Technology Integration in Storytime Programs
Provider Perspectives
DOI:
https://doi.org/10.6017/ital.v42i2.15701Abstract
Technology use is widespread in the lives of children and families, and parents and caregivers express concern about children’s safety and development in relation to technology use. Children’s librarians have a unique role to play in guiding the technology use of children and families, yet little is known about how public library programs facilitate children’s digital literacy. This study sought to uncover librarians’ purposes for using technology in programs with young children as well as the supporting factors and barriers they encountered in attempting to do so. Findings reveal 10 purposes for integrating technology into public library storytime programs and 15 factors across four dimensions that facilitate and/or inhibit its inclusion. If librarians are to embrace the media mentor role with confidence and the necessary knowledge and skills required of the task, much greater attention should be devoted to the responsibility and more support in the way of professional development and resources is necessary.
References
American Library Association, Code of Ethics of the American Library Association (2021), https://www.ala.org/tools/ethics
Amy Koester, ed., Young Children, New Media, and Libraries: A Guide for Incorporating New Media into Library Collections, Services, and Programs for Families and Children Ages 0–5 (Little eLit, 2015), https://littleelit.files.wordpress.com/2015/06/final-young-children-new-media-and-libraries-full-pdf.pdf.
Anne Goulding, Mary Jane Shuker, and John Dickie, “Media Mentoring through Digital Storytimes: The Experiences of Public Libraries in Aotearoa New Zealand,” In Proceedings of IFLA WLIC (2017), https://library.ifla.org/id/eprint/1742/1/138-goulding-en.pdf.
Association for Library Service to Children, Competencies for Librarians Serving Children in Libraries (2020) https://www.ala.org/alsc/edcareeers/alsccorecomps.
Association for Library Service to Children, National Research Agenda for Library Service to Children (Ages 0–14), 2019, https://www.ala.org/alsc/sites/ala.org.alsc/files/content/200327_ALSC_Research_Agenda_PRINT_VERSION.pdf.
Brooke Auxier, Monica Anderson, Andrew Perrin, and Erica Turner, Parenting Children in the Age of Screens (Pew Research Center, 2020), https://www.pewresearch.org/internet/2020/07/28/parenting-children-in-the-age-of-screens/.
C. Campbell, C. Haines, A. Koester, and D. Stoltz, Media Mentorship in Libraries Serving Youth (Chicago: Association for Library Service to Children, 2015), https://www.ala.org/alsc/sites/ala.org.alsc/files/content/Media%20Mentorship%20in%20Libraries%20Serving%20Youth_FINAL_no%20graphics.pdf.
Cen Campbell and Amy Koester, “New Media in Youth Librarianship,” in A. Koester, ed., A Guide for Incorporating New Media into Library Collections, Services, and Programs for Families and Children Ages 0–5 (Little eLit, 2015), 8–24.
Chaudron, Di Gioia, and Gemo, Young Children (0-8) and Digital Technology.
Christner, Hicks, and Koester, “Chapter Six: New Media in Storytimes: Strategies for Using Tablets in a Program Setting.” in A. Koester, ed., A Guide for Incorporating New Media into Library Collections, Services, and Programs for Families and Children Ages 0–5 (Little eLit, 2015), 77-88.
Courtney K. Blackwell, Ellen Wartella, Alexis R. Lauricella, and Michael B. Robb, Technology in the Lives of Educators and Early Childhood Programs: Trends in Access, Use, and Professional Development from 2012 to 2014 (Chicago: Northwestern School of Communication, 2015).
Institute of Museum and Library Services, Public Libraries Survey, 2016, https://www.imls.gov/research-evaluation/data-collection/public-libraries-survey.
J. Elizabeth Mills, Emily Romeign-Stout, Cen Campbell, and Amy Koester, “Results from the Young Children, New Media, and Libraries Survey: What Did We Learn?”, Children and Libraries 13, no. 2 (2015): 26–32.
Jenna Herdzina and Alexis R. Lauricella, “Media Literacy in Early Childhood Report,” Child Development 101 (2020): 10.
Jennifer Nelson and Keith Braafladt, Technology and Literacy: 21st Century Library Programming for Children and Teens (Chicago: American Library Association, 2012).
Jenny S. Radesky et al., “Young Children’s Use of Smartphones and Tablets,” Pediatrics 146, no. 1 (2020).
Karen Daniels et al., “Early Years Teachers and Digital Literacies: Navigating a Kaleidoscope of Discourses,” Education and Information Technologies 25, no. 4 (2020): 2415–26.
Kathleen Campana, J. Elizabeth Mills, Marianne Martens, and Claudia Haines, “Where Are We Now? The Evolving Use of New Media with Young Children in Libraries,” Children and Libraries 17, no. 4 (2019): 23–32.
Kathy Hirsh-Pasek et al., “Putting Education in ‘Educational’ Apps: Lessons from the Science of Learning,” Psychological Science in the Public Interest 16, no. 1 (2015): 3–34.
Leigh Disney and Gretchen Geng, “Investigating Young Children’s Social Interactions during Digital Play, Early Childhood Education Journal (2021): 1–11.
Lisa B. Hurwitz and Kelly L. Schmitt, “Can Children Benefit from Early Internet Exposure? Short- and Long-term Links between Internet Use, Digital Skill, and Academic Performance,” Computers & Education 146 (2020): 103750.
Marc W. Hernandez, Carrie E. Markovitz, Elc Estrera, and Gayle Kelly, The Uses of Technology to Support Early Childhood Practice: Instruction and Assessment. Sample Product and Program Tables (Administration for Children & Families, U.S. Department of Health & Human Services, 2020), https://www.acf.hhs.gov/media/7970.
Maria Cahill and Erin Ingram, “Instructional Asides in Public Library Storytimes: Mixed Methods Analyses with Implications for Librarian Leadership,” Journal of Library Administration 61, no. 4 (2021): 421–38.
Maria Cahill, Soohyung Joo, Mary Howard, and Suzanne Walker, “We’ve Been Offering It for Years, but Why Do They Come? The Reasons Why Adults Bring Young Children to Public Library Storytimes,” Libri 70, no. 4 (2020), 335–44.
Nalika Unantenne, Mobile Device Usage among Young Kids: A Southeast Asia Study (The Asianparent Insights, November 2014), https://s3-ap-southeast-1.amazonaws.com/tap-sg-media/theAsianparent+Insights+Device+Usage+A+Southeast+Asia+Study+November+2014.pdf.
Nancy L. Kewish, “South Euclid’s Pilot Project for Two-Year-Olds and Parents,” School Library Journal 25, no. 7 (1979): 93–97.
Organization for Economic Cooperation and Development, What Do We Know about Children and Technology? (2019), https://www.oecd.org/education/ceri/Booklet-21st-century-children.pdf.
Peter Andrew De Vries, “Parental Perceptions of Music in Storytelling Sessions in a Public Library,” Early Childhood Education Journal 35, no. 5 (2008): 473–78.
Prachi E. Shah et al., “Daily Television Exposure, Parent Conversation during Shared Television Viewing and Socioeconomic Status: Associations with Curiosity at Kindergarten,” PloS one 16, no. 10 (2021), e0258572.
Rebekah Willett, June Abbas, and Denise E. Agosto, Navigating Screens (blog), https://navigatingscreens.wordpress.com.
Roger A. Stewart et al., “Enhanced Storytimes: Effects on Parent/Caregiver Knowledge, Motivation, and Behaviors,” Children and Libraries 12, no. 2 (2014): 9–14.
Sara Ayllon et al., Digital Diversity across Europe: Policy Brief September 2021 (DigiGen Project, 2021), https://www.digigen.eu/news/digital-diversity-across-europe-recommendations-to-ensure-children-across-europe-equally-benefit-from-digital-technology/.
Scott Graham and André Gagnon, “A Quasi-experimental Evaluation of an Early Literacy Program at the Regina Public Library/Évaluation Quasi-expérimentale d'un Programme D'alphabétisation des Jeunes Enfants à la Bibliothèque Publique de Regina,” Canadian Journal of Information and Library Science 37, no. 2 (2013): 103–21.
Sebastian Paul Suggate and Philipp Martzog, “Preschool Screen-media Usage Predicts Mental Imagery Two Years Later,” Early Child Development and Care (2021): 1–14.
Stephane Chaudron, Rosanna Di Gioia, and Monica Gemo, Young Children (0–8) and Digital Technology: A Qualitative Study across Europe (Publications Office of the European Union, 2018), https://doi.org/10.2760/294383.
Susan B. Neuman, Naomi Moland, and Donna Celano, “Bringing Literacy Home: An Evaluation of the Every Child Ready to Read Program” (Chicago: Association for Library Service to Children and Public Library Association, 2017), 5, http://everychildreadytoread.org/wp-content/uploads/2017/11/2017-ECRR-Report-Final.
US Department of Education, Office of Educational Technology, Policy Brief on Early Learning and Use of Technology, 2016, https://tech.ed.gov/files/2016/10/Early-Learning-Tech-Policy-Brief.pdf.
Victoria Rideout and Michael B. Robb, The Common Sense Census: Media Use by Kids Age Zero to Eight, 2020 (Common Sense Media, 2020), https://www.commonsensemedia.org/sites/default/files/uploads/research/2020_zero_to_eight_census_final_web.pdf.
Downloads
Published
How to Cite
Issue
Section
License
Copyright (c) 2023 Maria Cahill, Erin Ingram, Soohyung Joo
This work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial 4.0 International License.
Authors that submit to Information Technology and Libraries agree to the Copyright Notice.
