March 17, 2021 
45 Minutes 
Dave Lankes & Mike Eisenberg 

In this episode, Mike and Dave start with a brief exchange on the changing nature of work and the need to help low-wage earners find out about high demand jobs, requirements, and opportunities for getting access to quality training. 

Mike & Dave then pick up the conversation about education in the evolving new normal from episode 3’s insights from Colet Bartow, Teaching and Learning Senior Manager in the Montana Office of Public Instruction. Colet raised such issues as the increased interest in homeschooling or perhaps moving to a blended or hybrid approach to schooling, as well as the continued challenges of the digital divide. 

Mike laments that education is still stuck in a “19th Century, industrial model of mass-production education with cookie-cutter classrooms, fixed schedules, bells, and a one-size fits all curriculum. Do we really want to go back to this “old normal”? Dave sees a need to experiment, learn more about, and share best practices on how to use the emerging online technologies more effectively with libraries and librarians deeply involved.

Also highlighted (as an Awesome Library Thingy) is Barbara Fister’s essay (from Project Information Literacy) that was picked up by The Atlantic about librarians confronting the mis- and dis-information efforts of Q-Anon and other conspiracy theory promoters by expanding exposure to skills and knowledge concerning social media, inquiry, and how this whole “information thing” works.

References & Resources 

Miller, Elizabeth. (March 1, 20215:00 AM ET) "For Some Black Students, Remote Learning Has Offered A Chance To Thrive,"  National Public Radio: All Things Considered.  https://www.npr.org/2021/03/01/963282430/for-some-black-students-remote-learning-has-offered-a-chance-to-thrive 

Fister, Barbara (Feb 18, 2021) “The Librarian War Against Qanon.  As “Do the research” becomes a rallying cry for conspiracy theorists, classical information literacy is not enough. The Atlantic https://www.theatlantic.com/education/archive/2021/02/how-librarians-can-fight-qanon/618047/ 

 Fister, Barbara (Feb 3, 2021) “Lizard People in the Library,” Project Information Literacy, Provocation Series.  https://projectinfolit.org/pubs/provocation-series/essays/lizard-people-in-the-library.html

Credits
Yoni Yemini from ACE Chicago Events

March 3, 2021 
75 Minutes 
Dave Lankes & Mike Eisenberg 

It pretty much happened overnight: schools are closed, kids are home, teaching and learning are online, parents are responsible for coordinating it all. While every aspect of life has been affected by the pandemic, no sector has been more quickly and more significantly by the pandemic than education – on all levels. The most direct impact is on students, parents, and teachers, but it really affects everyone. 

 In this episode, we try to get a handle on what’s going on and what it means—immediate, short-, and long-term. We do so by speaking with someone who has perspectives on the details but also the big picture, pre-K to 12 and beyond: Colet Bartow, Teaching and Learning Senior Manager, Montana Office of Public Instruction. Colet is an accomplished teacher, education & technology innovator, and advocate for libraries, information technology, curriculum improvement, and information literacy in learning and teaching. Listen in on this far-reaching discussion of the challenges and opportunities in our new normal world.

References & Resources 

Wazzup?

Weber, Paul J.; Stengle, Jamie (March 26, 2021). "Texas death toll from February storm, outages surpasses 100". 

2021 Texas power crisis. Wikipedia https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/2021_Texas_power_crisis Accessed May 1, 2021.

Main Topic - Education

Montana Office of Public Instruction. http://opi.mt.gov/ 

The Big6 Approach to Information & Technology Literacy. https://thebig6.org/ 

Sullivan-Macdonald, Donna (Oct 02, 2015). “Teach More, Librarian Less, Say SLJ Leadership Summit Panelists,” School Library Journal. https://www.slj.com/?detailStory=teach-more-librarian-less-becoming-essential-panel-at-the-slj-leadership-summit 

Awesome Library Thingys

Fay, Brigham (Feb 10, 2021). “MIT Libraries develop innovative open access agreements with PLOS. All MIT authors can publish in PLOS journals without publishing fees,” MIT Libraries News & Events. https://libraries.mit.edu/news/libraries-develop/31742/ 

Shannon McClintock Miller: Innovation Director of Instructional Technology and Library Media at Van Meter Community School in Van Meter, Iowa. https://vanmeterlibraryvoice.blogspot.com/p/about-me.html 

Burt, Chris. (November 17, 2020). “Librarians leading the way with innovation, support during COVID.” Shannon McClintock Miller shares how this empowered group of school leaders is making a difference with students and teachers, along with some of the tools they are using. https://districtadministration.com/librarians-lead-the-way-with-innovation-guidance-during-covid/ 

Future Ready Librarians. https://futureready.org/thenetwork/strands/future-ready-librarians/ 

Credits
Yoni Yemini from ACE Chicago Events

February 3, 2021 
57 minutes
Dave Lankes & Mike Eisenberg

In this second episode (and our last simultaneous broadcast as part of the Publishers Weekly Skillset Podcast), Mike is all upset about how difficult it was to get an appointment for a Covid vaccine. “This should be a very manageable information problem! Why can’t we set up an easy system for everyone and anyone – using people, databases, systems, and the telephone?”  Dave agrees and explains how libraries can support the rollout along with more long-term emergency support services and resources. And, as in every episode, they share “wazzup” and interesting bits from recent library news.
58 minutes

References & Resources 

Kerlinger, F. (1986). Foundations of behavioral research (3rd ed.). New York: Holt, Rinehart and Winston.

Institute for Museum and Library Services, US Federal Government. https://www.imls.gov/

Slijkerman, D., & Vlimmeren, T. . (2021). Living libraries: The house of the community around the world.
[A collection of essays on the changing role of public libraries in society.] available free online: https://www.bibliotheekutrecht.nl/living-libraries.html 

DeForge, Jeanette (Updated Jan 29, 2021; Posted Jan 28, 2021) "Springfield librarians, elder affairs workers will help residents register online for COVID vaccines." Mass Live. https://www.masslive.com/news/2021/01/springfield-librarians-elder-affairs-workers-will-assist-residents-in-registering-online-for-covid-vaccines.html 

Staeger, Steve (February 1, 2021). "The ‘vaccine whisperer’ helps find appointments for seniors." 9 News, Colorado. https://www.9news.com/article/news/local/next/vaccine-whisperer-covid-coronavirus-appointments/73-807a2efd-f20c-4a86-a826-48dd176cf593 

Credits
Yoni Yemini from ACE Chicago Events

January 20, 2021 
109 minutes
Dave Lankes & Mike Eisenberg

This is the first episode of our new podcast - Libraries Lead in the New Normal. We aim for a wild conversation between two close friends who share a passion for all things library & information but frequently disagree on specifics. 

This episode which was recorded in January 2021 and simultaneously broadcast at that time as part of the Publishers Weekly Skillset Podcast. We originally intended to talk about the pandemic and the emerging new normal. But, the January 6 insurrection and the Biden inauguration took precedent. Dave was particularly moved and wrote a passionate essay that appeared in Publishers Weekly on how libraries and librarians must do more than be repositories of knowledge or passive providers of information services. We must be players in securing a more perfect union through active engagement in civic and educational discourse and building and providing equitable and accessible information systems and institutions.

This episode also includes 2 special segments: “Wazzup” lately and “Awesome Library Thingy” to highlight some amazing libraries and librarians. These segments will be regular features of all episodes.

References & Resources

Lankes, R. D (Jan 22, 2011). “How Libraries Can Help Us Make a More Perfect Union,” Publishers Weekly Online. https://www.publishersweekly.com/pw/by-topic/columns-and-blogs/soapbox/article/85366-can-libraries-make-for-a-more-perfect-union.html  

Bowles, Nellie (Jan. 14, 2021, Updated Jan. 17, 2021).  “They Can’t Leave the Bay Area Fast Enough,” New York Times. https://www.nytimes.com/2021/01/14/technology/san-francisco-covid-work-moving.html 

Credits
Yoni Yemini from ACE Chicago Events