May 2, 2016. Providence, RI. Media Smart Libraries teamed up with current URI Graduate School of Library and Information Studies students for a Summer Learning Ideafest. This event, which was part presentation and part collaborative discussion, was held at the Rochambeau Library in Providence and facilitated by Mary Moen, Program Director for Media Smart Libraries and faculty member at URI. As a part of her LSC 530: E-Tools and Texts for Tots to Teens course she asked students to design a summer learning program and create a digital presentation of their work. Students chose topics ranging from school library and public library collaborations, to working with children with Autism, to innovative incentive programs.
These presentations were screened to participating public and school librarians who then provided written feedback on the students’ programs. Discussion about the programs, particularly their creativity and feasibility, was lively and collaborative, especially when it came to talking about the opportunities for partnerships between school and public librarians. The IdeaFest truly brought to light the challenges and benefits of fostering meaningful partnerships between the two types of libraries.
Cohort member Terri Spisso especially enjoyed the collaboration between GSLIS students and RI Librarians. She said:
Many of the ideas were geared towards public library scenarios, however the conversation generated surround Summer Reading were very relevant to my current situation. It is important to exchange ideas with colleagues about how to overcome struggles that we all entail in our practice. I liked the format of having graduate students present course work to working librarians as it provided me with some fresh insights into my practice. I would love to have more Ideafest programs with GSLIS! I'm looking for some bright-eyed bushy tailed grad student to help me envision changing my library into a learning commons!
Participants were then encouraged to select a stack of children’s books donated by OLIS to help spark summer reading in their own libraries! Everyone left the room with tons of new ideas and some new books to help enact these summer learning programs.