Starting Out with Reference Services

This first theme in this course is an introduction to the concept of reference services. It started with a definition of the theory, and then provided basic information about the process. This theme establishes that “librarians are information specialists” (NPR Staff, 2014) and one of the fundamental duties of a TL to develop information literacy in our students.

In teaching students to be more information literate, the course covered the use of Research Problem-Solving Processes and Models.  These models provide a framework for “demonstrating, discussing, and practicing research problem-solving strategies” (Reidling and Houston, 2019, pg. 10).  More simply, these models provide a system for users gather data and create a finished product. Without this, students often struggle in the initial steps of gathering data, either because they haven’t properly focused on a topic, or because they haven’t properly gathered and evaluated their sources. There are several models, such as Information Search Process (ISP)/Guided Inquiry, Big6/Super3, and Research Process (REACT). These models follow the same basic process, but each is suited for slightly different uses and age/ability levels. I haven’t previously used any of these in my own practice, but I do use the Engineer Design Process in the Remotely Operated Vehicles and Drones 12 course in my program. I begin using the Kuhlthau Information Seeking Model in my own program. It’s the best fit because of the terminology, versatility and complexity.

The specific enginneering design model I use is from Science Buddies https://www.sciencebuddies.org/science-fair-projects/engineering-design-process/engineering-design-process-steps. Even though this flowchart is intended for younger students, I still like the format more than the other models I’ve seen (Buddies, 2022).

NASA also provides resources for educators, including their own version of the Engineer Design Process. https://www.nasa.gov/audience/foreducators/best/edp.html(May, 2017)

One of the major tools in the Teacher-Librarian’s role as a reference person are reference materials. If reference materials are to be used, it’s important that they’re of high quality though. The third lesson involved the selection and evaluation of reference materials and one of the most important topics in this lesson was the codification of the criteria used to select resources. Riedling and Houston list the general selection guidelines for reference materials as: “relevant to students, teachers and the community; suitability of subject; reputation and qualifications of the author, artist, publisher, or producer; current or historical significance of the subject or author; relationship to the existing collection; value of the material in relation to cost; library budget; and suitability of format for library collection” (2019, pg. 18). This criteria is important in that it allows reference materials to be evaluated for inclusion in a collection according to basic principles, and these criteria work for libraries of various sizes and compositions.  The inclusion of cost and library budget is important since the cost of reference materials are often quite high. The value of having up to date reference materials has to be balanced with its value in relation to the rest of the program. It seems that most Library Learning Commons would struggle to update their resources as often as Riedling and Houston recommend (2019, pg. 18). The Canadian Association of School Libraries sets standards for LLC reference material collections (2003). Unfortunately, from the class discussion, it seems like many school LLCs struggle to meet acceptable or exemplary levels according to their criteria.

Pictured; an inadequate reference section (own photo)

An ongoing issue in teaching information literacy is the use of print and non-print reference formats. This lesson was the most interesting of the four for me, as this is a topic that has come up continuously in my undergraduate and education degree, teaching practice, and now in my post-graduate work. One of the most prominent crowd-sourced non-print references is Wikipedia and “the text of the English Wikipedia is currently equivalent to 3,093.9 volumes of Encyclopædia Britannica” (Wikipedia Contributors, n.d.). Some people are vehement that Wikipedia should never be used in an academic setting, as it contains false information, lacks clear authorship, and is constantly changing. This refusal to use Wikipedia as a resource is interesting to me because of Wikipedia’s utility. Wikipedia is easy and free to access, has an enormous number of articles, and is constantly maintained. Furthermore, students use Wikipedia, and banning its use leads to academic dishonesty and a lack of knowledge in how to use it properly. Our job as Teacher-Librarians is to improve the information literacy skills of our students, and I believe this means teaching them how to use resources like Wikipedia correctly.

The Teacher-Librarian has a primary duty as a link between students and information. Teaching students the process to acquire information has become a fundamental teaching task. This includes teaching students to use models and processes to access and use information, the evaluation of crowd-funded references for a specific task and ensuring that students have access to high quality information by providing suitable reference materials is another task.

References

Beaudry, R. (2023). LIBE 467 Information Services: Discussion forum: Lesson 1. Retrieved February 1st, 2023.

Beaudry, R. (n.d.). LIBE 467 Information Services: Module Notes: Lesson 1. Retrieved February 2st, 2023.

Buddies, S. (2022, May 5). Engineering Design Process. Science Buddies. https://www.sciencebuddies.org/science-fair-projects/engineering-design-process/engineering-design-process-steps

Canadian Association for School Libraries. (2003). Achieving Information Literacy. Acessola. Retrieved February 2, 2023, from https://accessola.com/wp-content/uploads/2020/08/2003-AchievingInfoLiteracy.pdf

May, S. (Ed.). (2017, July 17). Engineering design process. NASA. Retrieved February 3, 2023, from https://www.nasa.gov/audience/foreducators/best/edp.html

NPR Staff. (2014, December 28). Before The Internet, Librarians Would “Answer Everything” — And Still Do. NPR. Retrieved February 2, 2023, from https://www.npr.org/2014/12/28/373268931/before-the-internet-librarians-would-answer-everything-and-still-do

Riedling, A. M., & Houston, C. (2019). Reference Skills for the School Librarian: Tools and Tips (4th ed.). Libraries Unlimited.

Wikipedia contributors. (n.d.). Wikipedia:Size in volumes – Wikipedia. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Wikipedia:Size_in_volumes