This document discusses technology competencies for children's services librarians. It outlines two key skills: exploring new hardware and evaluating digital media. When examining a new device, librarians are advised to observe features like buttons, ports and on-screen controls. They should approach evaluation with a spirit of playfulness, tapping buttons to see what happens. Criteria for evaluating children's apps and ebooks include interactive elements, ads/purchases, screen controls, and support for early literacy skills. Features like unobtrusive navigation and customization allow digital content to grow with children.

1. Children's Services in
the Digital Age:
Technology
Competencies
• Genesis Hansen,
Mission Viejo Library
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2. Two Key Skills
• Exploring new hardware
• Evaluating digital media
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3. When someone has a
question about an
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4. Observe
• Look at the casing first
• Buttons?
• Power
• Volume/mute
• Home?
• Headphone jack?
• Ports
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5. Then turn it on
• Are some controls on screen
instead of on casing?
• Settings: in an app or accessed
from menu?
• Multiple screens? - swipe to test
• Apps and widgets?
• Battery life indicator?
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6. Approach with a spirit of play
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7. When in doubt, tap stuff and see what happens
(This works when evaluating apps and ebooks, too!)
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8. Question:
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9. Question:
• What criteria do you use when
evaluating children's books?
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10. Question:
• What criteria do you use when
evaluating children's books?
• Apply the same criteria to digital
media (apps and ebooks)
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11. Question:
• What criteria do you use when
evaluating children's books?
• Apply the same criteria to digital
media (apps and ebooks)
• Plus, a few extra considerations
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12. Interactive elements: enhance or distract?
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13. Irrelevant interactivity
• Doesn't relate to the story
• Distracts from the flow
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14. Sunday, November 10, 13

15. Paid vs. free?
• Watch out for ads and in-app
purchase links
• Use free versions for evaluation
purposes
• Always worth the investment to
skip the ads
• ESPECIALLY for kids
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16. Controls on bottom of
screen
• Easy to hit by accident
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17. Controls on bottom of
screen
• Easy to hit by accident
• Attractive buttons lead out of the
app...
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18. Controls on bottom of
screen
• Easy to hit by accident
• Attractive buttons lead out of the
app...
• Which leads to this:
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19. Intrusive music, etc.
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20. Look for apps that
support early literacy skills
• Print motivation
• Print awareness
• Letter knowledge
• Vocabulary
• Phonological awareness
• Narrative skills
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25. Affordance: movement indicates interactivity
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26. Affordance: arrows indicate action to take
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27. Little delights
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28. Helpful cues
• Letter is repeated when you
touch tile or destination
• Destination is highlighted when
correct tile is close
• "Magnetic" pull of tile to
destination
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29. Unobtrusive controls: difficult to exit app unintentionally
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30. Ability to change or turn off features
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31. Customization options allow apps to grow with the child
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34. Effective, unobtrusive navigation
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