(Canadian Association for School Libraries, 2006)
The vision outlined in the above quote from Achieving Information Literacy is only one piece of the puzzle. It can only be realized if the teacher-librarian in charge of the resources is providing effective reference services. While reading about the role of a TL in this area, I began to get discouraged that the current reality of the position is impacting reference services. Indeed, this topic came up in my group’s discussion several times over the last three weeks. Lack of collaboration time, inflexible scheduling, staff shortages, and budget cuts are some of the concerns that were raised. So, how can TLs continue to provide reference services in the face of these challenges?
Riedling outlines three factors that contribute to providing effective reference services:
- knowledge of the library collection
- effective teaching and communication skills
- competence in selecting, acquiring, and evaluating resources to meet students’ needs
(Riedling, 2019)
Knowledge of the library collection includes knowledge of the digital resources in the reference collection. One of the things I feel would be essential to providing reference services to the school community would be to explicitly teach about these resources. My district provides a subscription to several online databases. As a TL, I can incorporate them into my lessons or support teachers in using them in their classrooms. This video outlines some of the benefits of using online databases and could be shown to students and teachers:
Promoting these databases will not only support students in developing their research skills, it will also demonstrate that the reference section is more than just books.
After reading Lesson 7: Evaluating Reference Services, I began thinking about how I could use effective teaching and communication skills to work around the fact that TL time in schools continues to diminish while the demands of their position continue to grow. Setting a goal of incorporating reference skills into every lesson means I will be able to address the information literacy needs of my school community while continuing to move towards the Library Learning Commons model that will allow school libraries to thrive going into the future. This blog post shares ideas for integrating information literacy:
I appreciate how the author used research models to emphasize each part of the reference process. Using the school library’s blog or website to provide information on these processes to students and teachers which could be accessed at any time could be another way of providing reference services with limited instructional time.
Finally, part of managing the reference collection is managing the library budget. The budgets for school libraries in my district are decided using a formula based on enrollment. The first step in managing a budget will be to familiarize myself with the procedures, timelines, and processes involved. As a new TL, I will need to speak to the principal or administrative assistant about the budget cycle. Then, I will review the current budget to get an idea of how it has been managed in the past. Reference materials are an expensive part of the library collection, so a thorough understanding of the budget will be an essential part of selecting, acquiring, and evaluating resources to meet students’ needs.
Despite the many obstacles to TLs providing effective reference services to their learners, focusing on the parts of the role that are in my control will keep me from getting overwhelmed or discouraged. If “the major learning outcome for the school library program is to develop students who are information literate” (Canadian Association for School Libraries, 2006), then managing and evaluating reference services is an essential part of the job, regardless of time and budget.
Works Cited
Asselin, M., Branch, J. L., & Oberg, D. (Eds.). (2006). Achieving information literacy: Standards for school library programs in Canada. Canadian Association for School Libraries.
BC Teacher Librarians’ Association. (2017). From school library to learning commons: A pro-active model for educational change. (M. Ekdahl, & S. Zubke, Eds.). https://bctladotca.files.wordpress.com/2018/02/from-school-library-to-library-learning-commons.pdf
Paciotti, B. (2017, December 24). 5 essential literacies for students: Part 3 information literacy. Looking Backward: No Sweat Library Lessons & Management That Works. https://lookingbackward.edublogs.org/2017/12/24/literacies-info-lit/
Riedling A., & Houston, C. (2019). Reference skills for the school librarian: Tools and tips. Libraries Unlimited.
Yavapai College Library. (2011, September 29). What are databases and why you need them [Video]. YouTube. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Q2GMtIuaNzU
Hi Keri,
You’ve done a fantastic job summarizing the key elements of our readings and reflecting on how you can incorporate them into your SLCC program. I think your idea of incorporating more digital, reference and information literacy skills into each of your lessons is a goal we should all be working towards. Including Administrators in your budget planning will not only help you better understand the process, they will add a unique appreciation of student and teacher needs, particularly when planning future budgets to reflect upcoming needs in the school and district. This is an important thing for us to remember when planning purchases for our SLCC. Finally, your reminder to focus on the things we can control, rather than letting ourselves be overwhelmed by the seemingly endless list of tasks added to our job description, is important – thank you for the reminder!
Hi Keri,
Your comment about how time for TL’s is diminishing but their roles and responsibilities are expanding really struck a chord for me. I think this applies to every educator. Now more than ever we really have to focus on what we can do and do it well, otherwise we get so burnt out. I think the pandemic, inflation and now war, have only exacerbated this problem more. I also, appreciate how you thought about their budget and how important this is. I think it is important to include admin when going over the budget. They may be very helpful in identifying gaps in the budget and offer ways to help fundraise or fill the gaps. I think sometimes librarians take ion too much for themselves. By collaborating with as many people as possible the responsibility gets distributed about and in turn the learning commons benefits! Thanks for your thoughtful ideas!