{"id":122,"date":"2023-03-30T11:26:21","date_gmt":"2023-03-30T18:26:21","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/blogs.ubc.ca\/pgdan\/?p=122"},"modified":"2023-04-01T18:55:02","modified_gmt":"2023-04-02T01:55:02","slug":"122","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/blogs.ubc.ca\/pgdan\/2023\/03\/30\/122\/","title":{"rendered":"Checking Our References!"},"content":{"rendered":"

Two Wolves Evaluation:<\/b><\/p>\n

A Plan to Improve Reference Services<\/b><\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n

Introduction\u00a0<\/b><\/p>\n

The Two Wolves Library (TWL) supports the Two Wolves Program, which is a school program run within the Prince George Youth Custody Centre (PGYCC). The TWL is a small library with approximately 1600 books. As well, its collection includes about 100 movies stored on optical discs and 50 music albums stored on Compact Disc. The TWL has access to a number of digital services through the District Learning Commons (DLC). Student accessibility of these resources is somewhat limited due to the institutional nature of the program. The TWL is undergoing a period of extensive reorganisation and maintenance, and evaluation of the library\u2019s collection and services is a part of the process in evolving the existing program towards a modern Library Learning Commons (LLC).<\/span><\/p>\n

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Evaluation<\/b><\/p>\n

Evaluating the Two Wolves library reference collection was a multi-step process. In <\/span>Reference Skills for the School LIbrarian<\/span><\/i>, Riedling and Houston (2019) outline the selection guidelines for evaluating different reference resources. These guidelines were amalgamated into a rubric in <\/span>Evaluating a Reference Material <\/span><\/i>(<\/span>link<\/span><\/a>) (Mack, 2023a). The scope of the rubric was altered so that it examines the reference component as a whole rather than an individual resource. <\/span>Next, five representative samples were examined individually for accuracy, authority, currency, and accessibility, with the results averaged to give information about the component as a whole (Appendix A). A summary of the results is listed in Table 1 below.<\/span><\/p>\n

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<\/p>\n

Figure 1:\u00a0<\/em>The Two Wolves Library doesn’t have a reference section. Different reference components are shelved in different parts of the library. Shown here is a portion of the collection’s dictionaries and thesauruses (own photo).<\/p>\n

Once the quality of each component of the reference section is known, the reference collection as a whole can be evaluated. The Canadian School Libraries Association (CASL) (<\/span>Asselin, Branch, & Oberg, 2006<\/span>) sets several standards required for effective libraries, as well as a rubric for evaluating a library program. Standards associated with evaluating the reference collections were combined in a rubric and the reference collection was then evaluated in <\/span>Table 2.<\/span>\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n

Table 1:\u00a0<\/b><\/p>\n

Evaluation of Reference Materials by component<\/i><\/b><\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n
Reference Component<\/b><\/td>\nSummary<\/b><\/td>\n\n

Evaluation<\/b><\/p>\n<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n

Bibliographies<\/span><\/td>\nThe library contains no print resources of this type.<\/span><\/p>\n

The library has access to several digital resources, including no cost options available online and resources available through subscription services.<\/span><\/p>\n

Representative samples:<\/span><\/p>\n

    \n
  • \n
      \n
    • Book Review Digest Plus <\/span><\/i>(EBSCO)<\/span><\/li>\n
    • Children\u2019s Core Collection<\/span><\/i> (EBSCO)<\/span><\/li>\n
    • LibGuides Community<\/span><\/i> (online)<\/span><\/li>\n
    • Focussed Education Resources<\/span><\/i> (online)<\/span><\/li>\n
    • Internet Library for Librarians <\/span><\/i>(online)<\/span><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<\/td>\n
Average Score<\/span><\/p>\n
    \n
  • Accuracy: 4<\/span><\/li>\n
  • Authority: 3.8<\/span><\/li>\n
  • Currency: 4<\/span><\/li>\n
  • Scope: 3<\/span><\/li>\n
  • Accessibility: 2<\/span><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n

    Total: 3.4<\/span><\/p>\n

    \u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

    Notes:\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

    The scope score is leniently judged because of the limited use of this component by students.<\/span><\/p>\n

    The low accessibility score is due to the lack of immediately accessible (print) resources.<\/span><\/td>\n<\/tr>\n

Ready-<\/span><\/p>\n

Reference Tools<\/span><\/td>\n

The library contains a number of print fact books and almanacs relating to facts, history, science, and politics. There are also several handbooks and style manuals.<\/span><\/p>\n

The library has access to several no cost digital Directories and Yearbooks found online.<\/span><\/p>\n

Representative samples:<\/span><\/p>\n

    \n
  • \n
      \n
    • The 2022 <\/span>Guiness Book of Records<\/span><\/i> (print)<\/span><\/li>\n
    • The History Book <\/span><\/i>(print)<\/span><\/li>\n
    • Cite Right <\/span><\/i>(print)<\/span><\/li>\n
    • Find a Postal Code <\/span><\/i>(online)<\/span><\/li>\n
    • The <\/span>CIA World Factbook <\/span><\/i>(online)<\/span><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<\/td>\n
Average Score<\/span><\/p>\n
    \n
  • Accuracy: 3.8<\/span><\/li>\n
  • Authority: 3.6<\/span><\/li>\n
  • Currency: 3.6<\/span><\/li>\n
  • Scope: 3<\/span><\/li>\n
  • Accessibility: 2.6<\/span><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n

    Total: 3.3<\/span><\/p>\n

    Notes:<\/span><\/p>\n

    The low scope score is due to the lack of fact books for some subjects.<\/span><\/td>\n<\/tr>\n

Biographical Sources<\/span><\/td>\nThe library contains no print resources of this type.<\/span><\/p>\n

The library has access to digital biography indexes through subscription services EBSCO and GALE Group, as well as no cost options online.<\/span><\/p>\n

Representative samples:<\/span><\/p>\n

    \n
  • MasterFile Premier<\/span><\/i> (EBSCO)<\/span><\/li>\n
  • Canada Reference Centre<\/span><\/i> (EBSCO)<\/span><\/li>\n
  • Biography and Genealogy Master Index<\/span><\/i> (Gale Group)<\/span><\/li>\n
  • Biography <\/span><\/i>(online)<\/span><\/li>\n
  • Academy of Achievement<\/span><\/i> (online)<\/span><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<\/td>\n
Average Score<\/span><\/p>\n
    \n
  • Accuracy: 3.6<\/span><\/li>\n
  • Authority: 3.2<\/span><\/li>\n
  • Currency: 4<\/span><\/li>\n
  • Scope: 3<\/span><\/li>\n
  • Accessibility: 2<\/span><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n

    Total: 3.2<\/span><\/p>\n

    Notes:<\/span><\/p>\n

    The low score for scope is due to the lack of Canadian content in this component of the collection.<\/span><\/td>\n<\/tr>\n

Dictionaries\u00a0<\/span><\/td>\nThe library contains a wide selection of print dictionaries and thesaurus. They are from a variety of publishers, and in a variety of formats. There are also a variety of speciality dictionaries, including language dictionaries, thesauruses, literary dictionaries, and science dictionaries.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

The library has access to digital dictionaries through subscription services as well as no cost options available online.<\/span><\/p>\n

Representative samples:<\/span><\/p>\n

    \n
  • \n
      \n
    • Student\u2019s Oxford Canadian Dictionary<\/span><\/i>, 2nd Ed<\/span> (print)<\/span><\/li>\n
    • Webster\u2019s Rhyming Dictionary <\/span><\/i>(print)<\/span><\/li>\n
    • Merriam Webster\u2019s Children\u2019s Dictionary <\/span><\/i>(print)<\/span><\/li>\n
    • Dictionary.com<\/span><\/i> (online)<\/span><\/li>\n
    • Oxford Learner\u2019s Dictionary <\/span><\/i>(online)<\/span><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<\/td>\n
Average Score<\/span><\/p>\n
    \n
  • Accuracy: 4<\/span><\/li>\n
  • Authority: 4<\/span><\/li>\n
  • Currency: 2.8<\/span><\/li>\n
  • Scope: 4<\/span><\/li>\n
  • Accessibility: 3.2<\/span><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n

    Total: 3.6<\/span><\/p>\n

    Notes:<\/span><\/p>\n

    The low score for currency is due to all of the print resources being published more than 5 years ago.<\/span><\/td>\n<\/tr>\n

Encyclopedias<\/span><\/td>\nThere are several subject volume encyclopaedias covering a variety of subjects at a variety of grade levels. There are no general single\u00a0 or multi-volume encyclopaedias.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

The library has access to digital encyclopaedias through the subscription service EBSCO, as well as no cost options online.<\/span><\/p>\n

Representative samples:<\/span><\/p>\n

    \n
  • \n
      \n
    • The New York Public Library Science Desk Reference<\/span><\/i> (print)<\/span><\/li>\n
    • Encyclopaedia of the Human Body <\/span><\/i>(print)<\/span><\/li>\n
    • Funk and Wagnalls (EBSCO)<\/span><\/i><\/li>\n
    • The Canadian Encyclopedia<\/span><\/i> (online)<\/span><\/li>\n
    • Wikipedia<\/span><\/i> (online)<\/span><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<\/td>\n
Average Score<\/span><\/p>\n
    \n
  • Accuracy: 3.6<\/span><\/li>\n
  • Authority: 3.2<\/span><\/li>\n
  • Currency: 2.8<\/span><\/li>\n
  • Scope: 3<\/span><\/li>\n
  • Accessibility: 2.4<\/span><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n

    Total: 3<\/span><\/p>\n

    Notes:<\/span><\/p>\n

    Both the print resources are older than 15 years.<\/span><\/td>\n<\/tr>\n

Geographical Sources<\/span><\/td>\nThe library contains several print atlases, maps, globes, and travel guides.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

The library has access to digital geographical sources through subscription services as well as no cost options available online.<\/span><\/p>\n

Representative samples:<\/span><\/p>\n

    \n
  • \n
      \n
    • The <\/span>National Geographic Family Reference Atlas of the World <\/span><\/i>(print)<\/span><\/li>\n
    • The <\/span>Canadian Oxford School Atlas <\/span><\/i>(print)<\/span><\/li>\n
    • Lonely Planet\u2019s<\/span> The Travel Book <\/span><\/i>(print)<\/span><\/li>\n
    • Geology of British Columbia <\/span><\/i>(print)<\/span><\/li>\n
    • Intelliglobe <\/span><\/i>(interactive globe)<\/span><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<\/td>\n
Average Score<\/span><\/p>\n
    \n
  • Accuracy: 4<\/span><\/li>\n
  • Authority: 4<\/span><\/li>\n
  • Currency: 2<\/span><\/li>\n
  • Scope: 4<\/span><\/li>\n
  • Accessibility: 3.2<\/span><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n

    Total: 3.4<\/span><\/p>\n

    Notes:<\/span><\/p>\n

    All physical resources in this component are older than 5 years.<\/span><\/td>\n<\/tr>\n

Indexes, Periodicals, and Databases<\/span><\/td>\nThe library contains no print resources of this type.<\/span><\/p>\n

The library has access to digital indexes, periodicals, and databases through EBSCO, Gale, and ProQuest.<\/span><\/p>\n

Representative samples:<\/span><\/p>\n

    \n
  • WorldBook Student\u00a0<\/span><\/li>\n
  • Gale Group<\/span><\/li>\n
  • EBSCO<\/span><\/li>\n
  • Explora<\/span><\/li>\n
  • ProQuest<\/span><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<\/td>\n
Average Score<\/span><\/p>\n