DIABLO VALLEY COLLEGE

The DVC Library recently migrated to a new ILS (Sierra by Innovative Interfaces) and will soon adopt EBSCO's Discovery Service.  DVC now provides library users access to QuestionPoint, a 24/7 chat service.  Finally, the library received $10,000 in funding from the associated students for course reserve textbooks, plus an additional $10,000 in funding from a private donor.

 

Diablo Valley College and Oakland Unified School District Enter Partnership to Improve Library Services

 

Pleasant Hill, CA, September 12, 2016 - The Diablo Valley College Library has partnered with the Oakland Unified School District (OUSD) to help improve library services for students by training a cohort of district employees through DVC’s library technology certificate program. This 18-month program started in April 2016 and will run through 2017. The 17 students will complete one-third of the 19-unit degree program in October.

 

The goal is to strengthen Oakland school libraries by increasing the number of trained staff supporting libraries across the district.

 

This innovative partnership was spearheaded by Ann Gallagher, recently retired OUSD district librarian, Kari Hatch, Executive Director of Friends of the Oakland Public School Libraries with DVC library faculty Daniel Kiely and Andy Kivel.

 

According to a recent OUSD library study, “OUSD has the potential for 75 fully active libraries; however, one third are not functioning and another third have intermittent or reduced hours.” This program is one strategy, part of a wider effort, to improve and expand equitable library services throughout the district.

 

The partnership recognizes that school libraries are critical to students succeeding in reading, critical thinking, and the full range of 21st century media literacies. The 2016 report, School Libraries Work!, (http://www.scholastic.com/slw2016/) details recent research supporting the important role and effectiveness of school libraries at all levels.

 

DVC’s longstanding library technology program prepares students for careers in a variety of library and information centers. Students study and practice all aspects of library operations and information management, in order to assist users in identifying, retrieving and organizing information. Recent graduates are working in diverse settings including UC Berkeley, Contra Costa County Public Library and Pixar Studios.

 

”This exciting collaboration directly meets our community college mission to offer programs that meet regional workforce and economic development needs,” commented Tina Dodson, DVC’s Director of Workforce Development. Graduates will be eligible to promote from clerk to library technician upon completion.

 

For more information on the partnership between DVC and OUSD, please contact Andy Kivel at akivel@dvc.edu or 925-969-2586.