Volume 82, No. 3 - Mississippi Library Association
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Volume 82, No. 3 Fall 2019
Mississippi Libraries Vol. 82 No. 3 • Fall 2019 Page 40
A Quarterly Publication of the ISSN 0194-388X
Mississippi Library Association
©2019
Editorial Staff Contents
Editor
President’s Page................................................................................................. 41
Tina Harry A Snapshot of Programming at Public Library Websites in Mississippi... 42
Catalog & Asst. Automation Librarian
The University of Mississippi Melinda Ann Smith Rushing
tharry@olemiss.edu STEM Programming for Youth...................................................................... 46
Amber Stephenson
Assistant Editor
Tracy Carr
2019 Annual Conference Preview.................................................................. 53
Library Services Bureau Director National Library Week 2019........................................................................... 61
Mississippi Library Commission
tcarr@mlc.lib.ms.us David Brown
SLIS Notes......................................................................................................... 63
Copy Editor Teresa S. Welsh
Audrey Beach
Resource Librarian News Briefs........................................................................................................ 65
Mississippi Delta Community College People in the News........................................................................................... 68
beachgirl1796@gmail.com
Book Reviews.................................................................................................... 70
Discovering Cat Island: Photographs and History
News Reporter
Carol Green Aaron Henry: The Fire Ever Burning
Interim Head of Technical Services
University of Southern Mississippi Scooter Mouse and the Teddy Bears
Carol.Green@usm.edu Mississippi Witness: The Photographs of Florence Mars
Book Review Editor
Michele Frasier-Robinson
Education and Human Sciences Librarian
University of Southern Mississippi
susan.frasierrobinson@usm.edu
MLA Reporter
Janessa Ullendorf On the cover: Jackson Falls by Kara Roberts, Starkville Public Library
Circulation/Media Specialist Jackson Falls is located on the Duck River on the Natchez Trace near Hickman, Tenn.
Univeristy of Southern Mississippi Gulf Coast
Janessa.Ullendorf@usm.edu
Indexer
Kristin Rogers
Electronic Resources & Discovery Librarian Mississippi Libraries is a quarterly, open access publication of the Mississippi Library
The University of Mississippi Association (MLA). The articles, reports, and features herein represent viewpoints of
kerogers@olemiss.edu their respective authors and are not necessarily the official options of the Association.
In order to assure the widest possible audience for the works published in Mississippi
Libraries, the work is added, by contractual agreement, to one or more EBSCO
Publishing databases. Mississippi Libraries is also indexed in Library Literature and
Information Science Abstracts.
For more informaton, visit http://misslib.org/publications
Mississippi Libraries Vol. 82 No. 3 • Fall 2019 Page 41
2019 Executive Board President’s Page
President
Sarah Crisler-Ruskey
At our last meeting, the Executive
Director Board and Section and Roundtable
Harrison County Public Library System Chairs, as well as some committee
Vice-President
members toured the Westin, the site
Mary Beth Applin of the upcoming Annual Confer-
District Dean of Learning Resources ence. Mary Beth Applin, Vice Pres-
Hinds Community College
ident, and her team have been very
Secretary hard at work putting together this
Victoria Penny conference.
Instructional Librarian
Northwest Miss. Community College
We have had changes in our lead-
ership makeup this quarter, as Shei-
Treasurer la Cork retired, and Stephen Parks that limiting public libraries to pur-
Jennifer Wann
Director
and Joyce Shaw are now co-chairs of chasing one copy of popular titles
Bolivar County Library System the Special Libraries Section. until after an eight-week embargo
As mentioned in my last column, period passes unnecessarily limits
Immediate Past President
Sarah Mangrum the Executive Board voted to pro- access.
Access Services Librarian and pose to the general membership a The Outreach Committee hosted
Assistant Clinical Professor change in the handbook language to
University Libraries (USM) a tent at the Mississippi Book Fes-
clarify eligibility for nominations for tival August 18 manned by various
ALA Councilor offices. This language has gone out member volunteers and by our ded-
Ellen Ruffin via the MLA list and will be voted
Curator, de Grummond Children’s icated MLA Administrator, Paula
Literature Collection on at our October General Meeting, Bass. It was hot, but we saw a large
McCain Library and Archives so be sure to check your email for crowed of book lovers during the
that information. festival. We met several potential
SELA Councilor
Ashley S. Dees The Board is always looking for new members and even some po-
Research & Instruction Librarian ways to reach new members and tential new librarians.
University of Mississippi Libraries discussed the possibility of adding By now you will have received
institutional memberships to our information about the Annual Con-
Section Chairs
Association of College and Research options. In order to research how ference October 22-25 at the Westin
Libraries (ACRL) Section Chair this might work, the Board formed in Jackson. Make your plans now to
Kristy Bariola an ad hoc committee to investigate attend and enjoy a variety of great
Public Library Section Chair the potential for adding this to our programming for all types of librar-
Antoinette Giamalva current membership types. ians. The Pre-Conference sponsored
School Library Section Chair
On the advocacy front, MLA has by the Public Library Section with
Jeanette Whisenton joined ALA and state associations author Ryan Dowd also promises
across the country in drafting a let- to be excellent. School Library Sec-
Special Libraries Section Chairs
Stephen Parks and Joyce Shaw
ter opposing the e-book embargo tion chair, Jeannette Whisenton, an-
announced by Macmillan Publish- nounced that the President-Elect of
Trustees Section Chair ing in July. This new policy, which is the American Association of School
Rickey Jones
set to begin November 1 of this year, Librarians will join us at Conference.
For more information, visit: limits public libraries to one copy of The Scholarship Committee and
http://misslib.org/Executive-Board popular titles until after an eight- the Black Caucus are working hard
week embargo period. As librarians, on the Silent Auction to support the
we want to ensure all patrons can Peggy May and Virgia Brocks-Shedd
find the materials they need and feel
Mississippi Libraries Vol. 82 No. 3 • Fall 2019 Page 42
Scholarships. Don’t forget to stop by Whatever type of library you at MLA, so we hope to see you
and help support these great caus- represent, there will be opportuni- there.
es. In addition, the President’s Bash ties for learning and celebration of
supports these opportunities. library work and accomplishments
A Snapshot of Programming at Public
Library Websites in Mississippi
Melinda Ann Smith Rushing INTRODUCTION the community. Libraries offer spe-
Branch Manager Sociologist Ray Oldenburg (1989) cial collections of cooking imple-
East Central Public Library ments and automotive tools (ALA,
Jackson-George Regional Library System created the concept of a third place.
The “third place” is a “community 2007). Libraries are more than a col-
meeting space such as cafes, pubs lection of books or tools. Through
ABSTRACT
and village halls which are neither programs, public libraries offer the
As the ‘Third Place” in a person’s
domestic nor workspace (Oxford, public exposure to the arts, educa-
life, public libraries are tasked to
2018). Public libraries are consid- tion, career planning, government
uphold the Library Bill of Rights es-
ered the “third place” in a person’s programs, films, early learning for
tablished by the American Library
life with home and work being the children, and multigenerational
Association. One of the ways to pro-
first and second. As the “Third family programs (Edwards et al.,
vide the “Third Place” is for public
Place”, public libraries are tasked to 2013).
libraries to offer programming. The
uphold the Library Bill of Rights es- The purpose of this study is to
ideal programming should be of-
tablished by the American Library assess the scope and variability of
fered to all groups and on a variety
Association. The first right is stated programs offered by public libraries
of subjects. The question is how well
as “Books and other library resourc- in Mississippi and included on their
Mississippi public libraries do in
es should be provided for the inter- websites. There are four question
providing programming for many
est, information, and enlightenment this study investigates; 1) Which age
people on many subjects.
of all people of the community the ranges do programs of the libraries
The purpose of this article is to
library serves. Materials should not in this study target? 2) What types
analyze the scope and variety of
be excluded because of the origin, of programs are offered for different
programs offered in Mississippi
background, or views of those con- age ranges? 3) How frequently are
public library and included on their
tributing to their creation” (ALA, programs held off-site versus onsite?
websites. This research analyzes the
2007, para 2). One of the ways to And when held offsite, where? and 4)
types and regularity of programs of-
provide the “Third Place” is for pub- How many programs are recurring
fered at Mississippi public libraries.
lic libraries to offer programming. versus one-time events? This study
Data were collected by viewing each
Today people are questioning is restricted to the websites for pub-
public library system website and
the relevance of public libraries in lic libraries in Mississippi. The study
analyzing the data. Further research
the on-the-go lives of Americans. does not consider other sources of
is recommended to include how so-
The American Library Association promoting library programs such
cial media is being used by public
(ALA) seeks to address this ques- as flyers and posters, social media
libraries to promote programs. Also,
tion, ‘Why do we need public librar- (Facebook, Twitter, Instagram) or
a study could be done to look at how
ies?’. Public libraries are the hub of email and mailed newsletters. It is
effective social media is in the mar-
their community. Libraries provide assumed that the websites for the
keting of programs.
education and entertainment. They public libraries in Mississippi are
Peer-Reviewed Article. Received: 06/26/2019 offer an archive for local history of accurate and up to date. It is also
Accepted: 08/29/2019
Mississippi Libraries Vol. 82 No. 3 • Fall 2019 Page 43
assumed that the information of- The purpose of Beckett-Willis’ literacy found on English-speaking
fered about their programs are a 2018 research was to use webomet- Canada public libraries. The au-
reasonably accurate representation rics or website content analysis to thor used a sample size of 20 urban
of the programs offered and the ages examine Mississippi public library public libraries for her research and
those programs are intended. websites to determine how teen focused on information for parents
There have been studies on web- programming was marketed. The of young children and elements of
site content analysis focusing on findings of her research showed diversity and inclusion. Prendergast
links and placements. Some re- 69 percent of public library sys- concluded that public library web-
search has focused on readers’ ad- tem websites did not promote teen sites were not being used to their
visory or entrepreneur resources. programs. Consequently, her study full potential in discussing early lit-
Other papers have been written shows that public library websites eracy (2013, p. 252).
concerning early literacy or e-gov- (31%) that did promote teen pro- Burke and Boggs (2015) analyzed
ernment information on library gramming provided information on the access to federal, state and local
websites. This study builds upon library home pages, library calen- government programs, websites
a similar, previous study by Beck- dars and/or dedicated web pages for and forms form public library web-
ett-Willis (2018) that examined teen teens (Becket-Willis, p. 71). Beck- sites. The authors used a sample size
programming in Mississippi public et-Willis concluded her study with of 396 public libraries and used a
libraries, but it extends the research the suggestion that further research content analysis checklist to check
to examine programming in gener- should be done to explore how teen specific variables. The results of the
al as listed on the libraries’ websites. library programs are promoted research were that 1/3 of public li-
The results of this research may be using social media as well as the cre- braries had some form of govern-
used by library staff and librarians ation of teen pages for public library ment information on their website,
to compare what public libraries in websites (Becket-Willis, p. 72). usually links to government web-
the state are offering as programs or In their research, Velasquez and sites or forms (2015, p. 50).
may be used to increase or modify Evans (2018) investigated the ex- Faulkner’s 2018 study explored
existing programs at public libraries. istence of “electronic branches” in entrepreneurial resource discovery
1,517 public libraries in Australia, on public library webpages. The
LITERATURE REVIEW Canada, and the United States in author researched 46 of the largest
Burke and Strothmann’s (2015) a four-year quantitative study. The US public libraries as listed by the
study on adult readers’ advisory analysis looked for issues such as the American Library Association and
(RA) analyzed the websites of pub- availability of online resources, staff used a checklist assessment tool for
lic libraries to see if online RA was available to answer user questions, each library site. Faulkner concluded
being used. The authors examined a and accessibility of the website. The that the catalog search offered many
random sample of 369 U.S. public li- authors searched for 18 criteria on print and digital resources and most
braries’ websites and used a content the public library websites and doc- of the libraries partnered with com-
analysis checklist to look for RA el- umented results using a spread- munity organizations to offer pro-
ements on the library websites. The sheet. The authors concluded that gram of interest to entrepreneurs
instances of RA’s in the study were the websites of public libraries in in their area. Overall, the results of
either completely online or an “out- Canada and the United States had Faulkner’s research showed strong
reach element for in-person activi- more criteria than the Australian support for entrepreneurs but gave
ties” (p 135). Burke and Strothmann libraries (2018, para 1). They stated recommendations for improvement
concluded that only a minority of that the research collected provides (2018, p. 78).
libraries offer a strong RA presence a template for library staff to create The methodology of this study is
on their websites, and most libraries an electronic branch with their li- like previous web analysis because
offer readers’ advisory information brary system. it focuses on resources available on
to promote in-person instruction In her 2013 paper, Prendergast library websites. It builds upon the
such as book clubs (p 141). critiqued information about early Beckett-Willis (2018) study of teen
Mississippi Libraries Vol. 82 No. 3 • Fall 2019 Page 44
programming resources on public Figure 1. Age Ranges for Programs Posted on Library Websites
library websites in Mississippi. It
differs from that study because it fo-
cuses on programming information
in general on the website. The results
of this research may be used by li-
brary staff and librarians to compare
what public libraries in the state are
offering as programs or may be used
to increase or modify existing pro-
grams at public libraries.
METHODS
This project used a webometric
approach (library website content
study) to analyze the types and reg-
ularity of programs offered at public
libraries in Mississippi. Data were
recorded in a spreadsheet. The data
were further explained using charts
and graphs. It was assumed that the
library websites did have up-to-date
and correct information.
This study included only Missis-
sippi public libraries. A list of public
libraries was retrieved from the Mis- websites, and 19 did not have pro- found that 96 (17%) of programs
sissippi Library Association’s web- grams on their websites. Of the 53 were open to all ages. The study
site. Data were collected by viewing library systems, 31 websites showed discloses 23 different types of pro-
each public library system web- 547 programs in April 2019. Cen- grams offered based on the library
site, using the site search engine to tral Mississippi Regional Library system websites. The most common
search for library programs, and fol- System offered the most programs program type is Storytime with 100
lowing the links. The data covered a in April 2019 with 159. Harrison or 18.3 percent of 547 programs.
one-month period, April 2019. This County Library System offered 65 Table 1 shows Storytime as the most
study was restricted to the websites programs. First Regional Library of- common program type with DIY &
for public libraries in Mississippi, so fered 53 programs. Jackson-George Crafts as the second most common
results of this study are not gener- Regional Library System offered 41 at 13.3 percent with 73 programs.
alizable to public library websites programs. Mid-Mississippi Region- Table 2 shows the most common
in other states. with the conduct of al Library System offered 33 pro- program type for each age range.
this research. All information ac- grams as the 5th largest number of The research presents Storytime as
quired from the library websites was programs offered. the most offered program for Pre-
available to the public.
Based on the Mississippi public li- school (ages 0-5) and Elementary
brary websites viewed, 547 programs (ages 6-11) children. For Middle
FINDINGS were posted. As shown in Figure 1, School (ages 12-14) and Adults (ages
In this study, the websites of 53 the 19-59 age range accounts for 181 19-59), Book Groups are commonly
Mississippi library systems were (33%) of the 547 programs posted. offer by Mississippi public libraries.
analyzed for programs. Of the 53 li- The 0-5 age range accounts for 84 For Teens (ages 15-18), the most re-
brary systems, 3 did not have library (15%) of the 547 programs. It was curring program was tied between
Mississippi Libraries Vol. 82 No. 3 • Fall 2019 Page 45
Table 1. Ten Most Common Program Table 2. Top Programs by Age Range social media in the mar-
Types keting of programs. The
Types of Programs Number of Age Ranges Top Program Number of data from this and future
Programs Programs research could be used to
Storytime 100 0-5 years Storytime 69 create a marketing plan
DIY & Crafts 73 6-11 years Storytime 22 for libraries to promote
Games 58 12-14 years Book Groups 4 programming effectively.
Book Groups 49 15-18 years Discussion 12 This data can be useful to
Discussion 40 DIY& Crafts 12 evaluate how each public
Authors & Writing 32 19-59 years Book Groups 33 library system compares
Heath & Wellness 31 60+ years Health & Wellness 4 to others in Mississippi.
Movies 27
There may be
programming ideas especially the
STEM/STEAM 21 programs were common for the 0-5 anomalies that can be shared among
Computer & Technology 19 and 6-11 age ranges. Book Groups the libraries. Librarians and other li-
were prominent for the 12-14 and brary staff can use the findings as a
18-59 age ranges. The 15-18 age stepping-stone to expand their pro-
Discussion and DIY & Crafts pro- range were offered DIY & Crafts gramming or a foundation for new
grams. For senior adults (60 & up), and Discussions. The 60 and up collaboration with other libraries.
programs on health & wellness age range had Health & Wellness Imagine pooling the creativity and
were a popular offering with public programs. ideas of library staff across the 53
libraries. Most programs were variations Mississippi public library systems.
Based on the study, public li- of the 23 program types discussed As Dr. Seuss said “Oh, the places
braries in Mississippi held most in this paper. But a few anomalies you’ll go! There is fun to be done!”
programs at the library. Only 7 showed up in in the research, pro- (1990, para 24).
programs or 1.3 percent of library grams like Spring Bird Watching,
programs were held off-site. Those Community Connections: Human REFERENCES
locations included restaurants, Trafficking Awareness, and Teen: American Library Association (2007). The benefits
of public programming for participating libraries
parks, government and nonprofit April Fool’s Day Prank-a-palooza and audiences. Retrieved from http://www.ala.
facilities. A majority at 62.7 percent at the Central Mississippi Regional org/aboutala/offices/ppo/resources/benefitspub-
lic, DOI: 7995f759-2981-5aa4-e968-c8867c6838ff
or 343 programs were recurring. So, Library System. First Regional Li- American Library Association (2006). Library Bill of
204 programs or 34.3 percent were brary System offered four programs Rights. Retrieved from http://www.ala.org/advo-
cacy/intfreedom/librarybill, DOI: 669fd6a3-8939-
held one time. geared to Spanish speaking patrons, 3e54-7577-996a0a3f8952
Class Gratuitas de Ingles y Civica Beckett-Willis, A. (2018). Teen programming on Mis-
sissippi public library websites. Master’s research
CONCLUSION Para Adultos, Padres Hispanic Como project, Mississippi Libraries, 80(4), 68-73.
In this study, the websites of 53 Companeros de Lecture, Cuentos en Burke, S. & Boggs, E. M. (2015). E-Government on
Mississippi library systems were Espanol: a Spanish Storytime, and public library websites. Public Libraries, 54(2),
42-51.
analyzed for programs. Of the 53 li- Mami y Yo. Research did not show Burke, S. & Strothmann, M. (2015). Adult read-
brary systems, 3 did not have library other programs for Spanish speak- ers’ advisory services through public library
websites. Reference & User Services Quarterly,
websites, and 19 did not have pro- ing or other non-English speaking 55(2), 132-143. DOI: http://dx.doi.org/10.5860/
grams on their websites. Of the 53 patrons. rusq.55n2.132
Edwards, J. B., Rauseo, M. S., & Unger, K. R. (2013).
library systems, 31 websites showed Now the question is what do we Community centered: 23 Reasons why your
547 programs in April 2019. Of the do with this information? The re- library is the most important place in town, Public
Libraries Online. Retrieved from http://publicli-
547 programs, the most common search minded librarian could build brariesonline.org/2013/04/community-centered-
five types of programs were Story- upon this data to show how social 23-reasons-why-your-library-is-the-most-import-
ant-place-in-town/
time, DIY & Crafts, Games, Book media is being used to promote pro- Faulkner, A. E. (2018). Entrepreneurship resources
Groups, and Discussion. Storytime grams. Additionally, a study could in US public libraries: website analysis. Refer-
ence Services Review, 46(1), 69-90. https://doi.
be done to look at how effective is org/10.1108/RSR-07-2017-0025
Mississippi Libraries Vol. 82 No. 3 • Fall 2019 Page 46
Oxford Reference (2018). Third Place. Retrieved 10.1080/01930826.2013.865389 Public library standards. Retrieved from https://
from http://www.oxfordreference.com/ Reitz, J.M. (2018). Webometrics. ODLIS: Online www.in.gov/library/standards.htm
view/10.1093/acref/9780199568758.001.0001/ dictionary for library and information science. Valasquez, D. & Evans, N. (2018). Public library
acref-9780199568758-e-2791 Retrieved from https://www.abc-clio.com/ODLIS/ websites as electronic branches: A multi-country
Prendergast, T. (2013). Growing readers: A critical odlis_w.aspx quantitative evaluation. Information Research: An
analysis of early literacy content for parents on Seuss, Dr. (1990). Oh, the Places You’ll Go!. New York, International Electronic Journal. 23(1). Retrieved
Canadian public library websites. Journal of NY: Random House. from http://InformationR.net/ir/23-1/paper786.
Library Administration, 53(4), 234-254. DOI: State of Indiana (2018). Library Sponsored Program: html
STEM Programming for Youth
A Webometric Study of Mississippi Public Libraries in 2018
Amber Stephenson services staff in Mississippi public that provides opportunities for
Interim Director libraries should consider increas- hands-on learning. Public librar-
Hancock County Library System ing the number of STEM programs ies are in a unique position to offer
offered at their libraries to support effective STEM programming to
Abstract the focus on STEM education in the youth, because as an institution li-
This study analyzed the extent to United States. braries are seen as places that reach
which Mississippi libraries are offer- out to and support the development
ing science, technology, engineer- Introduction of underserved and underprivileged
ing, and/or mathematics (STEM) One of the hottest trends in edu- families (Shtivelband, Riendeau, &
programming for youth using a we- cation today is STEM, which stands Jakubowski, 2017). By developing
bometric analysis of the programing for science, technology, engineer- and offering STEM programming
information available on websites ing, and mathematics. While these targeted at youth, public libraries
of public libraries in Mississippi. concepts have long been a part of can help to bridge the gap between
The focus of this study was STEM United States education, studies the classroom and real-world prac-
programs for youth listed on those have shown that jobs in STEM fields tical STEM applications.
websites, such as in public pro- are on the rise and education must In order to determine the extent
gramming schedules or calendars. make these concepts a priority (U.S. to which public libraries are offering
Information on current and past Department of Education, n.d.). STEM programs to youth, this study
programming was available from 31 However, youth in the United States will analyze programming informa-
percent of studied websites. In the tend to lose interest in STEM sub- tion that is available on websites of
studied months of July, August, Sep- jects as they get older (States, 2015). public libraries in the state of Mis-
tember, and October, October had This may be because practical ap- sissippi. The results may provide
the most youth programs report- plications of STEM principles may insight into whether public libraries
ed with 475, although July had the provide more meaningful experi- in Mississippi have taken the oppor-
most STEM programs with 65, pos- ences than traditional classroom tunity to offer STEM education to
sibly in conjunction with summer learning. youth and whether these programs
reading programs. STEM programs Public libraries have long offered are being scheduled, and how often.
constituted 10 percent of total youth programming to all age groups. Tra- This may be of interest to youth
programming offered during the ditional programs such as storytimes programming staff in Mississippi
period studied. Of STEM programs and book clubs take place alongside by discovering any possible gaps in
offered, 65 percent targeted ele- more modern programs such as dig- STEM programming.
mentary school aged children, with ital literacy instruction and gaming The proposed project will ex-
teenagers and preschoolers offered events. It is a natural step to begin amine the extent to which public
less STEM programming. Youth offering STEM programs to youth libraries in the state of Mississippi
Peer-Reviewed Article. Received: 07/05/2019 in a less formal educational setting are incorporating STEM programs
Accepted: 08/25/2019
Mississippi Libraries Vol. 82 No. 3 • Fall 2019 Page 47
for youth at different developmen- STEM-related youth programming a quarter of respondents reported
tal stages as indicated by informa- is offered in public libraries in Mis- offering STEM programs at least
tion on programming on library sissippi, this study will show areas monthly, and the majority of all re-
websites. where libraries are doing well as well spondents stated that they wished to
The following questions will guide as areas for improvement. Results offer programs for children in kin-
the proposed study: What percent- may be of interest to youth profes- dergarten all the way to high school,
age of Mississippi public libraries sionals at public libraries, teachers indicating that library staff who plan
keep information on current and in STEM fields, and community youth programs see the importance
past programming on their web- partners. of STEM principles across devel-
site? In the state of Mississippi, how opmental stages (Shtivelband et al.,
often are youth programs which Literature Review 2017). There are numerous websites
focus on STEM concepts offered at and blogs that promote STEM ed-
STEM Programs
public libraries? What age groups, ucation, as well as agencies such as
While relatively little scholarly the National Center for Interactive
such as preschool, elementary, or
research could be located on STEM Learning and Science Technology
teen, are youth-focused STEM pro-
programming in public libraries, Activities and Resources Network,
grams offered for in Mississippi at
there are many articles from pro- or STAR Net (Overbey, Dotson, &
public libraries? How does the num-
fessional and scholarly publications LaBadie, 2018). Partnerships with
ber of STEM-focused programs for
on the benefits of STEM program- businesses, higher education, muse-
youth compare to the total number
ming and best practices. Hopwood ums, and university extension ser-
of youth programs offered in public
(2012) suggests that by focusing too vices can also help to bring quality
libraries in the state of Mississippi?
narrowly on literacy, public libraries STEM programs to youth in public
This study includes only those
are doing their communities a dis- libraries (Overbey et al., 2018).
programs that are identifiable as
service by neglecting the nonfiction
STEM based on the given descrip- Website Analysis
section of the collection, which is
tions of the programs. To qualify for While no webometric studies
typically a significant portion of the
this study, the program must be list- published on STEM-related youth
print materials. By offering STEM
ed on publicly available program- programming could be located in the
programming, public libraries can
ming information such as schedules LIS literature, there are studies with
demonstrate a willingness to offer
or calendars via library websites. So- a similar methodology that analyze
informal education and promote
cial media platforms such as Face- library websites for information on
community partnerships, which
book, Twitter, or Instagram are not both youth materials and program-
could possibly positively influence
included. Only public library web- ming. Kanazawa, Maruyama, and
stakeholders when funding is being
sites in the state of Mississippi are Motoki (2011) studied the website
discussed (Hopwood, 2012).
included in this study. content and structure for public li-
Another reason to offer STEM
It is assumed that public informa- brary web pages aimed at children
programming in public libraries is
tion on programming available on in Japan. Each website was evaluated
that the United States has fallen be-
library websites in this study is ac- for informational tool contents such
hind in terms of STEM education
curate, complete, and up to date. It is as program information, reference
and there are federal initiatives to
further assumed that programs have tool contents such as internet links,
increase schooling in these fields
a clear title and/or an accurate de- instructional tool contents such as
(Sharma, 2016). Jobs in STEM fields
scription of the program’s content. homework help, and research con-
are rising, and these workers earn
Lastly, it is assumed that programs tent tools such as information on
higher than median wages, which
scheduled during data collection children’s books. It was determined
makes STEM programming for
are accurately representative of the that the evaluated websites focused
youth an easy way to give necessary
libraries’ STEM programming in on informational tool contents
and profitable life skills to children
general. and reference tool contents, while
of all ages (Sharma, 2016). In a sur-
By determining how often instructional tool contents and
vey of public libraries, more than
Mississippi Libraries Vol. 82 No. 3 • Fall 2019 Page 48
research tool contents were less fre- implementing programs for youth Limitations
quent (Kanazawa et al., 2011). that are STEM-focused by analyzing Because this study took data from
Prendergast (2013) studied the their websites for information on public library websites, only librar-
websites of 20 public libraries in programming. ies who keep information on pro-
Canada to see if early literacy re- gramming available on their web-
sources were presented with in- Methodology sites were included. Libraries who
clusiveness in mind. A sample of This study was performed using perform their program announce-
English-speaking libraries was se- a webometric analysis of the web- ments and promotions via social
lected across several provinces, and sites of public libraries in Missis- media platforms were not includ-
the text and image content of each sippi. The focus of this study is ed, which could potentially lead to
was viewed through a “diversity/in- STEM programs for youth that are some programs being missed. While
clusion lens” (Prendergast, 2013, p. listed on those websites, such as in results and findings may not be rep-
236). Because many storytimes were public programming schedules or resentative of STEM programming
advertised as being for specific ages, calendars. in other states or other types of li-
few encouraged attendance by ESL braries, this could be a topic for fur-
Data Collection and Analysis
families, and disabilities and devel- ther research to determine if results
opmental delays were left out of de- The list of public libraries in are comparable.
scriptions and images. The author Mississippi was obtained from the
Mississippi Library Commission
suggested keeping inclusivity and Results and Discussion
increasing diverse communities in (MLC). According to this directory,
What percentage of Mississippi
mind when creating and promoting there are 53 public library systems
public libraries keep information
early literacy resources (Prender- in Mississippi (MLC, n.d.). Each
on current and past programming
gast, 2013). library’s website was explored to lo-
on their website?
cate any publicly available program-
Beckett-Willis (2017) studied The MLC lists 53 public library
ming information, which was then
how teen programming at public
observed and analyzed for programs systems or independent public li-
libraries was promoted online in
that are both for youth and that have braries in the state of Mississippi
the state of Mississippi. Data were
a focus on at least one of the STEM (MLC, n.d.). Of these, 51 had func-
collected from all functional pub-
principles of science, technology, tioning websites. Nineteen of these
lic library websites in Mississippi,
engineering, and mathematics. Pro- websites (37%) only provided lim-
including how many clicks it took
grams for the months of July, Au- ited information such as branch in-
to access the material, how the pro-
gust, September, and October were formation and the library’s online
grams were promoted, and what
collected to capture programming catalog, so programming informa-
types of programs were being of-
from both the typically busy sum- tion was not available on these sites.
fered. The author discovered that
mer season as well as during the Thirty-two percent of libraries did
30.7 percent of the libraries studied
school year. The total number of include programming information
promote teen programs and that it
youth programs from the selected on their websites, but this informa-
generally takes two or fewer clicks
timeframe was recorded, as well as tion was limited in scope, such as
to access that information (Beck-
what age group each program was providing program information for
ett-Willis, 2017).
intended for. Programs that were only the current month or for large
Library professionals see the re-
identified as STEM were record- events such as summer library pro-
ported importance of STEM pro-
ed separately. Data were compiled grams. The remaining 31 percent of
gramming, but it is unknown if
in Microsoft Excel and analyzed to the websites had programming in-
public libraries are offering these
address each research question. Re- formation freely available through
programs. By surveying avail-
sults were collected and displayed in calendars, schedules, published
able resources, this study exam-
simple charts, graphs, and tables as newsletters, or posted recurring
ines whether and how often pub- events (Figure 1).
appropriate.
lic libraries in Mississippi are It was interesting to discover thatMississippi Libraries Vol. 82 No. 3 • Fall 2019 Page 49
allowing them to view programs
from different months. The more
detailed of these calendars have fea-
tures that allow the user to view a de-
tailed description of the programs,
and some even have the ability to
filter programs by type, age group,
or subject. With consistent tagging
and cross-referencing, calendar fil-
ters have the potential to be a boon
to library users as well as scholars.
In a few cases, programming in-
formation was attained through
archived newsletters available on a
website that provided information
on library events on a regular basis.
the libraries studied were more like- the current month with no way to In the state of Mississippi, how
ly to not keep program information see past programs, event schedules often are youth programs which
on their websites – thirty-seven that list repeating programs such as focus on STEM concepts offered at
percent of libraries provide web- storytimes without giving themes, public libraries?
sites that give basic information, or generally vague program listings This study collected data from the
such as location, hours of operation, that do not address the intended age months of July, August, September,
online catalogs, and links to help- group or theme of the programs. and October. Mississippi public li-
ful resources such as MAGNOLIA. This form of programming infor- braries offered the most programs
With the expectation of libraries to mation will likely provide most of for youth in the months of July and
adapt and evolve in order to meet the information an average library October, with 438 and 475, respec-
the demands of an increasingly dig- user will require. However, there are tively. The least number of pro-
ital society, it was not expected that benefits to providing access to past grams were offered in August with
so many Mississippi public libraries programming information, such as 281 total programs, and September
had websites with only minimal in- users being able to request repeats had 339 programs offered for youth.
formation. The possible benefit to of previously available programs or The highest number of STEM pro-
keeping information freely available suggesting expansion of program grams were offered in the month of
on websites is accessibility. Not all li- topics. Users may also plan sched- July, with 65 programs available for
brary users can be expected to have ules based on past programming in- youth. The number drops in August
an account on Facebook, Twitter, formation, such as whether summer with the lowest number of STEM
and/or Instagram; however, anyone library programs are offered in both programs at 21. September had 39
with an Internet connection may June and July or primarily in just STEM programs for youth listed
access a website, and this makes dis- one of those months. Libraries who on websites, and October had 30.
covery simple as these sites will usu- are able to publish this information The month with the lowest number
ally appear through a simple search should consider doing so. of total youth programs, August,
via search engine. The smallest percentage of Mis- was also the month with the lowest
Thirty-two percent of the libraries sissippi public libraries, 31 percent, number of youth STEM programs.
studied did have some programming keep detailed programming infor- While July had the highest number
information available, but that infor- mation available on their websites. of youth STEM programs, Octo-
mation was limited. Some examples Most of these libraries keep cal- ber had more total youth programs
of this limited information include endars somewhere on their web- (Figure 2).
programming information only for sites that users can scroll through, The highest number of totalMississippi Libraries Vol. 82 No. 3 • Fall 2019 Page 50
in order to compare favorably with
other public libraries.
What age groups, such as pre-
school, elementary, or teen, are
youth-focused STEM programs
offered for in Mississippi at public
libraries?
In the studied months of July,
August, September, and October, a
total of 155 programs were offered
for youth that were clearly identifi-
able as having a focus on one or any
of the STEM concepts of science,
technology, engineering, and math.
Twelve (8%) of these programs were
aimed at preschoolers, although not
all preschool storytime programs
had themes listed. The majority of
STEM programs were offered for
elementary school aged children,
with 101 (65%) programs identified
for this age group. Forty-two STEM
programs (27%) were identified for
teenagers. Compared to the total
number of programs offered for
these age groups, STEM programs
only appear to compromise a small
portion of youth library program-
ming (Figure 3).
programs for youth were from the offering summer reading programs, The data indicate that very few
month of October, which was in- a study over a longer period would STEM programs were offered for
teresting considering that public li- be beneficial in properly determin- preschoolers by Mississippi public
braries generally offer a high num- ing trends over time. libraries, with only 12 out of a total
ber of programs during the summer Of the 51 Mississippi public li- of 782 (1.5%) programs for that
when children are out of school. brary websites studied, only 4 (8%) age group. One potential issue with
July was the month with the sec- had at least one STEM program evaluating programs for STEM con-
ond-highest number of programs, scheduled per month studied. cepts for this age group is that the
and it was also the month with the This is markedly lower than the majority of preschool programs are
highest number of STEM programs. more than one quarter reported by storytimes. Even with the theme of
October, with the highest number Shtivelband et al. (2017), indicating the storytime listed, it is difficult to
of total youth programs, only 6 per- that Mississippi is below the report- determine if the storytime is in fact
cent of programs could be identified ed national average in regards to STEM without more information.
as STEM. While the data seem to STEM programming for youth in For instance, it was not assumed
indicate that STEM programs are public libraries. Youth services staff that a storytime on turtles or anoth-
more likely to be scheduled during in Mississippi public libraries may er animal was science based because
the summer months when children wish to increase the frequency with there may have been no facts or sci-
are out of school and libraries are which STEM programs are offered entific knowledge incorporated intoMississippi Libraries Vol. 82 No. 3 • Fall 2019 Page 51 the storytime. However, a concept varied from science demonstrations Mississippi public libraries offered such as weather can be considered to coding classes to Lego builds. The a total of 1533 programs for youth STEM because to discuss the topic is programs offered for elementary during the time frame of this study. to introduce the science behind dif- school aged children seemed to have The majority of these programs were ferent types of weather, even if the a wide variety without overly focus- for preschoolers with 782 programs ideas are very basic. This is a simple ing on any one STEM concept. There (51%) targeting this age group. El- way to insert STEM learning into were some STEM programs offered ementary school aged children had programs that traditionally focus on for teens, with 42 STEM programs 539 programs (35%) available for early literacy. identified out of a total of 212 pro- them, and teens had 212 programs Sharma (2016) stated that li- grams for this age group. The major- (14%) available. The total number of braries offering STEM programs ity of these programs were technol- STEM programs for the combined to youth of all ages is a beneficial ogy driven, with video games and age groups of pre-school, elemen- way to begin teaching these con- computers being a popular focus. tary, and teen was 155 programs cepts to children. Shtivelband et al. Technology is popular with every (Figure 3). This indicates that only (2017), however, indicated that the age group represented by this study, 10 percent of programs for youth of- majority of public libraries stated but libraries should be cautioned fered by Mississippi public libraries that they were interested in offering against focusing too narrowly on that were identified via their web- STEM programs for kindergarten the “T” in STEM. Programs that sites qualified as programs that fo- through high school. This leaves out highlight concepts besides technol- cused on STEM concepts (Figure 4). the preschool age group, indicating ogy may also be easier to implement This number is low when compared perhaps some barrier in offering due to the fact that acquiring tech- to the statement by Shtivelband et STEM programs to this age group. nology for youth programs may be al. (2017) that indicates that over One barrier that may be affecting challenging to a strained budget. one quarter of libraries are offering library staff in providing STEM According to this study, 19 per- STEM programs at least monthly. programs for this age group may be cent of the programs for elementa- Because the United States is falling technology. Since the availability of ry school aged children are STEM behind in STEM education, youth digital devices has increased, it has focused and 20 percent of the pro- services staff in Mississippi public been cautioned that young children grams for teens are STEM focused. libraries should consider increas- should have limited “screen time” This is interesting because States ing the number of STEM programs (Martinelli, n.d.). Therefore, library (2015) indicated that children begin offered at their libraries (Sharma, staff may be hesitant to do STEM to lose interest in STEM fields and 2016). programming with our very young- education as they get older. How- The implications of this study offer est age group. However, technology ever, data indicate that Mississippi several opportunities for further re- programming that provides tactile public libraries are offering slightly search. A study including analysis learning as opposed to just manipu- more STEM programs to teens than of public library social media plat- lating a computer screen may be an to elementary school aged children. forms may offer additional informa- alternative. The concepts of science, It would be interesting to discov- tion on both STEM programming engineering, and math may easily be er if these programs for teens are and all programming for youth. A introduced to preschoolers through well attended as that would offer study of programs offered in school manipulatives such as blocks or the a thought-provoking contrast to libraries could indicate how those basics of numbers and counting. States’s claims. libraries are complementing STEM This presents an opportunity for How does the number of education in their schools. Research further research. STEM-focused programs for could be conducted over a longer Many of the STEM programs of- youth compare to the total num- period of time in order to gain addi- fered by Mississippi public libraries ber of youth programs offered tional findings on trends over time in this study are for the elementary in public libraries in the state of in regard to both STEM and general school age group. These programs Mississippi? youth programming. Additionally,
Mississippi Libraries Vol. 82 No. 3 • Fall 2019 Page 52
research could be done on how pub-
lic libraries use their websites con-
sidering the findings here regarding
websites with minimal information
and resources. Further research on
STEM learning with preschoolers
and the role public libraries may
play may be considered. Addition-
al research could be done on STEM
programs for underserved popula-
tions, such as the developmental-
ly different or diverse populations.
This study could also be expanded
to gain information on other loca-
tions, such as other states or even
countries.
References
Beckett-Willis, A. (2017). Teen programming on Martinelli, K. (n.d.). Can Screen Time Be Educa- Sharma, D. M. (2016). Does STEM education belong
Mississippi public library websites. Mississippi tional for Toddlers? Retrieved November 18, in the public library? Public Libraries, 55(2),
Libraries, 80(4), 68–73. 2018, from https://childmind.org/article/val- 17–19.
ue-screen-time-toddlers-preschoolers/ Shtivelband, A., Riendeau, L., & Jakubowski, R.
Björneborn, L., & Ingwersen, P. (2004). Toward a
basic framework for webometrics. Journal of Mississippi Library Commission. (n.d.). Mississippi (2017). Building upon the STEM movement:
the American Society for Information Science & Public Library Directory. Retrieved July 15, 2018, Programming recommendations for library
Technology, 55(14), 1216–1227. from http://mlc.lib.ms.us/mississippi-libraries-di- professionals. Children & Libraries: The Journal
rectory/mississippi-public-library-directory/ of the Association for Library Service to Children,
Hopwood, J. (2012). Initiating STEM learning in
Overbey, T., Dotson, D., & LaBadie, M. M. (2018). 15(4), 23–26.
libraries. Children & Libraries: The Journal of the
Association for Library Service to Children, 10(2), Public libraries and higher education combining States, D. (2015). Out of the pickle: Promoting food
53–55. efforts to create quality STEM children’s pro- science and STEM in public libraries. Pennsylva-
grams. Public Library Quarterly, 37(1), 21–35. nia Libraries: Research & Practice, 3(2), 102–114.
Kanazawa, M., Maruyama, Y., & Motoki, A. (2011).
An analysis of children’s web pages in public li- Prendergast, T. (2013). Growing readers: A critical U.S. Department of Education. (n.d.). Science,
brary web sites in Japan. Public Library Quarterly, analysis of early literacy content for parents on Technology, Engineering and Math: Education for
30(4), 270–285. Canadian public library websites. Journal of Global Leadership. Retrieved July 15, 2018, from
Library Administration, 53(4), 234–254. https://www.ed.gov/stemMississippi Libraries Vol. 82 No. 3 • Fall 2019 Page 53
2019 Annual Conference PreviewMississippi Libraries Vol. 82 No. 3 • Fall 2019 Page 54
Schedule at a Glance
Prefunction West
Jackson III
Natchez II Natchez I
II
II Jackson I
Jackson IV
Tuesday Oct 22 - Registration 12:00 - 4:00pm
12:30-4:30pm Pre-conference Workshop - "Librarians Guide to Homelessness" - Ryan Dowd, Homeless Training Institute [Natchez I & II]
4:30-5:30pm MLA Board Meeting [Natchez I]
6:00pm - 8:00pm “Evening with the Arts” - Evening of food and drink at the gallery and gardens of MS Museum of Arts
Wednesday Oct 23 - Registration 7:30am - 4:00pm
8:00am-10:00 - Coffee - Sponsored by EBSCO
Telling Your Story
Southern Miss SLIS Alumni Breakfast - Jackson III Declutter your Program Planning
9:30am
8:30-9:30am
8:00-
Ticketed $ with Backward Design
8:30-9:30am
Promoting the Positive
Natchez I Jackson IV Oxford
9:15am
New Members Roundtable Welcome Libraries Inspire!
8:30-
Gulfport Natchez II
MLA Business Meeting
9:30 - 10:00am
Jackson II
Keynote Speaker: Mr. Malcolm White, Executive Director, MS Arts Commission
10:00 - 11:00am
Jackson II
A Look into MarcEdit and OCLC Charlotte Smelser, Arts Education
Poster Session Lightening Rounds
11:00am-12:00pm
11:00am-12:00pm
11:00am-12:00pm
11:00am-12:00pm
Lightening Rounds
Technical Services Roundable Director, Mississippi Arts Commission
Poster Session
Biloxi
Oxford Jackson II Biloxi
Gaming and Graphic Novel Roundtable "Free Play Room"
Think Outside the Book: Unconventional
Escape the Traditional One-Shot
Laundry & Literacy: Library of Congress Library Services to Support Teaching
Session
Literacy Award Project Jackson III and Scholarship
Natchez II
Jackson IV
12:00pm Exhibits Grand Opening and Ribbon Cutting [PreFunction Area and Jackson I]
Black Caucus Luncheon
10:00am-3:00pm
Poster Sessions set up in Prefunction Area - Ticketed $
Gulfport
12:00-3:00p 12:15-1:30p
Natchez I
Prefunction Area & Jackson I
12:00-1:30pm Lunch
Open 12:00-5:00pm
Don't Reinvent the Wheel Do you have a Comment?
Vendors
Oxford Jackson II
1:30 - 2:30pm
1:30-2:30pm
1:30-2:30pm
Developing a College Composition
Program and Library at Central Association of College and Research Automating Image Files without a
Mississippi Libraries (ACRL) Section Developer
11:00am-4:00pm
Silent Auction
Correctional Facility Jackson IV Natchez II
Jackson III
Biloxi
Friends of the Library - Diversity in
University Library Directors Meeting Combating Fake News
Romance Fiction
Oxford Jackson II
2:30-3:30pm
2:30-3:30pm
2:30-3:30pm
Natchez I
Who Do I Call? Where Do I Go? -
Creating Library Graphics with Open
MS Access to Justice Commission Demystifying MS's 3 State Agency
Source Tools
Jackson III Libraries
Jackson IV
Natchez II
Tips for Transitioning Librarianship 101 Reunion: Slaying MAGNOLIA
Ebsco LearningExpress Training
3:30-4:30 Shelf Reading Steering
3:30-4:30
3:30-4:30
3:30-4:30
Jackson II
Oxford Natchez I Committee
Promoting Social Justice through Implementing a One Hour, For-
Sirsi User Group (MSUG) Meeting
Library Service Credit Research Skills Course
Jackson IV Gulfport
Jackson III Natchez II
Ice Cream Social (Sponsored by The Library Furniture Guy) 4:00-5:00pm [Prefunction Area]
5:00-9:00pm President's Reception and Scholarship Bash - Iron Horse Grill- Ticketed $Mississippi Libraries Vol. 82 No. 3 • Fall 2019 Page 55
Schedule at a Glance
Thursday Oct 24 - Registration 8:00am - 3:00pm
8:00-10:00am - Coffee - Sponsored by C-SPIRE
Exhibits Open 9:00am-3:00pm!
New Members Roundtable What Students Want - Updating a
Past President's Breakfast -
SLIS Focus Group
"Welcome" Community College Library
Biloxi
Gulfport Natchez I
8:30-9:30am
8:30-9:30am
8:30-9:30am
8:30-9:30am
Off site
Assessing a One-Shot for First
[TBA]
School Library Section Beehive Resource Sharing Update Year Writing Students
"Using National Geographic Giant Maps Jackson II Natchez II
to Engage Students"
Jackson III Graphic Novel Collections in the Acad. The Magnolia Awards
Library Oxford
Jackson IV TAB: Valuable Volunteering
Womb Literacy
Natchez I
9:30-10:30am
Jackson II
9:30-10:30am
9:30-10:30am
School Library Section
Improving User Experience in the
"How do AASL’s Standards Drive Reaching Diverse Developing Readers
Library
Collaboration in Mississippi?" Jackson Jackson IV
Natchez II
III Text to Checkout Pilot Project
Gaming and Graphic Novel Roundtable "Free Play Room"
Oxford
School Library Section How Can I Help You? And Other Ways Moving Beyond the One-Shot
10:30am-11:30pm
Poster Lightening
10:30-11:30am
"Using National Geographic Giant Maps You're Losing Your Patrons Session
10:30-11:30
10:30-11:30
Rounds
to Engage Students" Jackson II Natchez II
Biloxi
Jackson III A Natural Fit: Librarians and Open
Looking at the Big Picture
Prefunction & Jackson I
Poster Session Lightening Rounds Educational Resources
Oxford
10:00am-3:00pm
9:00am-3:00pm
Biloxi Jackson IV
11:30am - 1:00pm LUNCH
Vendors
Gulfport
Using Graphic Design Ideas in the Library
Posters on Display in Prefunction Area 11:30- (YPSRT Luncheon) - Ticketed $
3pm 11:30-1:00
Natchez I
Silent Auction 11:30am-4:30pm
Document, Document, Document! Escape the Classroom
1:00-2:00pm
1:00-2:00pm
1:00-2:00pm
Jackson II Natchez II
School Library Section MAG 101: Crash Course into the World We Want You! All of You!
Biloxi
"Best of AASL" of MAGNOLIA Oxford
Jackson III Jackson IV
Utica Normal & Industrial
Friends of Fay B. Kaigler Lunching & Learning Institute: The Legacy of William
2:00-3:00pm
2:00-3:00pm
2:00-3:00pm
Oxford Jackson II Holtzclaw
Natchez I
Genrefying Made Easy
James Taylor (Mackin Books) Teen Programming Beta Phi Mu 2-2:30pm
Jackson III Jackson IV Natchez II
Closing Keynote Speaker: Jill Conner Browne, Author & Motivational Speaker
3:00pm - 4:00pm
Jackson II
Silent Auction Closes at 4:30pm
Society of Mississippi Archivists Come-and-Go Happy Hour 4:00-6:00pm, Iron Horse Grill
5:00pm Author Awards Reception - Prefunction Area
Mississippi Author Awards Dinner Honoring:
6:00-8:00pm
Jackson II, III & IV - Ticketed $
Friday Oct 25
MLA Awards Breakfast - Jackson II, III & IV -- Ticketed $
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