Taking Time to Look Back: Reflective Practice in Librarianship
DOI:
https://doi.org/10.5860/cal.14n3.23Abstract
What makes a children’s library program successful? What measures indicate success? Is attendance evidence of success? Is making a difference in the lives of program participants and facilitators evidence of success?
We often use numbers to measure success, but what does “success” really look like? I asked these questions after facilitating a new program called Accidental Art: For Children of All Abilities at the Library. Reflection on the experience led to an integration of theory in practice, and programming hasn’t been the same since.
References
Barbara Klipper, Programming for Children and Teens with Autism Spectrum Disorder (Chicago: ALA Editions, 2014), 66–69.
Barney Saltzberg, Beautiful Oops! (New York: Workman, 2010).
Klipper, Programming for Children and Teens with Autism Spectrum Disorder, 67.
Donald A. Schön, The Reflective Practitioner (New York: Basic Books, 1983), 59–61.
Mark K. Smith, “Donald Schön: Learning, Reflection and Change,” The Encyclopedia of Informal Education, accessed January 10, 2016, http://infed.org/thinkers/et-schon.htm.
“When to Use Reflective Practice,” La Trobe University
Library LibGuides, accessed January 10, 2016, http://latrobe.libguides.com/content.php?pid=177292&sid=1498198.
Sue Kilminster et al., introduction to Beyond Reflective Practice: New Approaches to Professional Lifelong Learning, edited by Helen Bradbury, Nick Frost, Sue Kilminster, and Miriam Zukas (London and New York: Routledge, 2010).
Char Booth, Reflective Teaching, Effective Learning: Instructional Literacy for Library Educators (Chicago: American Library Association, 2011), 17.
Johannah Genett, “Measuring Outcomes for Teen Technology Programs,” Young Adult Library Services 13, no. 1 (Fall 2014): 25–28.
“What Is Outcomes Based Planning and Evaluation,” Shaping Outcomes: Making a Difference in Libraries and Museums, accessed January 10, 2016, http://shapingoutcomes.org/course/overview/a2.htm.
“Definitions,” Shaping Outcomes: Making a Difference in Libraries and Museums, accessed January 10, 2016, http://shapingoutcomes.org/course/overview/a3.htm.
“Audience Considerations,” Shaping Outcomes: Making a Difference in Libraries and Museums, accessed January 10, 2016, http://shapingoutcomes.org/course/plan/b4.htm.
“Add It Up,” Shaping Outcomes: Making a Difference in Libraries and Museums, accessed January 10, 2016, http://shapingoutcomes.org/course/plan/b5.htm.
“Defining Inputs,” Shaping Outcomes; Making a Difference in Libraries and Museums, accessed January 10, 2016, http://shapingoutcomes.org/course/build/c6.htm.
“Outputs,” Shaping Outcomes: Making a Difference in Libraries and Museums, accessed January 10, 2016, http://shapingoutcomes.org/course/build/c8.htm.
“Evaluating Outcomes,” Shaping Outcomes: Making a Difference in Libraries and Museums, accessed January
, 2016, http://shapingoutcomes.org/course/evaluate/d3.htm.
“Indicators,” Shaping Outcomes: Making a Difference in Libraries and Museums, accessed January 10, 2016, http://shapingoutcomes.org/course/evaluate/d6.htm.
Reah Joyce Rubin, “So What? Using Outcomes-Based Evaluation to Assess the Impact of Library Services” (presentation, Massachusetts Board of Library Commissioners, June, 2004), accessed January 10, 2016, https://mblc.state.ma.us/grants/lsta/manage/obe/rubinobemanual.doc.
Published
Issue
Section
License
In the event that an author's work is accepted for publication in CAL, the author is required to sign a copyright agreement with ALA/ALSC. For more information and/or to download the copyright forms, visit the ALA Publishing Web site.
Send correspondence to
Sharon Korbeck Verbeten
CAL editor
820 Spooner Ct.
De Pere, WI 54115
920-339-2740
CALeditor@yahoo.com
