Category: 21st century library

03
Oct
2022

Digital resources and the teacher librarian

categories: 21st century library, Copyright, Dynamic information environment, ETL501, Information literacy, Reflection, Resource selection, role of the Teacher Librarian

Technology is a great tool to harness information in the 21^st century learning environment. It is the teacher librarian’s (TL) responsibility to ensure that students ‘have access to well-organised systems for retrieving resources’ (Gemell, 2022, July 24), since effective school libraries enhance student learning outcomes (Libraries Tasmania, 2022). This is achieved by providing easy access to information in a range of formats through the use of technology. Effective school libraries also assist with integrating information literacy skills across a range of curriculum areas (Libraries Tasmania, 2022). All these aspects are covered in a well-constructed research page.

Creating digital learning objects is an important role of the TL to support digital literacy for students. A digital learning object is ‘a standalone piece of digital content that can be used and reused for learning purposes’ (IGI Global, n.d.). ‘The TL is well-placed to curate digital resources for teachers and students to access’ (Gemell, 2022, August 22), making them a ‘one-stop-shop for accessing information quickly and easily’ (Gemell, 2022, August 22). This idea is supported by ACT Government (2019, p. 7), stating ‘Teacher librarians are professional curators – they select only the most useful resources for teaching and learning’. By creating research guides, TLs assist in locating reliable, meaningful and authoritative resources in a world of information overload (ACT Government, 2019). Research guides also ‘encourage active engagement in the interactive information seeking process’ (Education matters, 2022).

Teaching and support are required in students’ development of information literacy and research skills (Loh, 2019). Students do not naturally have digital literacy skills (Kirscher & De Bruyckere, 2017). Kelly (2022, September 16) stated that there is ‘value in building the essential skills students need to be successful, particularly when using digital technologies’. I agree with this statement and as a TL it is imperative to teach our students the skills they need to be successful. ‘This world of ever-changing information is a minefield for students to navigate and we are all having to upskill in a variety of areas in order to successfully navigate and access the information we require’ (Gemell, 2022, July 24).

Creating research guides presents challenges relating to copyright. As the TL I must be an exemplar for best practice. This was discussed in relation to the use of book covers as pictures when creating research guides. The main point from the discussion is that using the book covers is highly unlikely to have any negative effects, however it’s important that correct copyright practice is modelled (Oddone, 2022, September 13). I found the smartcopying website to be reliable resource.

Another challenge that arose is the consideration of the reading level of the online resources. Knowing my students is key to selecting appropriate resources, but this was also backed up by the use of website readability checkers. The two that I predominantly used were Webfx for individual pages and Experte for entire websites. The accessibility of the online research guide also needed to be considered. ‘If students are presented with a resource that is not suitable for their needs, then it is of little use’ (Gemell, 2022, September 8). This is also true in the evaluation of search engines. ‘It’s important to think about what the students need out of their searching’ (Gemell, 2022, August 4).

To validate the effort of building a research page, it needs to be used by students and promoted by teachers. It is not a matter of ‘build it and they will come’. Having the research pages located on a platform that students use regularly helps in this conundrum. In my current role, LibBase (part of Infiniti) is used as the research guide platform. These are linked to class pages and promoted in class by the classroom teachers. As a result, these research guides are well-used (Gemell, 2022, August 2022).

In building the research guide I have learnt to consider the readability of a website, including the reading level, navigation and layout. I have also learnt to do some coding (thanks to a wonderful colleague) to ensure that the website was fit for purpose.

References

ACT Government. (2019). School Libraries: The Heart of 21st Century Learning. Canberra: ACT Government: Education. https://www.education.act.gov.au/__data/assets/pdf_file/0007/1435435/School-Libraries-The-Heart-of-21st-Century-Learning.pdf

Education matters magazine. (2022). School libraries supporting 21^st century learning. https://www.educationmattersmag.com.au/school-libraries-supporting-21st-century-learning/

IGI Global. (2022). What is a digital learning object. https://www.igi-global.com/dictionary/enhancing-21st-century-learning-using-digital-learning-objects-and-multiple-intelligence-theory/67087

Kelly, S. (2022, September 16). Creating resources [Discussion board]. ETL501, Interact 2. https://interact2.csu.edu.au/webapps/discussionboard/do/message?action=list_messages&course_id=_62875_1&nav=discussion_board_entry&conf_id=_127076_1&forum_id=_281396_1&message_id=_4131909_1

Kirschner, P.A. & De Bruyckere, P. (2017). The myths of the digital native and the multitasker. Teaching and Teacher Education, 67, 135-142. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.tate.2017.06.001

Libraries Tasmania. (2022). Effective school libraries. https://libraries.tas.gov.au/school-library/Pages/effective.aspx

Loh, C. E. (2019). Envisioning the school library of the future: A 21^st century framework. https://doi.org/ 10.13140/RG.2.2.32524.36489.

Oddone, K. (2022, September 13). Referencing pictures [Discussion board]. ETL501, Interact 2. https://interact2.csu.edu.au/webapps/discussionboard/do/message?action=list_messages&course_id=_62875_1&nav=discussion_board_entry&conf_id=_127076_1&forum_id=_281392_1&message_id=_4222723_1

04
Aug
2022

Library layout – considerations and conundrums

categories: 21st century library, Dynamic information environment, ETL501, role of the Teacher Librarian

The layout of the library takes many factors into consideration. It needs to be visually appealing while servicing the needs of the school community. It needs to be a place of quiet study and collaboration. It needs to be a flexible, yet practical. Many of these considerations seem to be contradictory and presents the conundrum of ‘How does the library cater for all these needs?’

The conundrum

Different sections of the school are going to require different uses of the library space. This morning I was faced with one such conundrum around the use of the library. In the mornings, the library is a buzz of activity; students studying, chatting, playing cards, catching up on homework, and playing chess. There is particularly boisterous group of Year 8 students who enjoy sitting and chatting in the library. Their favoured space is close to tables at which the Year 12s like to study in small groups. One Year 12 student was labouring over a past paper and was getting frustrated about the Year 8s chatting. All students have equal rights to accessing the library space, but the Year 12 student didn’t see it that way. The year 12 student was offered a small study room, but he declined saying he preferred to be at the table. Who was right in this interaction?

This particular scenario is not unusual in the library space; one that I am sure we have all faced at one time or another. The question is, what do we do about it? Are we meeting the needs of the students in the current library space?

Role of the library

Loh (2019) states that “The five key roles of a 21st century school library are to support reading, research, collaboration, studying and doing” (p. 4). This is a far cry from the library of old, where it was simply a place to store and access knowledge and information (Australian Library and Information Association, 2014; Halder, 2020; Rashid, 2020). The library is a much more dynamic space now than ever before and is being used in dynamic ways. The space must have the flexibility to cater for all students needs within the five key roles. Reading, researching and studying require a quiet space, while collaboration and doing require a space that allows talking and movement.

Solving the conundrum

The key to the solution is being definite about what each section of the library is used for. There needs to be areas for quiet study, researching and reading, and there needs to be areas for collaboration and doing. When there is cross-over in these areas, that is when the situation outlined above occurs.

There is no one-size-fits all solution, and it’s vital for the teacher librarian to assess the needs of the students and staff through conversations and understanding the curriculum. They then apply this knowledge of their community to designing the space to suit the varied needs.

References

Australian Library and Infomation Association. (2017). Future of the library and information science profession school libraries. Canberra: Australian Library and Infomation Association. https://www.alia.org.au/futureoftheprofession

Halder, D. (2020). A transitional shift from traditional library to digital library. In A. K. A. Kaushik, Handbook of research on emerging trends and technologies in library and information science (pp. 147-156). IGI Global.

Loh, C. E. (2019). Envisioning the school library of the future: A 21^st century framework. https://doi.org/ 10.13140/RG.2.2.32524.36489.

Rashid, M. H. (2020, December 28). Difference Between Traditional and Digital Library. Library & Information Managemet. https://limbd.org/

25
Jul
2022

Dynamic information environment. What does it mean?

categories: 21st century library, Dynamic information environment, ETL501, Information landscape, role of the Teacher Librarian

Before I sink my teeth too far into a new unit, I like to take a moment to pause and really think about what I already know (or think I know) about the subject. What does ‘dynamic information environment’ mean? The word ‘dynamic’ is really the key here. It shows that the world of information is ever-changing and not static or stagnant. The phrase does not specify whether the information environment is physical or digital so I’m going to apply it to both contexts. This world of ever-changing information is a minefield for students to navigate and we are all having to upskill in a variety of areas in order to successfully navigate and access the information we require. So, what does this all mean in the context of a school library and the role of the teacher librarian?

According to Australian School Library Association (ASLA) (2022) the teacher librarian has three main roles. These roles are as curriculum leaders, information specialists and information service managers. Teacher librarians as information specialists and information service managers both contribute to the navigation of a dynamic information environment. The teacher librarian ensures that students and teachers have access to well-organised systems for retrieving resources. For this to be effective the teacher librarian must ensure that these systems are well maintained with the focus being on the users. Just because a system works well for the teacher librarian, it may not be suitable for the school community. These systems must consider both the physical and digital resources.

How does the dynamic information environment relate to the physical space of the library? My initial thought is that the library space must be flexible to accommodate the variety of ways in which the school accesses information. Just like the way the information landscape is every-changing, then the library space needs to adapt to accommodate this constant change. A library space is a place for collaboration, exploration, leisure as well as research and individual study. The physical space must be dynamic in its own way to function within and support the dynamic information environment.

There is a lot to consider and unpack in three words but these thoughts are just the beginning of the learning journey in ETL501.

24
Jan
2022

Collection development: resourcing, policy and futureproofing

categories: 21st century library, Collaboration, collection development, collection management, Copyright, Creative Commons, ETL503, Information landscape, Reflection, Resource selection, Resourcing the curriculum, role of the Teacher Librarian

The role of the library is to support the needs of the school community by providing a wide range of physical and digital resources (Fleishhacker, 2017; International Federation of Library Associations (IFLA), 2015). It sounds quite simple but is a daunting task that involves knowledge of the curriculum, the school community, the current collection and how to build and manage a balance of resources that best support these needs.

Prior to ETL503 I did not realise that resourcing was the responsibility of both the teacher librarian (TL) and the classroom teacher (CT). I thought that supporting teachers involved providing resources such as pathfinders, lists of websites and piles of books (Gemell, 2021, November 4). In fact, selection of resources is set out in Standard 3.4 of the Australian Professional Standards for Teachers (2014). I now understanding that for optimum resourcing, it is vital for the TL and the CT to collaborate, with the TL providing a whole-school birds-eye view of resourcing across the curriculum, and the CT focused on their class’ needs (Gemell, 2021, November 8).

I was also initially baffled by the seemingly interchangeable terms of collection development and collection management. Through further investigation and discussion, I sifted through the terminology to discover that the two terms are, in fact, different. I was involved in a great discussion with several other students, and we nutted out that management is what happens after the collection has been developed (Gemell, 2022, January 3). This was summed-up perfectly by Kay Oddone (2022, January 10) who commented that “development is an activity that is part of the overall management of the collection.” Through this discussion I developed further understanding in the nuance between collection development and collection management.

I then came face-to-face with the concepts of copyright and creative commons. I must admit, this is an area that I have never put much thought into and I’m sure I have been in breach of copyright at some time. I was under the impression that anything could be used so long as it was properly referenced (Gemell, 2021, December 12). However, this area is hugely complex and goes far beyond appropriate referencing. I believe there is an expectation that librarians have a basic understanding of copyright and licensing of electronic resources and, as such, support the school complying with copyright requirements (Copyright laws, 2021). To assist with this, I found an invaluable resource in the website https://smartcopying.edu.au/.

I had previously heard of creative commons, but like copyright, had never given it much thought. I now understand that creative commons licenses help with the sharing and reusing of creations. Creating my own post (Gemell, 2021, December 12) about the different licenses and their uses has definitely supported my understanding of the link between copyright and creative commons. This understanding is invaluable as a TL because it helps to ensure that the library is complying with copyright, and also able to provide resources under creative commons licenses to support the school community across the curriculum. Through this knowledge of creative commons and copyright the TL is also in a strong position to advise others on copyright issues and the use of creative commons materials.

Through ETL503, I have an improved understanding of the importance of a collection development policy (CDP) as a strategic document. According to the Australian Library and Information Association (ALIA, 2017), “A collection development policy is essential to a school library as it explains why the collection exists” (p. 8). During discussions with other students, it was surprising to realise just how many schools did not have a current CDP, or even more startling was the schools that did not have one at all. I found myself in that position with a policy available for my secondary school, but no policy for the primary school (Gemell, December 27). If it is such a crucial document, then why is it seemingly not a priority?

Collection development is an incredibly complex process with a multitude of facets (Oddone, 2019, August 19). These facets increase with the development of technology and changes in information access, not only in schools, but in society as a whole. It serves as a blueprint for the overall goals, processes and overall management of the library (Abercrombie, 2018, 30 May), ensuring there are clear processes for budgets, resource selection, deselection and challenged materials (Abercrombie, 2018, 30 May; Libraries Tasmania, 2021). The policy is also explicit in its descriptions of the school profile including their specific requirements. With all these elements in mind, the CDP must be updated regularly to stay current (ALIA, 2014).

The development of a CDP is an important matter to discuss with the school leadership and demonstrate the importance of developing, reviewing, and maintaining this document. The school leadership must be part of the development of the CDP (Libraries Tasmania, 2021) so they can best support the needs of the library through budgeting, and understand that the library is not stagnant, but continually changing and evolving with users’ needs, including technology and digital resources.

The CDP policy serves an important role in the issue of self-censorship. I had previously not considered self-censorship as an issue but, through my readings, have discovered that it is very common and easy to fall into to avoid conflict situations (Jacobson, 2016). The CDP supports the librarian by having clear selection criteria and processes (including use of selection tools) as well as outlining the process for challenged materials. This ensures confidence in the selection of potentially contentious material (Gemell, 2021, 28 December).

Through collection development and management, the library can be equipped for the future. It is important for the library to consistently update materials (including deselection) and provide digital resources (Tonini, 2020, June 24). The key to future-proofing the library collection is fluidity. Samantha Macey (2022, January 2) summed this up perfectly, stating that “the collection development policy should be continually revised (collaboratively if possible) to reflect the fluid nature of libraries, and to keep on top of any new developments.” The information landscape is ever evolving, and it is the responsibility of the library to evolve with it. Remember, a stagnant library is a redundant library (Gemell, 2022, January 8).

The number one goal of any library is to provide knowledge to the community, no matter how that knowledge is accessed and it is up to the library and librarians to “understand the community and adapt to their needs” (Gemell, 2022, January 8).

References

Abercrombie, S. (2018, May 30). Why do you need a collection development plan? Knowledge Quest. https://knowledgequest.aasl.org/why-do-you-need-a-collection-development-plan/

Australian Institute for Teaching and School Leadership. (2014). Australian professional standards for teachers. https://www.aitsl.edu.au/teach/standards.

Australian Library and Information Association. (2017). A manual for developing policies and procedures in Australian school library resource centres. (2nd ed.). https://read.alia.org.au/manual-developing-policies-and-procedures-australian-school-library-resource-centres-2nd-edition

Australian Library and Information Association. (2014). Future of the library and information science profession: School libraries. https://read.alia.org.au/content/future-library-and-information-science-profession-school-libraries

Copyright laws. (2021, September 30). A simple guide to copyright for librarians: 15 essential facts and tips. Copyrightlaws.com. https://www.copyrightlaws.com/simple-guide-copyright/

Fleishhacker, J. (2017). Collection development. Knowledge Quest. 45(4). 24-31.

International Federation of Library Associations and Institutions School Libraries Section Standing Committee. (2015). IFLA school library guidelines. https://www.ifla.org/wp-content/uploads/2019/05/assets/school-libraries-resource-centers/publications/ifla-school-library-guidelines.pdf

Jacobson, L. (2016). Unnatural selection. School Library Journal, 62(10), 20–24.

Libraries Tasmania, (2021). Procedures and guidelines. https://libraries.tas.gov.au/school-library/Pages/managing-procedures.aspx

Tonini, S. (2020, June 24). 7 tips for future-proofing school libraries. eSchool News. https://www.eschoolnews.com/2020/06/24/7-tips-for-future-proofing-school-libraries/2/

08
Jan
2022

The future of school libraries

categories: 21st century library, collection development, ETL503, role of the Teacher Librarian

Libraries must adapt to changes and the needs of the community. A library that remains stagnant in its services becomes redundant. The key point of libraries and librarians is to understand their community and adapt to their needs (Australian Library and Information Association (ALIA), 2014).

The principal must be future-focused for the library to continue to be of service to the school community. A principal who believes that a library is a place to house books will be doing a disservice to their school community. The collection development policy must reflect the changes in access to information and adapt to these for the library to remain relevant (Abercrombie, 2018).

In a primary school setting the physical non-fiction (NF) section will continue to be a vibrant area of the library collection, however this must be regularly updated (including weeding) to ensure current information is presented (Abercrombie, 2018; ACT Government Education, 2019). I know at my library the NF section is hugely popular and the books are suitable to the needs of the students.

In 10 years’ time, the NF section at the senior school would look vastly different. My library in the senior school has a well-resources NF section that is hardly touched by the students. When researching for assignments, the students use online platforms rather than physical resources. All students in the high school have their own laptop which is used in all classes, whereas the primary school students do not have uninterrupted access to information technology. I believe that within 10 years the NF section of the high school library will no longer be there or will be limited to a few bookshelves. This does not mean that the collection will have shrunk because the online collection will grow significantly. The budget that would have been spent on the physical NF resources would be used to purchase e-resources.

The teacher librarian themselves play a critical role in the function of the school library (ALIA 2014). Casting my mind back to my high school library experiences, I remember a ‘library dragon’ who was unapproachable and sent you out if you so much as breathed in the library. This was not a space where I wanted to go to do any kind of research but, being pre-internet boom, there was little choice. I am sure this was not everyone’s experience, but it definitely stuck with me and, as I embark on my TL journey, I know what I do not want to be. In a typical day at the library, I support students and teachers alike in selecting resources for research and recreational reading, and my main project is creating resource pages for students and teachers to use to support research across a range of subject areas.

I feel the library will always be a space where the school community can come to access resources (either physically or digitally), learn research skills, or simply enjoy some quiet time.

References

Abercrombie, S. (2018, May 30). Why do you need a collection development plan? Knowledge Quest. https://knowledgequest.aasl.org/why-do-you-need-a-collection-development-plan/

ACT Government Education. (2019). School libraries: The heart of 21st century learning. https://www.education.act.gov.au/__data/assets/pdf_file/0007/1435435/School-Libraries-The-Heart-of-21st-Century-Learning.pdf

03
Jan
2022

Collection development and collection management

categories: 21st century library, collection development, collection management, ETL503

As I have been working my way through ETL503 I am constantly faced with the terms ‘collection development’ and ‘collection management’. These two terms seem to be used interchangeably, but if they mean the same thing, then why the different terms, which seem to imply different meanings? What’s the difference between a collection development policy and a collection management policy?

According to Johnson (2018), the terms collection development and collection management have different nuances. Collection development involves the library taking into account the priorities, needs and interests of the community and developing or building a collection in response to those. The Australian Library and Information Association (ALIA) supports Johnson’s definition of collection development by stating that it “is essential to a school library as it explains why the collection exists” (2017, p. 8). Without the community to use the library, the library is of no use. Gregory (2019) also contributes to this definition of collection development stating that collection development is essentially the thinking that contributes to resource acquisition. The thinking around acquisition must stem from the needs of the library community and building the collection to meet those particular needs.

So, how does this all fit in with collection management, and is it different?

Gregory (2019) states that collection development is a subset of collection management and “is included within a broader picture of collection management or maintenance” (p. xiii). Collection management is the process of what to do after the collection is in place (Johnson, 2018). Gregory defines collection management as

“the process of information-gathering, communication, coordination, policy formulation, evaluation, and planning that results in decisions about the acquisition, retention, and provision of access to information sources in support of the intellectual needs of a given library community” (2019, p. xiii).

So, what is required? A collection development policy or a collection management policy?

Libraries Tasmania (2021) states that “a collection development policy covers the acquisition and deselection of resources” (para. 5) and as a starting point must include sections about budget, selection/deselection criteria, challenged resources, collection evaluation, donations and stocktake. The collection development policy appears to be quite detailed, and everything must be linked to the context of the school. In contrast to this, IFLA’s (2015) definition of a collection management policy which defines the ‘purpose, scope, and content of the collection as well as access to external resources and helps to ensure a wide range of high-quality resources (p. 33). This does not appear to be as detailed with what is required within the policy.

Charles Sturt University (CSU) Library page has a collection development policy which includes a section about collection management. The collection development shows its purpose to be about the processes of selection, retention and deselection of resources in order to keep the collection relevant to its users (2021). The section on library management only makes reference to the removal of materials. In this case, it sounds like the collection management is a subsection of collection development, not the other way around and proposed by Gregory (2019) and Johnson (2018).

My thinking around all of this is that libraries are tending towards having a collection development policy because of the ongoing nature of collection development. This continual evaluation ensures that library patrons have access the relevant and current resources (IFLA, 2015).

References

Charles Sturt University Library. (2021). Collection development. https://library.csu.edu.au/our-libraries/contact-library-team/library-management/collection-development

Gregory, V.L. (2019). Collection development and management for 21st century library collections: an introduction (2nd ed.). American Library Association.

International Federation of Library Associations and Institutions School Libraries Section Standing Committee. (2015). IFLA school library guidelines.https://www.ifla.org/wp-content/uploads/2019/05/assets/school-libraries-resource-centers/publications/ifla-school-library-guidelines.pdf

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

Libraries Tasmania, (2021). Procedures and guidelines. https://libraries.tas.gov.au/school-library/Pages/managing-procedures.aspx

22
Aug
2021

The 21st Century Library

categories: 21st century library, Collaboration, ETL504

During the week’s readings I was particular taken by the blog post by Beth Holland, 21st-Century Libraries: The Learning Commons. It got me thinking about the space of the library and what that would look like. It also got me thinking about if the library space itself is important, or is the library shifting so far to digital access that the library space is becoming obsolete? Beth Holland discusses the birth of Enlightenment and the role of the coffee houses as a place for people to gather to have meaningful conversations on learning. Is the 21^st Century school library moving more towards this coffee house style of space? I have been reflecting on this and beginning to think that the answer is both. The physical library space is still important as it provides a common space within the school for students to gather, whether in a class capacity or independently. The space itself triggers the concept of a place of learning and discussion. If the library space didn’t exist, where else would students have these opportunities? I know for myself I have certain places I go to for certain activities. I do my school-work downstairs in my office (or at school when we can be there!), and I do my reading for leisure upstairs on the couch. I couldn’t let these areas cross over because the feeling of the space would be wrong. I think this theory applies to the school library space. If no other space in the school provides the opportunities for discussion, collaboration and sharing in a common area then these key learning activities are in danger of not occurring at all.

I’m thinking that a 21^st Century school library would be more like the space that is described in Beth Holland’s blog post: a learning hub for the school with space for interaction, collaboration and sharing, leaning more towards the space as a learning commons rather than a traditional library. The space and building itself contribute to the activities that happen within the space while the resources are supported in both a physical and digital environment.