Consider a school library collection that you are familiar with; is it in a phoenix stage, a dodo stage or somewhere between? Or is the picture painted by Wade not really relevant to that library?

At my school the library is not in danger of extinction because it is expected that an international school have a library and a librarian. However I feel my school library is like a highly secretive species, as it is an elusive part (from my point of view) of the school’s learning ecology. I hope to be a part of changing this situation, by promoting the value of the collection and the capability of the librarian to the elementary school. I am excited by the phoenix-like potential I see in my school library as a result of my growing expertise, and hope to be as involved in the process as possible.

The library of the 21st century is much more than a place that provides information to be consumed. The library provides a space– both physical and virtual– where learners interact with information in order to produce their own understandings (Todd, 2012, p. 9). In this way, learners are not just passive consumers of information but they are active producers of information. In fact these two processes complement each other gracefully, as learners of all ages demonstrate their learning through production. This fits well with the enhanced Primary Years Programme which includes an increased emphasis on the action component of the inquiry cycle (International Baccalaureate Organization, 2017, p. 5). I see a future for my school library as the epicenter for inquiry-based learning, as students access and use information in novel ways and are consequently producing information for others to see and respond to in novel and various ways.

However there is much to be done to make this future a reality. At our first library committee meeting last week I suggested that we begin building a more user-centered library by holding discussions with a variety of stakeholders about the characteristics of a “dream library” (Doll & Barron, 2002, p.4). Starting with this broad approach would bring in more opinions and increase the visibility of the library. Next steps after this approach depend on the continuing efforts of the librarian and the support (moral and monetary) of the school administration and board. My hope is that our school library will move from being an almost invisible species to becoming a keystone species in the learning ecology of the school (O’Day, 2000, p. 38).

References

Doll, C.A. & Barron, P.P. (2002). Managing and analyzing your collection: A practical guide for small libraries and school media centers. Chicago and London: American Library Association.

International Baccalaureate Organization. (2017, December 12). The learner in the enhanced PYP. In Sharing PYP blog. Retrieved from http://blogs.ibo.org/sharingpyp/files/2017/12/2017-December-The-Learner.pdf

O’day, V. L. (2000). Information Ecologies. Serials Librarian, 38(1–2), 31–40. Retrieved from https://doi-org.ezproxy.csu.edu.au/10.1300/J123v38n01pass:[_]05

Todd, R. J. (2012). Visibility, core standards, and the power of the story: Creating a visible future for school libraries. Teacher Librarian, 39(6), 8–14. Retrieved from http://ezproxy.csu.edu.au/login?url=http://search.ebscohost.com/login.aspx?direct=true&db=lih&AN=82862798&site=ehost-live

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