
lina’s Constance Mellon (1986), English speakers, males, and high-
will help them to be successful. With
researchers Qun G. Jiao and achieving students.
the college freshman retention rate
Volume 44, No. 5 | May/June 2016 57
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Literacy specialist and author information literacy coordinator career support. This practice would
Renee Hobbs (2010) has identified Matthew Coan notes: “We librarians help students build confidence and
“access” as a key competency for at Madison College spend countless familiarity with public libraries and
literacy; high school librarians hours creating online research their resources.
can help ease this anxiety with a guides for students. We also have
variety of strategies. One way to many online tutorials. (My job is to School librarians serving K–12
do this is to offer students practice maintain and update them.) Quite students need to be sure their own
with university or public library often, however, students don’t seek websites are stepping stones to
websites. During the last week of these out unless we first ask them or using the sorts of information and
school, for example, I typically require them to do so” (2015). resources offered on university
work with senior English classes and public library websites. Even
to provide a tour of college library In discussions with our Professional in high school, library websites
websites. University and public Learning Community groups for are often not on students’ radar,
libraries offer a variety of services twelfth-grade instructors, I’ve so finding opportunities and
that students aren’t accustomed to discovered that English teachers methods for engaging students
accessing in high school, including at the high school level are mostly with them is important. When
texting and live chats with a unfamiliar with the offerings and building pathfinders or LibGuides
librarian, webinars, subject-area navigation of current university for students, for example, why not
librarians, subject-area guides, library sites. So this year, to expand include links to the local university’s
study room reservations, and student support, we are planning or local public library’s pertinent
more. We practice locating helpful (at the time of this writing) resources? Consider having students
resources on college sites, chat live more-routine spring semester build pathfinders themselves so
with a librarian to show how easy opportunities for students to engage they internalize the value of these
it is, locate links to subject-area with university-level pathfinders. resources. When the school library
librarians, and learn how they can For example, for their study of doesn’t have a book, refer the
help. We look at databases and how Hamlet we might use Rice University’s student to a nearby public library
to use subject guides to determine Shakespeare pathfinder. We have or university, and use the other
which databases are appropriate for identified areas where students need institution’s website to look up what is
their majors. We explore the look help so we can weave strategies into available so that students see libraries
and feel of LibGuides. Universal their spring semester assignments, as connected entities.
search is another feature they might such as how to use synonyms in
not be familiar with, so we explore searching, how to use universal Another way to combat library anxiety
how that works as well. Finally, we search, and helping students engage is to empower students to ask for
look at tools university libraries in self-efficacy by using “chat with a assistance, building the P21 skills
have provided on their site for librarian” services. of initiative and self-direction. Jiao
independent learning, like webinars, and Onwuegbuzie’s research found
pathfinders, etc. Similarly, seniors who don’t plan
to go to college immediately after
At Madison College in Madison, high school can benefit from
Wisconsin, which is for many guided practice in using public
students a stepping stone to library websites, specifically
University of Wisconsin schools, sections that are dedicated to
Similarly, seniors who don’t plan to go to college
immediately after high school can benefit from guided
practice in using public library websites, specifically
sections that are dedicated to career support.
58 Knowledge Quest | What Makes a Literacy?
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may be used for the noncommercial purpose of scientific or educational advancement
granted by Sections 107 and 108 of the Copyright Revision Act of 1976. Address
usage requests to the ALA Office of Rights and Permissions.
This intentional
transitioning for students
provides them guidance
in a structured way,
rather than leaving the
transition to chance; this
assistance is especially
important for students
who don’t have family
support after high school.
Photo: Walker Harris
that high-performing students and Community College teaching documents or set up portfolio sites
non-native speakers both assume adjunct William Martin told me, of their own to store their work,
that other students know what to do we assume students who are online using sites like Bulb <bulbapp.com>
better than they do and feel embar- have digital skills, but they are not or Google Sites and Google Docs.
rassed asking for help (1995). necessarily practical or professional
ones (2015). This intentional transitioning for
And, as librarian Coan points students provides them guidance in
out, “Even if they want to ask for There are simple tasks that school a structured way, rather than leaving
help during an info lit session, librarians can teach students, like the transition to chance; this
there are logistical hurdles. Only setting up appropriately named assistance is especially important
one of me and, perhaps, twenty- e-mail accounts for job hunting. for students who don’t have family
two or more of them…most of the The informal or slang e-mail support after high school. School
time they’ll probably have to come account names that students librarians can play a similar
back and see us at the reference might have found entertaining role, helping students migrate
desk, which is also intimidating.” to use with their friends might important projects that represent
For students from lower-income not be appropriate for their their academic work onto portfolio
backgrounds or for non-native college application or job hunting sites, blogs, etc. We can help curate
speakers, particularly, any activities process. Helping students establish portfolio options for students and
that empower students to ask for a professional digital presence, team with teachers or counselors
help, that build resiliency in seeking whether via a resume site, a and ed tech staff to systematically
information, and teach them that LinkedIn profile, or an About.me help students with transitioning
librarians are trusted professionals page is another way to prepare their work to an online profile.
are beneficial. students for job hunting and a
more academic presence online. In accordance with digital
Students need help with other At our campus at Westlake High citizenship training, school
digital career- and college- School, ed tech Lisa Johnson works librarians can talk to students about
readiness skills as well—what British with every senior class to transition appropriate use of social media
technology nonprofit Jisc calls their work into online portfolios accounts as they move into college or
“career and identity management” they can access after high school. careers or show them how to create
literacies (2015). As Austin She shows students how to migrate alternate accounts for professional
Volume 44, No. 5 | May/June 2016 59
All materials in this journal subject to copyright by the American Library Association
may be used for the noncommercial purpose of scientific or educational advancement
granted by Sections 107 and 108 of the Copyright Revision Act of 1976. Address
usage requests to the ALA Office of Rights and Permissions.
Works Cited:
ACT. 2015. “College Student
Retention and Graduation Rates
from 2000 through 2015.” <www.
act.org/research/policymakers/
reports/graduation.html>
(accessed December 26, 2015).
boyd, danah. 2014. It’s Complicated:
The Social Lives of Networked Teens.
New Haven, CT: Yale University
Press.
Coan, Matthew. 2015. E-mail
interview by author. December
30.
Hobbs, Renee. 2010. Digital and
Media Literacy: A Plan of Action.
<www.knightcomm.org/wp-
content/uploads/2010/12/Digital_
and_Media_Literacy_A_Plan_of_
Action.pdf> (accessed December
4, 2015).
Jiao, Qun G., and Anthony J.
Onwuegbuzie. 1995. “Library
Anxiety: Characteristics of ‘At-
work. In fact, students are already Carolyn Foote is the
Risk’ College Students.” Paper
unconsciously sorting their online district and high school presented at the Annual Mid-
identities. In her book It’s Complicated, South Educational Research
librarian at Westlake Association Conference,
danah boyd documents the fact that
November 9. Biloxi, MS. <http://
High School in Austin,
students adjust their “identities” to files.eric.ed.gov/fulltext/
match the social media tool they Texas. She is a member of ED416896.pdf> (accessed
February 6, 2016).
are using, reserving some tools for AASL and a member of AASL’s 2015–2016
Jiao, Qun G., Anthony J.
interacting with family, while using
AASL Presidential Think Tank. Carolyn is Onwuegbuzie, and Christine E.
others for school friends. Daley. 1997. “Factors Associated
the incoming president of Texas Computer
with Library Anxiety.” Paper
When secondary librarians teach Education Association’s Library Special presented at the Annual American
Educational Research Association
students these digital life literacies, Interest Group. She was awarded the White Conference, March 25–28.
they help students perceive that Chicago, IL.
House Champion of Change for Connected
librarians can provide support for Jisc. 2015. “Developing Digital
real-life problems. Since Jiao’s Learning in 2014 and was a four-time finalist Literacies.” <www.jisc.ac.uk/
full-guide/developing-digital-
research identified “affective” tone for TCEA’s Librarian of the Year. Her recent
literacies> (accessed December 23,
of librarians as a barrier, the more articles include “Far Beyond Makerspaces” 2015).
we work with students, create in the November 2015 issue of Internet Martin, William. 2015. Interview by
inviting library environments, and author. December 28.
@ Schools, “Wear to Learn? Wearable
have positive engagements with Mellon, Constance A. 1986.
students, the more we change their Technologies—Promises and Problems” in the “Library Anxiety: A Grounded
Theory and Its Development.
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the April 2015 issue of Teacher Librarian. (accessed February 2, 2016).
users and supporters, and our role
as a vital link in the career-ready/ She is also an advisory board member for both Partnership for 21st Century
Learning. n.d. “Framework
college-ready chain is a significant the ALA Center for the Future of Libraries for 21st Century Learning.”
but often overlooked one. Working <www.p21.org/our-work/p21-
and the Granite State College School Library
framework> (accessed December
with high school teachers to create
Program. Her blog, Not So Distant 15, 2015>
a plan for transitioning students
will help alleviate barriers to their Future, is available at <http://futura.
success for years to come (Jiao, edublogs.org>.
Onwuegbuzie, and Daley 1997).
60 Knowledge Quest | What Makes a Literacy?
