Analysis of the
Present Reference Collection, Services, and Policies
The print reference materials that are available in the
elementary School Library Learning Commons (SLLC) are very limited. There is only one small bookshelf of
reference materials. The books that are available on the reference shelves are
World Book Encyclopedias, The World Book Student Discover Encyclopedia, PopularScience, Young Scientist, Wildlife of the World, Wildlife and Plants of the
World, and about 70 various titles of non-fiction books by Sharon Gordon or
Dana Meachen Rau. The
reference material is only for library use.
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| Reference Section of the Library |
The Vancouver School Board (VSB) has a much larger online library catalogue,
Webcat, which has a larger reference resource database than the schools printed
resources. The online references include such resources as World Book Online, The Canadian Encyclopedia, Gale Science,
The Atlas of Canada, and British Columbia Historical Newspapers.
VSB Webcat - Reference Resource Database
Reference services provide by the teacher librarian (TL) is on an individual bases. It is based on the individual inquiry need of the students and their own readiness to go to the library for research and resources.
Reference services provide by the teacher librarian (TL) is on an individual bases. It is based on the individual inquiry need of the students and their own readiness to go to the library for research and resources.
Rationale for
Change and Improvement:
As our students are 21st learners, the reference
collection, services, and policies need to change so that our students become
more curious learners, critical thinkers, problem solvers, collaborators, and competent
seekers of information.
To start with, the printed reference books need improvement
and change. They are all more than
10 years old and the majority is published in 2004. The printed reference books are all out of date according to
Reidling’s “General guidelines for replacing reference materials.” (Reidling et al., 2013) They all need to be weeded and new
printed reference materials need to be selected and evaluated that will meet
the needs of the students, teachers, and BC's New Curriculum. Also, many of the students are
not using the reference materials due to their outdated information, difficulty
in accessing as they can only be used in the library, and lack of usefulness
due to the limited titles available.
Another school library reference collection that is not
used as effectively or at all is the more current electronic Webcat. Many students in the school do
not know about the existence of Webcat as a credible online reference database
and possible source for their online research inquiry. Instead, they are assuming and
trusting that search engines like Google are answering all their research
needs. According to McGee’s article, “ “94 Percent Of Teachers Say
Students Equate “Research With Using Google” and need to be taught how to
validate the information for accuracy. (McGee, 2012).
Also, the TL’s expertise in the inquiry process and reference
resource knowledge is not been utilized effectively. The students’ library times are used mostly for signing out
books or story time. It would be
good to balance both the literacy development with finding good quality books
to read with learning how to answer their inquiry projects with good quality
information.
Step-by-Step Plan
For the printed library collection, this will be an ongoing
process to save money to purchase what would maximize learning the most as
reference books are very expensive, especially new sets of encyclopedias. It will be a slow and collaborative
process to build up the extent of the printed reference resources. I would like to set up a literacy, technology, resource committee of teachers and administrators to see where the reference
needs are and where best to spend the library budget. With a budget of about $7 per student from the school district to spend on all library resources, which includes non-fiction books,
fiction books, furniture and technology, there isn’t much money left. Perhaps with the administrators on the committee, they might see the cost of all SLLC resources and might
allocate more budget for the SLLC.
For the 70 non-fiction books, I would put them in a tub and
let the teachers borrow them in the classroom for buddy reading or individual
reading. I would also put the wildlife books and science books for classroom circulation too so that more students are accessing them. They can be used by another classroom once the teacher is finished using them. If there is a lack of interest from the teachers, then the books will be weeded. I would also show the students online versions of World Book, Popular Science and Young Scientist book so they can compare the print and online versions of the reference resources.
One of the main things that I would like to do in the SLLC,
is to have the students learn how important it is for them to know how to use and
find good quality and credible reference resources. As they go up in grades and to higher education, they have
to be able to seek and use reference resources effectively. Also, I would like them to know the
different types of reference materials are available to meet their inquiry
needs. Since the majority of students research online, it is crucial that they are taught competence and evaluation of internet sources. This link from Georgetown University Library has good questions to ask and answer when evaluating the credibility of a resource. It mentions "when in doubt, ask a librarian."
I would like to work with each teacher and class just like
what Stephanie Rosalia, Media Library Specialist, at Eileen E. Zaglin School
Library did with the students at her library (Harris et. al, 2009). I liked
what Rosalia said about connecting children with both books and “ethical/good”
information. It is important to
teach the students the skills to be able to critically look for and evaluate
valid information on the vast World Wide Web. Here is the video of Rosalia:
I would also model with the class
an inquiry search together using Webcat and other sources on-line to see which types of reference resources best meets their learning needs. I would also have the students write inquiry questions. We would look at each inquiry question and have the students decide which type of reference resource (encyclopedias, atlases, newspaper, bibliography, almanac...) that they would use to start their inquiry from Webcat if it is available. The information literacy lessons will
be grade, reading level, and age appropriate. Each subsequent year, more complex information literary will
be focused upon which will scaffold the previous year’s information literacy
skills. For the staff and older
students, it would be good to discuss with them about the grey web/invisibleweb and GoogleGuide. It would be important to teach them the process and steps of the BCTLA's The Points of Inquiry Framework for information literacy.
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| BCLTA's The Points of Inquiry |
For all the online inquiry
research skill development, the library will need more computers and
iPads. Besides asking the PAC and
administrators, I would write grants to different community giving organizations
such as Royal Bank or Canada (RBC) and Bell to purchase technology so that it meets the learning needs
of the students.
Follow up
A follow-up would be to see the quality and depth of
understanding from the students’ presentations of the answers to their inquiry
projects. By sharing their presentations on smart boards, it also lets other
students be more aware of other credible sites and reference resources that
they can use for further research projects. Student evaluations and self-reflections are a great way to
see if they have made connections and check for higher level understanding.
Group inquiry projects are another way for the students to
collaborate, use their understanding, and share their knowledge.
The increase of collaboration with teachers on curriculum units, library resource committee meetings, and student inquiry projects will also show the effectiveness and importance of the SLLC with its programs of inquiry, technology, and literacy.
The increase of collaboration with teachers on curriculum units, library resource committee meetings, and student inquiry projects will also show the effectiveness and importance of the SLLC with its programs of inquiry, technology, and literacy.
References
2016 Corporate Citizen Report. RBC. Retrieved March 20, 2017 from
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BC Historical Newspaper. Retrieved March 20. 2017 from
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http://www.rbc.com/community-sustainability/community/index.html#
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Beyond Google:
The Invisible Web. (2015,
August). LaGuardia Community College.
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