467 Blog Post 2 - Managing and Evaluating Reference Services

Managing and Evaluating Reference Services...

It's interesting learning about managing a reference collection, when my school doesn't have a physical reference collection, and the online one is already set up, and quite useful and extensive. I'm aware what kind of books should be in the physical collection, but its hard to image what books might have been in my schools', when it had a reference section in the library learning commons. We still have many books, in the collection, that could be consider reference books. We have copies of the Guinness World Records books, from different years, and many encyclopedias focusing on different themes and subjects. There is also a section, in the main collection, for atlases. Some of the dictionaries are housed near the LLC's computers, or in subject sections, and are part of the main collection as well. Below are some of the resources in our collection that could have been considered reference books.

Photo Credit DK

Photo Credit Tamsin Pickeral

Photo Credit Canada Geographic

That fact that our reference books are all in the regular collection, means they are accessible for all. Which, I think, is a good thing. The more accessible books are, the more likely they are to be used. I think one of the major things I learned, in this section of the course, was that we really need to make these books accessible to all students. There are definitely some books that don't need to be accessible to all, but I think the majority of the reference collection needs to be. If kids are allowed to take books out, then they have a way better chance of using them. Then, once you see which books the students are using and interested in, from the reference collection, then you can decide which expensive reference books you should continue to update and which ones you shouldn't.

I really found Achieving Information Literacy: Standards for School Library Programs in Canada interesting. I've looked at it previously in this course, as well as another course, and I like how clearly you can know whether your LLC is acceptable or needs some work. It makes it really easy to evaluate your learning commons and the program. I think it's also important to see other LLC's in the district, and in other places in the province. Being able to see other programs and set ups, really helps to improve your own LLC. It helps you see what you may be missing, what you wish you had, and gives you ideas for trying new things in the program.

When I was working overseas, the school had one library for students from K-12. The way they managed this, was by creating a separate section for the older students. There was a second level in the library. The upper level was just for the older grades. In my current library we have a section of shelves, facing away from the main learning commons, that has chapter books for the older grades. I believe there are books, that even if they can read, younger students shouldn't read until they're developmentally ready. Having a separate space for those books is a great way to include them in the collection for older grades. 

While attending the Teacher-Librarian conference yesterday, I took a session on evaluating Indigenous resources. I learned so much from this session. Not only did I gain a list of authors who are writing nonauthentic Indigenous stories, but I also learned about how some of the outdate, inauthentic books could be used. There was a suggestion about putting them in the reference collection and including a warning on them. They could then be used for comparisons to authentic works, or purely for historical understanding. After taking this session, I feel I'm more ready to find authentic Indigenous resources for my classroom, and for a LLC in the future, and if I am unsure, I have strategies for finding and assessing the resources.

The idea of a reference interview was really interesting to me. I had never heard of it before. I definitely see its point, and it could be really useful in University and public libraries, but I'm not sure the format works that well for elementary schools and even necessarily in a high school. It seems too formal. But I love the questions that Riedling suggested in Reference Skills for the School Librarian. These are excellent questions for finding out what kind of book a student is looking for. Asking the right questions is the best way to figure out just what a child is looking for. I will definitely be using these open ended questions in the future. 

I think, in an elementary school, the best way to complete a reference interview is more informally. At many schools, from the ones I've seen, library is a prep coverage time. Students come to the library as a class, either in that prep time, or for a collaboration lesson, and look through the books. There just isn't time to sit down with all the students, in a quiet space, and find out exactly what they're looking for. I think it's better to collaborate and talk with the classroom teacher and then bring out books that fit what the project or class is needing. 

I really enjoyed this section of the course, and I liked how one of my sessions at the Teacher-Librarian conference, connected nicely into the course content. I feel more ready to evaluate the reference collection and it's use in the library learning commons. 

Ms. Armstrong

References

2020 BCTLA Conference. (2020.). Retrieved October 24, 2020, from https://bctla.ourconference.ca/

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

Bingham, C. (2008). DK first space encyclopedia. DK Pub.

Guinness Word Records. (n.d.). Retrieved October 24, 2020, from https://www.guinnessworldrecords.com/

Indigenous peoples atlas of Canada. (2018). Ottawa, Ont.: Canadian geographic.

Lever, J. (2020, October 23). Evaluating Indigenous Resources for the School Library Learning Commons. Session presented at 2020 BCTLA Conference.

Pickeral, T. (2003). Horses & ponies /The Encyclopedia Of. Parragon.

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