Part 1: Current Reference Collection and Rationale for Change
The reference materials available at our elementary school are shelved with other resources. There is not a section of the library dedicated to reference materials. In terms of reference materials in print, our school library has an extensive collection of biographical selections, some high interest almanacs and handbooks, one set of First Peoples of Canada atlases, and specific subject encyclopedias. As previously mentioned in my last post, access to online reference materials is not promoted by our teacher-librarian.
Biographical Reference Materials
The Who Is? or Who Was? series are very popular among the students in our school. Our teacher-librarian has purchased approximately 75 of the 210 available titles (Penguin Random House). These small, illustrated biographies are written by various authors. They tell the stories of significant historical figures, including artists, scientists, and world leaders. This series is affordable as no title costs more than $8 CAN (amazon.ca)
The second popular series available to students are the Canadian Biography books. Our school library has ten books from this series. These books are designed for primary students. They include colourful photos and factual information. The paperback versions of these books are also affordable. Amazon prices varied but many books in the series cost under $20 CAN.
For our French Immersion students, our teacher-librarian has purchased the Voici series. We also have them available for our students in English. These books are illustrated with drawings and include graphic novel like features. They cost $8 CAN each through Scholastic Canada (scholastic).
In looking for higher level biographical books for our intermediate students, the Raconte-Moi series was purchased. Unfortunately, they have not been very popular among our students. The reading level is too advanced for our French Immersion students and these books contain very few pictures. They would be more appropriate for middle or high school students.
Our school library also contains several other biographical books that are not part of a specific series. There are several books requested by teachers that are used in units of study. For example, we have over ten books dedicated to Terry Fox.
In order to evaluate biographical resources, we must look at cost, accuracy, format, comprehensiveness, ease of use, and currency (Reidling, 2014). Our teacher-librarian has spend time weeding out older books and has made a significant effort to maintain an in-depth biographical collection. With these factors in mind, in addition to the large number of biographical reference books available for students, I believe that this section is excellent. I have no recommendations to make in order to improve this collection.
Almanacs and Handbooks
It is clear by the wear and tear on the books in the photo above that this is a well-loved section of our reference collection! The Guinness Book of World Records and the National Geographic Almanacs are engaging, high-interest, colourful, and factual books. "Students enjoy facts and trivia; therefore, almanacs are wonderful sources for browsing as well as seeking information." (Reidling, p.41) Similar to biographical resources, almanacs and handbooks are evaluated on relevance and scope, authority, completeness, currency, and format (Reidling, 2014). Reidling does not make any specific suggestions for what currency limits should be applied. There is an almanac in our collection from 2012. I would not recommend books any older than this as almanacs are "key resources for current and topical information." (Riedling, p.44)
Our library contains a few handbooks. Most are handbooks dedicated to video games, movies and card trading. They are current and popular among our students.
Considering the popularity of this section of the reference collection, I am surprised that we do not have more inventory. "If the school collection development plan includes adding high-interest items to a collection, the items like sports yearbooks, which are popular with students but not a curricular focus, should be considered." (Riedling, p. 44) My suggestion would be to increase the collection of almanacs in our school library. The Guinness Book of World Records can be purchased on Amazon for $17.99 CAN. I have also seen them at a much lower price at Costco. National Geographic Almanacs are also affordable at $13.54 CAN on Amazon. National Geographic also publishes fact books that I believe would be very popular among students.
A focus must also be placed on increasing the number of almanacs and handbooks in French. Unfortunately, I was unable to find any books in French that fit into this category. As over 60 percent of our school population is enrolled in French Immersion, providing high-interest books must be a priority. My recommendation would be to try to match the English collection of almanacs and handbooks over a two year period. Unfortunately, French resources always cost more but I believe that investing in high-interest French reference materials would be beneficial for our students.
There is not a collection of atlases located in our school library. Atlases are kept in individual classrooms. Strangely, we also have some atlases stored in the art room! My recommendation would be to store all atlases in the school library and to take an inventory of what are school does have. Perhaps, it would be possible to have teachers sign the atlases out. If there is already a class set, there would be no need to purchase any more student atlases. Our school has the Scholastic Children's Atlas of Canada. The edition that we have was published in 2017. Although theses atlases are already five years old, I believed that they are still valid. Canada has not undergone any major border changes since Nunavut became its own territory in 1999!
My recommendation would be to increase the number of current world atlases and to dedicate a section of the library to these reference books. Several classes participate in the Canadian Geographic Challenge every year and it would be wonderful to have atlases and geography books to support their studying and their natural curiosity towards the world around them. When selecting new books for this section, it will be important to consider the publisher, scale, currency, indexing, and format (Riedling, 2014). I have learned that world atlases should be no older than five year, as an older atlas "portrays enough obsolete information to be considered only for historical purposes." (Riedling, p. 78) It will be important to purchase atlases for both primary and intermediate students. Of course, purchasing atlases in French will also be essential.
We do have a copy of Indigenous People of Canada's Atlas which I discussed in Assignment 1. Although a beautiful atlas, it is very advanced for our elementary school students. Encyclopedias
Our school library has an extensive collection of Eyewitness books however, I do not believe that these would be considered encyclopedias. I also found "The Encyclopedia of World Costumes" which was published in 1979! I think that it is safe to say that this encyclopedia is no longer current and can be weeded out of our school library.
I do not believe that it is economical to purchase a new set of encyclopedias for our school library. According to Riedling, "print encyclopedias should be replaced every five years." (p.18) It makes more sense to use the online encyclopedias and databases that our school district has access to. The benefit to this is that students can also use these reference tools from home.
I did find some high-interest encyclopedias that I believe would be a good fit for our school library.
Our school district as access to several online reference tools. The problem, like I mentioned in assignment 2, is that our teachers do not know about them. The benefits of using reference websites over allowing students open access to the internet are significant.
(From assignment 2)
- Teachers do not have to worry about the online safety of their students. Students will not stumble upon inappropriate content when searching for information within a controlled platform.
- The information search is narrower. Students do not have to spend time filtering through results.
- The authority of the information has already been reviewed. Students do not have to question whether the source is reliable.
The challenge is not in finding or purchasing new resources. In this case, it is making teachers aware of the reference tools that we do have. Significant improvements can be make to our school library in this area.
Part 2: Plan for Improvement
Three areas have been identified for improvement. The first is to increase the amount of print reference materials. My recommendation is to purchase new high-interest almanacs and handbooks, especially in French. The second goal is to create a new section of the library for atlases and geographical reference books. The third goal is to improve teacher knowledge and access of online reference tools. Furthermore, it will be important to support teachers in using these digital reference tools with their students.
Goal 1: Improve Print Reference Collection
August 2022 | Complete an inventory of current print reference materials Weed out any outdated materials Review popularity and usage of the resources by staff and students Discuss with administration library budgets for the upcoming school year
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September 2022 | Establish a Library Learning Commons Leadership team Begin to consider an action plan and a vision for the library: “Where are you now, what do you want to achieve, what actions do you need to take, what will it cost, how long will it take, who is responsible, who can help?” (CLA, 2014, p.23)
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October- December 2022 | Create a survey (Google Forms) and invite teachers to make reference material requests. "Above all, collaboration with teachers on assignments using information resources is crucial for continuous improvement in developing an effective reference collection." (Riedling, p. 20) Review teacher requests with LLC Leadership Team
Depending on the need and budget, create a plan for reference material purchases. Establish what percentage of reference materials will be in French and/or English Begin purchases! Understand that "building a library collection is an ongoing activity." (Riedling, p.19) Purchasing reference books will not end in a year or two, but there will be a plan in place to continuously improve this collection.
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Goal 2: Purchase Atlases and Geographical Reference Materials
September 2022 | Explain in the September start-up staff meeting your intentions of gathering atlases and creating a geographical section in the library (not in the art room!) Ask all teachers to bring school owned classroom atlases to the library Take an inventory of atlases. Ensure that materials are up to date. All world atlases should be newer than five years (Riedling, 2014) Create a section of the library dedicated to geographical reference materials
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October 2022 | With the LLC Leadership Team, establish goals for this new reference section. Review available budget. With other reference materials already being purchased this month, purchases of new atlases may be on hold for this school year. However, a new section of the library has been created and teachers will now have access to the atlases that are currently in the school.
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November 2022 - June 2023 | Meet with other teacher-librarians in the district and see what atlases they use. Are there atlases in the local public library that would be a good addition to our school library? Begin purchases for new geographical materials when the budget allows!
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Goal 3: Improve access and teacher/student use of digital reference materials
July - September 2022 | Begin creating a website for the Library Learning Commons This website will be the hub to access all district available digital reference tools Create a “cheat sheet” that is printed on cardstock and laminated with passwords for easy access to the digital platforms.
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October 2022 (Staff Meeting) | The majority of teachers at my school do not know about our district access to digital reference tools. It is important to remember that they are in the “Unconcerned” or “Informational” CBAM Stages of Concern (Loucks-Horsley, 1996) It will be important to share the benefits of using these online tools in easy, simple and accessible steps. During the October staff meeting, share with teachers the new Library Learning Commons website! Allow teachers to explore the new website and “play” with the digital reference platforms during the October staff meeting. It will be important to show teachers how to access the tools and to give them the passwords needed to access them. Some teachers will be able to move quickly through the CBAM Stages of Development. However, some may need more guidance and direct teaching. Begin using the reference tools when students are visiting the LLC. Create simple lessons, such as a scavenger hunt, to help students explore these digital platforms.
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November- December 2022 | Host a Lunch and Learn for teachers Offer direct instruction on how to use one digital reference tool Have students complete a short and concise research project using a digital reference tool (no Google!)
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January - June 2023 | Host two more Lunch and Learns Continue to update LLC website Continue to use digital reference materials with students Offer release time for teachers to collaborate and share how they are using the reference tools in their classrooms I truly believe that once teachers are made aware of their access to these reference tools and that this access is simplified, the usage of online digital reference resources will grow exponentially at our school.
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References Cited:
Riedling, A. M., & Houston, C. (2019). Reference Skills for the School Librarian: Tools and tips. Libraries Unlimited.
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