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Under the patronage of the French Ministry of Culture and Communication and the State
Secretary for Disabled Persons and Inclusion
Avec le parrainage du ministère de la Culture et de la Communication et du Secrétariat
d'Etat chargé des Personnes handicapées et de la Lutte contre l'exclusion
IFLA’s WLIC 2014 Satellite Conference
Conférence satellite IFLA LPD - IFLA WLIC 2014
eBooks for everyone!
An opportunity for more inclusive libraries
Des livres numériques accessibles !
Une chance pour des bibliothèques accessibles à tous les
publics
22-23 August 2014
Université Pierre et Marie Curie
Paris
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Partnership between libraries, publishers,
and specialized service providers to explore
the use of technology to re-engage families
Anne Curtis Digital Library Consultant and Janice Hall Library Development Manager (retired)
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Short Abstract— Fenham Children’s Library Project
‘Turning the Page’ aims to demonstrate how partnership
between libraries, publishers, and specialised service
providers can reverse the decline of shared storytelling,
rhyme and song, attracting and engaging families to rediscover libraries and a world of stories.
In 2013 Fenham Library was earmarked for closure. Your
Homes Newcastle, part of NE Social Housing Group, made the
decision to relocate its offices to the library building and to
keep the library open. Following a substantial refurbishment
programme Fenham library reopened in April 2014, ensuring
that book and library services remained at the heart of the
community.
II. REACHING OUT…COME ON IN
INTRODUCTION
Bridge NE, Fenham Community Library, local social provision
and the public and private sectors are working together to use
technology to reach and engage children, young people and
their families to rekindle a culture of stories.
Traditional activity of storytelling continues to be a powerful
learning and emotional resource in children's lives. Bedtime
stories and shared rhymes build strong bonds and play a vital
part in a child's development [1].
In some wards in Newcastle, a high percentage of adults
continue to have basic skills needs. Parents struggling with
literacy themselves may see libraries as alien and challenging
places. Library usage has fallen and many local libraries are
now closing.
Adults who have a problem with literacy may not have a culture
of books but they may well be highly technologically literate.
So can technology be used to reach out to such families?
We are exploring whether communication using digital
technologies can break down these barriers, helping families
discover the joy of shared reading and engage with their local
library.
We are aiming to place the library at the heart of digital
innovation, demonstrating how the library can work with
commercial and public sector to engage the local community to
create a new generation library [2].
I. FENHAM LIBRARY
Fenham Library was opened in 1938. For more than 70 years
this substantial Grade 2 Listed building has sat at the heart of
Fenham and Wingrove communities, serving a population if
more than 20,000 people of different ethnic origins.
The intervention of Your Homes Newcastle continues to offer
an opportunity to review the potential of Fenham library.
Presently the library offers an imposing façade. We aim to
attract more families by digitally changing the front of the
building to say… ‘Come on in… look what’s happening inside!’
Using sound and large-scale projections we can create
something magical … exciting … and curious. With permission
from Bloomsbury Children’s Book Publishing we will be able to
add the ‘WOW! factor by using the work of contemporary
children’s book Illustrators.
We aim to create an entrance to the children’s section using
giant books. The books will incorporate braille and textured
book surfaces. Once inside the children’s library area stories
really begin to happen! A flexible space is important and we
will create temporary areas using fabric and tent structures
with multi-sensory opportunities where light, projections and
sound can inspire and engage imaginations.
Using wireless iPad technology and projectors, we can change
the scale of story settings. Ryder Architecture is helping us to
realize this ambition with conceptual designs that will be
exhibited within the library [3].
III. STORY MAKING
We are working with Shoo Fly Publishing to apply their Story
Creator and story enrichment software to use in library
settings, enabling children to be makers as well as receivers of
stories
These digital applications demonstrate how animated books,
with supporting digital and physical experiences, engages
children of all abilities, developing language skills and the
capacity and confidence to communicate. The award-winning
Story-Creator software records children’s own voices as they
talk, describe, sing or tell stories, capturing children’s natural
ability to respond to things that intrigue or excite them.
Audio and strong visual images and intuitive navigation is
applied to capture interaction, supporting children and young
people with specific communication challenges. This will open
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the door to all children and young people to make stories within
the safe and secure environment of the library.
Working with the experience of Share the Vision, we can
further enhance software to ensure that it can be used by all
children, whether they need assistance in accessing print
formats or not.
We will address magnifying options for partially sighted young
people to ensure that any products we develop are easily
navigable and compatible with assistive technology solutions.
Our aim is for print disabled children to enjoy the same library
and reading experience as those who use conventional
reading methods through the use of interactive ICT and
physical experiences.
We believe mobile technologies can be used to engage hard to
reach groups and vulnerable families, thereby decreasing
feelings of cultural and intellectual isolation and raising
awareness of local library provision such as ‘Story Times’.
With this in mind Sunderland City Library commissioned Shoo
Fly Publishing to develop an app that would archive and
communicate early action rhymes to families who are not
library users.
IV. VALUING THE PAST TO ENRICH THE FUTURE
For many families, the oral tradition of ‘handing down’ rhymes
and stories from one generation has been lost. Wind the
Bobbin intergenerational project was designed to capture and
share traditional childhood songs, rhymes and stories and build
the archive into an app for children and their carers. These
childhood songs and rhymes are supported by spoken
instructions encouraging children to join in with actions,
promoting physical engagement between the child and their
carers.
The Wind the Bobbin app will be taken into the community via
health services and advertised in non-library settings such as
shopping malls.
V. IMMERSIVE SENSORY EXPERIENCES
We are working with local libraries to develop story enrichment
apps that demonstrate the symbiotic relationship between real
and digital books. Librarians will be able to use an iPad to
project interactive images via a wireless system to enrich
printed book storytelling experiences within a library setting. A
librarian can use the software or child to add moments of
enrichment to a story, and create sensory experiences, for
example, select a bird that starts to sing or make rain fall. The
stories can be further enriched with practical activities such as
dressing up and role-play.
CONCLUSION
This project demonstrates how agencies can be brought
together to apply technology to offer immersive experiences,
enrich storytelling experiences and re-engage families within a
library setting.
On June 13th, the Fenham Children’s Library project will be
launched with a ‘Mad Hatter’s Tea Party’, exhibition and
presentations. The aim of the launch is to pull all interested
parties together to share a passion for stories.
With the kind support of Ryder Architecture, we have created
an exhibition to engage the community with conceptual
responses to the creation of a story-making space [4].
We will be asking the community to respond to the exhibition
thereby placing the library as the hub of a community where
local people are active and involved in its design and delivery.
The partnership that evolves between the local community,
commercial enterprises and social providers will ensure that
the page is turned and new stories will happen in Fenham.
REFERENCES
[1] Research shows that, in particular, listening to stories
being read aloud is the single most important way that
adults can prepare their child for success in learning to
read. It is important for children to play with the spoken
word, listening to and making up their own songs and
rhymes.
High Scope: Pre-school Key experiences, Language and
Literacy
[2] It is clear from the research carried out that libraries
should remain at the heart of the community. It is an
environment that is trusted, welcoming and accessible. It
is the prime location to not just deliver lower-level digital
technology introductory sessions, which in itself it a
hugely valued offer for an adult demographic of users, but
to also introduce a wider variety of digital innovations to a
wider audience.
Bridge NE Research 2013 response to Arts Council The
Library of the Future: 5.1 Place the library at the hub of a
community
[3] Libraries should be at the heart of digital innovation. They
should develop their role in actively connecting
communities and helping people to experience,
experiment with and master new technologies.
Arts Council England Library of the Future Public
Libraries Priority 2: Make the most of digital technology
and creative media
[4] Space shared with community based services (such as
council, health, business support, and learning
organisations) will be better for local people, and will bring
benefits such as skills exchanges, reaching more people
and cutting costs.
Arts Council The Library of the Future Priority 1.
BIOGRAPHIES
Janice Hall was until recently Development Manager for
Newcastle Library Service. Janice has extensive knowledge of
the library sector having represented the library service on a
number of national committees. Janice chairs the Northern
Children’s Book Festival, which is one of the largest book
festivals in Europe, established over 30 years ago and still
running successfully reaching over 13,000 children in the North
East of England.
Anne Curtis is Founder and Creative
Director of Shoo Fly Publishing. Anne has
extensive experience as a teacher,
educational consultant, illustrator and
author of children’s books. She now leads
the Shoo Fly team in working with project
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partners to bring the concept of a community digital library to
life. The award winning company has developed a range of
digital resources and iPad apps to enrich storytelling and storymaking in both formal and informal settings.
Les technologies numériques – Partenariat entre
bibliothèques, éditeurs, et services spécialisés pour
explorer l'usage des technologies dans la ré-implication
des familles
Le projet "Tourner la page" de la Bibliothèque enfantine de
Fenham vise à démontrer comment les partenariats entre les
bibliothèques, les éditeurs et les fournisseurs de services
spécialisés peuvent mettre fin au déclin de la narration
partagée, la rime et de la chanson, et attirer et impliquer les
familles à redécouvrir les bibliothèques et le monde des
histoires.
Biographies
Janice Hall était jusqu'à récemment directeur du
développement du Service des bibliothèques de Newcastle.
Janice a une connaissance approfondie du secteur des
bibliothèques, ayant représenté son service dans un certain
nombre de comités nationaux. Janice préside le festival du
livre pour enfants du Nord, qui est l'un des plus grands
festivals du livre en Europe, créé il y a plus de 30 ans et
toujours actif, et dont l’audience peut atteindre plus de 13 000
enfants dans le Nord-Est de l'Angleterre.
Anne Curtis est fondatrice de Shoo Fly Publishing, dont elle
est la directrice de la création. Anne possède une vaste
expérience en tant que professeure, conseillère pédagogique,
illustratrice et auteure de livres pour enfants. Elle dirige
maintenant l'équipe Shoo Fly en collaboration avec des
partenaires du projet pour réaliser le concept d’une
bibliothèque numérique d’une communauté. L'entreprise a été
primée pour avoir développé une gamme de ressources
numériques et d’applications iPad pour enrichir la narration et
la création d’histoires dans des lieux institutionnels ou
informels.