Module 6 – Ethical issues in collection development

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Engaging in the realm of school library collection development brings forth ethical considerations that define the core of an enriched educational environment. Based on the reading of “Ethical Issues in Collection Development” by Morrisey (2008), here are some of my personal reflections.

Firstly, the commitment to providing unbiased and courteous responses to all requests is paramount. It involves creating an environment where every inquiry, irrespective of its nature, is met with openness and respect. This unbiased approach not only upholds intellectual freedom but also ensures the library serves as an inclusive space for the diverse needs of students.

Secondly, taking a firm stand against any attempts to censor library resources is a crucial ethical stance. The library collection needs to represent a variety of ideas, perspectives, and voices. The teacher-librarian should become a defender against censorship, supporting students’ right to explore, question, and engage with a broad range of materials.

Thirdly, protecting library users’ right to privacy and confidentiality is another fundamental ethical aspect. The teacher librarian holds the responsibility of safeguarding the intellectual privacy of students as they delve into the library’s wealth of knowledge. This could involve maintaining the confidentiality of borrowing records and fostering an atmosphere where students feel secure and safe in exploring diverse ideas without fear of judgment.

Fourthly, recognizing and respecting intellectual property rights stand as guiding principles. Ethical collection development requires navigating the acquisition and use of materials with integrity, ensuring compliance with copyright laws, and acknowledging the creative contributions of content creators.

In conclusion, these ethical considerations in school library collection development serve as a compass, guiding librarians in creating an environment where intellectual freedom, privacy, and respect for diverse ideas flourish.

 

Morrisey, L. J. (2008). Ethical issues in collection development.  Journal of Library Administration, 47(3-4), 163-171.

Module 5 – Weeding the school library collection

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Weeding is defined by the National Library of New Zealand, Services to Schools as ‘the process of regularly removing outdated or irrelevant library resources” (n.d.).  It is a crucial aspect of maintaining a dynamic and relevant resource for students.

In the fast-paced 21st-century world, the relevance of teaching and learning content diminishes over time.  Weeding allows for the removal of outdated and inaccurate materials, ensuring that the information available to students is current and reliable.  Moreover, an updated collection supports the academic curriculum by providing resources that align with the latest educational standards. Weeding allows for the identification and removal of materials that no longer contribute meaningfully to the curriculum, making space for new resources that enhance the learning experience.  Additionally, a well-maintained collection fosters an environment that promotes a passion for reading and learning. A clutter-free and curated library space is more inviting for students, encouraging them to explore and discover new materials.  Weeding also addresses practical concerns such as space limitations and budget constraints. By regularly evaluating and removing materials, teacher librarians can optimise shelf space for resources. Furthermore, efficient weeding practices ensure that financial resources are allocated to acquiring materials that truly enhance the educational experience.

However, a good weeding practice cannot be achieved without useful feedback from classroom teachers and subject specialists in school.  Collaboratively approach will not only built a close professional working relationship, but also find gaps in the school collection for teaching areas and improve understanding of the library weeding process from a whole school level.

 

National Library of New Zealand, Services to Schools. (n.d.). Weeding your school library collection. https://natlib.govt.nz/schools/school-libraries/collections-and-resources/weeding-your-school-library-collection

 

Module 5 – Collection mapping in school library

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Collection mapping is one of the important collection evaluation strategies in a school library setting. It is a valuable process that involves assessing, organising, and optimising the library’s collections to better meet the needs of students, teachers, and the wider community.

To approach collection mapping in a school library, firstly, it is important to understand the curriculum and educational goals and identify key subject areas and topics that align with the curriculum. Collaboratively working with classroom teachers or having discussions with subject experts in the school will provide first-hand information about their specific needs and the resources required for their lessons.  Secondly, conduct a thorough inventory of the existing collection to have quality information for evaluation. As mentioned by Johnson (2018), evaluation and assessment can inform librarians in their future decision-making. Based on the results of the evaluation, identify gaps in coverage or redundant materials and determine if there are areas where the collection can be expanded to better support the curriculum. TLs also need to ensure that the collection represents diverse perspectives and cultures in the school community. The collection should cater to the varied interests, needs, and backgrounds of the students.  Thirdly, create a collection development plan that outlines goals, criteria, and strategies for ongoing evaluation and effectively allocate a budget for the identified needs. Finally, TLs need to regularly update and evaluate the collection, seeking feedback from teachers, students, and other stakeholders for future acquisitions.

Collection mapping needs to be approached systematically and collaboratively to ensure the school library’s resources align effectively with educational goals and provide a valuable teaching and learning environment for students in the school.

 

Johnson, P. (2018). Fundamentals of collection development and management. American Library Association.

 

 

Module 4 – Regulating online content in schools

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This reflective journal is based on the ALIA online content regulation in the context of students’ learning in school.

It has been a common operation for schools to apply internet filters to restrict students’ access to certain websites or specific content on a website, such as a video on YouTube. I think we need to approach this discussion from two perspectives. Firstly, by using school internet filters, it can improve students’ safety and prevent them from accessing inappropriate content, thereby simplifying school network management responsibilities. Additionally, web filters potentially could offer some advantages, such as improving students’ concentration and creating a smoother learning environment for better well-being development. Moreover, web filters in schools could significantly reduce teachers’ pressure when conducting any online research or activities. From this perspective, filters are a necessity for every school. They could be considered by schools as safeguards for students.

However, from the other end, I will argue that internet filtering will limit our freedom to access information and ideas. As mentioned by the Australian Library and Information Association, ‘Access to electronic information resources should not be restricted except as required by law’ (2002). What we need to do is assist students with the necessary skills, such as digital literacy, to teach them what to choose, how to choose, and why to choose.  Batch (2014) also pointed out that the implications of internet filtering create both an educational and a social issue, as educators cannot teach students to navigate ethical choices online.  We should promote and facilitate responsible access to quality digital information for young people at school, so they are equipped with the skills and knowledge to use the internet and electronic information efficiently and effectively in the future.

 

Australian Library and Information Association. (2002). ALIA on online content regulation. https://www.alia.org.au/Web/Research-and-Publications/Guidelines/ALIA-on-online-content-regulation.aspx

Batch, K. R. (2014). Fencing out knowledge: Impacts of the Children’s Internet Protection Act 10 years later. Office for Information Technology Policy, American Library Association.

Module 4 – Do we face the same challenges?

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This reflection is based on the article ‘Selection & Censorship: It’s simple arithmetic’ by Dave Jenkinson.

The library serves as a lifeline for all of us. We rely on books not only to enhance our reading but also to learn about the world. However, many times, concerns over race, sexual orientation, gender, etc., lead to the banning of certain books. This not only harms our education but also infringes upon our freedom of thought. The library plays a crucial role in youth literacy. Without access to a robust and complete set of library resources and the guidance of professional skilled librarians, learning to read becomes a challenging task.

While I am currently not a school librarian, I believe that we face similar censorship challenges in Australia as in Canada. Censorship should aim to protect our students and assist in selecting the most appropriate reading and learning resources to support individual needs. However, as mentioned in the article, one of the significant challenging form of censorship is invisible self-censorship (Jenkinson, 2002). This can be based on personal beliefs, biases, or challenges from parents and the community. Moreover, a significant portion of the challenges comes from our fellow teachers (Jenkinson, 2002).

Self-censoring is ethically indefensible; therefore, school librarians need to take measures to become strong advocates. Librarians have an obligation to read what students read. This prepares them to respond to questions about the book collections from fellow teachers, parents, or other community members. There are other ways to prepare for challenges and potentially eliminate self-censorship. Dawkins (2018) emphasizes the importance and need for a collection development policy. However, a policy alone is not enough. Hoffman & Wood (2007) agree that a strong relationship and understanding of roles throughout the entire school will help reduce difficulties in dealing with these issues.

 

Dawkins, A.M. (2018). The decision by school librarians to self-censor: The impact of perceived administrative discomfort. Teacher Librarian, 45(3),8-12

Hoffman, F. W., & Wood, R. J. (2007).Intellectual freedom. In Library collection development policies : school libraries and learning resource centers, (pp. 63-80). Lanham, Maryland : Scarecrow Press. (e-reserve)

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

Assessment 3 – Part C Reflective Practice

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As a classroom teacher, I have had limited experience working with a teacher librarian in the past.  As I mentioned in my own post (Sha, 2023, July 11), I typically plan lessons and spend most of my teaching hours in my classroom.  However, this course has broadened my perspective and highlighted the role of a teacher librarian.  In this reflective journal, I will focus on three key areas: Information Literacy, Inquiry Learning and Role of Teacher Librarian to briefly discuss my understanding in this course.

Information Literacy

Information literacy is the key learning areas in 21st century education.  Gleeson (2023) commented in the online forums that ‘the information society is both exciting and daunting’ (para.1).  I fully agree with her perspective.  Students use a variety of digital devices every day to send texts, watch videos or play games, which makes them somewhat technology savvy.  However, in school, we often find students have difficulties to search information online or don’t know where to begin their quest for the necessary information. Wang and her fellow scholars (Wang etal., 2013) pointed out that students are finding it increasingly difficult to distinguish between reliable information, misinformation, and disinformation.  My classmate, Kristin, also expressed a similar opinion in her post that the digital information is persistence and replicable.  They will build up over time.  Students will need to go through enormous amount of content in search of the information they really need (Upton, 2023).  For the challenges we face, we must understand, new technologies will continually influence our life in the future.  As teacher librarians, it is our responsibility to show students how to choose and use new technology to enhance their learning.  Additionally, we should support and collaborate with our fellow teachers and other non-teaching staff in school to cultivate a positive attitude towards information literacy.

The Inquiry Learning Model

The Inquiry learning connects learning with real-world and personal experiences, enhances critical thinking skills, encourages creativity, and improves social and communication skills.  It needs to be well planned and follow each step to achieve learning outcomes.  I am in particularly interested in the structure of Guided Inquiry Learning model in this course.  I feel it provides flexibility for teacher and teacher librarian to provide guided supports to students who have different learning needs.  As Schultz-Jones and Oberg (2022) pointed out it provides a roadmap to success.

The Role of Teacher Librarian

Teacher librarian has multiple roles. It is not just to provides support but also work with teaching staff to create a holistic learning environment to meet the demands of 21st century education.  It is essential for the teacher librarian to collaborate with teachers throughout the planning and teaching cycle using one of the inquiry learning models.  Whittle (2023) mentioned in her post, ‘I believe collaborative planning is always beneficial as it brings two or more peoples’ perspectives, expertise and experiences’ (para. 2).  Dawkins (2023) gave a different view in her post, commenting that some teachers are not enthusiastic about working in collaboration as they do not see the benefits or too busy and time-poor (para. 1).  However, I share the same view as Whittle on this topic.  The teacher is the content expert, and the teacher librarian is the information expert.  Through collaboration, students will not only enhance their content knowledge but also improve their skills in using digital tools, searching for information, and critical thinking.

Looking forward, I believe teacher librarians should continually embrace all the changes in modern society with the development of new technologies.  Engage with local communities to promote the value and importance of teacher librarian and school libraries.  Collaboratively work with all school staff to create an ongoing positive teaching and learning environment to improve students’ learning attitudes and outcomes.

 

References

Branch-Mueller, J. L., Donham, J., Edwards, B., FitzGerald, L., Garrison, K. L., Glass, V., Guillet, M., Harada, V. H., Hoggatt, L., Ito, S., Iwasaki, R., Jones, C., Kasai, Y., Lang Froggatt, D., Limberg, L., Manck, K., Maybee, C., Nemec-Loise, J., Noborimoto, Y., … Schultz-Jones, B. (2022). Global action for school libraries : models of inquiry (D. Oberg & B. Schultz-Jones, Eds.). De Gruyter Saur. https://doi.org/10.1515/9783110772586

Dawkins, B (2023, August 25). Genuine, enriching collaboration is often a challenge in my teaching context – for many different reasons. [Comment on ‘Forum 4.2 Advocating for collaboration]. Forum; Module 4: The Teacher Librarian and Curriculum. https://interact2.csu.edu.au/webapps/discussionboard/do/message?action=list_messages&course_id=_68461_1&nav=discussion_board_entry&conf_id=_140362_1&forum_id=_316474_1&message_id=_4454054_1

Gleeson, L. (2023, July 23). The information society is both exciting and daunting. [Comment on ‘Forum 2.2 Information Society]. Forum: Module 2: The information environment. https://interact2.csu.edu.au/webapps/discussionboard/do/message?action=list_messages&course_id=_68461_1&nav=discussion_board_entry&conf_id=_140362_1&forum_id=_316470_1&message_id=_4453965_1

Upton, K. (2023, July 18).  Influence of digital information on the role of the TL. A Teacher Librarian is more than just an avid reader of books. https://thinkspace.csu.edu.au/booklover/

Wang, Q. (Emily), Sundaram, D., & Myers, M. D. (2013, November 8).  Digital Natives and Digital Immigrants: Towards a model of digital fluency. Business & Information Systems Engineering, Vol. 5 (6)  https://aisel.aisnet.org/bise/vol5/iss6/5/

Whittle, R (2023, August 27). I find these questions both interesting and challenging to address. [Comment on ‘Forum 4.3 The TL and curriculum]. Forum; Module 4: The Teacher Librarian and Curriculum. https://interact2.csu.edu.au/webapps/discussionboard/do/message?action=list_messages&course_id=_68461_1&nav=discussion_board_entry&conf_id=_140362_1&forum_id=_316474_1&message_id=_4454055_1

Assessment 1 – My reflective Journal

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To reflect on my own teaching journey, I have been a teacher and taught various teaching subjects in public schools for more than 5 years. I think being a teacher provides me an opportunity to deliver specific subject content and regularly meet with the same groups of students who attend my classes.

As a teacher, I plan lessons to suit different learning levels and abilities from individual students. I spend the majority of my working hours in my classroom to teach. At school, I cooperatively work with the Aboriginal Education Officer (AEO), wellbeing officer, and learning support staff to maximize some students’ learning and engagement in my class based on their culture, social, and economic backgrounds. Over the years of teaching, it has given me a great achievement and satisfaction to see the learning improvement from some of my students. Their enjoyment and positive feedback have encouraged me to be a better teacher and continue my journey in my teaching career.

Built on my teaching experience, becoming a future teacher librarian could be a very exciting challenge and opportunity in my professional development. After attending the first online meeting, watching the YouTube videos, and listening to the Podcasts, my understanding of the teacher librarian role has significantly changed. Module 1 has given me a broader picture of what a teacher librarian is and what they do at school. I think one of the significant aspects of being a teacher librarian is being able to oversee the development of teaching and learning from a whole-school scale rather than from a faculty or a specific teaching subject area.

The following areas are some of my key reflections on teacher librarianship:

The origin of school libraries in Australia can be traced back to the beginning of European-style educational provision in the country, in the early nineteenth century (Clyde, 1983). The role of a teacher librarian promotes the value of education and goes beyond the limitations of a single teaching subject.  According to the Statement of Teacher Librarians in Australia (ALIA & ASLA, 2016), a teacher librarian should be a leader of curriculum and learning at school and actively work with school leaders, faculties, teachers, and non-teaching staff.

In the Podcast interview which hosted by Dr. Kay Oddone, Natalie, who is the ASLA President of 2023, thinks that as a teacher librarian, it is critical to work alongside classroom teachers to build students’ learning skills, information literacy, as well as helping students select books based on their needs. She believes the primary role of a teacher librarian is to support teachers, learners, and families to extend students’ learning from the classroom to communities (Otten, 2022).

A teacher librarian should also be equipped with the knowledge and skills in digital information and communication in this rapidly developing society and support staff and students in how to choose and use information in their teaching and learning.

Collaboratively working with relevant school staff to create students’ interest clubs or groups and enhance cultural understanding by organizing school and community-invited events are other important areas in the role of a teacher librarian.

There are many more aspects in teacher librarianship could be explored. By following this course, I believe I will have a clearer understanding of teacher librarianship. This reflection will serve as a starting point and guide me in my study in this course.

 

References

Australian Library and Information Association, & Australian School Library Association. (2016, July). Statement on teacher librarians in Australia. Australian Library and Information Association. https://read.alia.org.au/alia-asla-statement-teacher-librarians-australia

Clyde, W. A. (1983). Australian School Libraries in the Nineteenth Century.  The Australian Library Journal, 32(2),11-17. https://doi.org/10.1080/00049670.1983.10755464

Otten, N. (Presenter). (2022, September 15). Episode 1 – Module 1: Introducing Teacher Librarianship [Audio podcast episode]. In ETL 401 Introduction to Librarianship. Charlies Sturt University. https://thinkspace.csu.edu.au/teachlibpodcastproject/episode-1/