SLIC - Social Responsibility and School Libraries

Books make it possible for each of us to learn at our own rate, by asking our own questions, by putting what we discover into what we already know. They also encourage joint learning, shared understandings, extended awareness. Margaret Meek (1991, p. 167)

Introduction

As a new teacher-librarian in rural Alberta, I was tasked with teaching a grade six social studies class for one year. The first unit was on local government and included a section about individuals making a difference in the world around them. The textbook profiled a twelve year-old named Craig Keilburger, who created an organization called “Free the Children” in response to the murder of a young child labourer in Pakistan. Keilburger and his friends started the organization to fight against child labour and raise awareness about other social issues facing children around the world. My students were intrigued by the short profile in their textbooks, so I read the first few chapters of Kielburger’s book Free the Children aloud to the class. Many of the students were so interested that they went on to read the book themselves. They were also motivated to act on what they had learned, so they collected school supplies that were then sent to the organization “Free the Children” for distribution in developing countries. Their exposure to Craig Keilburger, through a brief profile in a textbook and a few chapters from a book, helped them to think about global issues and discover what they could do to make a difference in another person’s life. This story is one of the highlights of that year for me and often serves as a reminder that literature can be a powerful and effective tool for teaching about life.

The teacher-librarian has a unique position in schools. The teacher-librarian has a responsibility to develop and teach curriculum, but also to understand and uphold library standards. Teaching children about issues related to social responsibility and global citizenship is the responsibility of everyone in the school, but the teacher-librarian has a special opportunity to enhance the learning that occurs throughout the school. One way this can be done is through the use of children’s literature.

This paper is written primarily for teacher-librarians and other educators, and addresses two basic questions: first, why should children’s literature be used in schools to teach children about global citizenship and social responsibility; and second, what literature can be used to help children understand and discuss these issues?

Throughout the paper, reference will be made to a number of terms that should be clearly defined from the outset. First, according to the American Library Association (2004), social responsibility is
the contribution that librarianship can make in ameliorating or solving the critical problems of society; support for efforts to help inform and educate the people of the United States on these problems and to encourage them to examine the many views on and the facts regarding each problem. (para. 15)

For the purposes of this paper, this definition is simply extended into the Canadian context. Second, intellectual freedom refers to “the right of every individual to both seek and receive information from all points of view without restriction” (ALA, 2006, para. 2). Both social responsibility and intellectual freedom emphasize the importance of having access to, and critically evaluating, all types of information. Finally, global citizenship is a common term in education circles, especially as it has become an integral part of the twenty-first century curriculum. According to Oxfam International, global citizenship is “about understanding the need to tackle injustice and inequality, and having the desire and ability to work actively to do so” (Oxfam International, 1997, para. 2). The goal of any school or library global citizenship program is to help students understand how they can make a difference in the world they live in. Through global citizenship education, “students learn that caring about others builds a strong society and is the foundation of a safe, caring and inclusive learning community” (Skytt, 2006, para. 4). This educational emphasis on empathy, encourages students to discover that they can influence change and make a positive difference in the world.

Global citizenship education and teaching about social responsibility should be an integral part of a school library’s mandate. But, what support do teacher-librarians have for incorporating this philosophy into their programs?

The United Nations’ Universal Declaration on Human Rights provides firm support for teaching children about social responsibility and global citizenship. Article 1 states, “all human beings are born free and equal in dignity and rights,” and Article 27 addresses the importance of culture, stating that “everyone has the right to freely participate in the cultural life of the community” (United Nations, 1948). Children need to know and understand their basic human rights and these articles should be the rhetorical foundation upon which a school library program is based. Similarly, the Glasgow Declaration on Libraries, Information Services, and Intellectual Freedom, a document developed by theInternational Federation of Library Associations and Institutes (IFLA), states that “libraries and information services shall [also] acquire, preserve, and make available the widest variety of materials, reflecting the plurality and diversity of society” (IFLA, 2004, para. 5 & 6). Another IFLA document, the School Library Manifesto, reinforces these ideas, but in a school library context. It states: “the school library equips students with life-long learning skills and develops the imagination, enabling them to live as responsible citizens” (IFLA, 2006, para. 1). These foundational documents firmly place social responsibility, intellectual freedom, and global citizenship into the school library setting.

Canadian library discourse reiterates the above rhetoric by emphasizing the prime directive that libraries have in promoting intellectual freedom, as well as social responsibility. The Canadian Library Association’s (CLA) Code of Ethics states that libraries have a responsibility to “facilitate access to any or all sources of information which may be of assistance to library users” (CLA, 1976, para. 3). The CLA’s Statement on Intellectual Freedom underscores this ethical directive by asserting that libraries have a “basic responsibility for the development and maintenance of intellectual freedom” (CLA, 1985, para. 2). Similarly, the CLA’s Statement on Effective School Library Programs in Canada, states that “to be effective citizens in a society rich in information, students need to learn skills which will allow them to locate and select appropriate information, to analyze that information critically, and to use it wisely” (CLA, 2000, para. 1). Finally, the Canadian Association of School Libraries (CASL) document, Competencies for Teacher-Librarians, states that the teacher-librarian “develops and promotes the effective use of informational and imaginative resources in all formats through cooperative professional activities and provides appropriate information, resources or instruction to satisfy the needs of individuals and groups” (CASL, 1997, para. 1.6 & 1.7). In each case, teacher-librarians are encouraged to promote information literacy and intellectual freedom. A literature-based program related to global citizenship is one way to engage students in this process.

Teacher-librarians have a responsibility to know and support the provincial curriculum. In my home province of Alberta, for example, recent changes to the social studies curriculum placed global citizenship in the forefront of the new program. This program has “at its heart the concepts of citizenship and identity in the Canadian context. … It fosters the building of a society that is pluralistic, bilingual, multicultural, inclusive and democratic” (Alberta Education, 2005, p. 1). The rhetoric is reminiscent of IFLA’s Glasgow Declaration, with references to plurality, diversity, and democracy. The connection between these two documents shows how the school library is a place where library and educational standards meet and how global citizenship and social responsibility should be at the centre of the educational program.

Promoting global citizenship and social responsibility as related themes in the classroom can be a challenge. Teachers often struggle with the best way to ‘teach’ these ideas, because they are broad and elusive concepts, not skills that can be taught, learned, practiced, mastered, and tested. Children’s literature is one way to help children better understand these issues, because children benefit when new information is presented in a way that is easy to understand and assimilate. According to Gordon Wells (1986), “stories have a role in education that goes far beyond their contribution to the acquisition of literacy. … Through the exchange of stories teachers and students can share their understandings of a topic and bring their mental models of the world into closer alignment” (p. 194). This description of the power of literature in the classroom is echoed by my own students’ reactions to reading Craig Kielburger’s book. Traditional teaching methods would not have resulted in the same powerful, energized response to Kielburger’s story. As I discovered through experience and reflection, the act of reading fiction can transform a learning experience and “transport readers to other places and other times and expand their life space. Readers feel connected to the lives of others as they enter an imagined situation with their emotions tuned to those of the story” (Huck, Kiefer, Hepler & Hickman, 2004, p. 8).

Books will often generate the kind of discussion or debate that is critical for students to create new understandings of complex ideas. For example, literature circles, in which small groups of students read the same book and then participate in discussions and activities about their book, can be an effective way of encouraging children to grapple with difficult issues or ideas. Whether using literature circles or reading a book out loud, integrating books into the classroom helps the story become “the common knowledge for the class—it is the scaffold, the schema, upon which students’ understandings and interests are explored and new knowledge is added” (Diakiw, 1990, p. 296). This is a significant point in the context of discussing issues that might be confusing or even frightening for some children. Lissa Paul (1988) suggests that “stories create a space where moral and social issues can be explored safely—without threat. And therein lies their value” (p. 4). Presenting new or difficult topics through literature gives children a safe way to explore and define their own attitudes and perceptions about social responsibility and global issues.

Literature-based teaching also benefits students in other ways. By reading a picture book or novel about a particular time or place, children “can put themselves in the place of characters and develop feelings and understanding of the characters and the era” (Edgington, 1998, para. 7). Trade fiction books bring a human element to a particular issue in a way that textbooks cannot. For example, Chanda’s Secrets by Allan Stratton introduces readers to a sixteen year-old girl named Chanda, whose family is directly affected by the HIV/AIDS crisis in Africa. Chanda is forced to overcome the secrecy and stigma associated with HIV/AIDS as she fights to keep her family together. A book like Chanda’s Secrets can give young people a compelling and personal look at a contemporary world issue.

Children also develop high level reading and thinking skills by participating in literature-based programs (Edgington, 1998; Pantaleo, 2002). Providing time for reading in school, especially if the books are interesting and accessible and the children have some choice in what they read, has direct impact on students’ intellectual freedom, as well as their reading ability and on their desire to read. Studies have shown that children who are involved in free reading programs at school, such as literature circles, are more likely to read outside of school for pleasure and recreation (Krashen, 2004). This is a powerful finding. Furthermore, reading aloud also has a profound impact on children’s literacy rates. Recent studies indicate “children who are read to regularly … make superior gains in reading comprehension and vocabulary” (Krashen, p. 78). Incorporating literature into classroom or library programs is not only an effective instructional strategy, but also an important practice to develop literacy skills.

In addition to improving children’s reading skills, teacher-librarians who use literature to meet curricular outcomes also help children to develop an appreciation for reading as a pleasurable aesthetic experience. Literature entertains, stretches imagination, elicits a wealth of emotions, and develops compassion. It generates questions and new knowledge, affords vicarious experiences of other worlds, and provides encounters with different beliefs and values. (Pantaleo, 2002, para. 2) The phrase “aesthetic reading” refers to Rosenblatt’s transactional theory of reading. Rosenblatt asserts that there are two types of reading: reading for information (efferent) and reading for pleasure (aesthetic). In efferent reading, “the meaning results from abstracting and analytically structuring the ideas, information, directions, or conclusions to be retained, used, or acted upon after the reading event” (Rosenblatt, 1982, p. 159). On the other hand, the aesthetic reader “experiences and savors the qualities of the structured ideas, situations, scenes, personalities, and emotions that are called forth and participates in the tensions, conflicts, and resolutions as they unfold” (p. 159).

Teachers and students have traditionally relied heavily on textbooks to support teaching and learning. Unfortunately, textbooks only provide children with opportunities to practice their efferent reading, as they read for information. Teacher-librarians are familiar with literature and pedagogy. Collaboration between teachers and teacher-librarians in the area of children’s literature and global citizenship should be a natural practice. Using books in the classroom or library helps children develop skills as both efferent and aesthetic readers. The Breadwinner by Deborah Ellis, for example, provides opportunities for both types of reading. Set in Afghanistan under Taliban rule, The Breadwinner, tells the story of Parvana, who has to work outside the home to support her family. Parvana must dress like a boy to go to work, because under the Taliban, girls and women were not allowed to be out in public alone. As an efferent reading experience, children who read The Breadwinner learn a great deal about the social, political, and cultural climate in Afghanistan in the 1990s. At the same time, Ellis’ use of language to describe the setting and characters makes The Breadwinner a well-written story that can be read and enjoyed at an aesthetic level as well.

All of this does not mean, however, that children’s literature should be used in isolation or as a total replacement for other instructional methods. As Huck, Keifer, Hepler & Hickman (2004) state:

Using literature across the curriculum does not mean forcing connections between fact and fiction … It does mean recognizing that some pieces of literature have a strong background of fact and provide a unique human perspective on historical, scientific, and technological subjects. (p. 553)

Textbooks, of course have their place in the classroom and teacher-librarians and classroom teachers should plan programs that make use of both types of information sources. The example about my own students reinforces this idea. After reading a short biographical piece about Craig Keilburger in their textbooks, the students were encouraged to learn more by reading a trade fiction book on the subject. Edgington’s (1998) review of the literature on this subject suggests that textbooks should be supplemented with children’s literature or other resources to create a well-developed program. However, the research is not conclusive, nor is it recent, and further study in this area would be beneficial to teachers and teacher-librarians. Regardless, a literature-based program to support the curriculum is more interesting and engaging for most students, (see, for example, Davis & Palmer, 1992 & Guzzetti, Kowalinski, & McGowan, 1992) and is, therefore, an effective instructional method for teaching children key concepts, values, or ideas, especially related to global citizenship and social responsibility.

Included at the end of this section is a list of recommended titles for middle years students (grades 5-9) that could be used in a literature-based global citizenship education program. Although many different global and national issues could be used to teach about global citizenship and social responsibility, I have chosen to focus on four specific areas: human rights, HIV/AIDS, child labour, and war and peace. These are restricted to picture books, novels, graphic novels, and non-fiction, even though there are many other resources (film, drama, websites, etc.) that would also be appropriate to use as teaching tools.

No matter how books like these get used in the classroom, teacher-librarians have a professional responsibility to include them in their library collections. Students should have access to books, both fiction and non-fiction, on a wide range of social issues. By collecting books such as these and promoting them to students in the library, teacher-librarians are promoting social responsibility and intellectual freedom at the school library level. As well, teacher-librarians are recognizing the importance of the UN Convention on the Rights of the Child, an international document that Canada has ratified. Even if these issues are not addressed in the classroom as part of the curriculum, teacher-librarians are in a position to help students develop an awareness of social issues.

Beyond collecting and promoting library materials that respect the plurality and diversity of society, teacher-librarians could use their positions to sponsor a student group that promotes global citizenship and social responsibility. There are many ways that such a group could function in the school. For example, after reading The Heaven Shop by Deborah Ellis, students could raise awareness about the plight of HIV/AIDS orphans in Africa by creating a display for their classmates, collecting funds for donation (e.g., organizing a book sale). Similarly, a student group could partner with the Parent Council or the local public library to sponsor a visit to the school by Craig Keilburger (or another representative from Free the Children) to talk about child labour and children’s basic human right to education. Perhaps after reading a book like Alia’s Mission: Saving the Books of Iraq by Mark Alan Stamaty, students could raise money for an international library organization that supports the rebuilding of libraries in war torn countries. The teacher-librarian could also help students participate in school assemblies or programs, such as Remembrance Day, through reader’s theatre, dramatic readings, information presentations, or poetry readings, based on the group’s social justice research and work. An informal book discussion group led by the teacher-librarian once or twice a month focusing on titles such as those recommended below would promote intellectual freedom and social responsibility at the school level. By providing access to a wide range of resources and programs, teacher-librarians can give students the opportunity to explore all aspects of the world around them. As a result, teacher-librarians can play a critical role in promoting global citizenship and social responsibility both within and outside the classroom.

Global Citizenship and Social Responsibility: Suggested Titles

Grades 5-9

Human Rights & Citizenship

A Life Like Mine by UNICEF
Children Just Like Me by Barnabas and Anabel Kindersley
Children’s Rights by Adam Hibbert
For Every Child: The UN Convention on the Rights of the Child in Words and Pictures by Caroline Castle
If the World Were a Village by David Smith
If You Could Wear My Sneakers by Sheree Fitch
Stand Up, Speak Out by UNICEF
Take Action: A Guide to Active Citizenship by Craig and Marc Kielburger

HIV/AIDS

Chanda’s Secrets by Allan Stratton
Our Stories, Our Songs: African Children Talk about AIDS by Deborah Ellis
Pedro and Me by Judd Winick
The Eagle Kite by Paula Fox
The Gathering Tree by Larry Loyie with Constance Brissenden
The Heaven Shop by Deborah Ellis
Touch of the Clown by Glen Huser

Child Labour

Carpet Boy’s Gift by Pegi Dietz Shea
Free the Children by Craig Kielburger with Kevin Major
Iqbal by Francesco D’Adamo
Iqbal Masih and the Crusaders Against Child Slavery by Susan Kuklin
Listen to Us: The World’s Working Children, a Book for Kids by Jane Springer
We Need to Go To School: Voices of the Rugmark Children by Tanya Roberts-Davis

War and Peace

A Little Piece of Ground by Elizabeth Laird
Alia’s Mission: Saving the Books of Iraq by Mark Alan Stamaty
Brothers in Hope: The Story of the Lost Boys of Sudan by Mary Williams
Kiss the Dust by Elizabeth Laird
Persepolis by Marjane Satrapi
The Breadwinner by Deborah Ellis (and sequels)
The Librarian of Basra: A True Story from Iraq by Jeanette Winter
The Road to Chlifa by Michele Marineau
Three Tall Trees by David Whealer
Three Wishes: Palestinian and Israeli Children Speak by Deborah Ellis
Thura’s Diary by Thura Al-Windawi
War Game by Michael Foreman
What Does Peace Feel Like by V. Radunsky
Year of No Rain by Alice Mead

Children are naturally curious and interested in what is happening around them. As educators, we have a responsibility to help children develop their opinions about what they see on TV or read about in the newspaper or online. We also have a responsibility to educate children to think critically about the world they inhabit. Teaching with a focus on intellectual freedom and social responsibility can be challenging, but good education is challenging isn’t it? That is why global education is supported by national and international library discourse and by our school curriculum. Teacher-librarians have a professional responsibility to incorporate these concepts into their practice. Using children’s literature to supplement other instructional methods is one way to introduce children to socially responsible viewpoints and issues related to global citizenship and social justice. Literature-based programs give children the opportunity to explore ideas and attitudes and move beyond the facts and figures of traditional social studies texts, and, hopefully, become empathetic, caring, sharing, and active global citizens. As the authors of Children’s Literature in the Elementary School state:
So much of what we teach in school is concerned with facts. Literature is concerned with feelings, the quality of life. It can educate the heart as well as the mind. … Literature can show children how others have lived and ‘become’, no matter what the time or place. As children gain increased awareness of the lives of others, as they vicariously try out other roles, they may develop a better understanding of themselves and those around them. (Huck, Kiefer, Hepler & Hickman, 2004, p. 8)

Ontario School Library Association: Be the Change (educational resource package with lesson plans based on issues of global citizenship, social justice, human rights; includes annotated bibliography of print and electronic resources on a variety of subjects available online at: http://www.accessola.com/osla/bethechange/home.html)

Free the Children: “the largest network of children helping children through education in the world” (URL: http://www.freethechildren.org)

United Nations: United Nations Cyber School Bus (A global teaching and learning project with information, facts, quizzes and games, and teacher resources. URL: http://www.un.org/Pubs/CyberSchoolBus/)

American Library Association (ALA). (2006). Office for Intellectual Freedom. Retrieved July 18, 2006, from http://www.ala.org/ala/oif/Default622.htm.

Bainbridge, J. M., Pantaleo, S., & Ellis, M. (1999). Multicultural picture books: Perspectives from Canada. [Electronic version]. The Social Studies, 90(4), 183-188. Retrieved July 11, 2006, from Proquest database.

Canadian Association of School Libraries (CASL). (2005). Students' information literacy needs in the 21st century: Competencies for teacher-librarians. Retrieved July 16, 2006, from http://www.caslibraries.ca/publications/pub_literacy.aspx#1.1.

Canadian Library Association (CLA). (2000). Statement on effective school library programs in Canada. Retrieved May 15, 2006, from http://www.cla.ca/about/school.htm.

Canadian Library Association (CLA). (1985). Statement on intellectual freedom. Retrieved May 15, 2006, from http://www.cla.ca/about/intfreed.htm.

Canadian Library Association (CLA). (1976). Code of ethics. Retrieved May 15, 2006, from http://www.cla.ca/about/ethics.htm.

Davis, J. C.,III, & Palmer, J. (1992). A strategy for using children's literature to extend the social studies curriculum.[Electronic version]. The Social Studies, 83(3), 125-128. Retrieved on July 12, 2006, from Proquest database.

Diakiw, J. Y. (1990). Children's literature and global education: Understanding the developing world. [Electronic version]. The Reading Teacher, 43(4), 296-301. Retrieved July 12, 2006, from Proquest database.

Edgington, W. D. (1998). The use of children's literature in middle school social studies: What research does and does not show. [Electronic version]. The Clearing House, 72(2), 121-126. Retrieved July 11, 2006, from Proquest database.

Guzzetti, B. J., Kowalinski, B. J., & McGowan, T. (1992). Using a literature-based approach to teaching social studies. [Electronic version]. Journal of Reading, 36(2), 114-122. Retrieved July 12, 2006, from Proquest database.

Huck, C. S., Kiefer, B. Z., Hepler, S., & Hickman, J. (2004). Children's literature in the elementary school (8th ed.). New York, New York: McGraw Hill.

International Federation of Library Associations and Institutions (IFLA). (2006). IFLA/UNESCO school library manifesto. Retrieved May 15, 2006, from http://www.ifla.org/VII/s11/pubs/manifest.htm.

International Federation of Library Associations and Institutions (IFLA). (2004). The Glasgow declaration on information services and intellectual freedom. Retrieved May 15, 2006, from http://www.ifla.org/faife/policy/iflastat/gldeclar-e.html.

Krashen, S. D. (2004). The power of reading: Insight from the research (2nd ed.). Westport, CT: Heinemann.

Lewis, S. (2006). The Stephen Lewis Foundation. Retrieved July 20, 2006, from http://www.stephenlewisfoundation.org/

Meek, M. (1991). On being literate. London, UK: The Bodley Head.
Oxfam International. (1997). What is global citizenship? Retrieved July 18, 2006, from http://www.oxfam.org.uk/coolplanet/teachers/globciti/whatis.htm

Pantaleo, S. (2002). Children's literature across the curriculum: An Ontario survey. [Electronic version]. Canadian Journal of Education, 27(2/3), 211-231. Retrieved July 11, 2006, from Proquest database.

Paul, L. (1988). What stories have to do with life. Growing with books: Literature and education (pp. 4-6). Toronto, ON: Ontario Ministry of Education.

Rosenblatt, L. M. (1982). Writing and reading: The transactional theory. In J. Mason (Ed.), Reading and writing connections (pp. 153-176). Boston, MA: Allyn & Bacon.

Skytt, J. (2006). Global citizenship is an investment in the future. [Electronic version]. ATA Magazine, 86(3), 34. Retrieved July 8, 2006, from Proquest database.

United Nations. (1948). Universal declaration of human rights. Retrieved May 15, 2006, from http://www.un.org/Overview/rights.html.

Joanne de Groot

Introduction