Wednesday, June 23, 2010

A Changing Image for Public Libraries

Strategies by GTA public libraries to re-invent their branches as welcoming and dynamic community places are changing public perceptions of libraries. This change was recently summed up in a column by John Bentley Mays in the Globe and Mail Real Estate section, in which he profiled the Library District Condominium development in the Fort York area. In describing how the formerly desolate Fort York area is evolving, he captures the key elements of successful urban neighbourhoods:
….along with the towers, the signs of metropolitan civilization are appearing. There is now a big grocery store at the corner of Fort York Boulevard and Spadina Avenue, within easy walking distance of thousands of homes. Close to the store, a new school and park will soon be completed. And a couple of long blocks west along the uncompleted boulevard (where it joins Bathurst Street), one of the surest indicators of full-service urban culture will emerge: a spanking new 17,000-square-foot public library to be designed by Shirley Blumberg, partner in the Toronto firm of Kuwabara Payne McKenna Blumberg Architects.
He also notes the use of literary themes in the condo marketing – with suite layouts “named after honoured authors, including Jane Austen, Charles Dickens, Victor Hugo and Agatha Christie” – which he views as “an interestingly antiquarian gesture – especially in view of the fact that the branch library will almost certainly be a mediatheque, with many CDs, DVDs, computer terminals and such, instead of a conventional book morgue.”
http://www.theglobeandmail.com/real-estate/once-lonely-fort-york-area-starts-to-buzz/article1607745/

Schools as Community Hubs - 13th Annual Report on Ontario’s Publicly Funded Schools

People for Education recently released their 13th annual report on publicly funded schools in Ontario. http://www.peopleforeducation.com/annualreportschools09
Based on school surveys, community consultation, EQAO results and academic studies, the report provides an analysis of the current state of Ontario’s schools and makes recommendations to move the system forward. The report recommends that schools become community hubs, connecting with local institutions and those offering recreational, cultural and employment opportunities for youth. The report shows that Ontarians want schools that have strong links to their communities and graduate students with diverse skills and the ability to think critically and creatively.
Library staff already have good connections with local schools. This report indicates the time is ripe for an even stronger alliance between schools and MPL, starting with conversations that took place during recent kindergarten outreach visits, with Children’s Services Department staff and school staff exploring further collaboration opportunities.

Children who grow up with books have better futures

A recent research study reports that “children growing up in homes with many books obtain three years more of schooling than children from bookless homes regardless of a parents’ education, occupation and class.” Key points from the research:
• If you get parents reading even a small amount, children gain in cognition, learning capacities and vocabulary.
• It is important to get children reading when they are young and keep them reading. This is especially important for disadvantaged groups and immigrant groups.
Lead Researcher: “It doesn’t have to be a consuming way of life. You don’t have to throw out the TV. Books change your world. Each individual book when you have only a few opens up whole new worlds to you.”
http://www.parentcentral.ca/parent/education/article/797551--my-daughter-loves-books

Wednesday, June 16, 2010

Libraries and the Time Crunch

The latest report from the Canadian Index of Wellbeing, Caught in the Time Crunch: Time Use, Leisure and Culture in Canada, documents the increasing time pressures on the lives of Canadians, resulting in less time for social engagement and participation in leisure and cultural activities. Among the recommendations with relevance to public libraries:
  • Read to young children as a sure way to improve their learning and
    communication skills and help them get ready for school.
  • Expand opportunities for lifelong learning, recreation and social
    interaction for seniors through age-friendly community planning.
  • Promote inclusive environments for physical, leisure and social
    activities by ensuring everyone has the opportunity to participate.

Canadian Index of Wellbeing website: http://www.ciw.ca/en/Home.aspx