Libraries and literacy support

Small things make up big things, or so I've read. Lots of small things are happening around the research at the minute, but it feels as if the whole thing is never going to come together...

The lit review is coming on - some constructive crit from supervisor is providing food for thought. The empirical stuff is still a long way from complete - I need to transcribe interviews but it seems a daunting task.

Have spent the week tracking down resources and interviewing professionals...

The things I have encountered so far...
Research problems so far:

Ø Not all authorities have a designated officer in charge of children’s provision – sometimes under umbrella of other services ie access and inclusion
Ø Being passed around to other members of staff responsible for provision – children’s services may not cover teens
Ø Gaining information from professionals – not responding with information when asked
Ø HOLIDAY TIME!!! For those who don’t have children in school – relevant professionals off on holiday
Ø Only one person doing the job – no-one else knows about the projects
Ø Reader development officers for all types of provision so being passed onto other people ie officer responsible for adult provision may cover teens too and so will have spoken to wrong professional to begin with
Ø Unravelling strands of provision – lots of input from all areas
Ø Time…
Ø Tying up all of the data into coherent form

What’s going well:

v Response from most good
v Interest of professionals and willingness to discuss subject matter
v Technology for interviews
v Contacts made for future research/professional networking
v Wealth of commitment and enthusiasm for agenda
v Amount of information and research good and useful
v Gaining deeper understanding of provision

I'm assuming all professional researchers encounter these problems, but when you're on a really strict time limit its very worrying when you're promised something and it doesnt turn up...

Over the last week I've conducted a couple of interviews with professionals who've very kindly donated their time and tea to talk with me about my research.

I've noticed a couple of common themes throughout - the lack of performance measurement, the inability to quantify impact on life, the value-added cost to people, and the problems with putting a cost on the quality of life of the people we interact with, changing the image of the library and changing staff attitudes towards learners and teens in general.

There're also some commonalities of practice - reading groups, homework and study support clubs, providing a safe learning space for students and learners, supporting learners through staff knowledge and skills, facilitating learning and willingness to help the public with their learning activities. Some other issues are the establishment of specific reading groups to target under-achievers or vulnerable people.

So. Quite profitable so far... my supervisor wants me to widen my sample though, and this seems a good idea.

I've just got to identify some more literature to use for my review, which I'm going to work really hard on this week. I also have to transcribe my interviews.