Objectives Overview

The Los Angeles Public Library seeks to strengthen its position as an educational institution in the city. It will do this in part, by aligning its collections, services and programs more closely with the needs of the Los Angeles students. High priority will be given to learning more about the school curriculums, collaborations between local school faculty and librarians, the best public library practices for information literacy and creating optimal learning/study environments for students, tutors and their caregivers. The Los Angeles Public Library views student success not simply as an end unto itself, but rather as a key element for developing LA's youth as future leaders in the city.

1. The Library will empower students to achieve academically by providing resources for students to complete their homework assignments.

Objectives:
· Agencies will provide a quiet study environment for students to do their homework.
· Agencies will provide homework computers for student homework use during after school hours.
· The Library will recruit volunteers to tutor students in after school Student Success Sessions (S3) in the library.
· Every agency will establish and maintain a special S3 resource collection of educational DVDs and books to be used exclusively for the after school S3 or by participants in the S3 program.

Outcomes:
· Students will feel confident about doing their school assignments and studying.
· Students will view the library as a useful resource for homework.
· Students participants in S3 will have improved school performance.
· A longitudinal study could show students who regularly participated in S3 had higher high school graduation rates and/or higher college entrance rates.

2. The Library will educate parents, teachers and students about its resources to help students in their academic pursuits and their daily life.

· Student Success Summits will be held by the Library and by its agencies on, at minimum, an annual basis to ensure parents know about the Student Smart sessions, Live Homework Help, databases, web links, programming and general library use.
· The Library will establish a position whose responsibility will be to act as a School Liaison enabling Youth Librarians access to schools throughout the City.
· The Library will collaborate with all schools to maintain up-to-date reading lists by establishing an interactive database of reading lists allowing each agency to better respond to the needs of its area local schools.
· Workshops for Teachers will be held by the Library and by its agencies in order to ensure that teachers know about the Student Smart sessions, Live Homework Help, databases, web links, and general library use.
· Bibliographic instruction will be given regularly to parents and students at special workshops at each agency.
· Online bibliographic instruction will be made available on the Library website for use by parents, teachers and students.
· Regular and ongoing instruction and training for bibliographic instruction for students (including presentations to give at schools) and the public will be conducted by designated librarians.

Outcomes:
· Parents will increase their knowledge of the resources the Library offers to help their children succeed academically.
· Parents will feel more confident in directing their children to the resources their children need to use.
· Teachers will promote the resources the Library has to offer to their students by posting informational posters/flyer/brochures in their classrooms, at parent-teacher meetings and by verbally sharing with them the information given at workshops.
· Students’ ability to find information from reliable sources will improve.

3. The Library will foster the development of future leaders by encouraging youth to be actively involved in the library.

Objectives:
· Develop active Youth Councils that give at-risk youth the opportunity to develop their skills and be rewarded for it.
· Encourage honor high school students and college students to show leadership by sharing their knowledge with other students through peer tutoring
· Foster youth driven programming that results in programs youth relate to and benefit from.
· Encourage youth to be actively involved with some of the activities of the adult Friends Group.

Outcomes:
· Social involvement at the library will help all students including at-risk youth.
· Youth will have a higher sense of satisfaction with the programming offered at the library.
· Youth develop self-confidence from learning to lead others.

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