BOOK: 2015 Innovation Toolkit / Immersive play & arts integration

[Matt Finch]

The American Library Association's 2015 Library Innovation Toolkit has just been published.

I co-wrote the chapter on working with children and young people, "Monsters, Rockets, and Baby Racers", with Tracie Mauro of Australia's Parkes Library.

Drawing on Professor Jackie Marsh's notion of pop culture as children's folk culture, we take an immersive, play-based approach to learning. We draw together media, artistic creation, and roleplay to engage young library users. Our programs have also been successfully applied in schools, museums, and public spaces.

 

We share the principles underpinning national-award-winning youth programs like:

• Big Box Battle - monsters vs. robots
• Curating urban myths
• Paint Like Michelangelo, plus chocolate pudding swamps!
• Book publishing for teens
• Time travel in the library 
• Zombie siege - video of the 2013 event, plus a report on the original 2012 project including "how-to" PDF 

You'll also find other great articles from librarians and educators around the world, on everything from library comics festivals to new ways of using digital media.

Check out the Library Innovation Toolkit now.