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ETL503: A Reflection On Learning

ETL503: A Reflection On Learning

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‘Mirrors and windows’ is an analogy that I first encountered during my studies in ETL503. It means students must be able to see themselves reflected in the school’s library collection (the mirrors) and be provided with opportunities to learn about the lives and experiences of others (the windows) (Adam, 2023, p. 1). This analogy has underpinned much of my thinking as I worked through this unit, further developing my understanding of the nature of school library collections and the practical applications of a collection development policy. In this blog post, I take the time to reflect upon how my learning has progressed around the topics of student-led collection development policies, censorship, advocacy and future-proofing the collection.

 

In module 2.1, I was inspired by the success of Melba Copeland Secondary School’s library incorporating a student-led collection development policy to empower students when it comes to the selection of books within the library’s collection (Jorm, 2022). I used this as a launching pad to research ways in which I could emulate their success in my own future library. Implementing strategies, such as suggestion boxes, request books, and automatic patron-driven acquisition systems, will give me the ability to tailor my collection to meet the teaching and learning needs of my school community (Wilson, 2023, March 15). In taking this approach to collection development, I hope to increase engagement and circulation statistics within my future library.

 

I have come to learn that a collection development policy can protect a collection through clearly articulated policies around censorship. My initial understanding of censorship was the active and conscious suppression of materials, but through module 4.1 I learned that censorship could come in many subtle and overt forms. One subtle form is the teacher librarian pre-emptively excluding a resource from the collection to avoid dealing with a challenge from the learning community, known as self-censorship (Johnson, 2018, p. 133). A collection development policy gives me the courage to select a diverse range of resources, knowing that my decisions are guided by the policies upholding the need for students to have free access to information without interference (Wilson, 2023, April 19).

 

Compiling an annual report articulating how the library worked towards the policies and goals set out in the Collection Development Policy can be used as evidence when advocating for the library (McKenzie, 2009, para. 13). The Australian School Library Survey Report 2021 (Softlink, 2022) found that 26% of school libraries were receiving a low to very low level of support from their school’s Senior Leadership Team (p. 4). Considering this statistic, I am aware that I may end up in a school library that does not receive an adequate amount of support. Investing time into the creation of an annual report is an effective way to engage the senior leadership team with the library. Presenting qualitative and quantitative data on the impact the school’s Collection Development Policy has on teaching and learning has the power to make the invisible achievements of the library visible (Wilson, 2023, April 29). This can raise the profile of the school library within the school, making advocating for appropriate resourcing an easier task and ensuring that the library remains a valuable component of the school into the future.

 

Not all libraries have a collection development policy (Gregory, 2019, p. 29), therefore it is a real possibility in the future that I may need to take the initiative to create one from scratch. With the understanding I have gained from ETL503, I feel confident in approaching this task, knowing how crucial it is in tailoring the collection, confronting censorship, boosting the library’s standing through advocacy and future-proofing the collection. Through this I will be able to develop a collection that is the ‘mirrors and windows’ my learning community requires.

 

References

Adam, H. (2023). Is your library the window and mirror all children need?. Connections, 125, 1-3. https://www.scisdata.com/connections/issue-125/is-your-library-the-window-and-mirror-all-children-need

Gregory, V. L. (2019). Collection Development and Management for 21st Century Libraries and Collections : An Introduction (2nd ed.). American Library Association.

Johnson, P. (2018). Fundamentals of Collection Development and Management (4th ed.). ALA Editions.

Jorm, M. (2022). Photo story: Student-led library collection development. Teacher. https://www.teachermagazine.com/au_en/articles/photo-story-student-led-library-collection-development

McKenzie, D. (2009). Importance of creating an annual report. [blog]. Library Grits. http://librarygrits.blogspot.com.au/2009/06/importance-of-creating-annual-report.html

Softlink. (2022). Australian School Library Survey Report 2021. https://www.softlinkint.com/downloads/2021_Softlink_School_Library_Survey_-_Australian_Report.pdf

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Censorship and the school library

Censorship and the school library

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In the article entitled Selection & Censorship: It’s simple arithmetic (2002), Dave Jenkinson outlines the following three challenges when dealing with censorship in the school library. This blog post will analyse each challenge and identify if Australian school libraries face the same challenges around censorship.

 

1. The majority of school censors are parents, but in-school censorship from teachers and other school personnel is still significant.

While it is difficult to obtain statistics around who is censoring materials, there is no doubt that challenges towards resources is happening within Australian schools. Reflecting upon my own teaching career, I have personally experienced in-school censoring of resources. Early on in my teaching career, the Senior Leadership Team at the time were not happy with a picture book that was selected for the CBCA National Simultaneous Storytime that year. The book was subsequently replaced with another picture book that was read at the dedicated time. In hindsight, if I was the teacher librarian at that time, I could have approached the executive team with my concerns, referencing the school’s collection development policy and other relevant documentation from Australian and international library standards to justify why the deselection of the book is a form of censorship.

 

2. The level of principal involvement in the development of censorship policies and generating awareness around these policies.

Dave outlines how there is a guiding principle within the Vancouver School District that suggests “the principal should review the selection and objection rules with the teaching staff at least annually” (Jenkinson, 2002, p. 22). The Australian School Library Survey Report 2021 (Softlink, 2022) found that 26% of teacher librarians experienced a low to very low level of support from their Senior Leadership Teams (p. 4). This would mean that at least one quarter of principals within Australia would not be engaging with their school library at same level of engagement expected of principals of schools within Vancouver. This has prompted me to ensure that I make the effort to engage my future Senior Leadership Team in creation and promotion of the school’s collection development and management policies, particularly around the topic of censorship and challenges towards the collection.

 

3. Self-censorship

My initial understanding of the word ‘censorship’ involved the conscious and active suppression of information in order to influence or control. The most significant learning I gained from this article and Module 4 material (Gagen-Spriggs & Oddonne, 2023) is that a teacher librarian pre-emptively not including a resource in order to avoid dealing with a possible challenge to the collection from the school community in the future may find themselves inadvertently censoring their school collection. Relying on the collection development and management policies of the school, teacher librarians need to be courageous and justified in the selection of resources for their library, regardless of a potential challenge.

 

Although this article is written twenty years ago and from a Canadian perspective, challenges towards resources are not time- or place-bound and are still faced by Australian teacher librarians today. Regardless of how libraries evolve into the 21st century, challenges towards the information housed within will be an eternal minefield that teacher librarians will need to navigate.

 

References:

Jenkinson, D. (2002). Selection and censorship: It’s simple arithmetic. School libraries in Canada, 2(4), 22-23.

 

Gagen-Spriggs, K. & Oddonne, K. (2023). Module 4: Selection of Resources [Study notes]. ETL503: Resourcing the Curriculum. Interact 2. https://interact2.csu.edu.au

 

Softlink. (2022). Australian School Library Survey Report 2021. https://www.softlinkint.com/downloads/2021_Softlink_School_Library_Survey_-_Australian_Report.pdf

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