Program Learning Outcome 6

If we are not constantly changing and evolving, we will be left behind. This is especially true in the world of librarianship.

On the marketing side, libraries need to be on social media. Whether promoting events or new releases, the majority of Americans utilize social media in one form or another. While I mentioned my research paper from LIS 650 when talking about advocacy, half of that paper focused on the need to bring social media into the mix, especially in a post-COVID world. In the school world this means using social platforms like websites, newsletters, Instagram, even Tik-Tok, to show off what is going on in the library. Peer reviews are the best kind of reviews, so find ways for your students to make digital reviews and share them in a safe environment. For public libraries, utilize social media to spread the word about events that are happening. Online networking can help build long-term relationships by reaching consumers on their schedules and in their space (Schachter, 2010). It also is a subtle nudge and reminder every now and then, helping them get information in incremental bits rather than all at once (Fichter, 2012).

With technology, librarians need to be in the know of new programs and concepts and be ready to help others utilize them. Some schools have a dedicated educational technology person for this, but the majority expect the librarian to wear this hat. We are educating 21st century learners and we need to be using 21st century tools. Joyce Valenza (2010) lists a number of the ways that 21st century librarians utilize technology in her well known manifesto. Throughout our experiences at UNCG we have tested out a number of tech tools and gotten comfortable with them so that we can be leaders in our schools.

One of the biggest hurdles standing in our way as librarians is often funding. For this reason, in order to be proactive and to make the changes that we know are necessary for our programs, we have to be willing to seek out additional ways to get funding. The grant proposals that we wrote in LIS 653 were are great entry point for this process. While the grant I followed had already closed, it came up in conversation with one of the local public libraries who brought the idea up with the Friends of the Library and we received funding. You have to be willing to put yourself out there, no one is just going to give you things, not in the educational world.

The way we teach is constantly evolving. The way students learning changes too. If we want our students to be innovative and creative thinkers, we have to be one step ahead of the game.