Tag Archives: collection management

April 1, 2022 ·

LIBE 467 Theme 3 – Reference Materials: Times Are Changing

CC image courtesy of Duke University Archives via Flickr

As I was reflecting on the lessons in Theme 3, I realised there is a common thread that weaves through all of them: times are changing and reference materials and the way we teach students to use them must change as well. The BC curriculum asks us to focus on personalized learning and to foster the competencies and skills that students will need to be lifelong learners (Province of British Columbia, 2016). Teacher-librarians are faced with the monumental task of teaching students to find information in an information landscape that is changing rapidly. To do this, we must develop their search skills, provide them with a variety of 21st-century reference materials, and embrace new ways of providing reference services.

Some may argue that libraries and the reference materials in them became relics of the past with the advent of the greatest reference tool of all… the internet. As a classroom teacher that has seen how students search the internet, I would say there is still some work to be done. Students need support to navigate the vast amount of information at their fingertips and to understand that its vastness knows no bounds. Introducing the deep web to students can help them better understand how information on the internet is organized (Hricko, 2002). This understanding is more important then ever in an increasingly multimodal world where web sites made up of graphics, videos, audio clips, etc. are more difficult for web indexes to retrieve. Teaching about alternatives to Google, such as DuckDuckGo, can help students go beyond the surface web and get the most out of their internet searches (Beaudry, 2022).

CC image courtesy of Aliqismet Aliyev via Wikimedia Commons

In addition to teaching internet search skills, teacher-librarians must provide students with a robust reference collection. “Reference services revolve around the basic principle of maximization of information resources in all formats” (Riedling, 2019, p. 3). Online databases provide a streamlined way to keep up-to-date reference materials in the collection. As I explored the databases subscribed to by my district throughout the course, I realised the importance of promoting these tools to the school community to ensure they are being used to their full potential. This should be done in conjunction with providing access to dynamic print resources, to meet the needs of all learners. The way that materials are organized in the collection, both print and non-print, can also have a huge impact on how they are used. For example, creating a special section for biographies may draw in more users than putting them in their respective Dewey locations.

I want to help students navigate information online by acknowledging that things have changed and continue to change in how we view information. Although I was taught to discount Wikipedia and all other crowd-sourced reference materials as viable sources of information, I now understand that using these as tools to teach critical thinking will be much more valuable to students down the road, where they are sure to encounter wikis on every topic under the sun. They must understand that bias, errors, and hidden agendas make it irresponsible to consult just one source (Berinstein, 2006). Similarly, teaching students to use online dictionaries, translation apps, and digital geographical resources will serve them far better than insisting on outdated print versions for the sake of tradition.

Wikipedia: Beneath the Surface from NC State University Libraries on Vimeo.

Ultimately, the role of teacher-librarians has become more important than ever with regard to reference services. If we can thoughtfully curate reference materials and incorporate them into instruction to meet the needs of our 21st-century learners, we will prove ourselves to be indispensable.

Works Cited

Beaudry, R. (2022). Lesson 8: Deep Web [Discussion board post]. University of British Columbia. https://canvas.ubc.ca/groups/395069/discussion_topics/1301218

Berinstein, P. (2006). Wikipedia and Britannica: The kid’s alright (and so’s the old man). Searcher 14(3). https://www.infotoday.com/searcher/mar06/berinstein.shtml

Hricko, M. (2002). Using the invisible web to teach information literacy. Journal of Library Administration 37(3-4), 379-386.

Province of British Columbia. (2016). Curriculum overview. BC’s curriculum. https://curriculum.gov.bc.ca/curriculum/overview

Riedling A., & Houston, C. (2019). Reference skills for the school librarian: Tools and tips. Libraries Unlimited.

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March 29, 2022 ·

LIBE 467 Evaluation Plan – Improving Reference Services

Context

The purpose of this report is to evaluate the reference collection and services of an elementary school library. The school currently has 277 students enrolled in grades K-7. The school library learning commons is staffed by a qualified teacher-librarian two and a half days per week. The SLLC follows a hybrid schedule, with fixed book exchange times and four flexible blocks per week for co-teaching opportunities. Most of the reference collection is housed in the non-fiction book section. There is also a small separate collection of print reference materials. Digital reference materials subscribed to by the district are available on the SLLC website from school and home.

Analysis

Students use the SLLC often (1-2 times per week) to select books to read for pleasure. They rarely use the collection for information-gathering purposes. Teachers feel that there are adequate resources in the collection to support the curriculum, but not a wide enough variety of formats available to support the learning styles of their students. Other than the web resources subscribed to by the district, there are only books in the collection. In total, there are 9,477 books in the collection. Although the book to student ratio is Exemplary, non-fiction/reference (3,602 books) make up less than 40% of the collection, which does not meet standards (Canadian Association for School Libraries, 2006).

Due to the Below Standard 0.5 staffing of the SLLC (Canadian Association for School Libraries, 2006), the school community does not have open access to reference services other than the digital resources available online. There are 13 online English databases suitable for elementary (see Appendix A). Although teachers feel there are adequate web resources available to support their teaching, they do not use them often. When asked how the collection could better support their students’ information-gathering needs, most indicated they would like more support in using the databases. Currently, the focus of co-teaching is ADST and story workshop. Classes rarely use the SLLC for research, although teachers occasionally sign out a selection of books for a topic of study.

Project Rationale

The reference collection should support the development of knowledge, skills, and understandings by providing a variety of print and non-print resources. Although the current collection adequately covers curricular content, it should “have a number of reference items covering the same content that present information in different formats, languages, or reading levels in order to meet the needs of diverse learners” (Riedling & Houston, 2019, p. 24). The digital resources available add to the variety of the collection, but classroom teachers do not feel equipped to use them with their students. According to the Canadian Library Association (2014), an established SLLC fosters information literacy when the “teacher-librarian collaborates with teachers to infuse information literacy instruction in learning experiences to ensure deep understanding of content” (p. 17). Despite dynamic co-teaching opportunities, users are not accessing the collection to develop information literacy.

Recommendations

In order to improve the reference services of the SLLC, two main courses of action are recommended:

  1. Diversify the current collection by adding a variety of resource formats to support different learning styles, such as realia, podcasts, maps, or audiobooks.
  2. Use co-teaching blocks to focus on resource-based learning to achieve curricular objectives.

To achieve the first recommendation, teachers and students should be consulted about the formats they would most like to see added to the collection. The teacher-librarian should then prioritize the budget to add these formats in alignment with the curriculum. As new resources are acquired, the teacher-librarian should alert the school community by promoting new formats during lessons, on the SLLC website, and in physical displays in prominent locations. At the end of the next budget cycle, the teacher-librarian can use an evaluation checklist (see Appendix B) to assess progress.

A shift in the focus of co-teaching blocks will require cooperation from administration and staff. The teacher-librarian and administrator should present rationale for incorporating resource-based learning to classroom teachers. The promotion of digital databases can be used to increase interest in co-teaching opportunities that involve active participation with information resources. The teacher-librarian can use the next assessment period as a goal for increasing student information literacy skills, using BC’s Digital Literacy Framework (BC Ministry of Education, 2021) as an assessment tool (see Appendix C).

This plan to improve the reference services provided by the SLLC should be re-evaluated after one year. Potential challenges will include budget limitations and resistance from classroom teachers. The support of the administrator is key to “provide the leadership, budgets and support for moving forward with library learning commons transitions and implementation of national and regional standards” (Canadian Library Association, 2014, p. 21). The end goal of the project is to ensure that the SLLC is providing the school community with the reference services they need to become lifelong learners.

Works Cited

BC Ministry of Education. (2021). BC’s Digital Literacy Framework. Province of British Columbia. https://www2.gov.bc.ca/assets/gov/education/kindergarten-to-grade-12/teach/teaching-tools/digital-literacy-framework.pdf

Canadian Association for School Libraries. (2006). Achieving information literacy: Standards for school library programs in Canada. (M. Asselin, J. L. Branch, & D. Oberg, Eds.) Canadian Association for School Libraries.

Canadian Library Association. (2014). Leading Learning: Standards of Practice for School Library Learning Commons in Canada. Ottawa, ON.

Riedling, A. M., & Houston, C. (2019). Reference skills for the school librarian: Tools and tips (4th ed.). Libraries Unlimited.

Appendix A: List of Available Digital Databases

  • 4Canoes
  • EBSCOhost
  • Explora Primary – Canada
  • KnowBC
  • National Geographic Kids
  • NoveList
  • ProQuest Historical Newspapers
  • TumbleBookLibrary
  • World Book Early Learning
  • World Book Kids
  • World Book Discover
  • World Book Student
  • World Book Timelines

Appendix B: Sample Evaluation Checklist

Adapted from Achieving Information Literacy: Standards for School Library Programs in Canada, Canadian Association for School Libraries, 2006.

 

Appendix C: BC’s Digital Literacy Framework

Click here to see the complete framework.

 

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February 22, 2022 ·

LIBE 467 Theme 2 – Managing and Evaluating Reference Services

(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:

  1. knowledge of the library collection
  2. effective teaching and communication skills
  3. 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

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February 10, 2022 ·

LIBE 467 Evaluation of a Reference Work – World Book Online vs. Discovery Education

Introduction

“A good reference source is one that serves to answer questions, and a bad reference source is one that fails to answer questions” (Riedling & Houston, 2019). It is the job of the teacher-librarian to continuously evaluate the reference sources in the collection. While the evaluation criteria may change depending on the type of resource, there are some categories that should be considered for all:

  • Content scope
  • Accuracy, authority, and bias
  • Arrangement and presentation
  • Relation to similar works
  • Timeliness and permanence
  • Accessibility/diversity
  • Cost

(Riedling & Houston, 2019)

Due to the rapidly changing world in which students now find themselves, digital reference sources are better equipped to keep up-to-date with the exponential growth of information. For elementary-aged students, full-text online databases provide a comprehensive, accessible resource that give them opportunities to develop their digital information literacy skills. Specific factors that need to be kept in mind when evaluating this type of resource include: search function, update frequency, and user interface. A rubric for evaluating full-text online databases is included in the Appendix.

One of the key reference resources in our library’s collection is the online encyclopedia World Book Online. Although it is a well-respected resource designed for multiple ages, many of our users report that they access it very little. Discovery Education is an online database featuring curated content paired with instructional supports for K-12 educators. With a focus on multimodal content, it could provide a needed update to our digital resource library. Conducting a thorough evaluative review of each resource will ensure that our reference section is best equipped to meet our users’ needs.

World Book Online Evaluative Review

World Book Online is a subscription-based online encyclopedia. The suite includes a selection of databases that progress with users’ learning levels. Each tool incorporates additional features to support the target learners’ level of development. Types of content includes scholarly articles, primary and secondary source documents, e-books, images, illustrations, maps, audio files, and videos. All content is authored by expert contributors and reviewed by authenticators to ensure accuracy (World Book Inc., 2022). Citations are included on each page. World Book has been a trusted academic source for over 100 years and information is updated regularly.

When a user logs in, they are taken to a screen that shows all tools included in the suite. Hovering over each tool gives a brief description which enables the user to determine which tool is best-suited for them. The user interface for each tool is tailored to the target audience. For example, apart from World Book Early Learning (Pre-K) all tools set the search function as the most prominent feature. Search filters can be used to narrow down results. Articles are differentiated by Lexile score and have an immersive reader tool that can be used to listen to the content.

(World Book Inc., 2022)

World Book Online is the only encyclopedic resource in our collection. Students can access it outside of school hours and from home, which makes it a cost-effective resource at roughly $1400.00 CAD per year for an elementary school.

Discovery Education Evaluative Review

Discovery Education was designed to curate relevant, engaging teaching content on one integrated platform. The content is created by educators and subject matter experts. Authors are recruited from partner school districts to ensure diverse representation and all content is reviewed in four major categories: curriculum alignment, student engagement, diverse representation, and instructional use (Discovery Education, 2022). User feedback is used to update content regularly. Types of content include videos, articles, podcasts, virtual field trips, and interactive tools. E-books are not included in the basic subscription.

(Discovery Education, 2022)

The platform is designed to be used as an interactive tool between students and teacher. Teachers can load a class and assign activities and quizzes to their students. All users can search for and save content. Search results can be filtered by grade level, media type, language, and additional features such as closed captioning. Literacy supports such as immersive reader and page rulers are embedded in the text content. Texts are differentiated by Lexile score.

While the interface is designed to facilitate an online classroom, the stand-alone content can just as easily be used to supplement any lesson. Individual student accounts allow this resource to be used as a research tool as well. Teachers will appreciate the built-in assessment and versatility that this platform offers. The cost of an annual subscription for an elementary school is roughly $4000.00 CAD.

Conclusion

World Book Online meets or exceeds the standards of an acceptable reference source, despite its lack of use. It does not, however, consider diversity of perspective in its curation of content, whereas Discovery Education makes explicit mention of it. Furthermore, the interactive features of Discovery Education could entice teachers to use the resource more frequently in their classrooms. The difference in cost also needs to be considered, with World Book Online being the significantly cheaper option. Due to the comparable value of the resources reviewed, consultation with the library’s users is recommended for further consideration.

Works Cited

Discovery Education. (2022). Curated content. Discovery Education. https://www.discoveryeducation.ca/curated-content/

Discovery Education. (2022). How does Discovery Education vet and curate content? Discovery Education Help Center. https://help.discoveryeducation.com/hc/en-us/articles/360056650714-How-does-Discovery-Education-vet-and-curate-content-

Riedling, A. M., & Houston, C. (2019). Reference skills for the school librarian: Tools and tips (4th ed.). Libraries Unlimited.

World Book Inc. (2022). Students achieve more with World Book. World Book. https://www.worldbookonline.com/training/assets/downloadables/WBOL_vs_web_info_sheet_8-15.pdf

World Book Inc. (2022). World Book Student. World Book. https://www.worldbookonline.com/student-new/#/home

Appendix

Rubric for Evaluating Full-Text Online Databases

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