PLA Board of Directors
Annual Conference 2016
2016.65
TO: PLA Board of Directors
RE: Family Engagement
DATE: May 24, 2016
ACTION REQUESTED/INFORMATION/REPORT:
Information
ACTION REQUESTED BY:
Scott Allen, Deputy Director
DRAFT OF MOTION:
N/A
BACKGROUND
The PLA Family Engagement Task Force is co-chaired by Clara Bohrer, chair of the PLA advisory committee to our IMLS early literacy research grant, Kathleen Reif, past chair of the Every Child Ready to Read (ECRR) committee. The Task Force met twice, at the 2015 Annual Conference and 2016 Midwinter Meeting, and will meet again on Monday, June 27, 2016.
“Family engagement” refers to the beliefs, attitudes and activities of families to support their children’s learning, whether at home, at school or in the community. Children exhibit healthy development and academic success when families foster warm and nurturing parent-child relationships, take responsibility for children’s learning, and encourage children to focus on effort and learn from failure. However, it is no longer appropriate or fruitful to focus family engagement solely on what happens in school or in the home given the growth and potential of out-of-school learning settings. Libraries are part of the family engagement ecosystem but need tools, strategies, and advocacy to be seen as part of family engagement networks. PLA can lead in preparing public libraries to think about family engagement across the variety of services offered and for families with children through high school age.
LIBRARIES FOR THE 21ST CENTURY: IT'S A FAMILY THING PROJECT
The Harvard Family Research Project (HFRP) received $250,000 in funding for the project from the David and Lucile Packard Foundation for November 2015 to June 2016. PLA received a $10,000 subcontract. Phase 1 project activities and status are below.
· Documenting existing practices and opportunities in family engagement. HFRP completed a survey of public librarians and has collected model programs through a learning community, web site form, and focus group at PLA 2016 in Denver. Discussions at the 2016 Annual Conference meetings will focus on measures and how to assess family engagement program impacts.
· Creation of a learning community. Sixteen PLA members formed the learning community and met virtually in February, March and April. An in-person meeting is planned for June 27, 2016. If phase 2 of the project (see below) is funded, the learning community will continue to meet virtually through the fall of 2016.
· Creation of a toolkit or “ideabook” about family engagement in public libraries. A 15-page foundational document (making the case for public library involvement in family engagement and citing research) was drafted by HFRP and reviewed favorably by Task Force members. This document was intended to be the preface of the toolkit, but instead will be released as a PDF in June 2016. This strategy will both meet the grant’s intent of delivering a product by June while also starting to educate PLA members about the concepts and stimulating interest in the “ideabook.” HFRP has collected over 50 models of public library family engagement programs and is currently refining them to release in the “ideabook” by the end of 2016. Harvard and PLA are discussing licensing, and the Task Force will be discussing a release strategy at its 2016 Annual Conference meeting. This product will be distributed by PLA and may form the basis for future products such as additional publications and educational activities.
In addition to the core activity above, an educational program was presented at PLA 2016 in Denver to great success, and a program entitled “Family Engagement in Public Libraries Is Valued, But There Is Work To Be Done” is scheduled for Sunday, June 26 during the ALA Annual Conference. HFRP has also submitted to present at the 2016 National Center for Families Learning (NCFL) conference. In January 2016, PLA staff also provided input on the draft Principles on Effective Family Engagement Practices issued by the US Departments of Education and Health and Human Services (DOE and DHHS), which was submitted to the agencies by the ALA Washington Office.
HFRP has applied to the Packard Foundation for phase 2. This phase will cover July to December 2016 and will include continued convening of the learning community, “human centered design” sessions at two libraries to further inform development of the “ideabook,” and eventual release of the “ideabook.” If funded, PLA will again receive $10,000 and be expected to promote the project, contribute content through the learning community and Task Force, and assist in conducting the human-centered design events.
NEXT STEPS
· Task Force co-chairs and PLA staff will finalize and implement a series of awareness-building activities to educate PLA members about the project
· HFRP and PLA will release the foundational document
· The Task Force will discuss ideas for both marketing and ancillary products, which will be developed into plans by PLA staff
· Phase 2 will be initiated to continue developing and eventually release the “ideabook”
· PLA will begin to identify and engage partners who have either expressed interest or are expected to be interested, including NCFL, Parents as Teachers, the National PTA, DOE, DHHS, and Urban Libraries Council
· PLA staff will begin to identify potential revenue to continue the family engagement work, including both product sales and grants
1 of 2