collection development – Talk Wordy To Me

CDP- The Tool for Change.

Bianca Bertalli collection development, ETL503 May 20, 2024May 22, 2024collection development, ETL503, Information Literacy, libraries, reflection, resources, school libraries 1 Comment

This semester of learning has reframed my understanding of how purposeful collection development can achieve the broader goals of school libraries as well as address challenges arising from a contemporary information context. By deeply engaging with the policies and collection management guidelines from peak bodies such as ALIA (2024), ALIA & ASLA (2016) and IFLA (2015), I have come to understand that through the articulation of clear guidelines that drive robust decision making, the teacher librarian (TL) has the power to enhance both the functionality and the reputation of the school library (Mitchell, 2011; Kimmel, 2014).

When I first began working in the TL role and recognised the scope of change needed within my own library collection in order to allow students to gain true information fluency and engage in the critical consumption and creation of information, I felt completely overwhelmed (Bertalli, 2023; NSW Department of Education 2022). I had naively thought that my role would be centred around literacy in the traditional sense, until I learnt what true transliteracy might look like for students today (Bertalli, 2023; O’Connelle & Oddone, 2023). It soon became clear that while our current library collection was considerable in size, it was not balanced in terms of format, and I realised that substantial changes to the collection would need to be made if I was to truly support our students to gain 21st Century skills (Bertalli, 2024; Newsum, 2016; Mitchell, 2011). Once I began to engage with ETL503 subject content, I started to understand the way in which a robust CDP would become the transformative tool that would assist me to make the changes I needed to move towards a collection that truly reflected the needs of my school context. Understanding the role of the collection development policy felt like finding the missing link that had finally bridged the theoretical knowledge I had been collecting in earlier subjects and the practical way to perform my role effectively.

ETL503 also enabled me to reflect upon my own ad-hoc collection management decisions in the past, inherited as custom and practice from the previous teacher librarian. I realised that at times, during my first year in the TL role, I had agonised over various acquisition choices due to self-censorship and fear of local community reactions to new and diverse perspectives. I now understand that this apprehension is preventable by applying selection criteria, that is supported by the school leadership and developed in consultation with the wider learning community (Bertalli, 2024; Morrisey, 2008). Although Johnson (2009) states that “collection development … [is]… a combination of knowledge, experience and intuition”” (2009, p.108), ETL503 assisted me to understand that in order to ensure that the collection was truly reflective of, and responsive to, changing curriculum and information needs, a more structured process was required (Bertalli, 2024).

Finally, in line with Kimmel’s (2014) findings, I have come to realise that developing a rigorous CDP has the potential to raise the status of the school library and ensure it is seen as central to student achievement, in the local community. A CDP is in fact a new way to advocate for my TL role that I hadn’t previously considered (Bertalli, 2023). ETL503 has been a rewarding learning experience that will be useful to my work, and beneficial for my students, each and every day.

References

Australian Library and Information Association. (2024). ALIA core values policy statement. https://read.alia.org.au/alia-core-values-policy-statement-0

Australian Library and Information Association (ALIA) & Australian School Library Association (ASLA). (2016). Joint Statement on school library resource provision. https://asla.org.au/resources/Documents/Website%20Documents/Policies/policy_School_Library_Resource_Provision.pdf

Bertalli, B. (2023, March 8). Teacher Librarians- It’s Time to Renew Our Role. Talk Wordy To Me. https://thinkspace.csu.edu.au/bbertalli/2023/03/

Bertalli, B. (2024, March 6). 99% there- yet so far to go! Talk Wordy To Me. https://thinkspace.csu.edu.au/bbertalli/2024/03/

Bertalli, B. (2023, March 22). Literacy- Is it more than just reading and writing? Talk Wordy To Me. https://thinkspace.csu.edu.au/bbertalli/2023/03/

Bertalli, B. (2023, May 20). Looking back on chapter one. Talk Wordy To Me. https://thinkspace.csu.edu.au/bbertalli/2023/05/

Bertalli, B. (2024, March 29). F*@! Do we face the same school library censorship challenges? Talk Wordy To Me. https://thinkspace.csu.edu.au/bbertalli/2024/03/

Bertalli, B. (2024, April 26). Show me the money! Library budgets and the role of the teacher librarian. Talk Wordy To Me. https://thinkspace.csu.edu.au/bbertalli/2024/04/

International Federation of Library Associations and Institutions School Libraries Section Standing Committee. (2015). IFLA school library guidelines. https://www.ifla.org/wp-content/uploads/2019/05/assets/school-libraries-resource-centers/publications/ifla-school-library-guidelines.pdf

Johnson, P. (2004) Fundamentals of collection development and management. American Library Association.

Kimmel, S. C. (2014). Developing collections to empower learners. American Association of School Librarians.

Mitchell, P. (2011). Resourcing 21st century online Australian curriculum: The role of

school libraries. FYI: the Journal for the School Information Professional, 15(2),

10-15.

Morrisey, L. J. (2008). Ethical Issues in Collection Development. Journal of Library Administration, 47(3–4), 163–171. Education Research Complete. https://doi.org/10.1080/01930820802186506

New South Wales Department of Education. (2022). Information fluency framework. https://education.nsw.gov.au/content/dam/main-education/teaching-and-learning/curriculum/media/documents/Information_fluency_framework.pdf

Newsum, J. M. (2016). School Collection Development and Resource Management in Digitally Rich Environments: An Initial Literature Review. School Libraries Worldwide, 22(1), 97–109. https://doi.org/10.29173/slw6908.

O’Connelle, J. & Oddone, K. (2023). Information Literacy [Module 3]. ETL401, Interact2. https://interact2.csu.edu.au

F*@! Do we face the same school library censorship challenges?

Bianca Bertalli ETL503 March 29, 2024collection development, ETL503, libraries, resources, school libraries 0 Comment

The debate over selection versus censorship raised by Jenkinson (2002) holds a mirror up to our own practises as a teacher librarian as well as our personal beliefs. How committed are we to the free flow of information? Are we active in the inclusion of a diverse range of perspectives in our collection? Do we mindfully consider a balance of formats to enable all students to access the curriculum? And then this… Do we self- censor when evaluating a new resources? Are we scared of the increasingly polarised communities we serve and the stories of book bans we hear about overseas?

These questions have certainly been formulating in my mind as I engage with the ETL503 content. In the current context of a referrendum that fostered racism and hate speech and vocal pockets of community outrage against drag queen book readings, and perhaps sexual diversity itself, it is to be expected that as teacher librarians we pause to consider how we develop our collections. This pause may be fear or it may be the opportunity to prepare. Through robust selection criteria and a lens through which we can examine resources for their own merit outside of current socio-political contexts we can maintain a library that serves its purposes as a hub of inclusion, information and imagination.

Jenkinson (2002) is clear that we must arm ourselves with clear and practical policy around collection development in order to continue the vital role of school libraries in enabling students to access information. It is the armour we can wear against challenges from patrons or community members or others who may seek to impose their values upon collection development. Further, we must also advocate for our uniquely qualified position, lest someone without the same commitment to library principles, such as those outlined in the ALIA-ASLA policy on school library resource provision (2016) is placed in charge of the selection (or censorship) of materials.

So yes, at times as teacher librarians, we pause in the collection development cycle. At times it may be fear or apprehension but within this we also self reflect on our practices, our prejudices, our pedagogy and our shared principles. In doing so, when I pause to consider whether I will select (or deselect) a resource for our library I do so with the considerations of the rights of my students as unique individuals, as patrons of their library, and also as future citizens, at the forefront of my mind.

Australian Library and Information Association (ALIA) and Australian School Library Association (ASLA) (2016) Statement on school library resource provision.

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

School Library Collection Development- If it is a cycle, where do I jump on?

Bianca Bertalli Uncategorized March 1, 2024collection development, ETL503, libraries, resources, school libraries 0 Comment

While it is the beginning of a new year, my second in the role of TL, I am yet to really tackle the art of collection development. In 2023, most of the additions I have purchased for our school library have been driven by the curriculum reform taking place across English and Mathematics in the NSW curriculum. I have relished the opportunity to whip out the school credit card and purchase thousands of dollars worth of prescribed texts, ogling their stunning illustrations and enjoying the variety of authors, themes and perspectives. But as my current acquisition list nears completion, I am left wondering what next?

In my work I have already identified some gaps in our collection. We have plenty of books on Christianity, and almost none on other religions or belief systems and we lack books that introduce LGBTQIA+ diverse families. Last year we added an increasing number of picture books written by First nations authors and artists but are yet to extend into our Senior Fiction collection. Along with these thematic gaps, our library management system reports that 99% of our collection is physical, limiting access after school hours. The trends I have identified are probably reflective of our generally conservative rural community,and the way our library has been accessed by users in the past. However as a TL in training- aspiring to give our isolated students access to the wider world and its diversity- I am keen to broaden our collection. How do I do this, while also accounting for the needs, interests and values of our wider community and overcoming any resistance to change?

Oddone (2019) acknowledges that collection development is a massive responsibility that cyclically moves through the processes of assessing needs, selection according to criteria, acquisition, cataloguing, processing, stocktake /evaluation, and then deselection or weeding- each step a complex task in itself. Further, these processes must occur with the notion of building a ‘hybrid’ collection that caters to a broad range of users through both physical printed resources, digital resources and other types of resources.

When I reflect upon this cycle, in the context of my own library, I must step in to the cycle and assess the needs of our collection and whether they meet the core values of libraries as mentioned by Oddone (2019). Further, I need to proactively research NSW Department of Education policy around libraries, whether we have a collection development & challenged material policy in place to guide and protect me as I expand our collection.

While Odddone’s (2019) model is comprehensive, in a practical sense I also need to have a discussion with my Principal around transparent budgeting. Currently, each purchase is a request and approval process and while I have never been declined, I need to become familiar with how and what to budget in order to develop a longer term collection development plan.

ETL503 is sure to help equip me with the knowledge of how to best enagage with the collection development cycle in order to provide the best learning environment for all of our library users.

Oddone, K. (2019). School library collection development: It’s not as simple as you might think. Linking Learning. https://www.linkinglearning.com.au/school-library-collection-development-its-not-as-simple-as-you-might-think/