Reference for All

Alice Yucht's graphic (Fullington, 2011)

(MacMeekin, 2013)

These two charts remind me of the topics discussed in Theme 2 and the many roles that the teacher-librarian’s job entitles to create the best learning environment for the students.   The main goals are to meet the students’ needs and enable them to be independent and collaborative learners.  It is important to empower the students to be critical thinkers and knowledge seekers so that they will have passion for life long learning and literacy.

The success of the library program involves having a skilled, capable, and collaborative teacher-librarian (TL) who is welcoming.  The teacher-librarian must be a good listener and decision maker to figure out the reference needs of the students.  Effective questioning during the interview process when the student has an inquiry will help the students achieve their needs. 

In order for the teacher-librarian to provide an informed and helpful answer to the student reference question, it relies on the TL knowing what is available through print and electronically in the library and beyond.  In order to have what is available in the library and on-line, the TL has to be aware of the BC curriculum and the reference needs of each grade and subject. 

Also, collaboration with the classroom teachers and through a library advisory group will ensure that the students’ reference needs are met.  By knowing what the teachers’ are focusing on currently in their classrooms as well as creating materials for learning outcome together, the TL can quickly direct the informational and reference needs of any students in the school that requires assistance.  The TL can also interview the classroom teachers, administrator, parents, students, and library advisory group about their needs for the school library program.  The more positively and effectively the teacher and TL work together the better the students will do academically according to Russell (2002).

Furthermore, the TL can use his/her knowledge about the curriculum as well as the teacher and student needs/enjoyment to purchase effective, quality, and relevant reference resources that will be “a good reference source (that) serves to answer questions, and (not) a bad reference source (that) fails to answer questions.” (Riedlling, 2013) 

(LaGarde, 2013)

The TL also needs to weed out books that are out of date, are inappropriate or have misinformation.  The above chart from LaGarde (2013) can be shared for those that are apprehensive about weeding books.

 Evaluating,Selecting, and Acquiring Learning Resources: A Guide, created by ERAC (2008) has some useful checklists that can be used to evaluate and justify the purchase of reference and other resources for the school library.  It is also a good resource for books that have been evaluated for the BC School Curriculum.

  

The role of the TL is a complex one.  The most important thing is that anyone  who has a vested interest, for improving our students' lives and education, need to work together in a meaningful way by finding the best reference resources to achieve those goals.

 References:

BC’s New Curriculum.  (2017).  Retrieved from https://curriculum.gov.bc.ca/curriculum

Evaluating, Selecting, and Acquiring Learning Resources: A Guide .  (2008).

Retrieved from http://www.bcerac.ca/resources/whitepapers/docs/ERAC_WB.pdf

Fullington, Fran.  (2011, February 26).  Today’s School Librarian, with thanks to

 Alice Yucht.  Retrived from

             https://informania.wordpress.com/2011/02/26/todays-school-librarian-with-thanks-to-alice- 

    yucht/

LaGarde Jennifer.  (2013, October 1).  Keeping Your Library Collection Smelling

             F.R.E.S.H! [Blog post].  Retrieved from

http://www.librarygirl.net/2013/10/keeping-your-library-collection.html

MacMeekin, Mia. (2013, April 12).  27 Things Your Teacher Librarian Does.

Retrieved from https://anethicalisland.wordpress.com/2013/04/12/27-things-your-teacher-librarian-does/

Riedling, A. and al.  (2013).  Reference Skills for the School LibrarianTools and Tips,

 Linworth Books.

Shayne, Russell. (2002).  Teachers and Librarians:  Collaborative Relationships.

 ERIC Digest.  Retrieved from https://eric.ed.gov/?id=ED444605