Identifying a collection’s strengths and weaknesses is a key component of collection mapping (Lamb & Johnson, 2007) In a school library, it is important to undertake regular evaluations of the collection to ensure it is meeting the learning and reading interests of the students. Some of the many benefits of collection mapping include helping target funding and a guide for future selection decisions (National Library of New Zealand Services, n.d)

Evaluating a whole collection can feel like an overwhelming and daunting task, hence the advice from the National Library of New Zealand might be helpful here: identify and prioritise specific sections, and do this in consultation with teaching staff.

An approach to collection mapping can be done with two library aims in mind:

1. Resources to meet curriculum and learning needs
2. Resources to meet student interests and reading for pleasure

It could be useful to undertake these mapping expeditions at separate times, as the two aims will have different criteria and thus, a different set of collaboration needed.

In terms of mapping a collection to meet curriculum needs, this is best done in consultation with teaching staff, as the curriculum content specialists. It is also important to include teaching staff for students with diverse and extension learning needs, as they may require different resources. Having a map of each grade’s yearly curriculum, including assessment tasks and research needs can be a useful starting point to map what resources the library already has to meet these needs. In addition to mapping print texts to the curriculum needs, it is also important to consider what other resources may help broaden student information literacy skills, such as audio, online resources, technology or other items, such as maps or kits.

The collection can be mapped on a graph, such as the one below:

Image source: Hauser, 2013

In terms of mapping the collection for student personal reading needs, this can be done via student collaboration. This mapping could be done in smaller sections, such as non-fiction, fiction, picture books and even technology. Creating surveys for students and graphing the results, such as:

Image source: Hawkins, 2022

Surveys can be useful in order to identify the gaps in the collection that would meet student needs if they were to be rectified. They could also be graphed like this:

Image source: Hawkins, 2022

Once the strengths and weaknesses are identified, in collaboration with students and teachers, librarians can then move forward into the selection process to add to the collection.

Hawkins, A. (2022) Student-Centred Collection Development in Knowledge Quest. https://knowledgequest.aasl.org/student-centered-collection-development

Lamb, A. & Johnson, L. (2007) Library Media Program: Collection Mapping in The School Library Media Specialist. https://eduscapes.com/sms/program/mapping.html#:~:text=Collection%20mapping%20is%20the%20process,during%20the%20collection%20development%20process.

National Library of New Zealand Services to schools (n.d.) Assessing your school Library collection in Services to Schools. https://natlib.govt.nz/schools/school-libraries/collections-and-resources/assessing-your-school-library-collection?search%5Bpath%5D=items&search%5Btext%5D=assessing+your+school+library+collection

Reporting on a year’s worth of work makes good sense. Businesses all over the world provide annual reports on expenditure, results, achievements, statistics – a collection of facts and figures that might sum up the year. In the same way, creating an annual library report is good business sense. It helps to be accountable for spending, activity and progress. However, a library report can be more.

An annual library report tells a story. As teacher librarians, we are accustomed to a good story – whether from the pages of one of our many books or resources, or the story of why the student really can’t find that library book they borrowed a year ago. An annual report allows us, the sharer of stories, to become the author of a story – and as you can imagine, it might have all sorts of ups and downs and twists. It is in these stories that we can find the deep and powerful impact of a school library.

(Gordon, 2009) cites a comment made by Dr Ross Todd, library expert extraordinaire that caught my attention.

He said: Information is the heartbeat of meaningful learning in schools. But it is not the hallmark   of the 21st century school. The hallmark of a school library in the 21st century is not its collections, its systems, its technology, its staffing, its buildings, BUT its actions and evidences that show that it makes a real difference to student learning, that it contributes in tangible and significant ways to the development of human understanding, meaning making and constructing knowledge. The school library is about empowerment, connectivity, engagement, interactivity, and its outcome is knowledge construction.

This quote is the very essence of why I have engaged in studying in the Masters of Teacher Librarianship. At the heart of the services a library provides, it is about empowerment, connectivity, engagement, interactivity, with an outcome of knowledge construction. This is the story we get to tell – how adding Chromebook chargers to our loan resources helped students engage in class learning (instead of having to catch up because of a flat device), the numbers of students engaging in Makerspaces at lunchtime where they learn how to employ creativity and collaboration with their peers, the number of books loaned that allowed that diverse student to see someone else like them, even if it was in print. These stories are told through statistics, infographs, summary statements and photographs – all weaving the story of the life of the library. An example of a library report is included with this post: 

Image source: Knowledge Quest, 2022

In terms of good business sense, an annual report provides avenues for library staff to be accountable, transparent and advocate for what the library needs. These are good and necessary reasons for reports. What appeals to my librarian heart is the story – which I am excited to keep telling. The real difference a library makes to not only student learning, but to welfare, connection and individual lives.

Gordon, C. Prof. (2009) Weaving Evidence, Reflection, and Action into the Fabric of School Librarianship  in Evidence Based Library and Information Practice, 4:2

As an avid reader myself, I love the accessibility of being able to download a title anywhere, at any time. I love the accessibility of texts that I might not find on a local physical library shelf, and the options of either reading, or listening, whichever takes my fancy – but I pay accordingly. Typically, an Audible subscription is approximately $17 per month, which will only purchase one new title, 2-3 older titles at best. If I buy an E-book, I can look at between $10-$20 per title. This seems pricey, compared to the associated costs print books attract that e-books don’t. The balance needed to provide fairly and equitably between libraries, publishers and creators has not yet been achieved (ALIA, 2013, pg. 4)

In our modern world, it is astonishing that an affordable e-book option isn’t more readily available – particularly for school libraries. In a world fast hurtling towards digitisation, curating collections of e-books is a worthwhile question for teacher librarians to consider. Would the provision of e-books encourage more readers? The research is certainly clear – reading for pleasure increases literacy development (Krashen, 2004). If our aim is to encourage students to read, and read regularly, then a broad collection is essential. The research, however is surprising. Research published by (Merga, 2014) states that teens don’t particularly find reading e-books more appealing than reading print books. If this is the case, are we campaigning and spending money unnecessarily?

I tender that we are not. Reading should be accessible to all. Dr. S. R. Ranganathan described the library as a public institution or establishment charged with the care and collection of books and the duty of making them accessible to those who require the use of them. The key terms here are care, collection and accessible. E-books are another avenue of making text, including information literacy, accessible. Will they be for everyone? No. Will they encourage more students to read? Possibly not, but perhaps. Are they a worthwhile venture? Yes.

Accessibility is key. A student home sick for the week and unable to get physical books? E-books. A student who is a voracious reader and can’t find the titles they want in their local school or community library? E-books. The infographic below offers some additional benefits to E-books:

Image source: Taylor & Francis, 2023

The are issue that need to be rectified, such as digital rights management, fair dealing, ownership and access to lending (ALIA, 2013) just to name a few. These issues are worth the time if it puts more books in more readers hands – whether paper or technology.

Australian Library and Information Association (2013)Ebooks and elending issues paper. https://read.alia.org.au/alia-ebooks-and-elending-issues-paper