[Staff Day was held on December 16th. We closed the library for a series of workshops and activities designed to help us better serve the public. Director Carolyn Anthony provides this writeup of the keynote address. What skills do you think are essential to making positive change in the modern world? How can the Library support these? Please let us know in the comments.]
Marsha Semmel, Director for Strategic Partnerships at the Institute of Museum and Library Services, spoke about 21st Century Skills as the Keynoter at Staff Day at the Skokie Public Library December 16. Marsha organized a Task Force that met with an IMLS Project Team from mid-2008 to mid-2009 to develop a framework for how libraries and museums could incorporate 21st Century Skills into their operations. The publication “Museums, Libraries and 21st Century Skills“ (pdf) was issued later in 2009. Skokie Public Library is one of the featured case studies profiled in the publication.
Marsha introduced the new Strategic Plan for IMLS, with Goals for the period 2012-2016. The first three of five goals have particular relevance for Skokie Public Library.
- Goal 1—IMLS places the learner at the center and supports engaging experiences in libraries and museums that prepare people to be full participants in their local communities and our global society.
- Goal 2—-IMLS promotes museums and libraries as strong community anchors that enhance civic engagement, cultural opportunities and our global society.
- Goal 3—-IMLS supports exemplary stewardship of museum and library collections and promotes the use of technology to facilitate discovery of knowledge and cultural heritage.
She also talked about Thomas Friedman’s recent book That Used to Be Us: How America Fell Behind in the World It Invented and How We Can Come Back. Technology has made significant changes, even since 2005 when The World is Flat was published. It is imperative that we engage in lifelong learning to keep up with the change. Most of our time, even when we are enrolled in formal learning, is spent outside the classroom and most of our life is spent in the informal learning environment. How can libraries take advantage of the opportunity to assist people in being lifelong learners, acquiring the skills they will need to be employable in the rapidly changing economy? Libraries have opportunities to offer services that fill the gap for informal learners of all ages. They can also become involved in the Do-It-Yourself and Maker Culture.
Numerous associations and corporations have partnered in furthering 21st Century Skills. Illinois is one of 21 states that have signed on to promoting the 21st Century Skills program. In addition to being digitally literate, people need access to online learning systems and the bandwidth to use online resources in both text and media formats. IMLS has developed a Framework for Building Digitally Inclusive Communities. (PDF) SPL Librarian Frances Roehm has worked on this project.
Marsha explained that 21st Century Skills can be broadly grouped into three categories of:
- Learning and Innovation Skills
- Information, Media and Technology Skills
- Life and Career Skills
Another shorthand notation is the 4 “C’s” of: Creativity, Collaboration, Communication, and Critical Thinking. Twenty-first Century Skills also deal with different types of literacy such as financial literacy, civic literacy, health literacy and environmental literacy. These skills help people be engaged and productive members of a community.
Libraries are called on to be more user-driven, more digital, more collaborative, engaging individuals and becoming embedded in the community. Learning outcomes need to be more purposeful than assumed.
The Illinois State Library’s ILEADU program is an IMLS-funded replicable model for team and project-based learning to build a sustainable technology immersion program.
She concluded with a quote from David Lankes on a new librarianship in which librarians transform their communities, expecting more from ourselves and our libraries and teaching our communities to expect more from us.
Marsha complimented the Skokie Public Library on the degree to which we were already embedded in the community. Staff engaged in a lively exchange with her. Throughout the day, staff video productions were shown, including some coverage of the day’s activities. A number of staff have been involved in “video bootcamp”, learning the tools of production. It is clear that many staff demonstrate use of 21st Century Skills, showing people their value while affirming the Skokie Public Library as a vital institution in the 21st Century.
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