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Perspectives | TRENDS
How Libraries Help Kids Stand Up
to Bullying
S
everal years ago, a teen-
age girl approached Kara
Watson, librarian at the
Carrboro (N.C.) High School,
for help: Some of her fellow stu-
dents had added inappropriate
remarks to the girls unsecured
Facebook account during study
hall. Watson printed all the evi-
dence, had the girl delete the of-
fending remarks, and reported
the incident to the principal.
Before study hall was over, the
principal was dealing with the per-
petrators.
We handled it all immediately,
Watson tells American Libraries.
Thats a key role of what librarians
can do in schools to be a force against
bullying. If the students know youre
there, and that youre an advocate for
them, theyll come to you.
According to statistics from the
Olweus Bullying Prevention Pro-
gram, one in seven students in K12
is either a bully or a victim of a bully,
and 15% of all school absenteeism is
directly related to fears of being
bullied at school.
As a safe haven, it seems only
natural that school and public
libraries embrace the burgeoning
anti-bullying movement that has
been sweeping the nation for the
past few years in reaction to high-
prole stories of young people feel-
ing so harassed and hopeless that
they have dropped out of school or
committed suicide.
You need to be a very consistent
force in students lives, Watson
says. Her philosophy is to be friend-
ly and approachable so students see
her as a trustworthy adult to turn to
if they are being bullied or witness
such behavior. She says she rejects
limiting her role to being that ste-
reotypical librarian whos shushing
and laying down the rules.
According to the 2011 edition of
School Libraries Count! a national
longitudinal survey by ALAs Ameri-
can Association of School Libraries
of school library programs across
the nation, 70% of 4,887 librarian
respondents indicated they tackle
the topics of cyberbullying, harass-
ment, and stalking behavior at
school. The survey reveals just how
prevalent the problem is in many
schools.
When we were kids, if someone
was picking on you at school, you
went home and that was your re-
prieve, says Watson. But now its
just persistent. Kids can text each
other all the time. She says she
teaches students how to block un-
wanted texts and how to congure
Facebook for maximum privacy in
order to control their social media
environment.
School librarians can play an ac-
tive role in helping each child be-
come a responsible and caring
cybercitizen, ready to take action
against the bullies online, wrote
Kathy Fredrick, director of libraries
and instructional technology at
Shaker Heights (Ohio) City Schools,
in the September/October 2013
School Library Monthly.
For Watson, that means starting
with freshman library orientation.
She introduces herself, learns every-
ones names, and begins to teach the
concept that digital life is life. She
follows up with a unit in 9th-grade
health class in which she recounts
local cyberbullying incidents from
the news, such as the case of a teen in
an adjoining county who was ha-
rassed in a sexting incident.
For 11th-graders, Watson revisits
the donts of cyberbullying, coordi-
nating her talk with college applica-
tion seasona time when students
online reputations take on addi-
tional gravitas.
This logo is used by Buffalo and Erie County (N.Y.) Public Library to brand its anti-
bullying banners and posters for easy recognition by the public.
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TRENDS | Perspectives
Public library
involvement
Although the Childrens Internet
Protection Act does not require
public libraries to teach patrons
how to combat bullying, several
libraries have taken a public stand
against such behavior.
In October 2012, hundreds of peo-
ple turned out at the inaugural Bully-
ing Stops Here rally at the Bualo
and Erie County (N.Y.) Public Library
(BECPL). Just 13 months earlier, a
local 14-year-old boy named Jamey
Rodemeyer had committed suicide
after suering years of bullying over
his openness about being gay and ac-
tivism against homophobia.
It was something that very much
hit home, says BECPL Director
Mary Jean Jakubowski. She says the
library took the lead in contacting
other groups that conducted similar
campaigns in Erie County and made
Bullying Stops Here posters for
elected ocials, children, and
adults to sign as a commitment to
standing rm that bullying stops
with me. Banner versions of the
poster hang in the systems libraries
year-round.
Patrons have told sta members
that seeing the banner reminds
them the library is a safe haven to
us. We know that we can feel com-
fortable here. We know we can be
ourselves here.
BECPL holds its Bullying Stops
Here campaign in October because
it is designated National Bullying
Prevention Month. The months
activitiesthemed concerts, lecture
series, and educational activities
are a celebration of life and a
celebration of individualism,
Jakubowski says. When something
signicant goes on in the communi-
ty, be supportive of the situation,
and show that libraries are there for
people and can be supportive
through the resources we provide.
The Orange County (Fla.) Library
System (OCPL) holds anti-bullying
activities in March, dubbing the
event March Against Bullying. Tracy
Zampaglione, public relations ad-
ministrator for OCPL, says the
library systems cyberbullying edu-
cation has been a response to what
was an obvious community need.
OCPL also oers banners for
people to sign and a lecture series,
as well as an online internet-safety
tutorial from the sheris depart-
ment. During its inaugural month,
in March 2011, about 2,500 people
signed the anti-bullying pledge, and
more than 500 attended online
safety events at the library. Atten-
dance has grown to more than 1,000
over the years.
How does a library get started on
such a campaign? Public libraries
should just do it, Jakubowski ad-
vises. As for school libraries, Wat-
son recommends nding one
teacher who is also interested and
building from there.
Jakubowski adds: This took a
village to put togethera micro-
cosm of involved people that
brought the community together.
Beverly Goldberg
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