Literature+Review


 * Arnold, R., & Colburn, N. (2008). A little //DAP// will do ya. //School Library Journal,// (54)7, 20.

This article discusses the concept of developmentally appropriate practice (DAP) as a "framework for best practice" when planning and leading activities for children. The authors highlight the importance of making sure that what you're planning for kids matches what they are able to do given their age group. Using what researchers and education professionals have discovered about learning and other brain activities, librarians should choose appropriate tools for programs (books, songs, puzzles, rhymes, games, puppets, etc.). The authors also note that kids develop their primary behavior patterns outside of school and library settings, and librarians and educators must adapt to that. These issues apply directly to my programming experiences in that I must constantly be mindful of what I include. From the stories to the crafts, I must be sure that I'm meeting my patrons on developmentally appropriate levels.


 * Arnold, R. & Colburn, N. (2009). Ready, set, go!. //School Library Journal,// (55) 9, 24 .

While the main focus of this article is on library programs fostering readiness for Kindergarten, the skill sets discussed can be applied to children in slightly higher grades as well. Specifically, the authors posit that story times can help children develop critical literacy skills like phonological awareness, expressive and receptive language, and print knowledge. In addition, the social nature of story times can help foster important social skills as well. Since a major part of my program involved sharing stories with small groups of children, I found this content not only relevant but highly validating. Also, some of my patrons were in Kindergarten and most were in first grade, so it was helpful to know what the age group in general should be able to do, so that I could be proactive in my efforts to help develop those skill sets.


 * Association of Library Service to Children.(2001).Competencies for librarians serving children in public libraries. // Journal of Youth Services in Libraries //, ( 14)2, 21-4

I've learned that it's always important for professionals to be well versed in the expectations set forth by bodies responsible for creating industry standards. To this end, I thought it would be helpful to be proactive in asserting the ALSC competencies for children's librarians during my internship. In this way, I hoped to ensure that I was living up to the professional standards of both knowledge and service, since my primary goal in undertaking the internship was to experience life as a real children's librarian. The competencies are organized into categories that include knowledge of client group, administrative and management skills, communication skills, and knowledge of materials among others. I feel confident that these are areas I developed through multiple aspects of my internship, but in administering my program especially. Specifically, I was able to gain knowledge of the age group I supported, as well as familiarity with relevant, high-quality materials appropriate for that group.


 * Dimant-Cohen, B., Riordan, E., & Wade, R. (2004). Make way for dendrites: How brain research can impact children’s programming. //Children & Libraries//, (2)1, 12-20.

I'm always interested in the biological and neurological side of things, or what's going on inside the brain that makes people do the things they do. This article discusses how librarians can use new information on internal processes to plan programming, especially for children. Like Arnold and Colburn (2008) in their discussion of DAP, the authors here underscore the importance of understanding kids' capabilities on a developmental level. Such understanding contributes to more effective and beneficial programming for patrons. Of utmost interest to me, especially given the nature of my program, is the assertion that "Environment, repetition, ritual, movement, and personal connection shape experience. Therefore what public librarians do in relation to these critical aspects of children's library service will impact the effectiveness of their customers' brain function and the learning process." I implemented repetition, and ritual each week, as some stories included refrains or repeated words, and we often explored the same themes of friendship, family, and school. Also, there was a ritual to our program, in that we followed the same basic schedule each week. My hope was that if the kids knew what to expect, it would provide them with a sense of comfort and security. The article confirms this, and also highlights the importance of movement, which I also tried to incorporate into my program as much as possible. In addition to highlighting the various ways that librarians can help children develop critical literacy skills, the author provides a helpful list of reasonable developmental expectations for Kindergarten students. Since the youngest of the children who attended my program were in Kindergarten, these served as useful benchmarks to use during planning. As the author suggests, I knew it was necessary to make sure I was meeting the children on a comfortable developmental level, but also helping with their construction of literacy skills in important ways. Resonating with me most is the author's notion of providing access to experiences developing print awareness by discussing new books together, which is what I attempted to do each and every week by sharing a new book with my patrons, and highlighting important themes that could then be tied to our craft. This article was also helpful in determining how best to use the space for each session, especially in terms of what types of movement and materials could be included, and various limitations imposed by the nature of the program room,
 * Knisely, J. S. (2006). Children's library spaces support emergent literacy. //Bookmobile and Outreach Services//, (9)1, 27-39 .