Assignment 1: Course Reflection

Learning events:

Access

Initially I thought access only applied to when and how often students came into the library. Access is a multi-faceted idea where students can physically, intellectually and digital access the library. With the growing push in society to be data centered, students need to know how to interact with the library's print and digital resources. I have been developing a unit for the intermediates, introducing them to the various e-resources available. Our students should be independent inquires.

Access to the library physically means students have the opportunity to visit the space during class time and spread out. They enjoy the welcoming area, and get in touch with our resources. Classroom teachers are coming regularly, to book time. This is a very exciting time for our library!

MARC Records

MARC records made me anxious. I now, however, have a greater appreciation for what our District Learning Commons works towards. The staff at the DLC takes the time to enter our MARC records. Without our centralized data entry, the teacher librarians would have another hat. This not-so-simple task really takes stress away from the teacher librarians and allows us to focus on educating.

Catalog Organization

Our new catalog system is wonderful! Students can search books easily. They can get all the access information they require, and see an image of the cover! I have many students who struggle with the Dewey Decimal system. This catalog is really helping them find their way around the library. I am introducing them to searching database.

Self-assessment

I have found this semester difficult to balance. Usually when I am enrolled in a university course I spend a great deal of time focused on the content. This term, however, I have been fully immersed in my library and the endless possibilities of learning. This course has made me think about ways to make the library more organized and accessible to my students. I am currently working with the library club to create posters to help direct students to commonly requested resources. These additions should encourage library independence.

I have tried to stay on top of the readings and participate in the discussion boards; therefore I would self-assessment myself as a good participant. I used my time wisely and participated when, and where I could. As I have been very focused on adjusting to my new position, given the time I have spent I have participated well. I commented on 10 / 13 discussion boards, and commented on several people's comments, though this was not as regular as it should have been. I did my best to participate as often as my job would allow.

Resources used:

ERAC Publication

The ERAC publication is often referred to in our district. Several of our Teacher librarians work with ERAC to evaluate resources. The ERAC document helps support information literacy development by providing specific guidelines when looking at new resources. This document lays out checklists that teacher librarians can access, and evaluate their own resources. This sets a high standard for resources. It allows us to ask ourselves, "If a resource does not follow the criteria is it worth being in the collection?"

I value the suggestions of my colleagues especially those involved in the ERAC process. They are taking the time to look at new resources and decide if they should be used.

ODLIS - Search Access, OpenAccess, and Perpetual Access

The ODLIS is a dictionary database that allowed me to quickly search terms I was unfamiliar with. As mentioned, I did not understand the full scope of access when I started the course. I used ODLIS to search Assess as a keyword. The database provided a dictionary definition, and also provided several "See Also" terms. Having access to the dictionary allowed for quick more clarification of unclear terms.

Library of Congress -Introduction to MARC

I felt like MARC records were going to be my end in this course. I did not understand the framework. I understood that they were necessary for cataloging, organized resource data, and that they provide a standard format for library catalog organization. This allows all libraries to sort and catalog their resources in the same fashion and provides consistency throughout the library world. They also allowed the user to search various search parameters. I, however, did not understand their own organization, until using the Library of Congress website. I took the time to read through the various chapters. They familiarize me with the order and the corresponding MARC tags.

Summary

Overall, this course has provided me with a better foundation for organizing the collection, and has presented the multiple layers involved in functioning libraries. We cannot simply stick our books on the shelf. There is a process, and the organization ensures our libraries will be more accessible in all areas.

OPAC - Online Public Access Catalog

Our district recently change over to a new public access website: District Learning Commons Discovery Portal. The portal is more accessible for students at home, than the previous version. This new system allows students to quickly search the school or the entire district for resources. This version is easier to navigate, with fast results.

On the home page of the portal, students can select their school (as seen above) and enter their search parameters into the catalog search engine. I have searched for books on hibernation, as the Kindergarten and grade ones are starting a new unit.

After students have entered their search data, the catalog will show students the cataloging information, as well as an image of the book their are searching for. I clicked on the third result, "What is Hibernation by John Crossingham.

When a student selects a desired item, a detatiled record of the resource will appear in a pop-up window, and indicate if the resource is available. In this case "What is Hibernation" can be found in the non fiction section, under the call number 591.565 CRO.

I think this new system has opened the opportunity for user-independence in the library. Students can see what book they are looking for, before they leave the computer. This system also allows students to view a book summary. The student can decide, based on the provided summary, if this resource is in fact what they are looking for. This also allows the students to generate a list of resources at home, and search the library later. This feature is helpful, especially since students have limited access to computers in the school.

The library portal is not only the school search engine, but also the gateway to all the e-resources, the district has bought licenses for. Students simply return to the home page, using the house icon at the top of the page, and navigate to the E-Resources link.

Once students have accessed the E-Resources link, they have a large selection of options, including but not limited to World Book Online, Encyclopedia of British Columbia, EBSCO, and Passport to the Internet.

One issue with the E-Resources is that if students are accessing them from home, they do require the district password. This is easy enough to gain by talking to the school teacher librarian, but if in a hurry to finish an assignment, students may forget to get the password. If a student is accessing the resources at school, the network automatically will log them in from any computer in the school.

After using the search program last year, and the new portal, I think the new system is much more user friendly, and suited to our students. I have, however, heard some negative feedback regarding this at the secondary level. The high school students find the appearance and layout too elementary and demeaning. The high school students don't want to see Pete the Cat on the home page, they want to see resources that apply to them. As an elementary teacher librarian, this OPAC meets the needs of my student demographic.

MARC Records

MARC Record terrified me! Our public library has provided a link to each resources MARC record. When I first started viewing them I didn't understand up from down. As I started viewing more, however, I started to pick out key features that allowed me to construct my own MARCs for Assignment two. I still do not feel I have mastered created MARC's in any way, but I feel I could work through them if it became necessary.

Check out my MARC Records on my Wiki: http://librarianlynx.wikispaces.com/

Delicious

I was strongly encouraged last year by a colleague to get a Delicious account. I tried it, but after one day of using it, stopped. I went back to it today for this portion of our assignments, and realized why. I am a visual learner. I find delicious rather boring to search through. That being said, I did give it another try. I started by searching Adrienne Gear and only got one hit, within Delicious. I find that quite shocking, so I changed my search parameters to Education, Library and got 15666 results. I looked at the first ten and saved my top five results. You can check out those results at: http://delicious.com/lisacprice

I still don't like delicious for is lack of visual appeal, I use pinterest regularly. I find it easier to navigate. I have been generating a Library Links page with Pinterest for quite some time. If you would like to check out those links please visit: http://pinterest.com/teachprice/the-library/

I must say that using a library catalog is far less tedious than the internet on most occasions. The consistent and standard form of subject headings make searches far less frustrating. When searching the web, there are endless options and results that will pop up, especially with the popularity of Google. I appreciate the standard format used with in the library world. Consistency is vital and allows for optimal results.

Access Part One.

What does access mean in the library world? There are three points of access: physical, digital and intellectual access. When I started this course I always thought of access in the physical sense. When do my students have access? How often can they visit the library? Can all the students reach all the resources? It was all about when, how and where. I did not consciously think about the intellectual and the digital access. Currently our library is lacking in digital access. Our school went through the greening process this past summer and all six of the student computers were removed from the library. The library is more open now, and students can be seen in all areas of the room, however, the computers were not replaced. The students are now limited to accessing digital information from the school lab, which is not attached to the library. Problem? Yes! This may not be an issue in the beginning of the year, but teachers are going to be starting their students on research papers soon, and I feel obligated as the source of information and access to information in the school, to provide. I am limited by the technology, or lack of technology, and therefore so are the students.

Reflections - LIBE 465

I have used this blog in a previous class to post my reflections regarding learning, and thought it would be fitting to continue to use my Library Lynx to do the same with LIBE 465. Over the past year I have completed six out of ten University Library courses. I will be completing my diploma in April 2013. I have learned through other classes, and my practical experiences, the importance of reflection. Without reflection teachers and teacher librarians have no way of looking forward and back to determine what should be changed in their practice or what should remain the same.

I try to reflect daily on three things: What went well? What could I have improved on? What should be changed for next time? Through self-evaluation, I can take the time to move on if something did not work out, and not fixate on the problem. Reflection has given me a chance to improve myself and my ability to move past self doubt and focus on self success and the success of my students, staff, and parents.

Final Reflections

My reference collection journey is now coming to a close. I have discussed many different aspects of the reference collection, related them to our course readings, as well as to my current connections with various libraries in the school district. I see a push for more electronic references within the libraries, but still see students accessing the print copies for addition research information. Overall, this reflection process has allowed me to revisit each topic and express how it relates to my current situation and how I will use the reference collection in the future.

Thank you

Assignment 3.1 - Change a Teacher

Teacher Situation

            Ms. P. is a teacher librarian at two different schools in School District No. 57 (Prince George). She is currently trying to collaborate with other staff members in her school, and working to “develop joint instructional practices” (Huang). Ms. P. also wishes to create a Professional Learning Network through the Internet, to share ideas, collaborate and create inter-school or district connections.

Stages of Concern

            Huang notes, “the upper Stages of Concern are focused on the results and impact of the activity, a clue of which might be the use of pronouns which refer to clients, protégés, or participants who receive the benefits of the activity” (Huang). When discussing Ms. P.’s use of reference materials she clearly referred to the result of the students, and how the students benefited from her use of various strategies and reference materials; especially electronic reference resources such as World Book Online.

            Ms. P. also attends regular Professional Learning Committees (PLCs) also known as Professional Learning Teams (PLTs). Based on the language Ms P. uses as well as her involvement with school PLCs, it is clear she is at the Integration level of use within the Concerns-Based Adoption Model (CBAM).

Effective Use of Reference Resources

            Currently, Ms. P. is using more electronic reference resources than print, due to their updated information. She has the students view World book online, as well as local websites such as the Exploration Place website, to help facilitate local and curriculum learning. She does not use Google often but she does have students use it occasionally to broaden their search parameters. Ms. P. also has the students supplement reference resources with the non-fiction section of the library, for additional information.

            Ms. P. has also been working to collaborate with staff. She has been working with the second grade teacher on units, however, after interviewing her, she says most of the older staff members are more reluctant to collaborate as they have their own routines they focus on.

Introduction of New Resource:

            Ms. P. admitted she is interested in collaborating with other schools and teachers district wide, and provincially. Her goal is to connect with other teacher librarians and teachers. After an extended collaboration period, the students from both schools would be introduced, and would collaborate on a project. As part of another course within the Diploma program forming collaborative networks has been a key concept using social networking. When Ms. P. mentioned her goal for her libraries, I asked Ms. P. if she had a Twitter account. She replied, “No.”             

             According to William Kist, “Twitter is an online social network that asks participants to update their ‘followers’ as to what they are doing in fewer than 140 characters. Some ‘twits’ choose to ‘tweet’ many times a day to hundreds, sometimes thousands, of followers” (2010). I explained Twitter can be used as a platform for connecting to other teachers in the district, provincially, even worldwide. Will Richardson states, “Following other educators on Twitter

creates a ‘network at my fingertips’ phenomenon where people ask questions and get answers, link to great blog posts or resources, or share ideas for projects as they go through the day. For many, it’s become a running river of conversation and ideas that has cemented their connections to the community and made the network even more palpable” (2010).

I also explained that once the collaboration between teachers was started, Skype could be used between the students as a means to communicate using video and audio! Ms. P.’s response was, “Can you show me?”

            Ms. P. and I met at a local coffee shop with laptops in hand. Over a coffee and chai latte, we constructed an Innovation Configuration (Appendix A) and I helped her set up a Twitter account. When starting a new account with Twitter, it allows you to add your friends using Facebook, but also allows you to enter specific people you wish to follow, or “you can find new people to follow using a variety of directories. …[All] sorts of resource sites have sprung up for teachers who want to connect with other Twittered souls. Try, for example, the exhaustive ‘Directory of Learning Professionals (& Others) on Twitter’” (Richardson, 2010). I helped Ms. P. pick new people to follow tied to education, such as Joyce Valenza and Buffy Hamilton (both teacher librarians) and also looked at the ‘Twitter for Teachers’ wiki. Richardson explains, “It’s a blend of the professional and the personal that makes Twitter such a cool tool on so many levels. Some people have described it as a ‘sixth sense’ in terms of the network; you feel more a part of the larger conversation, more a part of the community” (2010).

            I explained to Ms. P. that in order for this to work you have to make time to check what people have posted, and be involved with the conversations; post that you are interested in collaborating with other schools and see what develops. Ms. P. was so excited to be introduced to this new resource. Though this may not have been a reference resource, it ties into her goals for the future of her library.

            I also took the time to explain some of Richardson’s ideas for classroom integration. He suggests, “If you want a sense of how Twitter changes the game, check out the great ‘Twitter Collaboration Stories’ wiki that’s hosted by Nancy White (tinyurl.com/yw7sa8)” (Richardson, 2010). He also highlights “The ‘Twitter in Academia’ post at the AcademHack blog” which “has a number of ways to start integrating Twitter into the classroom” (Richardson, 2010). The AcademHack blog has about ten different ideas for using Twitter in the classroom. I pointed out “Grammar,” “Following a Famous Person or Professional” “Track a word” and “Classroom Community building” (dave, 2008).

            As Ms. P. and I were discussing the potential I referred back to Richardson and noted his final comment on Twitter, “But regardless of how you might think about Twitter in the classroom, remember, the short (140 characters or less) lesson is this: Think about Twitter for yourself first. It’s a great place to connect and learn with others who share your passions” (2010).

            Now that Ms. P. has her Twitter account it is up to her to take its use to the next level. One thing she did note early in the process was that she has wanted to start using more social networking but had not set time aside for this. This self-reflection could place Ms. P. further back on the Levels of Use Scale presented by Huang, but I believe that based on her commitment to learning and her desire to reach her goals in collaboration, Ms. P. will be moving forward on the scale, and will set aside time to communicate with other teachers throughout the world.

Self-Reflection and Conclusions

            When I first saw this assignment I had concerns about the goal of the assignment. I had issues with the title, “Change a Teacher.” Teachers do not like being told they have to change. Ms. P, however, was very excited to participate in the assignment, and was interested in my ideas. Ms. P. values collaboration, and was willing to listen to my suggestions. I believe approaching the assignment as an interview first, helped in determining which tool to share with Ms. P. as well. Rather than choosing a random tool from my collection, I was able to choose one that was tailored to her goals for her libraries. As Susan Loucks-Horsley notes, “The strength of the concerns model is in its reminder to pay attention to individuals and their various needs for information, assistance, and moral support” (1996). I feel this made more of an impact, and also allowed Ms. P. the opportunity to ask for my assistance in getting started with Twitter.

Appendix A: Innovation Configuration

Innovation Configuration - Twitter Network
Key Components	Ideal Implementation	Flawed Implementations	Unacceptable Implementation
*Teacher will join Twitter	Teacher will follow the steps provided by the Project coordinator, and create a Twitter account.	Creates an account but does not add acceptable followers for tool to be effective.	Teacher refuses to be involved with a Twitter account.
*Teacher will network with other educators using a series of tools	Teacher accesses the Sqworl created by the Project coordinator to network with other educators, and engage in dialog.	Teacher creates a network, however, teacher does not interact with the network.	Teacher does not connect with any teachers and only uses Twitter as a personal connection tool.
*Teacher will use the networks to collaborate on a project between two schools.	Teacher finds several schools or educators interested in inter-school collaboration and develops a project to get students connected with other students, provincially or worldwide.	Teacher starts collaboration process, however, completion is not followed through.	Teacher does not engage in any dialog with other schools, therefore not collaborating.

References

dave. (2008, January 23). Twitter for Academia. AcademHack [Weblog Post] 

      Retrieved from http://academhack.outsidethetext.com/home/2008/

      twitter-for-academia/

Kist, W. (2010). The Social Networked Classroom: Teaching in the new media 

      age. Thousand Oaks, OH: Corwin.

Loucks-Horsley, S. (1996). Professional Development for Science Education: 

      A critical and immediate challenge. In R. Bybee (Ed.), National 

      Standards & the Science Curriculum. Dubuque, IW: Kendall/Hunt 

      Publishing Co.

Oris, A. and Huang, P. Concerns-Based Adoption Model. Retrieved from

      https://sites.google.com/site/ch7cbam/home

Richardson, W. (2010). Blogs, Wikis, Podcasts, and Other Powerful Web Tools 

      for Classrooms. Thousand Oaks, OH: Corwin.

Lesson 13 - Evaluating Reference Services

Accessing the collection:

The Evaluating, Selecting and Managing Learning Resources: A Guide discusses the different forms of accessibility within a library collection. This is not limited to how often students are able to visit the library, but is broadened to include the intellectual, physical, and digital access the clientele have with the collection.

Intellectual:

The guide states, "Schools and school districts have the responsibility to balance the information needs of staff and students with the need to provide materials that are appropriate to the age/maturity level of the students and are generally acceptable to the community at large" (Ministry of Education, 2002, 88). When building the collection, teacher librarians must keep in mind that it is not only students accessing the resources, but also local community members and the school's staff. In School District No. 57, inter-library loans between school libraries are popular. Teacher librarians share their resources throughout the district, knowing that their in school library is a branch of a larger network.

Physical:

Physical access does not mean how fast students can move from their classroom to the library or whether they can access it at any point during the day. Though, I do believe in open access with some limitations. The reference collection should have restrictions on how long students should have access, especially if a class is working on a research project on similar topics. Most libraries I have visited are open before, during and after school hours to allow access by students, staff and community members.

The physical refers to the location of the materials within the library space. The physical layout of the library resource centre must be considered when organizing the space. The layout will determine the best flow of students through the space, but also will encourage areas to be accessed equally, or some areas more than others. It is also important to consider access to all formats of resources and "providing facilities and equipment for previewing all learning resource formats" (Ministry of Education, 2002, 89).

Digital:

The Guide states, "The incorporation of any of the current or emerging information technologies into educational programs should be based on the ability of the technologies to assist students in meeting learning outcomes or to facilitate learning resource management" (Ministry of Education, 2002, 89). This means technology should not be added for the sake of adding technology, but digital access should be available with a purpose to meet specific Learning Outcomes. Digital access can also mean ensuring  enough "workstations are available for student and teacher use in accessing online databases and the Internet" (Ministry of Education, 2002, 89).

Most schools I have visited have four to six computer stations in the library. With a computer lab somewhere else in the school. There are two formats of labs within the district, portable and stationary. The portable labs are somewhat problematic, as they require substantial wireless bandwidth to support the online use. The stationary labs have fewer issues as they use wired ethernet cables, so the Internet accessibility is usually reliable. Two libraries I have visited have to fortune of having the school's stationary lab connected to the library resource center. Students have access to both physical spaces at the same time.

By proving access to the library resource centre and all its resources teacher librarians are opening up new worlds of learning and many opportunities for researching interests as well as curriculum directed learning.

References:

Ministry of Education. (2002). Evaluating, Selecting and Managing Learning 
     Resources: A Guide. Victoria, BC: Learning Resources Branch.

Lesson 12 - Managing the Reference Collection

Budgets

Budgets are often a discussion topic among teacher librarians. There is never enough money to build the collection to its maximum potential. That being said, in School District No. 57, most school library resource centers are budgeted $5000 per year for the purchase of new materials and the maintenance of the collection. Budgets are determined by the individual school libraries. Some schools, which double as French Immersion and English speaking schools are budgeted $3500 for English resources, and $3500 for Francophone resources.

The District Resource Center is responsible for ordering and purchasing through Baker and Taylor. The DRC keeps records of how much has been spent by the school, but it is also the responsibility of the individual teacher librarian to keep track of the annual expenses. This is due to a division of where purchasing can be allocated. Eighty percent of the budget is set aside for Baker and Taylor purchases, the remaining 20% is for local bookstore purchases.

 Over the past two months I have talked in detail with three teacher librarians in the district about their reference collections, and the responses are all the same, "Our reference collections are pitiful." Two teacher librarians, are really trying to engage students with the e-resources provided by the district. They are encouraging and educating their students to access the materials from home, as well as in the school. The other teacher librarian, has been weeding out may of the reference materials due to age, and has slowly been replacing the resources. She is also trying to show students resources online, but has not been actively using the e-resources.

From my observations, it seems more onus is being put on the non-fiction materials, and less on the reference collections, due to the increasing availability of online references that are more current and regularly updated.

Lesson 10 - Bibliographies and Directories

Using the University of British Columbia Library I looked at two different directories, both with educational goals in mind. The first was the Education Research Complete. This directory allows the user to search key words and search its entire database for corresponding articles. For this search I typed in Teacher librarian. The Second article listed was Recognizing Good Information: Beyond Wikipedia, by K. Fontichiaro (2012). After clicking on the appropriate link the user has the option of downloading the entire article in .pdf format. If this option is selected, the file will automatically be downloaded to the user's computer.

The second search was with the ED/ITLib Digital Library for Information Technology and Education. This directory was much more visually appealing. The Search engine was a separate tab, and the home page was filled with information included newest e-books, most viewed, most emailed, and a join our email list option. If the user joins the email list, it allows for additional services through cite, including, but not limited to: commenting on articles and access to future ED/ITLib user-only features. On this directory I searched 21st century education, and gained access to 311 articles related to the subject.

Both search engines were straightforward to use and allowed for .pdf downloads. Both listed many resources tied to their search parameters. The ED/ITLib was more visually stimulating than the Education Research Complete, which can be beneficial to some learners, but distracting to others. Students should know what will work for them when doing searches, so as to not get side tracked when doing research.

References:

Riedling, A. (2005). Reference Skills for the school library media specialist: 

      Tools and tips (2^nd ed.). Worthington, OH: Linworth Books.

Assignment 2 - Evaluate a Reference

Context:

            The Aboriginal Choice School library resource center has a clientele base of about 170 students, 12 teachers, 10 teaching assistants and various other community and staff employees. The library as a whole is not used to its full potential. Students use the non-fiction and fiction sections for book exchanges, and teachers access the collection to supplement classroom libraries or add books for units in science and social studies. Teachers also access the mobile computer lab through the library. The teacher librarian doubles as the librarian and the Health PREP teacher.            

            After surveying the staff very few, if any staff members use the library to develop research skills or use the teacher librarian for collaborative teaching opportunities. This is due to several reasons. Firstly, most of the school time is spent on social skills and having the students acting appropriately in the school. One teacher responded, “They don't enjoy the library and I don't think they act appropriately when there.” Another teacher responded, “usually busy, difficult class.” Overall, the reference section of the library is neglected and underused for research purposes.

            Students do access some of the encyclopedias such as: Penny Smith’s (editor) Human Body Encyclopedia, or Jonathan Couper-Smartt [et al.]’s Marvel Encyclopedia, but these are for personal interest and done during book exchange. The Guinness Book of World records are also popular.

Evaluation:

            Policies: Most of the library resource centers in School District #57 do not have written policy binders, the Aboriginal Choice School’s library included. The School District has Policies #6143.1 and 6143.2, which refer to regulations, criteria, facilities personnel, and the “Evaluation, Selection and Acquisition of District-Approved Instructional Learning Resources” (Board of Education: School District No. 57, 2008). The teacher librarian is expected to follow these policies with regards to the selection and maintenance of the library collection. The library resource center, however, is missing the general maintenance, budget, personnel, weeding policies and general procedures for the library. The policies should be addressed and completed.

            Reference Collection: The print collection is quite small. The collection consists of (but is not limited to) the World Book encyclopedia sets, several dictionaries, including a French-English dictionary, Webster’s Biographical Dictionary, Canadian Encyclopedia, The Kingfisher Science Encyclopedia series, The Raintree Illustrated Science Encyclopedia, as well as five copies of the Scholastic Kids Almanac. There are additional print resources including thesauri. The online and electronic reference collection includes, but is not limited to, World Book Online Reference Center, Encyclopedia of British Columbia, Prince George Newspapers, Culture Grams, NoveList K-8 Plus and the Literary Reference Center. Students are being encouraged to use the online reference collection.

            Services: Currently the library operates as an area for students to do book exchanges, access the Internet using laptops or the four desktop computers. It also acts as a friendly, warm gathering place for staff and students. The library resource center is a spacious area, with several tables and all the resources around the perimeter of the library. The ‘easy read’ section has several shelves that define the space from the rest of the library and the Reference collection has two stacks that define its area, which merges with the professional resources.

            The teacher librarian has not been offering collaborative learning opportunities with staff, but some teachers have voiced their interest in collaborative opportunities for teaching units and more specifically in areas of Aboriginal studies.

Rationale:

            According to Ann Riedling (2005), with the exception of natural science and botany resources, most of the reference collection should have a maximum of five years before it should be weeded and replaced. “Print psychology, history, business and education sources become dated in ten year” (Riedling, 2005).  While evaluating the reference collections many publishing dates popped out as being too old.  A French English dictionary was published in 1964. The World Book Encyclopedias were published in 2004. A Webster’s Biographical Dictionary was published in 1980.

            After discussing the reference section with the teacher librarian she indicated, it is a small reference section as she has been weeding out many of the references. She has weeded due to age of the resources and due to their updated access online. There are still resources that should be weeded and replaced due to their age and condition.

            The dictionaries and thesaurus section is of the most concern. The dictionaries and thesauri range from 1964 to 1980. These are much too old for a library resource center. Every year new words are added to the Merriam-Webster and Oxford University Press dictionaries. As Riedling states, “Currency is yet another important factor to consider when evaluating dictionaries. Dictionary revision is never-ending” (2005).

            The teacher librarian is trying to encourage the students and staff to access current information through the online resources, however, Riedling notes, “… that just because a dictionary is on the Internet does not necessarily mean that it is more current than the print equivalent” (2005). Students should be encouraged to use both print and online resources and develop their critical thinking and inquiry skills.

Action Plan:

            1. Discuss the possible weeding of the dated dictionaries and thesauri with the teacher librarian. This discussion will focus on why the dictionaries and thesauri should be removed as well as where they will go once discarded. Riedling emphasizes the importance of removing the resources; she states, “… [W]eeded materials should be destroyed. (Personally take them to a dumpster and throw them in!)” (2005). Some schools reuse the resources from the library resource centers in the classrooms. If the resource is not usable in the library it is not acceptable for the classroom.

            2. Physically weed the dictionaries and thesauri following the School District No. 57 Policy – 6143.2 and the District Resource Centre approved system: Gail Dickenson’s (2005) MUSTY – Misleading information, Ugly, Superseded by better works, Trivial, Your collection has no use. Remove the books from the Computer system, and enter them as discarded resources. Throw out the discarded resources.

            3. Using Policy 6143.1 “Administrative Procedure,” identify possible dictionaries and thesauri from the Education Resource Acquisition Consortium (ERAC) (Board of Education: School District No. 57, 2008). Riedling (2005) emphasizes the importance of selecting dictionaries based on authority (suggestions: Merriam-Webster, Random House, Simon & Schuster, Oxford University Press), format, currency and accuracy.

            4. Select three authorities: Merriam-Webster, Oxford University Press and Scholastic dictionaries. As stated in policy 6143.1, “For each resource that is not Ministry recommended not Education Resource Acquisition Consortium (ERAC evaluated, the teacher completes the District Resources Evaluation Form (Appendix 1 and the District Approved Instructional Learning Resources Application Form (Appendix 2)” (Board of Education: School District No. 57, 2008).

            5. Send request of purchase to the District Resource Center (Attach Appendix 1 and 2 if necessary) of 2 current Merriam-Webster’s Collegiate Dictionaries ($14.93), 2 current Paperback Oxford English dictionaries ($12.64), and 2 Scholastic First Dictionaries ($22.99), or 2 Scholastic Pocket Dictionaries ($11.99) as well as one Scholastic Pocket Thesaurus ($8.99)

            6. Order

Measuring Success:

            Success will be determined on three factors:

            1. Teacher librarian approval of removal and discard of resources.

            2. Weeding using Dickenson’s MUSTY method (2005).

            3. Ordering and arrival of new dictionaries and thesaurus that have been bar-coded and added to the Aboriginal Choice School library resource center collection and catalog system.

References

Board of Education: School District No. 57. (2008). Policy 6143.1: Evaluation, 
      selection and acquisition of district approved instructional learning 
      resources. Retrieved from http://www.sd57.bc.ca/index.php?id=629

Board of Education: School District No. 57. (1991). Policy 6143.2: School and 
      district learning resource centers. Retrieved 
      from http://www.sd57.bc.ca/index.php?id=629

Dickinson, G. (2005).  Crying over spilled milk.  Library Media Connection
       23(7), 24—26. Retrieved from Academic Search Premier database.

Price, L. (2012) How does the ACS Library Help you? Teacher Survey –
      Aboriginal Choice School Staff. Retrieved from
      http://www.surveymonkey.com/s/TNHPCJS

Riedling, A. (2005). Reference Skills for the school library media specialist:
      Tools and tips (2^nd ed.). Worthington, OH: Linworth Books.

Lesson 9 - Maps, Atlases and Other Geographical sources

Riedling lists several geographical resources available online. I took the time to investigate two of the resources lists. Initially I chose to look at the Atlas of World Civilizations. This e-resource is no longer available. This helps to prove the importance of currency. Riedling's text was published in 2005, that is more than 5 years. Riedling's book should be re-evaluated as a teaching tool, as it does not fit the criteria for selection.

The World Time Zone Map shows up 8th on a Google search, if the name is typed in. The home page is simple and has a world map with all the time zones represented. Teacher can print off .pdfs of the map for student or classroom use. The website is easy to navigate with a left-hand toolbar. There are no extra advertisements for distractions, however, this may be visually boring for students.

The World Factbook is available in a 2008 version (whereas Riedling lists the 2001 version). The resource is available at www.bartleby.com/151/. The website is broken into two indexes: by country or by field. The countries are listed in alphabetical order and if clicked on list 9 sub-categories that address special features of each country. With each country page a map of the country is provided as well as the national flag.

Both e-resources would be beneficial to students when doing research. Riedling notes, "These reference materials are used primarily to answer location questions" (2005, 75). She also emphasizes the selection criteria: publisher (authority), scale, currency, indexing, and format. Students must have resources that are reliable and must trust that the information provided is current and accurate.

References:


Riedling, A. (2005). Reference Skills for the School Library Media Specialist: 
     Tools and tips (2nd ed.). Worthington, OH: Linworth.

Lesson 8 - Indexes, Abstracts and Databases

Our school district has a district resource centre that manages our database and catalogs all our resources. Most of our school e-resources and databases are purchased through the DRC, and are available district wide. Each school has access but purchases do not come out of their individual budgets.

The website is accessible by teachers, students, parents, from school or in the home. To access the website, simply go to http://www.drc.sd57.bc.ca/ The tool bar on the left will guide you to the catalog, or other e-resources. School District No. 57 uses Sirsi-Dynix: Symphony as their cataloging system. Riedling notes, "Electronic formats have numerous advantages, such as rapid search of a number of indexes, the ability to move from citation to abstract to full text, and the availability of more points of access through keywords in the title, text, or a specific periodical" (2005, 87). Though Sirsi-Dynix does not use abstracts, it does allow the user to access the different resources through several different search format, as well as displaying using title, author or publisher. It also allows the user to search from the school you are associated with, as well as the rest of the district's resources.

References:

Riedling, A. (2005). Reference Skills for the School Library Media Specialist: 
     Tools and tips (2nd ed.). Worthington, OH: Linworth.

Lesson 7 - Dictionaries and Thesauri

One thing I found interesting while observing several different libraries is the reduced sizes of the reference collections, this included the limited number of dictionaries. When evaluating one library I noticed that the majority of the dictionaries were very out of date. One was published in 1964. I would love to weed that particular library, but as it is not mine to weed, I did not have that luxury.

If I were to select new dictionaries for that library, I would be sure to observe Riedling's Evaluation process. Riedling emphasizes the importance of authority, format, currency and accuracy. Within the authority she suggests looking at "reputable publishers" (2005, 58). The format of the text is important to observe, especially when choosing for specific grade levels. The teacher librarian must "consider binding, arrangement of words, and readability" (Riedling, 2005, 58). If students can not understand the text, it should not be available in the library.

Riedling also addresses currency. The dictionaries should be replaces if they are more than 5 years old. "Dictionary revision is never ending" and therefore current dictionaries are a must (Riedling, 2005, 58). With this argument, it is clear that electronic dictionaries are an essential addition to the school library resource centre. Electronic dictionaries can be updated regularly, and new words added as they are created.

When observing the accuracy it is important to insure the spelling and definitions listed in the dictionary are correct. Students require correct data not false information. Riedling notes, "The selection of dictionaries, as well as other reference materials, should be based on the particular needs and requirements of the school, students population and community served. The teacher librarian must know their demographic before any selections or purchases are made.

References:

Riedling, A. (2005) Reference Skills for the School Library Media Specialist: 
     Tools and tips (2nd ed.). Worthington, OH: Linworth.

Lesson 6 - General and Specialized Encyclopedias

In our Lesson 6 Lecture notes we were asked, "What is your opinion about established vs. free citizen-built encyclopedias such as Wikipedia? Consider how information environments are evolving and also think about the challenges for developing information literacy skills." (Letain, 2012).

I personally believe a lot of research goes into the creation and construction of encyclopedias. Qualified individuals should get credit for the work they do to ensure quality information is accurate. Recently the Apple Store released an App called iBooks Author. iBooks Author is designed to create textbooks and make them available for general use. My issue with this system is we may see a rush of textbooks for iPads and student access that may not contain accurate information, because a high school student thought he might create a Chemistry 12 textbook. Authors and editors are being paid to provide our students with accurate and detailed texts and reference books so research can be completed successfully.

The free citizen-built resources do provide new teachable moments. These resources are pushing teacher librarians more than ever to teach our students to be critical evaluators of resources. These free citizen resources are pushing teacher librarians to arm our students with more skills to weed through the good from the bad. Sadly, we already are doing that when we provide students with the print copies of resources.

A benefit to the free citizen-built resources is print encyclopedias cannot be replaced every year with updated versions due to budgets. The citizen-built resources can provide recent up-to-date daily information. The risk is that the information may or may not be accurate or credible and could potentially be biased to the contributor's point of view.

Overall, I believe both resources have worth, especially with more onus being put on Web 2.0 applications. Students should be encouraged to use both forms but should also be taught the skills to determine the worth of the resource. Additionally, e-encyclopedias could be updated more frequently and students could be directed to use those resources instead of Wikipedia.

References

Letain, A. (2012). Lecture notes: Lesson 6 - General and Specialized Encyclopedias. Univerisity of British Columbia, Vancouver, British Columbia.

Lesson 5 - The Reference Interview and Cooperative Program Planning and Teaching

One thing I have learned since starting the Teacher Librarian Diploma program, is communication is vital for effective research skills between teachers, teacher librarians and students. During this lesson I learned about the different forms of research or reference interviews: "Ready-Reference, Research projects, and Readers' advisory interviews" (Riedling, 2005, 104-105). The Ready-reference refers to a quick conversation that will answer questions using facts. The Readers' advisory is used to help suggest books of interest to students based on their reading preferences or personal interests. The Research projects, which got me thinking the most, is a series of questions designed to help both the teacher librarian and the student select materials and resources from several sources on a specific topic.

As I read Riedling's details regarding the Research project interview 'time' kept popping into my mind. Riedling (2005) states, "These questions involve in-depth coverage of a topic, often requiring the use of multiple sources of information. Research project questions may necessitate several interactions with the student over a period of time to achieve the desired results" (104). I am concerned that as a teacher librarian I will have a class that will  all being doing research at the same time. If I follow her model of questioning this will most certainly require a great deal of one on one interviews. From my observations in libraries, the teacher librarian always has questions flying at her from six students. How am I to focus and 'listen' if I have an entire class looking for assistance?

I wonder if setting up interview times would be logical? There are also problems with this potential solution. I will most likely be covering PREP for most of the teachers, so if I am set up interviews with the students, where do I fit that into my schedule when I will have several classes a day to work with too. I wonder, when do I fit them all in, as well as all my other responsibilities?

References

Riedling, A. (2005). Reference Skills for the School Library Media Specialist: Tools and Tips, 2nd Ed. Worthington, OH: Linworth Publishing.

Lesson 4 - Print and/or Electronic Reference Materials

During this lesson our class was asked "Are those of us who support both print and electronic reference sources fighting a losing battle? How do student preferences for electronic resources affect your purchasing?"

I realize students are drawn to Google and electronic resources on the internet before a book in the library. I am not sure if this is due to easy of accessing a computer or if it due to a shift in paradigms. Overall, I do not think think we are losing a battle. Students still need access to print based resources. As stated in our Lesson 4 notes, "General Encyclopedias, Atlases, Fact Books, Glossaries, Dictionaries etc. are all available on the web, but they should also be a major part [of] the traditional print collection in a school library as they are important references to have available for the initial stages of research" (Lesson 4, 2012). Many students still come to the library and ask teacher librarians, 'Do you have any books on [insert topic here]? We should, however, be prepared for a time when publishing companies stop producing print copies. Until then it is our responsibility to provide a successful blend of print and electronic resources.

One teacher librarian I have talked to tries to set aside time in her library classes to teach students about new electronic resources so they can access them at home for homework uses. She has even gone to Parent Advisory Committee meetings and held mini workshops on the electronic resources the school has subscriptions with. Her workshops are designed to show parents what resources they can use at home to help their children with homework, or with research projects. She shows them how to access the school's library catalog and has each parent practice applying the skills on computers.

Student preferences should play a role in the selection process. If students prefer using electronic resources then those resources should be available. I, however, do not think it is simply enough to have the resources available. Teacher librarians can say 'Oh, don't forget about the e-resources.' It is great to mention, but the students need to be taught how to access, and apply the information they collect from the electronic resource. These are skills that should be pre-taught. Additionally, I believe, our electronic resources should be supported by our print reference materials and reinforce the information collected from the electronic resources. As the quote mentions, these 'have to be available for the initial stages of research.'

References

Letain, A. (2012). Lecture notes: Lesson 4 - Print and/or Electronic Reference Materials. Univerisity of British Columbia, Vancouver, British Columbia.

Lesson 3 - Building a Reference Collection

Before investigating this section I already knew there was a distinct selection method when it cam to resources for the library. Teacher librarians can consult journal reviews, websites, catalogs, word of mouth, and popularity or demand. I did not knowhow the selection process related to the reference collection. Generally when I think of the reference section of the library I think of the World Books, all lined up in a row on the shelf. I did not realize how extensive the Reference section can be.

Riedling spends several chapters of her text discussing the key elements for selecting the books for the reference collection. I took the time to compare the criteria for selecting each category: Bibliographies, Directories, Almanacs, Yearbooks, Handbooks, Bibliographical Sources, Dictionaries, Encyclopedias, Geographic Sources, and Indexes and Abstracts. Riedling uses the same categories to compare most of the reference resources with some variation depending on the text. The main trends for choosing a reference resource are: Authority, Scope, Currency, Accuracy and Format. These categories where reflected on five of the references as selection methods. The other selection topics where four or fewer, depending upon the reference and its specialization.

Riedling (2005) explains that an authority is "the education and experience of the authors, editors and contributors of a source, as well as the reputation of the publisher or sponsoring agency" (133). Authority deals with the knowledgeable individuals responsible for creating the reference resources and their credibility.

Scope refers to why the reference is written, primarily it's 'purpose ... and its intended audience' (134). It also refers to the content discussed in the resource and how much detail is provided.

Currency refers to how current the information is within the resource. In most situations, if a reference resource is more than five years old, it should be replaced. Teacher librarians are responsible for maintaining current information centers not archives of the past. Our cultures are changing daily, we need to make sure resources are up to date. Electronic resources can be quite handy in this case, as they may be updated more often than the print version.

When selecting reference resources based on accuracy, teacher librarians should make sure the contents of the resource are correct. This should include spelling, information, and in the case of Abstracts and Indexes, ensuring that authors names are consistent between the abstract and the index.

The last theme for selecting a reference resource was format. Format refers to arrangement and organization. Teacher librarians should note if the reference is well organized, and readability (especially when looking at dictionaries) (Riedling, 2005, 58). When evaluating Encyclopedias, format should consider if the illustrations are current, if the source is 'user-friendly' as well as the 'intended audience' (68). When looking at geographic resources, Riedling (2005) states, "the resources must provide the desired information quickly and easily; be clear and legible" (76).

Regardless of that reference resource the teacher librarian is investigating they must be aware of these trends in the selection process, and for the benefit of their students, adhere to this criteria. This will provide current, accurate and detailed information for students to access throughout their school careers.

References

Riedling, A. (2005). Reference Skills for the School Library Media Specialist: Tools and Tips, 2nd Ed. Worthington, OH: Linworth Publishing.

Lesson 2 - Research Methods

This section was a bit of a review for me. Last term one of my course spent a good deal of time discussing different forms of Research methods. We read an article 'Destination Information' (2004) Library Media Connection which outlined and compared several of the different methods. While reading this article and the Riedling's discussions on Information Seeking, Big6 Information Problem Solving and Research Process (2005, 8-11),  I have come to realize that there is no one method that can be allocated as 'best.' Each student will learn in a different style. This, however, poses some issues for the teacher librarian and the classroom teacher. We must choose a research method we think would work for most of the students.

Riedling (2005) showed us an overview of the three methods mentioned above. Each method had their differences, but overall they are similar. Stripling and Pitts' Research Process has far more stages than Eisenberg and Berkowitz' Big6, but the end results are the same. Students will research, synthesize, produce and reflect. My curiosity with these methods falls back to, our students learn in a variety of ways. Can these research methods incorporate all the different learning methods, to help strengthen student success? Additionally, I wonder as teacher librarians should we be trying to teach students a variety of research methods, so they can choose which method is best for them? Or, should we teach one method to an entire school, have students master it, and apply various forms of learning styles into the research method, such as auditory, visual, and kinesthetic?

From my point of view it makes more sense to teach and mast one method, and have students apply their own styles to that method. The research we could get out of our students should an entire school follow one learning method. If all of the teachers and staff used the same language when discussing research, students could potentially conduct research beautifully.

The key point here is 'if all the teachers and staff.' From discussions with colleagues and classmates I have noticed (especially right now with job action) getting everyone on board a learning train can be less than a simple process. One teacher librarian I have talked to says she wishes her school would follow one research method. She wants to be able to support her staff, and reinforce the learning strategies with the students.

In summary, no one research method is going to be the best, but teacher librarians might be able to find a method that is better suited for their school based on demographics and the learning styles of the students. The teacher librarian also needs to work with the staff (and vice versa) to provide background knowledge and the skills to be successful in which ever method their school chooses.

References

Milam, P. (2004). Destination Information: A road map for the journey. Library Media Connection () 20-24.

Riedling, A. (2005). Reference Skills for the School Library Media Specialist: Tools and Tips, 2nd Ed. Worthington, OH: Linworth Publishing.

Lesson 1 - Definitions

I would like to start with a little story. The definitions for this lesson are found in our class readings: Reference Skills for the School Library media Specialist: Tools and Topics, 2nd Edition, (2005) by Ann Riedling. When I read the discussion topic assignment, I panicked. I had ordered my texts for my three classes before term, and got a note from Fed-Ex at the end of the first week of classes saying my parcel had been delivered, except it had not been delivered to me. So the search was on for Fed-Ex to find my books. It turns out after three lengthy discussions with a friendly Fed-Ex employee that the driver had delivered my books in Prince George to a local merchant (good: right city, wrong address). Luckily the driver remembered the signature that was given for the book and found my parcel and delivered my books. Boy did I have a lot of readings to catch up on. But that is okay, because I got the assignments all in on time and I am still good to go.

I reviewed the glossary and found I was familiar with most of the terms listed. I also noticed after reading several of my classmates' posts that I was not alone in the unfamiliar terms. All of the terms I was not aware of were abbreviations. Personally I find abbreviations difficult to remember and keep straight. There are so many abbreviations in the teacher librarian world (TL, SLMC, SLRC, DRC, SD, SLMS, and the list can go on).

The three terms that stuck out for me were: NUC (National Union Catalog), OCLC (Online computer library center) and RLIN (Research Libraries Information network). The NUC "lists all works that are cataloged by the Library of Congress and other members of the system" (Riedling, 2005). The OCLC is "a bibligraphic network [that] has the greatest number of members and link to more than 30,000 libraries in 65 countries" (Riedling, 2005). The RLIN is "a bibliographic network that includes records of the 'ivy league' universities and major research centers" (Riedling, 2005).

When I reviewed these three abbreviations I realized that two may not really apply to me, as they are American resources dealing with congress, and 'ivy league' universities. Upon further reflection, as a teacher librarian our students may be dealing with current events topics that are connected with the United States. Having access to these to reference resources could help our students answer a research question, or a hot topic of discussion. I acknowledge that just because we are Canadian and want to include Canadian materials before others, we also have to open to including information from sources around the world. If our students will truly be connected to a global network, they should be entitled to accessing American information just as much as Canadian content.

References

Riedling, A. (2005). Reference Skills for the School Library Media Specialist: Tools and Tips, 2nd Ed. Worthington, OH: Linworth Publishing.

My Process

I want to take this time to explain where my blog is going from here. So far in my 467 class, each week we have been given a new topic to reflect on. My notebook is full of sticky notes regarding my reflections and learnings on each topic. I can honestly say, this term I have been slower at reading through all my classmates posts, and have been having trouble keeping on top of everything, but today I am taking the time to blog my reflections, and take my 'Post-Its' and post them to my blog.

Each post will have a heading about the weeks topic, and should discuss what I knew before the lesson, what I learned from the readings, my classmates, and myself, as well as what I am still wondering about. You will notice I often end with questions, because I am still learning and openly admit to not having all the answers.