ETL503 Resourcing the Curriculum – Page 2

Demand Driven Acquisition – Selection in the School Context

(Reflection of ETL503 Module 2.1)

In my previous blog post for this module, I pointed out the importance of a clear philosophy (or philosophies) and clear outline of the school’s context or Situational Analysis (Arthur, et. al, 2015) as they relate to the acquisition of resources.

In this blog post, I will discuss the concept of ‘Demand Driven Acquisition’ (England & Anderson, 2019).

First, what is demand or as it is often referred: supply and demand? This is a key factor in economic theory and is defined by The Editors of Encyclopaedia Brittanica (2018) as:

“Supply and demand, in economics, (it is the) relationship between the quantity of a commodity that producers wish to sell at various prices and the quantity that consumers wish to buy. It is the main model of price determination used in economic theory. The price of a commodity is determined by the interaction of supply and demand in a market. The resulting price is referred to as the equilibrium price and represents an agreement between producers and consumers of the good. In equilibrium the quantity of a good supplied by producers equals the quantity demanded by consumers.” (“Supply and Demand,” 2018, para. 1).

As pointed out in ETL401 module 2.1, information is slightly different to consumables, having properties which distinguish it from other traded goods. [Information, unlike traded goods, is not consumable, not transferable, nor indivisible]. Our goal however, as teacher librarians with information resources, is similar to the market goal which is: equilibrium between the supply of resources and the quantity (or one might argue, quality or even type) needed or demanded by the school community.

So how do we as teacher librarians reach a supply and demand market equilibrium in terms of school library collections?

As exists in economics, we must collect data to determine if there is an over/under supply or an over/under demand.

One way to collect data is to run diagnostic reports of the collection – including such things as regularity of use by patrons, age of resources, duplication of resources, quantities of types of resources, etc.

Another way to collect data is to start asking questions of ourselves and the school community regarding our ‘needs’ for resources or types of resources and our individual goals or desires and collating the responses.

Now I need to find the time to research how to ask the school community the right questions and look into a variety of survey methods for obtaining the most authentic responses and how to analyse the data to make informed decisions about resource acquisition!

References:

Arthur, L, Beecher, B, Death, E., Dockett, S, & Farmer, S. (2015) Programming and Planning in Early Childhood Settings 6^th Edition. Cengage Learning Australia Pty Ltd. South Melbourne, VIC.

Supply and Demand. (2018). In Encyclopaedia Britannica online. Retrieved from: https://www.britannica.com/topic/supply-and-demand

England, M. M., & Anderson, R. (2019). Demand-driven acquisition of print books: Applying 21st-century procurement strategies to a 5th-century format. Collection Management, 1-10. doi: 10.1080/01462679.2018.1564715

Resource Selection Decision Making Model

(This reflection follows my readings within ETL503 Module 2)

While resource selection for teacher librarians is complex, I think it is important to vet resources based on agreed quality teaching practises across the whole teaching community and not just library collections.

Appropriate resource selection is something that will assist with ‘external validation’ from NESA, school plan formation and the NSW Department of Education ‘School Excellence Framework’ (2014) (found in NSW Department of Education (2019) Teaching and Learning).

Primm, K & Patruno R (2016) — Prumm, K. & Patruno, R. (2016)

For this reason and with suggestions from Hughes-Hassell & Mancall (2005) and the NSW Department of Education (2019), I have created a (Draft) GoogleForms questionnaire, that offers an array of resource selection decision making criteria. The questionnaire has been designed for any stakeholder to be able to answer the questions, however they may need librarian guidance for some questions such as context and philosophy. To have a look at my draft selection questionnaire, click here.

However, as noted by Hughes-Hassell & Mancall (2005) we must know the context of the school and teaching and learning philosophies of stakeholders prior to validating a resource.

While at UWS in 2006, I created a survey for families to help me identify each student’s context. For schools, this should be something created collaboratively and using information from my UWS studies, I have also created a (Draft) GoogleForms questionnaire to help schools identify their context. To have a look at my draft context questionnaire, click here.

I want to improve the context survey by reviewing a key text from my Bachelor of Education studies at UWS. I must read the updated version (which has a massive quote from me-WOW, I’m famous!) Chapter 6 on the creation of a Situational Analysis: Farmer, Sue, et al. Programming and Planning in Early Childhood Settings, Cengage Learning Australia, (2014). ProQuest Ebook Central, http://ebookcentral.proquest.com/lib/csuau/detail.action?docID=1990997

Another example of guidance might be in identifying teaching and learning philosophies. While at UWS in 2006, I realised this was an area of weakness in the degree and in teachers in general and I created a template for thinking about the various aspects of teaching and learning in order to arrive at a coherent and well-thought out philosophy, based on Posner’s (1996 & 2005) Field Experience: Methods of reflective teaching. To have a look at my draft philosophy questionnaire, click here.

References:

Hughes-Hassell, S. & Mancall, J. (2005). Collection management for youth: responding to the needs of learners [ALA Editions version]. Retrieved from http://ebookcentral.proquest.com.ezproxy.csu.edu.au/lib/csuau/detail.action?docID=289075

Posner, G. J. (1996). Field Experience: Methods of reflective teaching (4^th ed.). New York: Longman. (p. 131-134);

Posner, G. J. (2005). Field Experience: a guide to reflective teaching. 6^th ed. Boston: Pearson Education Inc.

Prumm, K. & Patruno, R. (2016) Elements of Learning and Achievement Manual – NSW Department of Education. Retrieved from: https://theelements.schools.nsw.gov.au/introduction-to-the-elements.html

NSW Department of Education (2019) Teaching and Learning. Retrieved from: https://education.nsw.gov.au/teaching-and-learning]

The Impact of a Digital Landscape on School Library Collections

[ETL503 Module 1 Reflection]

QUESTION: In today’s world of digital content and Internet accessible information, are books (and the libraries that hold them) still necessary?

Libraries versus the Internet

We simply have to stop and take a look at the people around us to notice we live in a digital age. Have you ever been in an office when the Internet goes down? People wonder around like zombies, having cups of tea or coffee that they don’t want, sparking inane conversations and shuffling papers that have sat in a pile for months untouched, in favour of working online.

However, when it comes to reading for pleasure, obtain metacognition or study for a degree, which resource is more preferred – a library and written text or the Internet?

According to research by Naomi S. Baron (Schaub, 2016) 92% of College Students prefer paper resources, saying that paper resources offer fewer distractions, less headaches and eyestrain, a pleasant smell and a sense of resolution at the end of every page.

Furthermore, a Teen Reading study funded by Deakin and Murdoch Universities in Australia (Copyright, 2017) found that most teens prefer (fiction) print books because of the sensory benefits such as the feel of the pages, the smell of books and the way books look when presented on a shelf or display. They also said they thought books were better priced, had an ease of access, required very little digital skill and were not limited by technology access or Wi-Fi connectivity.

Book Publishing Today – Using your eyes versus using your ears

The following is a quote from my Forum post (Roe, 2019),

“Shatzkin (2016) discusses the history of book publishing and I used to work in a small bookstore in the 1990’s called WaldenBooks (owned by the Walden company mentioned by Shatzkin). I remember that Borders in my town, which was this giant bookstore, bought it out but that I felt it was pretty but overwhelming in size. The staff did not have a connection to the books, rather a connection to the cash register in the centre. Specialist staff were employed to assist customers in their searches.”

It had so many levels and so many books! The human element was vastly underwhelming. I went in one day to see a friend who had transferred over to Borders after the takeover. She was an interesting lady with a very kind heart. Let’s call her M. She lived with her mother and seemed happy at Borders, with better pay, and more support. I sometimes got letters from her from her travels as a park ranger in Alaska (her ‘other job.’) I did tell you she was interesting!

At Waldenbooks M had spent most of her time unpacking boxes of books received from publishers and acquisition them into the floor stock. She’d load these books onto shelves and I’d have the joyous task of shelving them into the stacks for customers in between running the cash register or finding special orders and contacting customers to let them know their books had arrived.

Once she had gotten the books out of the storeroom and the boxes cut up and put outside, she could sit and read in the back room to her heart’s content, unless our crazy boss made her come out and run the desk, which she hated.

With the closure of Borders, where did M go I wonder? Is she working for Barnes and Noble now? Did her mother die and leave her the house? Is she alone? What is the human cost of e-books?

Note to self: Find M!

As I said in my 2019 forum post: “Referring back to Shatzkin (2016), it is interesting how the internet has changed the purchasing of books, in terms of how to stock a school collection. In the past someone go down to the bookstore and get the newest books. Now, I suppose, they all have to be ordered over the Internet through, as Shatzkin calls them, ‘the 4 horsemen.’”

(Furthermore, I continued to write in the Roe 2019 forum post)

“Shatzkin (2018) discusses audio books or ‘books to be heard.’ I don’t like audio books because I am a visual learner and words that are only spoken are often distracting for me. I get lost in my own thoughts and suddenly ‘wake up’ to the fact that several minutes have passed and I was not listening. I know there are students out there with auditory processing disabilities and students who benefit from things being read out loud. I think therefore the resources need to have a balance and be stocked based on the requirements of the people that will be using them. This is much like the recent research that says students learn better from written notes versus digital notes, which is discussed on National Public Radio with James Doubek (2016).”

Similarly, I recently purchased an online text only because that was the only way I could access it and it took me a very long time to get through it even though it was not an audio text. I didn’t feel like I needed to really read all of the content, like I only needed to skim it—much like we do every day on the Internet. In a school context, surely what the students are reading needs to be carefully perused and thought over so that they have a better grasp of the knowledge provided in the text?

ANSWER: In today’s world of digital content and Internet accessible information, books (and the libraries that hold them) are not only necessary, they are vital.

The below is a great website group for supporting quality school libraries that was pointed out to me via the CSU Masters Of Education Teacher Librarian course ETL503 Resourcing the Curriculum, Module 1: https://studentsneedschoollibraries.org.au/

References:

Copyright Agency. (2017, February 28). Most teens prefer print books[Blog post]. Retrieved from https://www.copyright.com.au/2017/02/teens-prefer-print-books/

Doubek, J. (2016). Attention Students: put your laptops away. National Public Radio(US). Retrieved from https://www.npr.org/2016/04/17/474525392/attention-students-put-your-laptops-away

Roe, C. (2019, March 9) Thoughts regarding Shatzkin (2016 & 2018) [Online Forum comment]. Message posted to: https://interact2.csu.edu.au/webapps/discussionboard/do/message?action=list_messages&course_id=_42383_1&nav=discussion_board_entry&conf_id=_78886_1&forum_id=_147529_1&message_id=_2158012_1

Schaub, M. (2016). 92% of college students prefer print books to e-books, study finds. Los Angeles Times. Retrieved from http://www.latimes.com/books/jacketcopy/la-et-jc-92-percent-college-students-prefer-paper-over-pixels-20160208-story.html

Shatzkin, M. (2016). Book publishing lives in an environment shaped by larger forces and always has. The Shatzkin Files.Retrieved from http://www.idealog.com/blog/book-publishing-lives-in-an-environment-shaped-by-larger-forces-and-always-has

Shatzkin, M. (2018) Words-to-be-read are losing ground to words-to-be-heard. The Shatzkin Files. Retrieved from https://www.idealog.com/blog/words-to-be-read-are-losing-ground-to-words-to-be-heard-a-new-stage-of-digital-content-evolution/

Students need school libraries, (2018). Retrieved from https://studentsneedschoollibraries.org.au/

USC Marshall. (2019). 4 Reasons School Libraries Are Still Essential. Library and Information Science Online Degree Programs. Retrieved from https://librarysciencedegree.usc.edu/4-reasons-school-libraries-are-still-essential/

Welcome to the Teachers Who Know Me Blog

Hi, I’m Christy Roe and this is my first blog post. I chose this name for the blog because I’ve operated a closed Facebook Group with the same name since 2013 for teachers or lecturers who’ve worked with me all the way back to when I started Primary teaching in 2007.

The Teacher’s Who Know Me blog is a reflective device for my thoughts and learning relating to education. It was created as part of my Masters of Education in Teacher Librarianship to keep track of the things I learn, reflect on them and to share them with teachers or lecturers who know me or who have worked with me over the years.

All images and opinions are my own or used with permission, and will be referenced and supported by research or evidence wherever possible.

Thank you for interacting with me, now and into the future,

Christy