Job Security

This week's discussion on copyright, open educational resources, and social media made for an interesting mix of topics all of which I think can be connected as job security for librarians. There are a lot of discussions about AI and google possibly taking away jobs from this profession, but we all know that sometimes it takes a real living breathing person to answer your questions and give you a creative solution. The way we use the tools at our disposal could make for a persuasive argument in favor of having a qualified librarian.

Ms. Valerie Byrd-Fort made the important point that the librarian is to be the copyright expert in the school. Reading all the copyright regulations, and code for fair use can be very confusing and I admit a bit daunting. For a school to have a librarian who is armed with accurate information is an invaluable resource. I intend to purchase the copy of Complete Copyright for Librarians and K-12 Educators that she suggested to have on hand in my own school for this purpose. Copyright protects intellectual property which is important to protect their livelihood. Being able to use inserts of this type of material is important in an educational setting, however. As with most laws they are there to protect both parties.

The use of open educational resources can be helpful in bridging some of that gap. I have already found several open educational resources of use in teaching and planning my collaborative unit and also in preparing my own digital literacy instruction. Kahn Academy and Common Sense Media have been very useful to add to material I have already put together, and both already include the standards they are addressing. This makes it so simple to insert alongside your own material and they contain quality educational material. I look forward to learning about more specialized OERs to add to my resources.

Photo by Karsten Winegeart on Unsplash

Another part of my reading for this week that can benefit librarians is the use of social media to promote their program. In today's world, students and parents alike are walking around with what equates to a small handheld computer in their pocket. More people than ever get their news directly from social media. You may even be reading this blog post on your phone right now. For that reason, it only makes sense that the easiest way to stay connected would be through social media. In Tara Gold's slideshow, Booktube, Bookstagram, and BookTok: Oh My!, Tara discusses all the different forms of social media accounts that a school librarian can use along with different hashtags for each which could be very beneficial for someone who doesn't have a lot of experience using these platforms. I have my own personal social media accounts, but had never really considered the benefits to having an individualized one for my library. Our school has its own social media accounts that information is shared on and even photos from different library programs, so I did not really see the need. Now, however, I can see the benefit of having one whether to promote your library or maybe even as an individual librarian as it helps to get students and parents more engaged and aware of what is happening. As the old saying goes, "Seeing is believing." If people are seeing all the great things happening in your library, they are more likely to believe in the benefits of all that it has to offer and the librarian who is running it.

References:

Gold, Tara (n.d.). BookTube, Bookstagram, and BookTok: Oh My!. Google Docs. http://bit.ly/goldSLIDES