Transcript Community Programming For Military Veterans Nancy Faget U.S. Army Research Laboratory Michelle Dunaway University of Pittsburgh School Information Sciences #ala12 Anaheim, California June 23, 2012

Community Programming For
Military Veterans
Nancy Faget
U.S. Army Research Laboratory
Michelle Dunaway
University of Pittsburgh School Information Sciences
#ala12
Anaheim, California
June 23, 2012
The Inspiration
The Idea
“…to encourage all veterans, active and retired, to
write about their experiences for their own benefit
or to share them with friends and family.”
About Us
Nancy Faget
 Branch Chief, U.S. Army Research Laboratory,
Information Resources Branch
 Past President, ALA FAFLRT (Federal and Armed
Forces Libraries Round Table)
Michelle Dunaway
 NMRT – FAFLRT Liaison, 2011- present
Presentation Overview
Military Writers Workshops
 Organizing, Planning, Outreach
 Obstacles & Outcomes
Veterans and Libraries
 Academic Libraries
 Public Libraries
Special Thanks
This presentation was made possible by
Amy Hartman and Holly Baumgartner
who shared their idea with us
and gave generously of their
knowledge, resources, and support.
Thank you for your commitment
to improving the lives of our nation’s veterans,
and for starting this very important conversation.
Part I
Military Writers Workshops
The Curriculum
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Week 1: Writing About Place
Week 2: Writing About Events
Week 3: Using Humor In Writing
Week 4: Writing About a Memorable Person
Week 4: Writing About Yourself
Week 6: Using Reflection in Writing
The Curriculum
 Examples
from professional writers
• Sebastian Junger, War (Iraq War)
• Philip Caputo, A Rumor of War (Vietnam War)
• “Studs” Terkel, The Good War (WWII)
 Exercises based on examples
“Notice the differences in style between Terkel’s book, which contains
passages taken directly from spoken interviews, and what we find in Junger’s
book, which is very polished and edited narrative writing. Think about how
using each method of writing (raw vs. polished) can be effective in sharing
your experience.”
From Week 2, Writing About Events
Memoir Writing
Narrative
Nonfiction
Autobiography
Memoir
Essay
Literary Journalism
Memoir Writing
Shimmering Images:
A Handy Little Guide to Writing Memoir
by Lisa Dale Norton
www.lisadalenorton.com
@LisaDaleNorton
Recruiting Participants
Outcomes & Obstacles
“I spoke with the members that you would have
been interested in and what I found was they are
not interested in discussing with anyone their
experiences involving the armed conflicts they
were thrown in to. The truth is they would neither
wish to remember it nor do they wish to discuss
their experiences with anyone.”
Recruiting Participants:
Outreach & Marketing
 Disseminated program
information to local
newspapers via press releases
 Prominently featured “push”
on library’s website
 Communicated with local VFW
posts, Vietnam Veterans of
America, local Rotary
organization
 Hung flyers around college
campus
 Posted information to college
website
Veterans and the Cultural and
Historical Record
Permalink: http://www.worldcat.org/oclc/758671163
Part II
Veterans and Libraries
Veterans By the Numbers
Veteran Population = 22.7 million
(WWII , Korea, Vietnam, Gulf War, Iraq War)
OEF/OIF Veterans = 2.4 million
(deployed to Afghanistan, Iraq, or both
since 09/2001)
Considerations
 Unique group with unique life events and experiences
 Skills and coping mechanisms that she or he developed
during service may be counterproductive or
misunderstood in civilian life
 Readjustment is a major challenge
 Families, friends, caregivers may need assistance coping
with changes
 Extensive information needs relating to all of the
above
Veterans’ Information Needs
 Benefits & Services
e.g. eligibility, forms, service records
 Health & Well-Being
e.g. mental health, crisis prevention, caregiver
support
 Connect & Communicate
e.g. reunite with comrades, find veterans’
organizations
(Schneider, 2001)
Public & Academic Libraries:
Possibilities
 Develop collections that…
o provide support for returning soldiers and
their families
o provide information on specific conditions
and information about claiming benefits
o educate and inform the public
 Create pathfinder or LibGuide for online
information resources
o local, state, federal resources
Veterans Services LibGuides:
Examples
http://libraryschool.campusguides.com/sandiegoveteranresources
Veterans Services LibGuides: Examples
http://lib.gwinnettpl.org/Veterans
Veterans Services LibGuides:
Examples
http://libguides.usc.edu/uscveterans
Key Online Resources
 U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs http://www.va.gov/
 National Archives: Veterans Service Records
http://www.archives.gov/veterans/
 Library of Congress Veterans History Project
http://www.loc.gov/vets
Veterans and Higher Education
Post-9/11 Veterans Educational Assistance Act of 2008
(“Post-9/11 GI Bill”)
 Financial support for education to all service
members with at least 90 days active duty after
September 10, 2001
 Pays a percentage (up to 100 %) tuition & fees for
four years (36 months) up to the cost of the most
expensive public institution in the state in which
the Veteran enrolls
Post-9/11 GI Bill
http://www.gibill.va.gov/
The Data
Number of Veterans Utilizing Education Benefits, 2001 - 2011
1,000,000
800,000
923,038
600,000
400,000
200,000
0
2001
2011
421, 048
Source: National Center for
Veterans Analysis and Statistics
http://www.va.gov/vetdata/
However…
“As a subpopulation of adult learners, military and
veteran students have unique challenges that other
nontraditional students do not…”
(Cook & Kim, 2009)
Study: Student Veterans at
Arizona State University
How can campus programs and services:
 aid student veterans in transition?
 support academic success?
 foster retention?
(Weber, 2012)
Study of Student Veterans at
Arizona State University
Frequency of ASU Programs and Services Utilization
Academic Advising Services: 63.8 %
Office of Veterans Services: 63.8 %
Library Services: 59.1 %
Financial Aid Services: 54.8 %
(Weber, 2012, p. 73 - 74)
Veterans and Academic Libraries:
Possibilities
 Increase library staff knowledge of resources and services for
veterans
 Work with academic support services to coordinate enhanced
delivery of VA education benefits information and counseling
 Provide a veteran-specific orientation to introduce new
military/veteran students to library programs and services
 Support or “sponsor” a new student veteran organization
 Connect with existing groups to identify ways to support academic
success
 Offer a military/veteran student gathering place
 Offer an online course designed to help student veterans become
familiar with campus programs, resources, and services
Conclusions
 Veterans are a unique segment of American
population.
 Government agencies, educational institutions, and
libraries can all contribute to veterans’ success
transitioning to civilian life and academic life.
 Libraries are uniquely positioned to function as
“portals” to information and services that benefit
veterans and their families.
References
Cook, B. J., & Kim, Y. (2009). From soldier to student: Easing the transition of service members on
campus. Retrieved from American Council on Education:
http://www.acenet.edu/AM/Template.cfm?Section=Papers_Publications&TEMPLATE=/CM/Content
Display.cfm&CONTENTID=33242
Hartman, A., & Baumgartner, H. (2011). Helping warriors unleash the power of the pen. American
Libraries, November/December 2011. Retrieved from
http://americanlibrariesmagazine.org/features/11082011/helping-warriors-unleash-power-pen
Hartman, A., & Baumgartner, H. L. (2011). In our boots: A collection of veterans stories: Veterans Writing
Workshop 2010 – 2011. Sylvania, Ohio: Lourdes College.
Hughes, M. A. (2011). Collection development: Back on the home front. Library Journal , 12. Retrieved
from http://www.libraryjournal.com/lj/home/890883264/collection_development__back_on.html.csp
Schneider, J. M. (2001). Arming themselves with information: Veterans using the internet. Health Care on
the Internet, 5(1), 21-30. doi: 10.1300/J138v05n01_02
Weber, D. J. (2012). Academic success and well-being following OEF/OIF deployment (Doctoral
dissertation). Retrieved from Proquest Dissertations & Theses A&I (Accession No. 3495315).
Additional Resources
 Iraq and Afghanistan Veterans of America: http://iava.org/
 Make the Connection: Shared Experiences and Support for
Veterans: http://maketheconnection.net/
 Returning Service Members (OEF/OIF):
http://www.oefoif.va.gov/
 Student Veterans of America:
http://www.studentveterans.org/
 Veterans Crisis Line: http://www.veteranscrisisline.net/
Veterans Writing Workshops
Curriculum Bibliography
 Appy, C. (2003). Patriots: The Vietnam war remembered from all sides. New York: Viking.
 Caputo, P. (1986). A rumor of war. New York: Henry Holt and Co.
 Herr, M. (1991). Dispatches. New York: Vintage Books.
 Junger, S. (2010). War. New York: Twelve.
 Peters, R., & Xiaobing, L. (2004). Voices from the Korean War: Personal stories of
American, Korean, and Chinese soldiers. Lexington, KY: University of Kentucky.
 Rico, J. (2007). Blood makes the grass grow green: A year in the desert with Team America.
New York: Presidio Press: Ballantine Books.
 Terkel, S. (1984). The Good War: An oral history of World War II. New York: Pantheon
Books.
 Tupper, B. (2010). Greetings from Afghanistan: Send more ammo. New York: NAL Caliber.
Thank You!
[email protected]
@mdunawa