Category: ETL503

Resourcing the Curriculum

Assessment Task, ETL503, Master of Education (Teacher Librarianship)

RESOURCING THE CURRICULUM IS FUTURE PROOFING – THE ‘TO DO’ LIST

Louise

ETL503 – ASSESSMENT 3 – REFLECTIVE PRACTICE 

The role and nature of the school library collection is a vast concept and continually changing at a rapid rate. Dr. Corrall (2018, p. 16) stated that resources in the digital world may be far more “diverse and dynamic” than that of print-based resources, but “the principles of selecting material to meet current and future needs still applies” (Corrall, 2018, p. 17). The speed with which technology is influencing education can often see school leaders become complacent about school libraries and their place within the information environment (Lupton, 2016). Having a voice is important in advocating for school libraries because “students need school libraries”. It is the job of the teacher librarian to ensure that school leaders are aware of why this role is uniquely placed within the school, in supporting and implementing the vision of the school through effective library programs (ALIA & ASLA, 2016 July).

As the school curriculum continues to evolve, the school library collection also needs to be responsive to this. A formal plan assists in this process and a collection development policy (CDP) is the way forward in meeting the needs of the users (Braxton, 2021). Peggy Johnson (2009, p. 72) says goals within a CDP are an effective way to begin. I have learned that developing a collection policy is a critical part of being the teacher librarian and one that is lacking in either currency or existence in many school libraries, including my own. In my reading, I discovered the manual for developing policies and procedures in Australian school library resources centres on the Australian School Library Association (ASLA) website (ALIA & VCTL, 2017). Exploring this resource was common among other students too, some found it broadened their understanding of “what it means to meet the needs of the users” (Kent, 2021, November 28). Establishing a CDP in my current school library will assist in future-proofing the collection, instead of just continuing on the same trajectory of “this is how things have always been done” (Foyel, 2022, January 10).

I was challenged to extend my thinking when comparing collection management and collection development. It seemed the two terms were interchangeable, and yet Rebel (2021, December 12) said that he sees management as a broader term, with development encompassed by this term, which I tend to agree with too. When initiating a CDP for my school library, the IFLA school library guidelines (2015, p33) says, a school library should provide access to a wide range of physical and digital resources to meet user needs, through an ongoing process of collection development. Guiding my formulation of a CDP is defining the “purpose, scope, and contents of the collection as well as access to external resources” (IFLA, 2015, p. 33) and (Foyel, 2021, November 15). I discovered that a collection development policy should cover the acquisition and deselection of resources (ALIA & VCTL. 2017). Selecting resources for the library is far more than just using personal judgement (Foyel, 2021, November), I have come to believe that the selection criteria for deciding this is a critical part of the policy (Braxton, 2021).

The ideology of the longevity of a resource is noteworthy and selection should be based on several factors. Cultivating engagement in school library resources and nurturing a love of reading is a key role of any teacher librarian, with patron-driven acquisition part of this process (Foyel, 2021, November 21). As selection criteria is essential to the CDP, I knew I needed to extend my knowledge and understanding. Braxton (2021) suggests that “selection may be collaborative”, but the final say should always come down to the teacher-librarian. Johnson (2018, p. 83) corroborates this by pointing out that combined with a teacher librarian’s knowledge and experience, they are also best placed in understanding their setting and applying a plan.

A collaborative approach to resource selection can be a powerful tool to enhance borrowing statistics and ensure that, like Ranganathan’s second law, there is a book for every reader (Foyel, 2021, November 21) or for today’s library users, every person their piece of knowledge, which encompasses e-resources too (McMenemy. 2007). Libraries continue to evolve and must adapt, “change simply is” and we must look for ways to and opportunities for our school library to continue to be relevant (Maddox Abbott, 2020). How we choose to do this is an important inclusion in a CDP and may form part of the procedures manual, where suppliers are outlined and chosen on a set of criteria (Foyel, 2021 December 6). This scrutiny was an essential reflection of the processes I use to select resources in the school library and some that I may not have previously considered for the future. The other consideration in evolution is digital resources and their influence on collection development (ALIA & VCTL, 2017), including legal and ethical issues (Foyel, 2021, December 30).

It seems as I traverse the various Master of Education subjects each semester, I reflect on a growing “to do” list. This subject has been no different. I am continually inspired to be a teacher, a manager, a leader, a collaborator, and an engager (ALIA & ASLA, 2016) to do something innovative, to do something in a new way,  to do something inspiring, and to do something that makes a difference to the future of the library users to become lifelong learners. To do this a future-focused principal is the key (Gemell, 2022, January 8). Establishing what school leaders value, open conversation about future plans, and making this achievable within a given time frame continue to future-proof the school library (Kachel, 2017) and (Lupton, 2017). The formulation of a CDP is part of this plan, in consultation with the school principal, and ultimately shared as a public document with the school community (ALIA & VCTL, 2017, p. 35-39).

A priority for the vision in my school library is genrefying the fiction section. I researched the benefits and put forward this goal to the principal. As a result, I have had weeding on my mind since wanting to begin this project. With the current collection crowding the shelves and with aging and underutilised resources, I began to look further into where deselection sat within a CDP (Foyel, 2022, January 7) and how a CDP also supports this genrefication goal. I have keenly read the many examples of collection policies, collection frameworks, and the guiding principles of Braxton’s sample collection policy (2021). I am committed to becoming the phoenix and emerging into the future, continually evolving as a “new and vibrant entity” (Wade, 2005).

References

Australian Library and Information Association and Australian School Library Association. (2016). Joint Statement in teacher librarians in Australia. ASLA: Australian School Library Association.  https://asla.org.au/teacher-Llbrarians-in-australia

Australian Library and Information Association Schools and Victorian Catholic Teacher Librarians. (2017). A manual for developing policies and procedures in Australian school library resource centres. (2nd ed.). Australian School Library Association. https://asla.org.au/policy-development-manual

Corrall, S. (2018). The concept of collection development in the digital world.

In M. Fieldhouse & A. Marshall (Eds.), Collection development in the digital age (p. 3-24). Facet. https://www.researchgate.net/publication/326215985_Collection_Development_in_the_Digital_Age

Gemell, L. (2022, January 8). The future of school libraries. Mrs G’s Masters Musings. https://thinkspace.csu.edu.au/mastersmusings/2022/01/08/the-future-of-school-libraries/

Johnson, P. (2018). Fundamentals of collection development and management. (4th ed.). ALA Editions.

Kachel, D. (2017). The principal and the librarian: Positioning the school library program. Teacher Librarian, 45(1), 50-52.

Kent, P. (2021, November 21). Collection development. Forum: Forum 1 – Definitions of collection management and collection development.

Lupton, M. (2016) Adding value: Principal’s perceptions of the role of the teacher-librarian. School Libraries Worldwide, 22(1), 49-61. http://dx.doi.org/10.14265.22.1.005

Maddox Abbott, J. A. (2020). A foundation for change: Using challenges and opportunities as building blocks for collection management. Collection Management, 45(2). 110-123. https://doi-org.ezproxy.csu.edu.au/10.1080/01462679.2019.1626315

McMenemy, D. (2007). Ranganathan’s relevance in the 21st century. Library Review, (56) 2, 97-101. https://doi-org.ezproxy.csu.edu.au/10.1108/00242530710730268

Students need school libraries. (2020). Students need school libraries. https://studentsneedschoollibraries.org.au/faq/

Wade, C. (2005). The school library: phoenix or dodo bird? Educational Horizons, 8(5), 12-14. (e-reserve) (E-reserve PDF)

ETL503, Master of Education (Teacher Librarianship)

WEEDING…IS IT REALLY THAT HARD?

Louise

ETL503 – Module 5 – Weeding the Collection

Photo by Thought Catalog on Unsplash

Weeding has been on my mind lately and that’s because I have been wanting to genrefy the fiction section of our primary school library. It has been a goal since I began in the role of TL. I have focused research on the topic, done surveys with the students, and had discussions with the school principal about it. I realised through this process (which another discussion entirely) that weeding had to be at the top of the list before any reorganisation can occur.

It seemed like a huge and overwhelming task and I didn’t want to dispose of any books that may add value to the collection. So I began with what I was familiar with, the teaching resources. I began by collecting and discarding the many outdated syllabus documents (I kept one of each) that had been superseded by new documents. I had the Principal’s approval to recycle them. But, by doing this, I knew I was just avoiding the task ahead of me. After reading through the resources in this module, I began to think about the process a little more clearly. I knew I had to establish the criteria first. Then I decided that I would tackle a couple of shelves at a time, beginning with the Fiction section (rather than the Junior Fiction). I would start at A and work my way through the alphabet when I could. I began with just a physical and visual motivation, removing damaged books and establishing if they could be restored or not, and any that were not appealing to students. I then took these titles to the Library Monitors (who are made up of about 20 Year 5 and 6 students). Who then went through them to see if they agreed with my deselections.

I then printed out a list from the Library Management System of books that had not been borrowed in the last 5 years, then I changed it to 10 years because the library itself has been inaccessible to students for many reasons during this time, including COVID and school rebuilds (where the library was used as a classroom for 2 years and the TL had to share a small classroom with the music teacher and had a limited amount of books for loan). Then COVID hit and I was not able to have the children borrow, to begin with, and then they were not allowed to be in the library at all. I was going from classroom to classroom for library lessons and carting trolleys of books with me. This meant that the time I spent physically in the library was very limited and when I was in there, I was restocking the trolleys for children to borrow (when this became allowed).

I see much value in having the students involved in this process of weeding and I hope to use the weeded books for a week of “book tasting”. Students from years 3 to 6 will get the opportunity to look at what has been removed from the shelves and establish (using given criteria) whether or not deselection is justified. Fostering a love of reading is part of my mission as TL and I feel that when this is strongly established, reading for enjoyment increases within the school community.

I loved reading Jennifer LaGarde’s blog post about this topic where she states, “We are educators. We are not curators of book museums” (LaGuard, 2013). This is what I feel I am currently in, a holder of many old and outdated books, many of which have not been borrowed in many years. Weeding in not going to be an easy process, but starting with one section at a time is the way forward for me. I hope that this year will be the year to get the genrefication goal up and running. I also hope to establish a Collection Management Policy in the near future to ensure that there is written evidence for the decisions being made in the school library and a clear framework for the future of our school library, one that I am very passionate about!

https://www.librarygirl.net/post/keeping-your-library-collection-smelling-f-r-e-s-h

Reference

LaGarde, J. (2013, October 2). Keeping your library collection smelling F.R.E.S.H. The Adventures of Library Girl. https://www.librarygirl.net/post/keeping-your-library-collection-smelling-f-r-e-s-h

ETL503, Master of Education (Teacher Librarianship)

INTRODUCING CREATIVE COMMONS

Louise

ETL503 – Module 4 – Educate your community about Creative Commons (CC)

This module is all about legal and ethical issues of collections, including copyright and Creative Commons. The task was to present information to teachers and students to teach them about CC, how to access, or how to attribute. I began by using Canva to create a digital presentation to share with my staff (and their students) about the concept of CC. I envisaged using this at our weekly staff meeting, with a follow-up the following week about how to access CC materials.

Understanding Creative Commons by Louise Foyel

ETL503, Master of Education (Teacher Librarianship)

COPYRIGHT and MUSIC in SCHOOLS

Louise

ETL503 – 4.1 Music Copyright in the Primary School setting

https://pixabay.com/photos/turntable-music-laptop-audio-1109588/

Teachers regularly use music in the school setting, but what are the copyright laws in Australia that must be adhered to? According to Smartcopying, the official guide to copyright for Australian schools and TAFE, music in schools refers to “both musical works and sound recordings” (Smartcopying, Music, 12 August 2021).

In my particular primary school setting, we are blessed to have a specialist music teacher who provides lessons to students each week. Although as part of my TL role I provided the outline for copyright when it was updated this year, all staff were also made aware of these updates too as we were needing to teach remotely. As part of this challenging time of online learning, all staff needed to be aware of the implications of using music in the digital environment, especially when recording themselves or creating videos for their students. In addition, on returning to school, uploading school events such as award presentations were also necessary, as was liturgies and masses (being that we are a Catholic school).

Using music for videos or presentations can be incorporated when it is uploaded to a password-protected intranet or school website. It can also be shared to the school community via email or message through an educational app (such as Compass, but excludes apps such as Snapchat or TikTok). It is pertinent to mention that the school CANNOT upload the content to any social media platforms such as Facebook. Music recording companies may request the event be taken down from the social media platform.

The making and recording of school events is allowable under Australian copyright if it is performed or played and must display ‘This recording has been made under a licence from AMCOS and ARIA for school purposes only’ (Smartcopying, Music, 12 August 2021). For Catholic schools. under section 106 of the Copyright Act, permits schools to play sound recordings in public, such as at school events. In religious services our school often uses music to engage students, when we returned to school during term 4 this year, important celebrations, such as end-of-year mass needed to be live-streamed, to accommodate parents who could not attend the school grounds at the time. Since 30 March 2021, Smartcopying the Religious Education Coordinator needed to be aware of the implications of live-streaming and recording the service when music was involved, since this was a school-based event, and not held in the church, the national schools music licenses were applicable.

 

 

ETL503, Master of Education (Teacher Librarianship)

LIBRARY SUPPLIERS

Louise

ETL503 3.2 – How do you choose?

https://pixabay.com/photos/books-choosing-hand-bookshop-2566812/

It is something that I have put a lot of time into thinking about. What do library suppliers need to offer and how do they become a preferred choice for the school setting? Here are some of my thoughts from this module.

  • Library suppliers need to offer a wide range of resources, including both fiction and non-fiction.
  • Certain suppliers would need to procure books from various publishers too, like obtaining books as part of the CBCA shortlisted books.
  • It is also appealing if booksellers offer bulk or school discounts off the RRP and you can also support local businesses too.
  • Ease of ordering and fast response and postage is also another key factor in acquiring books for a school library and keeping up with the demand from both students and teachers.
  • Some publishers/book suppliers offer book fairs to promote their resources and gauge student and teacher interests. They have the added bonus of a kickback for the school, which leads to repeat business with them and incentives to purchase with them in the future.
  • Recommendations from other TL’s in the area are another factor when determining who or where to obtain library resources.
  • Often with religious schools and other schools with unique needs, there are texts that are recommended resources and may be required to purchase to use as part of the prescribed curriculum. In this case, specialist suppliers are required and as a result, are often more expensive than mainstream suppliers.
ETL503, Master of Education (Teacher Librarianship)

PACKAGING IT UP…is it really what they want?

Louise
ETL503 2.2 – Are bundled sets worth considering?
https://pixabay.com/photos/search/box%20book/
This is definitely something that has plagued me for the last 2 years as I have taken on the role of the Teacher-Librarian (TL). I have had some experience dealing with prepackaged bundled sets. This was an initiative to support Lexile levels and the new online ebooks program with 3-6 students in our school. Its conception was from school leadership, and as TL I was to accession each of the 50 books per term (this included a Lexile sticker for each too). The idea being that students could borrow books at their level. It did create books for students to read in class at specific levels for a purpose, however, some class teachers expected I select books for their entire class with specific Lexile levels, an onerous task for a class of 30 students with varied reading interests in a 40-minute time slot for their library lesson. The way forward was for students to come into the library with a preselected list of books at their level, using the program in class to select books first. 
From my perspective, although I promoted the new titles, it did not necessarily change the borrowing habits of students, nor did the Lexile level sway their choice of text. I was also asked to buy new titles that were not part of this particular publisher’s selection.
I have considered below some pros and cons of bundled sets. This was part of a task in ETL503 Module 2.2 and I drew from these experiences. I added to the list below several times over the course of the week.
I had requested last year that these sets ceased, however, the deadline had been missed and I had been signed up for an additional year.
When I completed this task it again prompted me to address leadership staff and request the bundled sets stop in 2022 so that we could assess the current collection, have time to weed, and only purchase books that are needed for our collection. 
Pros and cons of bundled sets
Pros  Cons
latest publications books may not suit or target the student needs/wants of topics or genres
keeps collection current expensive
already analysed for classroom use (eg appropriate language, topic, theme) many resources may not be borrowed
pre-levelled (eg Lexile) time-consuming to accession each term 
appropriate for primary aged children (ages 8-12) takes up a lot of shelf space and weeding becomes necessary more frequently
new books motivate many students yearly commitment
many popular series are provided does not target whole school use
many popular authors represented not selected by teacher-librarian
range of fiction and non-fiction books need to be promoted each term to ensure they are circulated
range of genres leveled books may not appeal to students or be a factor in borrowing choice
variety of levels class teachers may not access these books as they are no part of a set for their group reading in class

 

ETL503, Master of Education (Teacher Librarianship)

LIBRARY RESOURCE SELECTION

Louise

ETL503 – 2.1 – HOW CAN A TEACHER-LIBRARIAN ENGAGE LEARNERS IN THE SELECTION OF RESOURCES FOR THEIR SCHOOL LIBRARY?

The selection of resources in the school library should be a collaborative approach, based on the needs of the library users. It is critical that as part of this process the students are factored into the selection process, after all, in a school library they account for the majority of the patrons who borrow resources. As the Teacher Librarian (TL) is instrumental in sourcing the resources, knowledge, and understanding about the students and their individual borrowing habits is crucial. Engaging students in resources that are both appealing and appropriate is one of the first considerations of a TL.

Cultivating engagement in the school library involves a number of factors, though, when the selection of the resources in the school library is student-driven, this can be a powerful tool to enhance borrowing statistics. But in what ways can this occur?

I believe that the first step in determining the needs and interests of the students is to create relationships with them. What genre do they like to read? What topics spark their curiosity? Hosting genre-driven book events, such as a “book tasting” event in the library helps to unravel interests. Sparking interest may also extend to book reviews by peers and teachers, TL book talks, and author talks/visits. In addition, adding to a popular series of books is also a determining factor in resourcing based on student selections.

Trends in borrowing, including ebook and digital requests via the schools’ library management system, also help to define the selection criteria. Decisions around resource selection may also hinge on the demographics of the school, including, but not limited to race, gender, culture, socioeconomics, and religious beliefs.

Book Fairs and Book Clubs are a good gauge as student purchases often lead to student book reviews and recommendations. This then leads to the buying choices for the library too from the proceeds of the fair.

There is much value in considering what and how students read in determining the future of resource selection for their school library. A book for every reader.