Assignment #3 Part II

What I’ve Learned:  Selection of Materials

     

As this latest part of the course has been about exploring and evaluating different types of reference materials, selection has been on my mind.   In her text, Riedling states that “in order to create and maintain a school reference collection that meets the informational needs of students, effective selection and evaluation of resources by the school library media specialist is essential.” (Riedling, 2005, p. 22)  The selection of reference materials takes a great deal of thought.  I have noticed, particularly in the Reference Materials discussion thread, that my classmates have acknowledged the same.

In order to select resources, a thorough analysis of a school’s community is important (Riedling, 2005).  Knowing the stability, the ethnicity, the socio-economic level will give a TL a good idea of a school community.  Quantitative information about a school’s community can be found on the statscan website.  In addition, knowing the community resources that are available is essential.  Public libraries, museums, parks, recreation centres, to name a few, can offer much to a school.  Qualitative information comes from working with the students and teachers over time.  The types of books that the students like to read, reading levels, and units to be taught will inform a TLs buying decisions.

Next, a TL needs to do an analysis of the existing collection.  A circulation report is a great way to do this.  It gives the age of the collection--the reference section in my school is old!--and the circulation statistics.  Of course, reference materials do not normally circulate, but an observant TL will notice what is being used and what isn’t.  

A thorough weeding of outdated, irrelevant, and/or damaged books is the next step.  I ended up weeding roughly 1/3 of my reference section over the course of this class.    A TL will note at this point what is needed to replace what was weeded and to support student learning.

Taking the community needs and the collection needs into consideration will help to guide a TLs selection choices.

What I've Learned: Bibliographies


The use of bibliographies in selection is essential.  There are a great many lists out there that can make a Teacher Librarian’s job much easier.    Riedling asserts that “the overall purpose of bibliographies [is] to provide information about the availability of materials, their costs and whether they are recommended.  (Reidling, 2005, p. 29) This is essential information for a Teacher Librarian who is searching for resources to either support the curriculum or to support recreational reading.

Lists that accompany programs are terrific:  Reading Power seems to be the program of choice for many districts and was noted by a number of my classmates.  I have noticed that ULS even has a section of Reading Power books.  This makes it very easy to buy books that support the different areas of the program.

I came across a professional reference book today called Naked Reading Uncovering What Tweens Need to Become Lifelong Readers.  This is a terrific book!  Not only does it have pre- and post-reading activities, but also it has a number of lists of suggested novels.  There are lists of short books, funny books, graphic novels and intergenerational books.  The appendix is entitled, “More than One Hundred Great Books for Tweens.”  There is a short summary of each book.  I am definitely going to buy this book because its great and varied lists will help with my selection of recreational reading resources.

I also really like the guys read site by author Jon Scieszka;  I have this site bookmarked on my school computer.  This site not only has books of the month, it also has recommended books organized by theme.  What a great place to visit when searching for a book that a boy will love. 

NoveList is a database that has reviews, book talks, read-alikes, advisories and more.  It is a great selection tool that can also generate lists.  I hear that it will be a part of the EBSCO bundle for next year.

Another place to find information about books is the Resource Links periodical.  This Canadian publication includes reviews and lists of award winners.  

No discussion of selection tools or bibliographies would be complete without a mention of some of the major periodicals that review books.  School Library Journal, Horn Book, Quill & Quire, Kirkus Reviews all offer lists, reviews and suggestions.  They have on-line sites, some of which are free and some require payment.

What I’m Thinking About:

One of the discussion threads that I found particularly interesting was the Databases thread.  To begin with, I had no idea that the pricing for databases was usually confidential--my District Librarian who gave me the pricing information was the person who told me of this.  After reading the discussions of several of my classmates, I can understand from a seller’s point of view why this is.  However, from a buyer’s point of view, it still makes no sense.  If all they are doing is selling databases, why aren’t they all the same price?  There is no shipping and handling.  One district who is simply better at negotiating should not get a better deal than any other.  We are the public school system.  Education should be the great equalizer in our society--all students should have access to the same level of resources.  In fact, if we are allowing school districts to pay different prices--I’m assuming that the bigger districts get a lower price--we are saying that some students are less deserving than others (especially if their district cannot afford the databases).

Another point in the Databases thread was that many teachers did not know how to use the resources.  I would add that many TLs don’t know how to use many of them, either!  I know that I am supposed to be the expert in Reference Materials--and I do feel like one in terms of print materials...but the sheer volume of on-line resources is staggering.  I simply don’t have the time to evaluate great numbers of on-line resources.  Frankly, I find it to be a rather intimidating thought.

In his July 5 posting, Chris mentioned that EBSCO will show TLs how to use their  collection.  I think that this is an important piece of information.  The EBSCO people, or Follett people, or others who sell resources or programs are the experts, so if teachers and/or Teacher Librarians are able to spend some time with them, the resources have a much better chance of being used to their full potential.

A Question for the Future:

Should we go completely digital?

   This is a question that I am struggling with.  I know that a set of encyclopedias costs roughly a thousand dollars--1/4 of my annual budget.  That is a huge amount of money.

Here’s what else I know:

*my current World Book set is from 1997 (too old according to Achieving Information Literacy (page 29) which recommends that “general encyclopedias be no older than 5 years”)

*it has never been used in the two years that I have been TL

*it has too much text for elementary school students--not inviting or friendly

Furthermore...

*World Book on-line is paid for by my school district, not taken out of my school library budget

*World Book on-line has different formats for younger or older students as well as English, French and Spanish versions

*it is updated every week or so

*it offers video clips and links

*it offers citation builders, current events, timelines and more

Yet, I feel that it is important that we offer print to students.  I know that students need to use a variety of sources, digital and print.  In her book, The Collection Program in Schools, Kay Bishop asserts that TLs should “replace one set [of encyclopedias] each year...[and] not put old sets in classrooms.”  This is good advice.  Having a new set each year would be helpful and not allowing old sets into classrooms ensures that students have up-to-date, useful resources.  Yet I am having difficulty weeding my last set of encyclopedias--because it is my last set.  If I do follow AIL’s guidelines and finally weed my World Book set, I won’t have any print encyclopedias.  I’m not ok with that, at this point.  This is an area that requires more reflection (and courage?).

References:

Asselin, M., Branch, J., & Oberg, D. (Eds.). (2003).  Achieving information literacy 

          Standards for school library programs in Canada.  Ottawa, Ontario:  The

          Canadian School Library Association.

Lesesne, T. (2006).  Naked reading uncovering what tweens need to become lifelong

          readers.  Portland, Maine:  Stenhouse Publishers.

Riedling, A. (2005).  Reference skills for the school library media specialist:  Tools and

          tips.  Worthington, Ohio:  Linworth Publishing, Inc.

Assignment #1 Part II

What I know:

When I think of Reference materials, I think of dictionaries, encyclopedias and rather large-sized books that no one is allowed to check out.  No one spends much time in the Reference area, and it is just for quick answers to “Where’s Waldo”-type questions.

Because of my impressions–correct or not–of the Reference Section, I was surprised to read the long list of materials often housed in the section (Riedling, 2005, p. x).  As well, I never really considered that on-line resources are reference.  But, of course they are.

Just the other day, a student said to me, “Hey, there is a whole shelf of books here, each one has a different letter of the alphabet!”  There is a whole generation of students growing up without ever having used a print encyclopedia.  Times change.  It is interesting how quickly both the students and I turn to on-line resources.

I know that there really is no reference section in my library, per se.  The  encyclopedias are in one area.  The dictionaries are in two separate places, relatively inaccessible (on the lowest shelves, where no other resources are) and the atlases are in a third area (covered in dust, laying flat on their back covers).  In the two years that I have been a TL, no one has ever used these dictionaries, encyclopedias or atlases.

I also know that I haven’t spent a dime on reference materials for my library (yes, I have lots to learn!).  The on-line dictionaries, translators and encyclopedias do get some use;  fortunately for my budget, the encyclopedias are paid for by my School District.  To be brutally and embarrassingly honest, before this course, the reference section never entered my thoughts.

What I have learned:  Information Literacy

Riedling asserts that “the essential philosophy surrounding school reference service is the encouragement of lifelong learning--or information literacy.” (Riedling, 2005, p. 6) An important path to information literacy is the use of a research model.   As I mentioned in my May 17 post under the Research Models section, the research models/processes presented in the book “follow a similar format.  The [main] differences come in with the amount of detail given to each step.”  I had heard of the Big 6 and Research Quest in my last course, but I hadn’t used them nor had I done any comparative analysis of those or any other processes.  With this idea of the processes being relatively similar, I found it especially instructive to read my classmates responses.  Ben’s comment about using common language so that students from one school become familiar with a process was a good point, but it didn’t help me with my choice of process.  Then, Brooke and Hiliary pointed out that making the process language accessible for kids is important.  This was another good point;  however, it didn’t necessarily help me narrow down my choice.  What I did gain from the discussion was that there isn’t necessarily a right choice for all circumstances.  It is important for a TL to be aware of the different process so that he or she can best choose for the school population, levels, styles and personalities.  And, if possible, it would be best to stick with one strategy, adapted for different levels.

A knowledgeable TL will be able to choose the best process for his or her students.  The idea of using similar language is a good one; however, a TL should be able to add details and/or new activities within each step should the student require it (or adapt the steps for struggling students or ESL learners).  In this way, “there are many acceptable paths to the same end...if everyone had been ordered to use one specific approach many students would have found themselves incredibly frustrated” (as cited in Riedling, 2005, p. 10)

How will this affect my practice?  Next year I will offer my research skills services to our teachers--this will be fairly revolutionary at my school as we are an elementary, so the library times are exclusively prep driven.  Which process will I use?  It depends upon the grade level, student ability and topic.  So,I’m not sure yet which process;  this is something that I will discuss with classroom teachers for their input is vital to the process.  What I will do is use similar steps and common language, adapting each according to needs.

What I have learned:  Selection and Evaluation

I was pleased and relieved to discover the existence of Selection Tools for reference materials--who has the time to search out great new resources?  With websites and magazines devoted to the promotion of excellent materials,  the selection of resources becomes a much more effective, efficient task.  As well, the Evaluation Guides in chapters 2-8 of Riedling’s text were helpful, though fairly commonsensical for the most part.  One of our classmates, Jody, made a chart of all of the evaluation criteria--definitely something to print off to hang on my library office door.  In my post under the Reidling’s Approach section, I queried “the scope and comprehensiveness aspects” of these Evaluation Criterion.  I pointed out that “when we are able to discuss purchasing decisions with classroom teachers, admin, [other TL’s], even students, we will be able to make more informed, more accurate sections.”  I noted that several of my classmates as well as Reidling were in agreement.  In this way, TL’s can have the input of experts in the field, who understand the scope and sequence and how it applies to the curriculum at varying levels.  The library can become a resource centre that directly and effectively supports the curriculum.  

In my first year as a TL, I didn’t make any purchases with the curriculum in mind;  I bought the latest fiction as well as non fiction to replace what I had weeded.  I now have a much clearer purpose as I plan for purchases with the curriculum--supporting the teachers and students.  I have emailed my staff, letting them know that I will be making a few more purchases this year;  I invited them to make suggestions so that I can better support their teaching.  

As I am now in my second year in the library, I am coming to know the collection, the curriculum and the classroom teacher needs much better.  For future purchases, I will use the Selection tools, the Evaluation Criterion from Riedling as well as my “knowledge of the collection, [teacher suggestions] and ...good judgment based on the existing resources and needs of the community and students served.” (Riedling, 2005, p. 19)

What I have learned:  Print vs Non Print

As I mentioned earlier, no one has used the print reference resources in the library in the two years that I have been TL.  This fact along with the high cost of these (rarely used) resources and the infrequency of research activities in my library have combined to create an out-of-date, dusty, forgotten resource collection.  To be fair, I know that print dictionaries and atlases are used at my school;  however, these particular resources are housed in individual classrooms.

Lesson Four’s class notes lists of pro’s and con’s of prints and electronic resources was helpful.  None was particularly surprising, but having them in one list gave me pause.  I know how annoying and, sometimes, inappropriate the advertisements or pop-ups can be.  I know that there are inappropriate sites out there, sometimes with fairly innocuous site titles.  Also cut and paste copying is made extremely easy with on-line sites.  These are all important points from the class notes.

Two comments particularly resonated with me.  The first was from the class notes, Lesson Four,  “what information students find is less important than how they find and apply it.”  This might seem like it doesn’t fit with my earlier discussion on print vs. non print, but it actually does fit.  When we choose resources that can help us teach students how to access, evaluate and use information, we are teaching life skills that they can use in the years to come.  In fact, one of the final conclusions to the EPIC study was that “formal instruction on how to evaluate electronic resources would be beneficial to most students.”  I would add that teaching students how to evaluate all resources would be useful.  

Therefore, we must chose resources that are well-laid out;  print resources often have predictable layouts.  This will not only help teachers design projects--I know of several who base the criteria of their assignments on the contents of specific books--but also help students find the answers to their questions.

The other comment that made me think was in the list of pro’s and con’s.  The “overwhelming amounts of material” that can be contained on some sights are counterproductive, especially to younger students.  When we provide access to appropriate materials and  teach how to use them, the students will be more successful.  

How will this affect my practice?  I can see a need for print reference materials.  They are often predictably laid out, don’t necessarily contain too much information, don’t have inappropriate aspects.  As well, when a book is in front of a student, it is easy to see the whole of the information.   That said, there are some great, appropriate, kid-friendly and interactive sites available.  Having a well-rounded reference section, contain both print and non print resources 

Still Thinking About:

As I mentioned in my post on May 28 in the Standards Discussion thread, I am still unsure of what exactly constitutes a Reference book.  If a Reference book is one what gives us the answer that we are looking for, why can’t any non fiction book be a Reference book?  If I want to know how long the gestational period for an elephant is, I can look in an encyclopedia--print or on-line--or I can look in the 599.6 section for a book on elephants.  If we’re talking about print resources, I can guarantee that the non fiction book on elephants is more up to date--newer!-- than our print encyclopedias.  

I read an article suggested by one of my classmates.  It was about the Mansueto library.  This article can be found at:  http://news.lib.uchicago.edu/blog/2011/05/16/mansueto-library-celebrates-books-in-digital-era/  It was retrieved last on Sunday, June 12, 2011.  This article mentioned the “growing digital trend”  and how many libraries are moving their print collections to “off-site storage” and are “offer[ing] up their collections to Google Books for digitization.”  So, if these libraries are moving towards on-line collections--and I’m assuming that these libraries have well-educated, experienced librarians who know volumes more about libraries than I do, it certainly makes me think twice.  So, although I can certainly see the need for print resources (as I mentioned in the last section), I am still not convinced that I should be spending a large portion of my budget on Reference materials.  

LIBE 467 Reflections

What I know:
When I think of Reference materials, I think of dictionaries, encyclopedias and rather large-sized books that no one is allowed to check out.  No one spends much time in the Reference area and it is just for quick answers to "Where's Waldo"-type questions.

Because of my impressions--correct or not--of the Reference Section, I was surprised to read the long list of materials often housed in the section (Riedling, 2005, p. x).  As well, I never really considered that on-line resources are reference.  But, of course they are.

Just the other day, a student said to me, "Hey, there is a whole shelf of books here, each one has a different letter of the alphabet!"  There is a whole generation of students growing up without ever having used a print encyclopedia.  Times change.  It is interesting how quickly both the students and I turn to on-line resources.