LUNCH & LEARN PRE-RECORDED PANEL DISCUSSION

Have you wondered how a successful outreach initiative or project takes shape? What is the planning process like? What are some of the pitfalls or stumbling blocks that get in the way? And how do you measure success? Don't miss this engaging talk that highlights three successful outreach projects by library staff just like you.

All registered attendees will receive a link to the full hour long discussion immediately following the close of the conference.

Deb Svec | Diane Arrieta | Hayley St. John-Ayre

DEB SVEC

Collaborative Learning With Digital Devices

In order to create a digital learning environment to foster learning for today’s generation, it must be relevant and engaging. A unique collaboration of the English teacher and Media Specialist has evolved to meet this challenge. This collaboration illustrates the process of learning different fluency strategies using contemporary literature—for this exercise we utilized the Non-Fiction title on the 2014 – 2015 Florida Teens Read list, Escape from Camp 14. In conjunction with iPads, which create a flexible and mobile learning environment, additional tools consulted include ProQuest’s eLibrary, SIRS, and CultureGrams to provide global literacy, and develop the students’ appreciation for different cultures, Vocabulary.com for building foundation, Cranium CoRE for building comprehension, and Teaching Books to view personal interviews with the author.

Deb Svec is a media specialist with the School District of Palm Beach County at Palm Beach Gardens Community High School. She collaborates with as many teachers as she can who are willing to join her on fun, innovative projects for high school students. Deb is also the Committee Chair of the Florida Association of Media in Education (FAME) Legislative Committee which develops the legislative platform of the association while directing and coordinating legislative efforts initiated and/or supported by the association.

DIANE ARRIETA

Innovative Outreach through an Expansion of Staff Roles

Initiatives which extend beyond established information literacy instruction are needed to advance academic success and to increase students’ appreciation of their libraries. Diane will describe how FAU’s Jupiter Campus library is expanding the roles of its staff by collaborating with community scientists in projects that have attracted student participants. The two pilot projects described are related to marine mammal research and rescue.

Diane Arrieta works as the Science and Art Outreach Coordinator at the MacArthur Jupiter Campus of Florida Atlantic University (FAU) Libraries. She holds a MSc in Biodiversity and Wildlife Health from the University of Edinburgh, U.K. and a BFA in Studio Art from FAU. Recent projects include establishing a science outreach initiative through the use of mural art in the library and researching wild dolphin populations in Palm Beach County with the Palm Beach Dolphin Project.

See photos of the project collaboration here.

HAYLEY ST. JOHN-AYRE

It’s Personal: Outreach is what you make it!

Opportunities for outreach abound! Seeking and finding opportunities for the community to connect with the library is especially important as the role of libraries evolve. We all have to reach out, and encourage everyone in. Broward County Library’s Outreach serves to bridge the gap between perception and reality as it relates to what customers believe the library to be versus what today’s library is, and has to offer. With the absence of advertising budgets, Outreach must become a way of doing business… promoting what the library has to offer all the time, and to all people.

Hayley St. John-Ayre is the Community Liaison at Broward County Library, responsible for developing and coordinating community outreach opportunities. Her areas of focus are underserved populations, which include the homeless, incarcerated, immigrants, and seniors. In her outreach, she promotes a variety of library resources and services. She develops relationships with community organizations, that help to enhance the lives of the people they serve, with the goal being to embed the library in the community as an essential source.

ROBERT "BOB" ZIMMERMAN

Panel Discussion Moderator

Bob guided this discussion of successful outreach projects by library staff at SEFLIN member libraries.

A Palm Beach County native, Bob Zimmerman has worked professionally in several fields with Librarianship being the latest. A lifelong musician, Bob earned a BA in Music Theory as a Percussionist from Palm Beach Atlantic University (West Palm Beach). In 2004 Bob joined the Palm Beach County Library System as a Circulation Associate then earned his MLS from The University of South Florida (Tampa) in 2010 and was promoted to Reference Librarian. Besides the normal Reference Librarian duties, Bob uses his computer experience to create and conduct a wide variety of computer and mobile device classes and to satisfy the digital needs of today’s patrons at a fast-paced branch. Bob has actively supported the SEFLIN Virtual Conference as co-moderator since 2013.

Bob Zimmerman | Deb Svec | Diane Arrieta | Hayley St. John-Ayre