Becoming a Media Mentor

Haines, C., Campbell, C., & The Association for Library Services to Children, . (2016). Becoming a Media Mentor: A Guide for Working with Children and Families. Chicago, IL: ALA Editions.

In a time of rapidly changing technologies, the role of the youth services librarian has expanded to include the realm of digital media. Supporting children’s literacy now means serving as a media mentor. This book empowers youth services staff to confidently assist families and caregivers as they navigate the digital world, guiding them towards digital media experiences that will translate into positive and productive lifelong learning skills, regardless of format. Melding the latest research and key messages from a variety of experts with replicable examples, this book

• defines what it means to be a media mentor, providing historical background and context;
• outlines three types of media mentorship: media advisory, programming, and access to curated media;
• outlines the implications of media mentorship in libraries, focusing on a shift from the notion of “screen time” to “healthy media decisions”;
• draws on detailed case studies from a wide variety of libraries and community partnerships to showcase inspiring media mentorship in action with ages 0-14;
• provides guidelines for working with diverse families and caregivers; and
• explores management issues around media mentorship, ALSC competencies, suggestions of additional resources, and professional development.

Guiding children’s librarians to define, solidify, and refine their roles as media mentors, this book in turn will help facilitate digital literacy for children and families.

(book description)

Tap, Click, Read

Tap, Click, Read: Growing Readers in a World of Screens by Lisa Guernsey and Michael H. Levine. (2015). San Francisco, CA: Jossey-Bass, A Wiley Imprint. 978-1-119-09189-9.

In Tap, Click, Read authors Lisa Guernsey and Michael H. Levine envision a future that is human-centered first and tech-assisted second. They document how educators and parents can lead a new path to a place they call 'Readialand'—a literacy-rich world that marries reading and digital media to bring knowledge, skills, and critical thinking to all of our children. This approach is driven by the urgent need for low-income children and parents to have access to the same 21st-century literacy opportunities already at the fingertips of today's affluent families.With stories from homes, classrooms and cutting edge tech labs, plus accessible translation of new research and compelling videos, Guernsey and Levine help educators, parents, and America's leaders tackle the questions that arise as digital media plays a larger and larger role in children's lives, starting in their very first years of life.

Tap, Click, Read includes an analysis of the exploding app marketplace and provides useful information on new review sites and valuable curation tools. It shows what to avoid and what to demand in today's apps and e-books—as well as what to seek in community preschools, elementary schools and libraries. Peppered with the latest research from fields as diverse as neuroscience and behavioral economics and richly documented examples of best practices from schools and early childhood programs around the country, Tap, Click, Read will show you how to:

• Promote the adult-child interactions that help kids grow into strong readers
• Learn how to use digital media to build a foundation for reading and success
• Discover new tools that open up avenues for creativity, critical thinking, and knowledge-building that today's children need

The book's accompanying website, TapClickRead.org, keeps you updated on new research and provides vital resources to help parents, schools and community organizations.

(book description)
 

Metaliteracy: Reinventing Information Literacy to Empower Learners

Mackey, Thomas P. and Trudi E. Jacobson. Metaliteracy: Reinventing Information Literacy to Empower Learners. Neal-Schuman, 2014. ISBN: 978-1-55570-989-1

Description (from publisher's web site)
These well-respected experts on information literacy share their concept of metaliteracy, which expands the scope of traditional information skills (determine, access, locate, understand, produce, and use information) to include the collaborative production and sharing of information in participatory digital environments (collaborate, produce, and share) prevalent in today’s world. Combining theory and case studies, the authors

• Show why media literacy, visual literacy, digital literacy, and a host of other specific literacies are critical for informed citizens in the twenty-first century
• Offer a framework for engaging in today’s information environments as active, selfreflective, and critical contributors to these collaborative spaces
• Connect metaliteracy to such topics as metadata, the Semantic Web, metacognition, open education, distance learning, and digital storytelling

Table of Contents
A detailed table of contents is available on the publisher's web site.

Screen Time (book)

Guernsey, L. (2007). Screen Time: How Electronic Media--From Baby Videos to Educational Software--Affects your Young Child. New York: Basic Books.

Note: This is the paperback edition of Into the Minds of Babes. The only difference is the forward by Ellen  Wartella and a 20 page epilogue by the author.

As a mother, Lisa Guernsey wondered about the influence of TV on her two young daughters. As a reporter, she resolved to find out. What she first encountered was tired advice, sensationalized research claims, and a rather draconian mandate from the American Association of Pediatricians: no TV at all before the age of two. But like many parents, she wanted straight answers and realistic advice, so she kept digging: she visited infant-perception laps and child development centers around the country. She interviewed scored of parents, psychologists, cognitive scientists, and media researchers, as well as programming executives at Noggin, Disney, Nickelodeon, Sesame Workshop, and PBS. Much of what she found flies in the face of conventional wisdom and led her to conclude that new parents will be best served by focusing on "the three C's": content, context, and the individual child.

Advocating a new approach to TV and DVDs, Guernsey focuses on infants to five-year-olds and goes beyond the headlines to explore what exactly is "educational" about educational media. She examines how play and language development are affected by background and foreground TV and how to choose videos that are age-appropriate. She explains how to avoid the hype of "brain stimulation" and focus instead on social relationships and the building blocks of language and literacy. Along the way, she highlights independent research on shows ranging from Dora The Explorer to Dragon Tales, and distills some surprising new findings in the field of child development.

(book description)

Digital and Media Literarcy: Connecting Culture and Classroom

Hobbs, Renee. Digital and Media Literacy: Connecting Culture and Classroom. Thousand Oaks, CA: Corwin, 2011. ISBN: 978-1-4129-8158-3

From the Publisher:
Maximize the power of media for teaching 21^st-century skills

Today’s students tweet, text, and navigate apps up to 12 hours each day, but they may not know how to effectively analyze a TV show or website. Award-winning author Renee Hobbs demonstrates how to incorporate media literacy into the secondary classroom, providing the tools teachers need to:

• Effectively foster students' critical thinking, collaboration, and communication skills
• Integrate media literacy into every subject
• Select meaningful media texts for use in the classroom
• Recognize the "teachable moment" in dialogue about popular culture

Included are vignettes of Grade 6-12 teachers who are connecting their English, history, chemistry, and health classrooms to media culture. A companion website offers video clips and discussion questions related to the sample lesson plans in each chapter. Digital andMedia Literacy offers a wealth of ideas that you can implement immediately to prepare students for college and the workforce.

Into the Minds of Babes (book)

Guernsey, Lisa. (2007). Into the Minds of Babes: How Screen Time Affects Children From Birth to Age Five. NY: Perseus Books.

As a mother, Lisa Guernsey wondered about the influence of TV on her two young daughters. As a reporter, she resolved to find out. What she first encountered was tired advice, sensationalized research claims, and a rather draconian mandate from the American Association of Pediatricians: no TV at all before the age of two. But like many parents, she wanted straight answers and realistic advice, so she kept digging: she visited infant-perception laps and child development centers around the country. She interviewed scored of parents, psychologists, cognitive scientists, and media researchers, as well as programming executives at Noggin, Disney, Nickelodeon, Sesame Workshop, and PBS. Much of what she found flies in the face of conventional wisdom and led her to conclude that new parents will be best served by focusing on "the three C's": content, context, and the individual child.

Advocating a new approach to TV and DVDs, Guernsey focuses on infants to five-year-olds and goes beyond the headlines to explore what exactly is "educational" about educational media. She examines how play and language development are affected by background and foreground TV and how to choose videos that are age-appropriate. She explains how to avoid the hype of "brain stimulation" and focus instead on social relationships and the building blocks of language and literacy. Along the way, she highlights independent research on shows ranging from Dora The Explorer to Dragon Tales, and distills some surprising new findings in the field of child development.

(book description)

Net Cetera: Chatting with Kids About Being Online

Net Cetera: Chatting with Kids About Being Online. Washington, D.C.: U.S. Federal Trade Commission, 2009.

This booklet is designed to help parents teach their children about online safety. The publication was put together by OnGuardOnline.gov which provides “practical tips from the federal government and the technology community to help you guard against internet fraud, secure your computers, and protect your privacy.”

Anyone is welcome to download a PDF version from http://www.onguardonline.gov/pdf/tec04.pdf. It is also available in Spanish: http://www.alertaenlinea.gov/pdf/stec04.pdf.

According to the back of the booklet, you can order free copies from bulkorder.ftc.gov.

The Library PR Handbook: High-Impact Communications.

The Library PR Handbook: High-Impact Communications. Mark R. Gould, Ed. Chicago: ALA, 2010. 021.7 Libra2 ISBN 978-0-8389-1002-3

Highly recommended reading for anyone charged with the responsibility of summoning up community support and involvement in behalf of a school or community library. --The Midwest Book Review

Must read for librarians working in multi-type libraries. --Camila Alire, ALA President 2009-10

This just-in-time, user-friendly guide has something to help every librarian, from the newly-minted grad to seasoned veteran, meet today s complex communications challenges. --Rochelle Lefkowitz, founder, Pro Media Communications


The fast-paced and complex PR role is becoming increasingly important as libraries need to respond quickly to the changing media landscape and the country's demographic shifts. This handbook will get you on the right PR track with: ideas to harness a celebrity brand and create effective public service announcements; the how-tos of amplifying your message through partnerships; the means to develop affordable podcasts, savvy outreach programs, and special events; and tips for using gaming to build excitement. Written by high-profile experts in the PR field, "The Library PR Handbook" is the essential reader for those looking to spice up their library's message and get the word out.

Teaching Media Literacy

De Abreu, Belinha S. Teaching Media Literacy: A How-to-Do-It Manual and CD-ROM. New York: Neal-Schuman Publishers, 2007. ISBN 1-55570-596-0

Can you list the 5 core concepts and questions for media literacy? Have you heard of the TAP model? Have you ever combined media literacy skills with a history or science lesson? If you answered no to any of these questions, consider reading this valuable resource. -- Jen

Booklist Review:
Media literacy is gaining attention as information literacy is being parsed into various components. The term is actually short for mass media, as opposed to multimedia or mixed media, and focuses on discerning the message and agenda of producers. The ultimate intent is to help beginners become savvy consumers as well as learning how to create media messages. To this end, De Abreu explains (mass) media literacy, discusses its significance in the lives of youth, and describes the current status of media literacy education. The majority of the book includes basic lesson development and seven sample topical lessons on television, music and radio, advertising, media production, and more. Each lesson includes a brief overview and several mini lessons. Following the lessons is a section providing a glossary and lists of resources. The accompanying CD-ROM repeats the lessons, handouts, and glossary. This is a practical “package deal” that will help beginning librarians and educators. --Lesley Farmer