Looking for sound new ways to use Web 2.0 tools in K-12 education and ready-to-teach units that support curricular standards? Your search is over with this comprehensive guide. In this interview with author Beverley E. Crane, we talk with about her writing methods and the ideas behind the book.

Where did the initial idea for the book come from?

My earlier book, Using Web 2.0 Tools in the K-12 Classroom, published in 2009, started the conversation about Web 2.0 and how these tools can enhance instruction, research, and learning for students in all disciplines and all grade levels. With the explosion of young people’s use of social media and the lessening of restrictions on collaborative technology use in K-12 schools, it seemed an ideal time to provide K-12 educators with creative ideas, examples, and models from teachers and librarians who have incorporated Web 2.0 tools and social media into their lessons. This book does just that.

What kinds of tools do you discuss and why did you choose to include them?

Deciding on the kinds of tools among the increasing number was a difficult task and required more research than I expected. Not only has the number of tools increased from 2009 when my earlier book was published, but the innovative ways educators are using the tools has more than doubled in a couple of years. I wanted this book to illustrate inquiry-based projects, critical thinking, collaborative learning, authentic communication, multi-disciplinary subjects, aligned with the core K-12 curriculum and technology standards. I also wanted sample unit and lesson plans to appeal to all grade levels in different subjects worldwide, and I wanted the best of the best models to illustrate these lessons.

I have chosen representative tools from different categories: tools for collaborating, networking; map tools; presentation tools; tools to aid learners whether they are auditory or visual learners; and tools for those whose first language is not English. Each chapter focuses on one type of tool; for example, Chapter 7 covers a wide range of Google tools, and Chapter 8 highlights video. Readers will discover what the technology is, benefits of using it with students, and examples to illustrate how the tool is being used in the classroom or library. A sample detailed unit plan in a specific subject area and grade level acts as a model so educators can create their own lessons with their own students using the technology.

Some of the tools covered are blogs, podcasts, wikis, video, VoiceThread and Skype. Google tools, social bookmarking and social networking also have their own chapters. One chapter highlights using Web 2.0 tools in elective courses, including the arts and health, and another with non-native English speakers. The final chapter focuses on Web 2.0 and social media to help educators collaborate, learn from one another, enhance professional development, and more.
I was also lucky to have generous teachers, librarians, and educational groups allow me to use screenshots of their websites and projects to illustrate their innovative ideas and activities using Web 2.0 tools and social networking. This book could not have been written without the support of these educators.

What changes have you made in this edition?

When Neal-Schuman asked me to write this edition, I planned to include a new chapter on social networking and one discussing Web 2.0 tools and social media to open classroom doors for educators. However, I was worried that I wouldn’t have much that was different to say from my 2009 version in chapters on tools like blogs, wikis and podcasts. Was I ever wrong! Collaborative and communication tools abound (e.g., blogs, wikis, podcasts, Skype, VoiceThread), and the number increases daily. More and more educators are creating lessons that integrate Web 2.0 and social networking. This made selecting from among these innovative models difficult.
This edition contains the following new material:

• Four totally new chapters: 1) Bringing the Social Networking Revolution to K-12 Classrooms; 2) Opening Your Classrooms to the World via Skype; 3) Bringing Web 2.0 and Social Networking into Elective Subjects; and 4) Creating Community with Web 2.0 Tools and Social Networking.
• Other chapters on blogs, wikis, Google tools, video, and podcasts focus on different aspects from the earlier edition–for instance, how to teach students to write informative blog posts and comments and using a wiki to discuss bullies today and in history.
• Examples of five tools, including Glogster and Photo Peach, illustrate how to use them to improve language learning with non-native speakers. VoiceThread is included again in this edition because it supports skills needed by language learners so well.
• In each chapter two sets of all-new teacher exercises reinforce the main concepts of the chapter; lists of links provide additional examples, activities and ideas; screenshots illustrate topics discussed; and charts, rubrics, and checklists offer models to use in the units.
• Lists of illustrations and tables, and a detailed index are all new too.

In fact, there’s not much that isn’t new! Once I got going I just had to include as much new material as I could. And, what I couldn’t fit into the book will appear on my website, along with the latest technology described by technology gurus in the schools.

What steps can be taken to protect student privacy when Web 2.0 tools are incorporated into classroom learning?

One area that has worried educators is how to protect student privacy and keep them safe from predators on the Internet. Acceptable Use Policies (AUPs) outlining rules for using the Internet, student-parent contracts, keeping parents and administrators informed via social networking are just some ways to protect students.
Many of the Web 2.0 tools and social networking sites provide their own barriers between students and outside influences. For example, Kidblog allows students to publish posts and participate in discussions with a secure classroom blogging community. Wikispaces has given away more than 400,000 free, secure, advertising-free wiki spaces for K-12 education. Educators who do not have access to sites like Facebook or Twitter have created “fake” walls so students can experience social media as part of the curriculum. Many other examples are described throughout the book.

How can Web 2.0 tools enhance ESL instruction?

As an ESL teacher for many years, I personally emphasized the use of authentic language in the classroom. For most learners, acquisition of a second language will only take place as learners are exposed to and engaged in contextually rich, meaningful communication. Web 2.0 and social networking offer educators’ opportunities to enhance second language learners’ speaking, listening, reading, and writing skills.

Some examples illustrate how. Imagine students using their cell phones to record a message in the language they are learning that will be published on a blog or incorporated into a class podcast. Blogging isn’t about learning vocabulary but rather is a fun, meaningful activity where students are making new friends through language. Visualize a class of English-speaking students meeting virtually via Skype on a science project about whale migration with a Mexican class learning English. Not only are students learning science principles but also discovering new cultures through language. Picture a class using VoiceThread to create an online media album where they can make comments via voice, text, audio or video and share those comments with anyone they wish. With blogs, wikis, Skype, podcasts, educators now have easy-to-use tools to reinforce all four language skills.

What will readers find on your book’s companion Website?

Technology is constantly changing, and the Website is designed to help educators keep up with new innovative Web 2.0 and social media tools that will motivate students and enhance learning. New tools educators are using with K-12 students, collaborative projects teachers and librarians can participate in and model lessons to spark educators’ creativity are all part of the Website’s content. The Website has pages for many different subject areas—English/language arts, social studies and science. Exercises teachers can try to spark their interest in technology are also included, as well as new links to explore. In addition, a blog offers weekly updates on new opportunities in which educators can participate such as online free conferences, suggestions for teaching with Web 2.0 and ways teachers can enhance their own learning and networking with social media.

Who do you think this book is for?

Using Web 2.0 and Social Networking Tools in the K-12 Classroom is designed for educators at all levels. Whether they are teachers or librarians at the elementary, middle, or high school level, this book offers valuable ideas, models, and resources to help them integrate this important technology into their curricula. Another group that can benefit from this book is the growing number of parents who home school their children. Parents of two of my elementary-age grandchildren who are home-schooled have used some of the exercises, checked the links for content for activities, and tried some of the unit plans. The children were interested in some of the pictures, especially in the unit on whale migration. Having worked with student teachers who were interested in and needed more training in how to use technology in the classroom, I believe this book would be a valuable resource and could even be used as a textbook in a methods or technology class for students working toward teaching credentials.

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More and more frequently, librarians are asked to create business plans, something they might not have been trained to do or have encountered before. Creating Your Library’s Business Plan: A How-To-Do-It Manual with Samples on CD-ROM by Joy HP Harriman was written to address this growing need. Joy, the Medical Librarian at Rocky Mountain University of Health Professions in Provo, UT, has worked for over 20 years in the health care industry in marketing, library and information management, training, and research. Today she shares with of us some of the experiences motivating her writing this book and her insights on the profession.

• Why did you feel that a book on writing a library business plan needed to be written?

The initial idea stemmed from discussions back in the 1980s among medical librarians about whether a library should be managed as a business.  I felt at that time that a number of librarians (including me) were in the field that had no business or management training and that training would be helpful.

The second stimulus came about because I’m really poor at planning (nobody I knew was any good at it either!).   I thought if my library had a well written  (read: simple) business plan to follow then the everyday questions as well as the more strategic issues might be easier to reckon with.  Turns out a business plan made everything much easier.

But it was a frustrating initial experience because it’s so much easier for me to do than to sit and think.  The situation was similar to the initial stages of a PubMed search where I have to think about what I really want to find and identify the words to describe what I’m looking for – then run the search.  Planning made me stop and look and the various issues that affected my library, what our strengths and weaknesses are, and how to overcome the difficulties we were encountering.

The idea of a business plan to me is similar to strategic planning – but on a smaller scale.  The business plan sets the stage for a more successful long-term or strategic plan.

A feature of the book that was an experiment for me was the idea that if a reader were provided with a template or recipe – then given various phrases to adjust and insert into the template – the process might be vastly simplified.  So far responses from readers tell me the experiment is working!

 

• Who should read your book?

Anyone who has to plan an activity, service, staffing issue, any type of a plan – or a whole business plan – can use this book.  The template is easily adjustable for any size issue that needs addressing.   It’s not just for the library world – the templates can be used by any industry or profession – the language of the phrases has to change to suit the field.

 

• What will readers discover from your book?

Planning is a heck of a lot easier than anticipated.  And if the plan is followed and the new activity is monitored and measured to determine if it’s working as hoped for – they’re going to find that planning is a lot more flexible and workable than they considered.  Any plan has to shift – it has to be flexible and respond to current needs.

A plan helps keep track of what’s been done and what will happen next.  Documented information is a lot easier to attach monetary value to than non-documented notes.    This is useful as librarians from different venues have to communicate with their financial offices.  The adage about “true communication is speaking in the language of the listener” is never truer than when talking about money.

 

• What do you consider to be the most important change to the field of librarianship that you have witnessed?

The most important evolution I’ve experienced is the connection of clinical literature and its value to the institution.  It wasn’t until we could prove that a piece of information contributed to the bottom line that libraries began to have real influence in the organization.  Before then it was a “good” thing to have.  Now, it’s an asset.

Learn more about Joy and her book, Creating Your Library’s Business Plan: A How-To-Do-It Manual with Samples on CD-ROM.

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You know that having good relationships with the media will benefit your archives or other cultural institution, and perhaps you have even included them in a plan to enhance your the marketing and public relations efforts. After all, media can not only help you spread the word about your programming or achievements, but at times they can also provide bad press. Developing a good relationship with the media is key to helping you weather such storms.

Today’s How-To-Do-It Tip comes from Public Relations and Marketing for Archives: A How-To-Do-It Manual edited by Russell D. James and Peter J. Wosh. The suggestions below can help you foster a strong relationship with the media on behalf of your institution.

Cultivation of the Media

All media outlets report the news, but their methodologies vary. This will have an impact on the ways in which you interact with various news venues. In forging relationships, it is important to think like a public relations professional as well as an archivist and to adopt the primary goals of a public relations professional.

Developing Mutually Beneficial Relationships with the Media

When developing positive relationships, you must combine professional integrity with basic courtesies. “Please” and “thank you” go a long way in fostering mutual respect. Use the following basic principles for effective public relations:

• Use honest communication to maintain credibility.

• Network with media personnel.

• Meet the publishers, editors, and journalists whenever possible.

• Hand out brochures and pamphlets related to the archives.

• If a person is new to the area, give him or her additional information about the community—a little kindness can go a long way!

• Attend events at which the media will be present, such as ribbon cuttings, government meetings, and cultural events.

• Always ask the media for a deadline; if you cannot meet the deadline, explain your reasons and see if an extension is possible.

• Send public service announcements to all local television, radio, and newspaper outlets.

• Think of events as party invitations—they are appreciated even if possible attendees need to decline.

• Overlooking individual outlets can create ill-will.

• Always maintain an open, consistent, and impartial relationship with the media; be sure that all media outlets receive the same press releases and notices of a newsworthy story.

• Fairness of actions will result in reciprocity and goodwill.

• When multiple media representatives are present, be sure to speak to each of them.

• To create personal relationships, contact individuals rather than departments.

• Maintain two-way communication to build relationships.

• Do not wait until you need the media to contact them.

• Formally thank the media for their coverage of an event or publication of a story or photograph.

• Conduct environmental research and evaluation to determine actions or adjustments needed to maintain good working relationships.

• Understand community issues that will benefit and potentially damage the promotion of the archives.

• Maintain professional relationships with the media without showing favoritism.

• When calling a journalist, find out at the beginning of the conversation if he or she needs you to call back or can speak at that moment.

• This is a professional courtesy that makes an impression and lets the reporter know that you understand the constraints placed on him or her.

• After talking with the reporter, have materials ready to send to demonstrate that your public relations department is serious and well organized.

- Excerpted from Public Relations and Marketing for Archivists: A How-To-Do-It Manual, pp. 74-75. © 2011 by Neal-Schuman Publishers, Inc. All rights reserved.

Remember, there is a practical, new How-To-Do-It Tip from Neal-Schuman’s acclaimed How-To-Do-It Manuals® every two weeks. Make sure you never miss an update by subscribing to our blog feed or signing up for email delivery.

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Library staff are on the front line. Rhea Joyce Rubin talks with us about her career in libraries and her latest book Defusing the Angry Patron: A How-To-Do-It Manual for Librarians, Second Edition, of which Library Journal said in a starred review ”Library staff who have public service duties will find this book invaluable in learning to deal with patron anger” (June 2011). Rhea, as an independent library consultant, has trained more than 10,000 librarians across the country.

• Why did you decide there was a need for a book like this in the first place?

I never thought of writing a book on this subject at all!  I think it was Pat Schuman who approached me when she heard that I was training nearly all the public service staff of the Chicago Public Library on this topic. That would have been 1998 or 1999. I never even thought of training others on anger, but about 25 years before that, public libraries asked me to help their staffs learn techniques for coping with so-called “problem patrons.” They assumed that I knew about it since I’d worked as a library aide in a mental hospital while in college, and then – in my first professional library position – I was a jail librarian. My angry patrons at that time were inmates and correc­tional officers; both were highly frustrated and quick to anger. By the time I was training staff of the Chicago Public Library, I’d had angry patrons in every library where I’d worked, and I’d been speaking and teaching on the topic for a long time.

Let me say that, though I may have started writing based on my own experiences, the revised edition of Defusing the Angry Patron reflects the comments and experiences of thousands of public and college librarians and paraprofessionals who have attended my workshops, as well as dozens of reference librarians, circulation staff, and other public and academic library workers who responded to a short, informal survey I conducted in 2009. All of those library workers reconfirmed the need for such a book.

• What new ideas and information will readers discover in the revision of Defusing the Angry Patron, Second Edition: A How-To-Do-It Manual for Librarians?

When Charles Harmon asked me to write the revised edition, I initially thought that nothing much had changed since the original book (2000): angry patrons still present serious dilemmas for library staff, and the way libraries are run (among other things) still angers users. They are incensed by antiquated library policies, by their inability to get the materials and computer time they want, and by staff whom they perceive as rude or condescending. Also, they still see the library as a safe place to let off steam. Unfortunately, anger is still contagious – a customer’s angry steam can still cause staff to feel mad, frustrated, victimized, and/or helpless.

I soon realized that at least three things had indeed changed. First, the quantity of difficult encounters in libraries – including the number of incidents with angry patrons – has grown significantly (according to anecdotal evidence; firm statistics are difficult to find). I assume this is the result of a dramatic increase in patrons’ expectations. Options have proliferated in terms of formats and media, as well as expedited delivery methods. Self-service and 24/7 services via websites were novel – and not offered by most libraries — ten years ago. Now those advances are commonplace, and users have developed even higher expectations, especially in terms of speed of access. After all, now customers shun email and phone calls for instant messaging and texting, and e-book readers can download entire books in under a minute. We know that unrealistic expectations yield frustrated users.

Second, we are living in a new digital landscape. In addition to traditional face to face reference, most libraries now offer virtual reference by email, instant message, texting, or chat. The anonymous, faceless nature of VRS presents unique challenges.  Meanwhile, Web 2.0 and social media — both recent phenomena — allow easy, instant interactions between users and libraries as well as among library users. Many libraries are harnessing the power of social media to promote their services, and to make the library accessible to more and different users. The downside is that complaints, angry comments, and misinformation spread quickly: one unsatisfied user can broadcast complaints to millions of people world-wide with a few clicks on a computer keyboard. Libraries are still figuring out how to respond to this new breed of “difficult situation.”

The third change is in how libraries respond to angry patrons now. Three examples are:

1. In the past ten years, many more libraries have created procedures to enforce behavior policies. Libraries, for example, are codifying what a staff person should do – step by step – about a user who has broken the rule against excessive noise as compared to a patron who has ignored the policy on limited renewals.

2. Libraries are invoking stiffer penalties with people whose anger blows out of control. These penalties are, of course, directly related to both policies and procedures. And fortunately, libraries are being more proactive in educating the public about their policies.

3. Many more public libraries, as well as academic and special libraries, employ private security guards, though (again) it is difficult to find any statistics on how many libraries do – and on whether having them alleviates angry incidents. But just this week I read that the Boulder (CO) Public Library has reported a “sharp decline in security problems” since it began hiring private security guards three years ago, and has numbers to back up their claim.

• Who should read your book?

It was written primarily for frontline staff – anyone who works directly with customers –  and their supervisors and managers. (Already that covers most library staff.) I was addressing all staff members who are sick and tired of being yelled at by patrons; angry themselves because they feel dumped on by the public; unsure what to do when someone looks upset; frightened by the unexpected high emotion some customers show over a simple library transaction; and, frustrated by their own behavior under pressure. But in the end, the book is for everyone, since the techniques I offer in the book work with any human beings (including colleagues and family members).

• What one thing do you most want them to know?

How about two things? First, I want everyone to realize that they do not need to feel powerless in the face of anger, even if the person’s natural first reaction is paralysis. Second, it’s essential that you avoid fighting fire with fire, even if your natural first reaction is to retaliate. Usually, the patron isn’t the whole problem (which is why I don’t use the term “problem patron”). Rather, the problem is in the interaction among the library as an institution with its rules and procedures, the user’s expectations of the library and personal style of communication, and the staff member’s expectations of customers and personal style of communication. If we change something about any of those things, usually we can “fix” the problem. And often the easiest thing to change is our own way of responding to the customer.

• Please tell us a little bit about your consulting business – why you started it and the kinds of training you do.

I became an independent library consultant in 1980 because I didn’t want to continue as a library director. To be frank, I disliked the human resources aspects of the job, and I also wanted to give up the 60 hour work week so I could have time for a baby. I was fortunate to have had a number of small consulting jobs and staff workshop offers already, so I felt I might be able to make the leap into consulting.

From the beginning, my consultancy has specialized in extending public library services to people who do not use them in traditional ways or places. In other words, I have worked with people most public librarians never see. So my focus has been on the people aspects of librarianship as compared to technology or collections or buildings. I’ve pretty much split my time between consulting and training.  On the consulting side, I’ve concentrated on planning, assessment, and the establishment of new library services. For example, helping libraries plan for and provide services for people with disabilities has been a major focus. Another has been assisting libraries who want to measure the impact of services on users.

On the training side, I’ve done everything from lunchtime lectures to multi-day workshops and college courses, usually in the same areas on which I consult. My most popular workshops are on customer service, outcome measurement, serving people with disabilities, and defusing anger. I have had the wonderful opportunity to work in over 40 states, training more than 10,000 professionals and paraprofessionals.

• In addition to consulting and training, you‘ve written 13 books and numerous reports and articles.  How does your writing relate to your work?

The two are intertwined. The books allow me to extend what I know to many more people than I’ll ever actually meet; they also serve as the only PR for my consulting and training. Everything I learn while preparing to write, I also use in my work; and anything I learn from my consulting and training, I use in my writing.

• This is your 4^th book for Neal-Schuman. Any comments?

Actually, it’s my 6^th book for Pat Schuman.  My first book, Using Bibliotherapy: A Guide to Theory and Practice, was written at the request of ALA Publishing (now called ALA Editions). But when I submitted the manuscript, it was rejected because the editor thought my ideas were too radical (i.e. they didn’t conform to an earlier book ALA had published on the topic) and my style too academic. A mutual friend, Kathleen Weibel, urged me to take the manuscript to Pat who had a “Neal-Schuman Professional Books” imprint under Oryx Press. Pat liked the book, and devoted a good deal of time (an unusually large amount, I now know) to editing it. She taught me that readers trust authors and don’t question the source of every comment and the provenance of every idea. (Basically, we cut out most of the many footnotes.)

Using Bibliotherapy and The Bibliotherapy Sourcebook, a companion volume Pat requested, went on to win ALA’s Shaw Award for Library Literature in 1980. The award says, in part, “Her work points us in new, useful directions.” Pat and I were both jubilant – I was a first-time author who couldn’t believe her book was so well received, and she was a smart and hard-working editor who saw the irony (and enjoyed sharing it with her publishing colleagues): the American Library Association’s awards committee recognized my ideas as new and useful, while ALA Publishing had found them “radical,” unacceptable, and unpublishable.

Since then, I’ve written books for 6 other publishers, but have returned to Neal-Schuman the most often — whenever possible. I have enjoyed working with the Neal-Schuman team, and am sorry that Pat and Jack’s retirement means that Neal-Schuman will soon become an imprint of (you know it’s coming…) ALA Editions. Still, I’ll always be grateful to Kathleen and to Pat for making me an author.

Learn more about Defusing the Angry Patron: A How-To-Do-It Manual for Librarians, Second Edition on the book’s Web page.

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Librarians and non-specialists who need to access public information will find everything they need in Finding Official British Information: Official Publishing in the Digital Age. Author Jane Inman helps people navigate the many sources and types of materials now available in this age of information.

From the press release:

Jane Inman, Communications and Information Manager for the Environment and Economy Directorate, Warwickshire County Council (U.K.), uses her extensive experience working with official publishing to create an easy-to-use guide for non-specialists focusing on the digital access and availability of public information. The book includes contributions from Howard Picton. Inman covers every body of British government, from local to national. She includes definitions and statistics and explains why access to official information is so important. In each section, Inman offers thorough examples, types of publications, and resources for further information. Every area she describes includes a “how to find” section for quick reference.

Click here to find out more about this and other titles in Neal-Schuman’s press release database.

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How can libraries determine how well they are performing? Authors Viveca Nyström and Linnéa Sjögren show practical, clear methods for discovering just that. An Evaluation of the Benefits and Value of Libraries is essential reading for librarians and students, particularly those involved in library management and evaluation.

From the press release:

An Evaluation of the Benefits and Value of Libraries, to be released in North America by Neal-Schuman Publishers on March 10, 2012, offers practical guidance on gauging library performance through clear, understandable economic methods.

Library consultant Viveca Nyström and e-channels librarian Linnéa Sjögren offer authoritative guidance on conducting benefits assessments in a way that assumes no prior knowledge of economics. The first three chapters provide an introduction to performance analysis and benefits assessment that can be applied to any library setting. Other topics include the financial benefit assessment, cost-benefit analysis on one-time investments, and customer surveys. The authors also describe the persona method, which uses personas of fictional library users to generate data, and the balanced scorecard method, which is used for systematic follow-up. The book is packed with practical examples and numerous sample customer surveys.

Click here to find out more about this and other titles in Neal-Schuman’s press release database.

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