Youth Librarians and Homework Centers

Youth Librarians and Homework Centers

Developing Homework Centers in Public Libraries

Why homework in public libraries? What are the academic needs and ramifications from the child's perspective?

There are numerous good reasons (Mediavilla, 1) as to why homework centers in public libraries are very important, and why educational and social activists pursue the development of such centers. Indeed, in the first place, children left alone after school, according to research by the U.S. Department of Education and the U.S. Department of Justice, do not succeed academically as well as those who participate in after-school programs; this is not rocket science, this is pure, simple common sense fact.

Number two, according to Cindy Mediavilla's book, Creating the Full-Service Homework Center in Your Library, children who have a meaningful, safe, learning environment to go to after school are more likely "to develop stronger social skills" (p. 2) and also more likely to learn how "to acceptably handle conflicts."

The following are a few of Mediavilla's list of positives resulting from a safe and healthy homework environment for young people, in a library: a) completing homework assignments "reinforces classroom learning" while at the same time building "organizational and time-management skills"; b) learning to work independently is a valuable lesson in itself; c) academic success in the lower grades could make the difference later when a teen-ager wishes to attend college; d) even if a child never makes it to the college level, getting good grades in high school can mean making more money after high school; e) when a low-income or minority child has nobody waiting a home to help with already difficult "English as a second language" assignments, the welcoming warmth of a friendly library can keep that child on a path to basic survival skills and success.

In addition, "teachers also notice increased self-esteem in kids who receive homework help," Mediavilla writes (p. 4). Perhaps as important - if not more so - is the fact that students learn "how to cooperate with adults and each other" by studying under the watchful eye of librarians and trained volunteers; and, as one child, a fourth-grader from Oakland was quoted as saying in Mediavilla's book, most kids do not "get mad or hit anybody," which apparently they might do if left out on the street after school.

Mediavilla writes that important bonds develop between students and mentors in libraries, as "real-life" (p. 4) problems are aired and kids have a chance to seek advice from trusted new friends who are in positions of academic authority and respect. "The homework helpers provide hope and encouragement in a neighborhood where few positive role models exist," she explains, adding, that for library staff, too, the homework center helps them "develop a broader service perspective."

One of the categories of youths in particular need of after school help are latchkey children; in Queens, New York, the Queens Borough Public Library offers a "Homework Assistance Program" and a "Latchkey Enrichment Program" (LEP) (for K. through 6th grade) during the school year from 3:00 P.M. To 5:00 P.M., Monday through Friday. Besides the benefits of receiving tutoring, enjoying arts and crafts, storytelling, science-related activities and music activities at the LEP, the Queens project offers "interactive video teleconferencing from across the United States." From 10 to 25 Latchkey ("unattended") children "regularly" spend weekday afternoons in each of the 33 Queens branches offering LEP services, according to the library's Web site.

Why homework in public libraries? What are the social reasons for creating more homework centers in libraries?

Moreover, as to children, homework, and libraries, as a meaningful conjunction of dynamics, America is a society where, in an overwhelming number of cases, both parents work in order to provide adequately for their families. Kids can, and do, get into trouble when unsupervised. In New York City, for example (www.queenslibrary.org),where "juvenile crime triples" between 3:00 and 8:00 P.M., there are roughly 1,189,375 children aged 6-18, but only 32.8% have access to after school programs of any kind, let alone library homework settings.

And the reason behind the rise in juvenile crime, and unsupervised children, is that there are clearly a substantial number of single-parent families where the mother is stretched beyond her ability to give all the nurturing (i.e., help with homework and personal issues) she would like to.

In fact, through the use of data from the U.S. Census Bureau and the National Center for Health Statistics, Single Parent Central (www.singleparentcentral.com) has compiled statistics that show that: 28% of all children under 18 live with one parent; 84% of children living with a single parent live with their mother; 56% of single parent households have no other adult living in the house; and 32% of "all births were to unmarried women in 1997," Single Parent Central reports.

With the growing number of single parent families, there seems little doubt that there will also be a growing number - commensurate with the rising number of children with just a single mom at home - of schoolchildren who need a place to go after school (other than an empty house), and, who need help with their homework.

As for the need for homework centers in libraries to help minority children: in an article published in the Center for Law and Social Policy journal (Policy Brief No. 4), the author states that among Latino populations, about 40% of births take place outside the bonds of marriage; and within the African-American community, an eye-opening 70% of births are "out-of-wedlock" (Parke, 2004). That fact is not quite as disturbing as it might first appear, since of those 70% of black mothers giving birth without a wedding ring on their fingers, some 40% have a live-in father/partner; which, in effect, can be as good as if the child had a father and mother who are married.

Still, in cities where a lot of black and Latino families reside - "six of ten" single parent children live in cities of populations of 1 million or more, according to Single Parent Central - those children need to have a safe learning center to go to, to keep them off the streets after school. With only one parent at home after that parent spent a long day working at a tedious job, and now she must cook supper, wash clothes, clean house and other household duties - and what if she is not skilled in math yet her children need math assistance? - the child is at risk in terms of his or her academic abilities.

Meanwhile, besides the need for a nurturing environment in which to study and complete homework assignments, the hours immediately after school lets out - in particular for those whose parents are not home - are hours of extreme vulnerability for youth; there is intense peer pressure for young people to use drugs, to join gangs and otherwise engage in unlawful activities, and to get swept up in bad habits. And so, given the danger lurking after school, communities, libraries, and school districts have set up "after school" programs all over the nation in recent years.

Why homework in public libraries? What are the emerging obstacles for regular "after-school programs" which create an even greater need for more homework centers in libraries?

Setting up after-school programs (not specifically geared to tutoring or homework) to keep kids out of trouble is the good news; the bad news is, many of these programs are being cut back because of budget limitations. In fact, under the federal budget proposed by the Bush Administration, last year's $4.7 billion in "block grants" to communities - a portion of which is allotted to after school programs - will be slashed to $3.7 billion in the coming fiscal year (Viser, 2005), according to an article in the online version of the Boston Globe.

In California, meanwhile, a $424 million after-school program that has already passed the voters (in 2002), may be suspended even before it goes into effect, due to budget shortfalls, according to an article in the San Jose Mercury-News (Wasserman, 2005). The governor of California, actor Arnold Schwarzenegger, headed the "Inner-City Foundation" in 2001-2002, in a pro-after-school activities drive that passed voters as Proposition 49 and provided the money for after-school programs in schools throughout California.

But, unfortunately, the ballot measure was designed to "only go into effect when the state is not overspending," according to Schwarzenegger spokesman Vince Sollitto, and right now, the state is overspending, and children are the ones to pay the price by losing after-school programs.

This, too, points up the drastic need for libraries to initiate homework programs - or to expand existing programs - through volunteers from the higher grades and from the community. And in Phoenix, Arizona, according to news reports, officials may have to eliminate 60 of the 166 after-school programs, due to budget considerations. If those 60 programs are cancelled, "the Parks and Recreation Department would save $1.7 million," according to azcentral.com, the Arizona Republic's online version (Sowers, 2005).

Cutting after-school programs and other needed social services, on many levels, makes little sense, albeit we live in a country where the "fight against terrorism" seems to take precedence over any social needs. Without seeming to delve into "politics," it is clear to anyone paying attention - who cares about schools and children - that the current administration in Washington has recently asked Congress for an additional $80 billion to continue the occupation of Iraq and the fight in Afghanistan, and in the same week has indicated that the new budget eliminates programs designed to keep children in school, and to help schools assist families in educating their sons and daughters.

Why homework in public libraries? What does the literature reveal about homework centers in libraries?

One highly important technical aspect of homework centers in libraries is the presence of research tools - and of course the appropriate filters so children are protected from pornographic Web sites - for those students who likely do not have the Internet at home. An article in Library Journal (Minkel, 2002) suggests that "librarians need alternatives when they want to direct kids to a suitable place to find answers." Minkel believes that "Web feet" and "netTrekker" are great databases for kids to jump online and quickly be trained to search for their history homework, their science, or even some quality biographical background on a hip hop entertainer they are writing about for their music class.

That having been said, many children "seem to be sophisticated Web users, they are not sophisticated searchers," he adds. He suggests that mentors and librarians should be training kids to search by using www.Lii.org;and albeit this article was written in 2002, the www.Lii.orgWeb site is indeed a practical, user-friendly site where the categories of what children will be (and should be) searching for are very clearly indicated. "Students prefer to find sites by topic instead of grade level," he points out accurately, and this site offers that opportunity.

Moreover, just turning children loose on Yahoo, or even Google, for example, with filters on, is not structured enough for most young people learning the Web's ability to help them with homework.

Library homework centers provide and extend "society's safety net," according to an article American Libraries, by previously mentioned author, Cindy Mediavilla, (Mediavilla, 2001). And for those non-believers out there who work in libraries and have not yet seen the value in separate centers for homework within the library facility, Mediavilla, a UCLA lecturer, says they will develop a "broader perspective" as one of their rewards, once they get involved. Seeing kids "quietly doing their homework instead of causing unbridled havoc" - and witnessing racially and ethnically diverse students working towards the completion of their education - makes "converts" out of doubters, Mediavilla explains.

Moreover," she continues, "librarians find it much easier to discipline kids' conduct when the library provides a specific space for doing homework." When there is a designated room for students' homework activities, "no matter how rowdy kids are in other parts of the building, once they step through the homework center's archway," she asserts, "they become serious students. The space itself defines the appropriate behaviors required to do homework, and so the library's rules of conduct are more easily enforced."

In a UCLA-sponsored study ("Homework Center Outcomes"), Virginia Walter and Cindy Mediavilla - who teamed up to receive and conduct studies based on an American Library Association research grant - came up with six "outcomes" regarding the success of homework centers in libraries, which will be paraphrased here.

A pair of survey instruments were created by the team; the first, to measure "the effectiveness of programs where teens receive homework" help; and the second, to "assess programs where teens provide homework assistance" (Walter, et al., 2003) to younger students and to their own peer group.

How were the surveys conducted? There were one-on-one interviews, "focus group protocols," and questionnaires those being surveyed had to complete in writing. The survey was conducted in a thorough manner: it was administered to teens, parents, and library staff and to parents; Mediavilla researched homework centers in libraries in Fort Wayne, in; and in Castroville, Culver City and Alhambra, California; Walter researched homework centers in libraries in Philadelphia, Oakland, Tucson, and in King County, Washington State.

Category number one ("Youth contribute to their community") showed that "Teens using homework center services" are "setting an example," according to parents and homework help providers; teens themselves believe they are "having a positive effect on their community." Meanwhile, "Teens providing homework center services" are "grateful for the opportunity" to help their communities. In particular, the report explains, "teens in low-income and ethnic communities have a keen sense of 'giving back'. They perceive that educational achievement of its young people is good for the community as a whole."

Category number two ("They feel safe in their environment") revealed that "Teens using homework center services" tend to "feel safe studying in the library after school"; and that sense of security goes further than just being away from "physical danger," the report explains. The students being helped "feel comfortable" and "cared for," and moreover, a sense of "trust" is created between the student and the mentor or librarian. Life issues, as well as homework questions, may be discussed, and the children appreciate that fact. As for "Teens providing homework center services," they "did not see the library as a particularly safe place" because of the tough neighborhood just outside the building; but on the other hand, these street-wise students pointed to the fact that "you're not really safe anywhere" when you're in the big city and in rough sections of those communities.

Category number three ("They have meaningful relationships with adults and peers") showed that many "teens using homework center services," while working with older assistants in a library homework environment, had perhaps their very first chance to interact with adults in a "non-classroom and non-parental" role. "One mother said it makes her daughter feel important that an engineer is tutoring her in math"; further, many of the students are basically impressed that adults would come to the center as volunteers, free of charge, to help children they don't know finish assignments and engage in the learning process. As to "teens providing homework center services," there may be a need for libraries "to make more of an effort to mentor their teen homework helpers," the researchers found. Those teen mentors "were often left to work quite independently," and not all of them "developed meaningful relationships" with the adult library staff.

Category number four ("They achieve educational success") - "teens using homework center services" - indicated that some of the children simply wanted to "get over the rough spots" of an assignment from a teacher. Others using the services were very appreciative of learning digital technology skills through the library Web facilities; and still others' parents reported "improvement in academic performance" which they attributed directly to the homework center in the library. It does not seem surprising that "teens providing homework center services" do not as a rule see that their help to others "enhances their own educational success." Many already believe they have achieved academic success, and the help they are giving reflects that success.

Category number five ("They develop marketable skills") indicated that "teens use homework center services" - along with their parents, their teachers, and library staff - see the centers as helpful for future job opportunities, in particular, the computer and math skills they improve while working with mentors and librarians. More than just raw skills at technological levels, the research showed that young people learn "cooperation, discipline, courtesy, and problem-solving" while in the homework center environment. Getting help with homework, and getting the homework done correctly, "seems to be a big confidence-builder," the study revealed. Meanwhile, those "teens providing homework center services" found that their work with younger students was a "resume builder" and/or a "plus on their college application." The job skills and training they received while working with the homework centers, the research indicated, provided "a much more desirable outcome than other jobs available to them," such as hamburger and other fast-food restaurants.

Category number six ("They develop personal and social skills") found that (in "teens using homework center services"), since "good manners are expected" and "patience is rewarded" and "teamwork" is encouraged, good communication skills are generally acquired by younger students, which helps them in all aspects of their lives. With the "teens providing homework center services," their hands-on help to younger, less sophisticated students, kind of "forced them" to employ and develop "new interpersonal and social skills." Albeit they discovered that parents can be "more difficult than their children" in some instances, they were able to "identify these challenges and talk about how they had learned to meet them."

Why homework in public libraries? How are volunteers and paid staff recruited for homework centers in libraries?

In her book, Cindy Mediavilla explains that more than 50% of "the public libraries that provide formal homework assistance do so with volunteer help" (p. 14). What perks can be offered to volunteers, as a little extra motivation to take the time and give the free talent? Many volunteer homework assistants are given "free parking passes, free email accounts, T-shirts, lapel pins, mugs, water bottles," and a good deal of praise from paid staff, Mediavilla continues.

And as for qualifications, "knowledge and experience with computers" is an obvious requirement in most cases, as mentors need to be able to help kids find information on the Web, maintain computer hardware, troubleshoot questions and problems, and tweak glitches when they occur, which is frequent, in most cases. Mediavilla also suggests that volunteers have "good communication skills," which seems very fundamental while working with school children; it helps for the volunteers to able to "read aloud 'expressively'," and knowing math is "desirable and is even tested as part of the interview process in some libraries" (p. 16).

In cities where many children speak Spanish primarily, and where English is a second language - such as Oakland, Sacramento, Tucson, Long Beach, and elsewhere in heavily Hispanic populated areas - bilingualism is required. It almost goes without saying that volunteers need patience, organizational skills, flexibility, "the ability to work as a team player, access to reliable information," and, obviously, one must be available during the hours immediately after school lets out.

As to recruiting, some libraries use professional programs that have already screened and interviewed people for a variety of volunteer opportunities, according to Mediavilla; she mentions organization like Literacy Volunteers of America (LVA), Volunteers in Service to America (VSA), Reserve Officers Training Corps (ROTC), America Reads (AR), Retired Senior Volunteer Program (RSVP), Learning is ForEver Society (LIFE), and others.

Beyond these sources, there are the many high schools and colleges, which generally have programs that prepare students for mentoring or tutoring in community programs; "college-aged tutors," Mediavilla writes, "not only bring with them valued subject expertise, but they also provide younger kids with powerful role models." This is particularly true in areas with there are high dropout rates.

But don't over look high school mentors, Mediavilla warns, even though they may be tempted to form little "cliques" and tend to flirt with peers; "librarians have found that high-school-aged homework helpers perform as well, if not better than, their older counterparts," she explains. In some cases, high school students' own learning "is reinforced" as they help others study, and "teen tutors tend to become more socially competent and are better prepared for the job market as a result of their homework-center experiences, the author asserts.

Why homework in public libraries? Volunteers and paid staff need to be mindful of the intricacies of tutoring at homework centers in libraries.

An article in Remedial and Special Education (Hock, et al., 2001) zeros in on various models for tutoring for "at risk" students, and those with "learning disabilities" (LD), though in most cases, volunteer mentors in libraries will not be asked to have any special skills that deal with helping LD students. Tutors will, however, certainly be working to some extent with "at risk" students (those in jeopardy of failing academically in school; those from dysfunctional families; those experimenting with drugs and gang-related activities) in libraries from time to time. And the article suggests that in many cases tutoring can prevent some students from becoming "undereducated, underemployed, and under-prepared to participate successfully" in the society of the 21st Century, and can prevent many teenagers from joining the ranks of those "who mindlessly wander around the malls and live shamelessly off other people."

However, the article warns, "some forms of tutoring may be more harmful than helpful." The fact is, some students "demonstrate little skill growth" when being tutored, and instead "become dependent on their tutors for success." In some cases "researchers have reported mixed results" and in other cases "one-to-one tutoring has been an extremely effective intervention." All told, "beliefs about efficacy of tutoring are mixed," according to Hock.

And when it comes to after-school tutoring - in libraries or elsewhere - there is a problem in determining the effectiveness because "much of the literature on after-school tutoring programs is descriptive in nature," and not empirical, or data-based. In those studies in which data are reported by researchers, "control conditions often were not used," Hock continues. And in other studies of the effectiveness of after-school tutoring, "researchers reported student performance gains that were minimal or nonexistent."

An example presented in the journal article showed that the grades of students who were tutored after school in physical science classes "showed no significant change" from the grades prior to after school tutoring. Why are these results shown to be negative? Hock believes that there is a problem "defining the tutoring model." There are several models of tutoring: "instructional tutoring" (one-to-one help, with "immediate, positive, and corrective feedback"); "assignment-assisted tutoring" (mainly homework assistance); "strategic tutoring" (a combination of both of the first two models, with strategies for learning - how to learn, how to study, how to prepare for tests - being tied in with help on actual homework assignments).

Which of these models are most often utilized in an after school library homework environment? Probably the "strategic tutoring" model would be most effective as a designed approach to working with students (especially younger students) after school. However, each library and homework-helping staff must determine the targeted audience's needs, prior to settling on any tutoring strategy; for example, "if the intended goals of tutoring" are just an increased knowledge of learning strategies and completing homework assignments, the "strategic tutoring" model might work best.