What impressed me the most.

My research has taken me through many interesting reading about community-based art education and libraries. Even though I work in a library and have frequented libraries my whole life, I didn’t know much about libraries’ history. I read a great article about the future of libraries by Frey. This articles makes us reflect about the future of printed books and consequently the future of libraries. If printed books are phasing out, will library be reduced too online only? Libraries are moving more and more towards online databases, buying less books, CDs, DVDs… Frey suggests that libraries move towards a cultural center for the community (which has been like that in some countries). It takes into perspective something that we often forget and it’s how much our world is changing. It’s happening so fast, we hardly get a chance to adapt. As our world change, so are the institutions surrounding us and their purpose in our society. Libraries are mainly a source of information; librarians are now called information specialists, since their main role is to find information for patrons (or customers) not just finding books.
Another resource I found interesting was a book called Histories of Community-Based Art Education by Congdon & Boughton. This book is a collection of chapters written by many scholars talking about different aspect of community-based art education and how they came about. It was a view on community-based art education I had never seen or read about before. One chapter in particular attracted my attention with a connection with library “crafts” program: Kit crafts and the people who make them: A history of pre-packaged pedagogy since 1930 by Agostinone-Wilson. The author recalls how “craft” has changed over the years with pre-made kits allowing anybody to be able to make something (paint by numbers, scrapbooking, model cars…). She also mentions how before pre-packaged kits came about, an artist or crafter had to make mix their glue, paints and were more involve with the process. If we think of a quilter who used to create their own patterns and stitch by hand (or machine), as now you can buy a machine that quilts for you by following a pattern you buy; or embroiders filigree initials in fabric. Should we consider them crafters? Did the term “craft” changed over the years and doesn’t represent what it used to?
As for the articles we read over the semester two really resonated with me and left me thinking and wondering. One was about qualitative research results presented as poetry and drama play: Poetics, dramatics, and transgressive validity: The case of the skipped line by Richardson. The other was The potency of humor and instructional self-efficacy on art teacher stress by Evans Palmer. Both articles enlighten me in ways research can take place and how we can display our results. I might not use these methods for this particular research, but it opens up a variety of creative options. Art educators being creative people, I wonder how come we haven’t had more creative outcomes from researches.

Congdon, K. G., & Boughton, D. (Eds.). (1998). Advances in program
evaluation: Vol. 4. Evaluating art education programs in community centers: international perspectives on problems. Greenwich, Conn: JAI.
Evans-Palmer, T. (2010). The potency of humor and instructional self-efficacy on
art teacher stress. Studies in Art Education, 52(1), 69-83.

Frey, T. & Sloan, T.(2010). Newsmaker: The future of libraries: Interview with
Thomas Frey. American Libraries, 41(8), 21.
Richardson, L. (1993). Poetics, dramatics, and transgressive validity: The case of
the skipped line. Sociological Quarterly, 34(4), 695-710.

Art in libraries... week 5

There has been any research in art programs in library settings. There are articles written about what some libraries do, what they offer, but there’s no concrete information on the type of programs offered, what are their impact on the community? Who attends these art programs? (…)

In the art education field, there are some studies and written work done on community-based art education, but nothing specifically on libraries. Libraries are cultural centers; offering a multitude of resources free of charge to the community. How can they have been overlooked for so long? Maybe it is because they usually don’t have specialists (art educators) on staff, teaching the art classes? However many libraries have developed partnerships with museums and art educators who come in and offer art classes to their patrons.

Questions yet to be answered:

• What type of library programs are offered in Florida Libraries?


• What is the percentage of libraries offering art programs? (Which will be answered at the same time as the previous question)


• Who is the targeted audience? (age)


• What is the art background of art program facilitators?
  
  For my research, I will have to combine qualitative and quantitative research methods. Most of my questions evolve from a quantitative approach. But, it doesn’t stop there. The impact those art programs have is important too. I will conduct interviews and be on site to observe some of the programs.

Art in Libraries

Well, my research is going to focus on art programs offered in library settings. There's not much written on the subject. So most of my references will be geared towards community-based art education as well as library service articles.

Here's a video I found about what the San Diego Library does as an after school program.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jn0Rdg7nKG0

Also, I found one article about two artists who used to volunteer in an elementary school and teach art classes, but the school decided to spend that time getting ready for testing. They turned to the public library to fill the gap. http://www.signaltribunenewspaper.com/archives/3498

This last article is of the Museum of Florida Art who offer art classes in conjunction with their exhibit through libraries in Volusia County (near Daytona). http://daytonasun.com/Articles/Community/Local-Museum-Offers-Children-s-Art-Program-At-Libraries.html

These arethe kinds of things I want to see and discover and research about. Who are giving the classes? What are their art background? How is the participation?