Comments on: Participatory Networks brief http://deepthinking.blogsome.com/2007/01/20/participatory-networks-brief/ The art of contemplation and commentary explored through the mind of a school librarian. Mon, 06 Oct 2008 23:05:21 +0000 http://wordpress.org/?v=1.5.1-alpha by: Diane R. Chen http://deepthinking.blogsome.com/2007/01/20/participatory-networks-brief/#comment-85 Thu, 25 Jan 2007 10:06:12 +0000 http://deepthinking.blogsome.com/2007/01/20/participatory-networks-brief/#comment-85 Joyce, I know that you have worked very hard to establish the creative learning environment at your school. You are such an inspiration to all of us. I, too, have worked hard to push the boundaries and create a better environment. I hear from many school librarians who feel down-trodden and despair at the barriers they face. Emotionally I want them to know that I feel their pain on behalf of their students and that AASL, ALSC, and YALSA legislative committees are working hard for them. Joyce, I know that you have worked very hard to establish the creative learning environment at your school. You are such an inspiration to all of us. I, too, have worked hard to push the boundaries and create a better environment. I hear from many school librarians who feel down-trodden and despair at the barriers they face. Emotionally I want them to know that I feel their pain on behalf of their students and that AASL, ALSC, and YALSA legislative committees are working hard for them.

]]> by: Joyce Valenza http://deepthinking.blogsome.com/2007/01/20/participatory-networks-brief/#comment-83 Wed, 24 Jan 2007 16:13:41 +0000 http://deepthinking.blogsome.com/2007/01/20/participatory-networks-brief/#comment-83 Perhaps I don't have "the typical set-up," but I worked to create the set up I now live in. I know many others who are moving in similar directions. Seven years ago I arrived in a mess of a library without a budget or expectations for service. Before that, I chose to leave a library when I was denied academic freedom. I know you both know librarians can be leaders. This is the time to see whatever opportunities exist beyond the barriers. The meetings we attended this week are sifting into the blogs, our personal emails, and our conversations. I hope our colleagues will begin to discover their influence and that those who need to retool, will. Perhaps I don’t have “the typical set-up,” but I worked to create the set up I now live in. I know many others who are moving in similar directions. Seven years ago I arrived in a mess of a library without a budget or expectations for service. Before that, I chose to leave a library when I was denied academic freedom. I know you both know librarians can be leaders. This is the time to see whatever opportunities exist beyond the barriers. The meetings we attended this week are sifting into the blogs, our personal emails, and our conversations. I hope our colleagues will begin to discover their influence and that those who need to retool, will.

]]> by: David Lankes http://deepthinking.blogsome.com/2007/01/20/participatory-networks-brief/#comment-81 Mon, 22 Jan 2007 08:39:32 +0000 http://deepthinking.blogsome.com/2007/01/20/participatory-networks-brief/#comment-81 Absolutely! Absolutely!

]]> by: Diane R. Chen http://deepthinking.blogsome.com/2007/01/20/participatory-networks-brief/#comment-80 Mon, 22 Jan 2007 00:20:56 +0000 http://deepthinking.blogsome.com/2007/01/20/participatory-networks-brief/#comment-80 Thanks for updating us David. I realize that the audience can throw weird questions at you, but I don't want the general ALA audience listening to think that participatory libraries are easily obtained when community resistance is high throughout the country. In way too many school districts, librarians are complacently accepting that they can't do anything about over-riding filters and finding ways for their patrons to participate. I simply felt the need to call everyone's attention to this terrible barrier. There will always be barriers (time, personnel, training, equipment) to any technological social interface, but the issue of DOPA/INteractive Web Application censoring bills, etc., is one that all members of ALA need to know about and prepare to act. Thanks for updating us David. I realize that the audience can throw weird questions at you, but I don’t want the general ALA audience listening to think that participatory libraries are easily obtained when community resistance is high throughout the country. In way too many school districts, librarians are complacently accepting that they can’t do anything about over-riding filters and finding ways for their patrons to participate. I simply felt the need to call everyone’s attention to this terrible barrier. There will always be barriers (time, personnel, training, equipment) to any technological social interface, but the issue of DOPA/INteractive Web Application censoring bills, etc., is one that all members of ALA need to know about and prepare to act.

]]> by: David Lankes http://deepthinking.blogsome.com/2007/01/20/participatory-networks-brief/#comment-79 Sun, 21 Jan 2007 14:54:33 +0000 http://deepthinking.blogsome.com/2007/01/20/participatory-networks-brief/#comment-79 Greetings. I hope my answer to your question wasn't taken as too terse or that I don't see overly restrictive filtering as a problem in K-12. Quite the opposite. In fact earlier in the week I did a presentation on just how limited filtering makes the K-12 for information seeking (see http://quartz.syr.edu/rdlankes/blog/?p=185 . It is tough in a 10 minute briefing to explore all the complexities of this concept, so I hope we can follow-up some more. What I was trying to say is that even in such a confined environment we can still see our libraries as participatory. In fact, by making teachers, students, administration and parents even more a part of the library, we can leverage that to address the deeper and more frustrating issues we face. Anyway, I appreciate your question, hope the K-12 folks will continue to contribute. Greetings. I hope my answer to your question wasn’t taken as too terse or that I don’t see overly restrictive filtering as a problem in K-12. Quite the opposite. In fact earlier in the week I did a presentation on just how limited filtering makes the K-12 for information seeking (see http://quartz.syr.edu/rdlankes/blog/?p=185 . It is tough in a 10 minute briefing to explore all the complexities of this concept, so I hope we can follow-up some more. What I was trying to say is that even in such a confined environment we can still see our libraries as participatory. In fact, by making teachers, students, administration and parents even more a part of the library, we can leverage that to address the deeper and more frustrating issues we face.

Anyway, I appreciate your question, hope the K-12 folks will continue to contribute.

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