Supporting 21st Century Librarians: Media Literacy Professional Development for Youth Librarians

The Technology in Early Childhood (TEC) Center at Erikson Institute, in partnership with three geographically diverse public United States libraries, was awarded $249,999 for a 3-year Laura Bush 21st Century Librarian Lifelong Learning Project grant.

This project is a strategic collaboration with the large, suburban Carroll County Public Library which includes six library branches and is located outside of Baltimore, MD, the suburban Chandler Public Library outside of Phoenix, Arizona, and the urban Cleveland Public Library in Ohio. The project is also supported by an interdisciplinary advisory board and a key consultant. The diverse interdisciplinary team of PIs, partner libraries, and experts will work collaboratively to ensure that the project succeeds in building media literacy knowledge and confidence of librarians through continuing education via professional development (PD) opportunities and resources.

Learn More About The Current IMLS-Funded PD Program

Goals for this project include:

1. increasing librarians’ knowledge of and confidence in supporting children’s and families’ media literacy skills
2. developing a scalable model of librarian PD focused on media literacy in early childhood.

This project is a continuation of TEC Center’s past media literacy work. TEC Center partnered with NAMLE, the Association for Library Service to Children, and the Association of Children’s Museums, were awarded an IMLS grant in order to host national forums to discuss media literacy in early childhood and publish a Media Literacy in Early Childhood Report (IMLS #LG-98-18-0052-18). The Media Literacy in Early Childhood Report, co-authored by TEC Center’s Alexis Lauricella and Jenna Herdzina, includes a framework, child development information, and implementation tips for early childhood practitioners and caregivers.

Since the publishing of the report, TEC Center has been developing and delivering media literacy professional development for early childhood teachers. This new project enables the TEC Center, and librarian partners, Carroll County Public Library, Chandler Public Library, and Cleveland Public Library, to design, deliver and publish a media literacy professional development program for youth librarians, which can be scaled and used across the country.

This project was made possible in part by the Institute of Museum and Library Services RE-250096-OLS-21