Evan Mather

November 10, 2014

LIS 764

Connected Learning and HOMAGO at Schaumburg Township District

Library
Introduction
Founded in 1963, the Schaumburg Township District Library (STDL) serves more
than 134 thousand patrons in Schaumburg Township. Located in the northwest suburbs
of Chicago, STDL serves communities includes Schaumburg, Hanover Park, Hoffman
Estates, Rolling Meadows, Elk Grove, and Streamwood. In November of 2012, the
library completed renovations which included the creation of a Teen Place. This large
area for library users 12-19 sees an average of 120 visitors a day. The space provides
multiple types of seating options, from comfortable lounging on couches to enclosed
study rooms to collaborative work stations with the ability to project devices onto
larger screens. In addition to a large selection of young adult books, the Teen Place
provides access to numerous forms of technology, including laptops, video game
systems, a digital media lab, and even a vending machine for young adult audio visual
materials. The space is incredibly popular, and teens come for both recreational and
informational services, which are often one and the same. With four full-time Teen
Services staff members, STDL offers numerous opportunities for user instruction.
Instruction can take the shape of both formal and informal learning, and include
multiple topics, often within the realm of Science, Technology, Engineering, Art, and
Mathematics (STEAM). Despite the various forms it can take, almost all library
instruction for teen users provided by STDL adhere to several of the tenets of

Connected Learning. (LaMantia, 2014; Library History, n.d.; observation, October 7,

2014; Schaumburg Library Teen Site, 2014).
Connected Learning and HOMAGO in the Public Library
Connected Learning is both a form of learning and an agenda for educational
design that increases access to educational opportunities. It focuses on bridging
three often fragmented spheres of learning: interest-driven learning, learning with
peers, and academic learning. Connected learning seeks to integrate those three
domains. While new technologies are not essential for connected learning to occur,
they can be effectively leveraged to better facilitate it. As Ito and Martin explain,
With the rapid growth of online educational content, social media, and
specialized online communities, young people have ready access to interestdriven learning and peers and mentors who share these interests. These forms
of online media also have the potential to better connect learning institutions
like libraries and schools to the social and interest-driven learning that is
flourishing online. (Ito & Martin, 2013, p. 30)
The public library is especially well-positioned to apply these connected
learning principles. It is an informal learning environment, where the structure is
much less proscribed than in a traditional school setting. Participants are freely able
to choose what activities they wish to participate in, so the learning is distinctly
interest-driven. There are no set class rosters, so participants can often choose with
whom they interact and learn with, leading to more peer-driven learning. There are
also often restrictions placed on technology use in more formal learning
environments, where computers use is often restricted to curriculum-based research
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and use of mobile device is frequently outright prohibited. Indeed, much of the
Connected Learning movement has focused upon applying many of the traits of
informal learning environments, like libraries, to the classroom and other formal
environments. (Harris, 2011)
The spheres in which teen learning thrives have been categorized into three
Genres of Learning as Hanging Out, Messing Around, and Geeking Out (HOMAGO).
Hanging Out is the most social of the genres, where peer to peer interactions happen,
both in face to face and virtual settings. Messing Around and Geeking Out both deal
with interest-driven learning. Messing Around, however, focuses more upon the
production, performance, and creation aspects of Connected Learning, while Geeking
Out is about heavy and passionate interest in specific subjects. (Ito et al., 2010)
These are all the arenas in which social and digital media are best leveraged, and
where many libraries on the forefront of services for young adults are looking to
expand. Some of the most recent and prominent examples include the YOUmedia labs
at the Chicago Public Library and ArtLab+ at the Smithsonian. (Larson, 2014, p. 22)
These concepts have permeated much of contemporary young adult librarianship that
the philosophies are put into practice even without direct conscious connections to
the theory, as is the case with STDL.
The arena in which public libraries seem to lag behind the structured classroom
is in an academic focus. The connections between all three spheres dont need to be
overt, however. The academic or career benefits can be tangential to the informal
learning. Examples provided by Ito and Martin include an English-language learner
who improved his language skills by participating in a forum on wrestling, teens
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developing writing and technology skills by recording a podcast on video gaming at

the Chicago Public Librarys YOUmedia labs, or members of the teen advisory board at
Evanston Public Library gaining leadership and project-planning skills by helping to
design the teen space in the library. (Ito & Martin, 2013, pp. 3031) Shaping
instruction around actual production or performance can also help avoid the feel of
a formal academic environment and foster the two other spheres of connected
learning. Hands on experience, and avoiding lecture, is key for maintaining teen
interest. (Ludwig, 2011, p. 32) The melding of the three tenants of Connected
Learning YOUmedia labsBecause the benefits to the academic sphere are often
indirect, many working in public libraries feel that they should focus on the benefits
of their informal nature. STDL Teen Librarian Katie LaMantia puts this idea simply
when describing the librarys Teen Place. We are not a school, and we dont want it
to feel like a school. (LaMantia, 2014)

Learning Opportunities for Teens at Schaumburg Township District Library

Programs offered for teens at STDL are incredibly varied, but are all interestdirected and peer-driven. They include drop-in programs like Electronics Mondays,
where teens can tinker with various electronics and Arduino software; workshops to
learn how to use various technology tools like GarageBand music production software
or iPads; and Robotics sessions where teens build and program Lego Mindstorm kits.
There are also even less structured passive programs, sometimes referred to as
unprogramming. These programs take place during a less definite set of time, and
are not always confined to the library space. Some examples of STDLs passive
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programs have been a roller coaster construction project where teens spent several
weeks building a small model roller coaster, or a photography contest where teens
submitted photos taken on their mobile devices or cameras checked out from the
library and submitted them via social media. (LaMantia, 2014; observation, October 7,
2014; Schaumburg Library Teen Site, 2014)
The metric for a programs success at STDL is placed more upon its popularity
than any other factors. When planning, staff looks to what types of programs have
been popular in the past. Their teen advisory board, dubbed the Teen Corps, is often
used as a focus group or sounding board for potential programming ideas to
determine how popular they would be. The STDL teen staff also makes a clear and
conscious effort to plan a large amount of STEAM and Maker programming. It is a goal
of instruction to often give teens access to cutting-edge technology like digital media
tools and 3D printers. This experience helps teens develop various hard skills, like
coding and basic circuitry, as well as soft skills, like problem solving and
collaboration. (LaMantia, 2014)
Using technology so regularly also brings its own pitfalls. It can often be a
distraction for participants. STDLs teen staff is always cognizant of keeping teens on
task and not letting them get lost in the complexity or diversions of whatever tool is
being used. Technology also increases the amount of moving parts in a program
exponentially, thereby equally increasing the amount of things that can go wrong.
Staff works closely with their IT department to test various technology before
instruction, but regular testing is still difficult. Inevitably, technical issues arise.
(There was even a minor issue that postponed the robotics session observed for this
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paper.) Instructors must be ready to adapt and adjust as problems arise with
technology, or with other instructional peripherals. This is one of the major reasons
that, when possible, larger or more involved classes have two staff members present.
(LaMantia, 2014; observation, October 7, 2014)
Even the more structured programs avoid the feel of the formal educational
style teens would find in academic classrooms. Assessments of both student learning
and of the quality of instruction are also more casual. Learning assessments are
formative, and instructors make sure program participants are following along and
understanding the material, either through verbal communication or by reading cues
like body language. There is rarely summative assessment aside from the instructor
observing and confirming that participants were able to complete the project.
Evaluation of the program and instruction itself from participants is similarly casual,
usually taking place through one-on-one conversations. A programs success is more
measured by program popularity, and whether teens enjoyed themselves. (LaMantia,
2014; observation, October 7, 2014)
Instructors also perform self-reflections, or get input from other colleagues
who observed the program. Revisions and adjustments are often made, usually in
regards to the program structure, the amount of participants, or the amount of
content that is covered. Modifications are not always made instantly, however, since
the variable of specific teen participants can affect the quality of a particular
program, while the actual instruction remains constant. No two groups are identical,
so often instruction must be adjusted and revised within the moment. (LaMantia,
2014; observation, October 7, 2014)
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The shape of instruction, both the more structured class sessions and the more
formless passive programming, is also more informal than in academic institutions.
While there is order and structure to classes like the observed session on Lego
Mindstorm robots the instructor went over the basics of coding the robot, and
walked teens through some basic tasks there is still much more weight and time
given to teens experimenting and creating their own codes and executing them,
either individually or in small groups. With unprogramming, there is even stronger
emphasis upon self-directed learning. The previously mentioned roller coaster project
and photography contest, there is little to no direct instructor-student interactions.
Teens are given access to learning objects (instructions for building the roller coaster,
web tools on photography techniques) and supplies (the roller coaster kit, cameras),
and use them at their own pace to complete various tasks, either collaboratively or
individually. (LaMantia, 2014; observation, October 7, 2014)
Another aspect that sets STDLs teen instruction apart from academics is the
separate and autonomous nature of classes. Even the more structured sessions, like
the robotics class, are stand-alone instructional moments, at least in a formal sense.
There is no overarching curriculum for instruction, with various levels like basic,
intermediate, or expert. One class does not lead into another. Part of this is due
to the informal nature of the library as a learning resource. Attendance is not
required, so turnout for the few past attempts at serialized classes was irregular at
best and did not receive the required commitment from teens. (LaMantia, 2014;
observation, October 7, 2014) It is clear that, just as the librarys strengths lie in its
dissimilarity to more traditional and formal learning environments, that contrast is a
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source for potential disadvantages as well. To remain successful, libraries should

embrace the uniquely informal learning experiences they can provide their users, as
STDL has done, instead of trying and often failing to emulate more traditional
academic forms of instruction.

Conclusion
The instruction provided by the Schaumburg Township District Librarys Teen
Services department perfectly encapsulates the theories of Connected Learning and
HOMAGO in practice. A welcoming and attractive space is provided, and teens come
to spend time hanging out, both with their friends and others in their peer group.
They are drawn to enjoyable instructional programs suited to their personal
interests, be they photography or robotics or creative writing. Within those programs,
learning is heavily self-directed, with library staff simply providing materials and
basic scaffolding. Teens work and learn with and from their peers. Ample access to
various forms of technology, like digital media labs or easily programmed robots, are
provided, with which groups of teens are encouraged to tinker and mess around,
often towards a final creation, such as a model roller coaster. Through these informal
learning experiences, teen library users are able to discover their personal passions
and geek out. Through these informal learning experiences, teens gain numerous
skills, all of which are of great value in their future academic careers.
By fully embracing the unique ability to provide opportunities for effective
informal learning, the theories of HOMAGO and Connected Learning cement the
librarys place in its community as a hub of education, leisure, and creation. The Teen
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Place at Schaumburg Township District Library has put these theories into practice to
great effect, and that effect has not gone unrecognized. In 2013, the Illinois Library
Association awarded two of STDLs teen librarians, Amy Alessio and interview subject
Katie LaMantia, with the Young Adult Librarian of the Year Award and the Crosman
Memorial Award, respectively. (ILA Presents, 2013) By providing the space and
opportunity for teenagers to Hang Out, Mess Around, and Geek Out, STDL is providing
a model for a type of learning that can only happen within library walls.

Bibliography
Harris, F. J. (2011). Gimme Shelter: Informal and Formal Learning Environments in
Library Land. The Journal of Research on Libraries and Young Adults. Retrieved
from http://www.yalsa.ala.org/jrlya/2011/11/gimme-shelter-informal-andformal-learning-environments-in-library-land/
ILA Presents Three Awards to Schaumburg Township District Library Staff. (2013,
October 17). Chicago Tribune. Retrieved from http://
www.chicagotribune.com/suburbs/schaumburg-hoffman-estates/community/
chi-ugc-article-ila-presents-three-awards-to-schaumburg-towns-2013-10-17story.html
Ito, M., Baumer, S., Bittanti, M., Cody, R., Herr-Stephenson, B., Horst, H. A., Tripp,
L. (2010). Hanging out, messing around, and geeking out: kids living and
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default/files/titles/content/9780262013369_sch_0001.pdf
Ito, M., & Martin, C. (2013). Connected Learning and the Future of Libraries. Young
Adult Library Services, 12(1), 2932.
LaMantia, K. (2014, October 7).
Larson, J. (2014). A Learning Lab Makes It in St. Paul. Young Adult Library Services,
12(2), 2224.
Library History. (n.d.). Retrieved from http://schaumburglibrary.org/about/libraryhistory/
Ludwig, S. (2011). Teen Tech Camp. Young Adult Library Services, 9(2), 3133.
Schaumburg Library Teen Site. (2014). Retrieved November 3, 2014, from http://
teen.schaumburglibrary.org/

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