I’m in the process of curating resources for assignment 2, The library research guide. Having previously made pathfinders I thought this assignment would be straightforward. However, I have come to realise that there is so much to think about when curating resources for the research guide.
More than a Google search
Research guides are so much more than doing a broad Google search and trawling through the pages to find something that I think is suitable, then copying and pasting the URL. The curation of these resources relies on the TL understanding not only the topic area, but the students who will be accessing the research guide. The research guide also needs to embed research literacy skills, so students get the research guide is more than a collection of resources; it explains how to use the resources to get the most value out of them. Appropriate annotations of the resources allows students to navigate the resources and use them more effectively. In this way, the research guide supports students in navigating a range of quality resources and avoiding the infoglut of a poorly executed Google search.
Accessibility and readability
I hadn’t previously considered the readability or accessibility of resources but now realise that this is so important. If students are presented with a resource that is not suitable for their needs, then it is of little use. There are several readability checkers available online including Experte and Sitechecker.
The readability score (scale of 0-100). The following table shows the ranges
(Image from https://www.experte.com/readability-checker)
The access of the resources is also important. Different students have different needs when it comes to access and these must be considered in the creation of a research guide. The research guide that I am currently creating is focusing on the Year 8 history topic: Japan under the Shoguns. While researching suitable sites I discovered that there are sites available that have a read aloud function for many of the articles. This function is available on worldhistory.org and School Britannica. It is also available on many eBooks. This function allows students of lower reading abilities to access resources that they may otherwise not access.
Information literacy
To ensure the research guide is more than curated resources it is important to embed information literacy skills. Links to effective note-taking skills, note-taking templates and information about effective research skills are paramount. It’s one thing for students to access the resources, it’s another to support them in effective notetaking and research. The inclusion of instructional videos and clear templates support students to navigate and get the most out of the research guide.
Be sure to
Final hot tips for a great research guide
- Know your students
- Know the curriculum
- Use the readability checkers
- Check the readability of each web resources
- Check the readability of the research guide
- Embed information literacy skills
- Notetaking templates
- Notetaking skill information
- Boolean operators
- Easy navigation of the research guide
- Visually appealing but not distracting
- Working links
- Appropriate annotations
- Modelling of correct referencing
I think that using social media in the classroom is a slippery slope. There are arguments for and against using these platforms, but I personally would be reluctant to harness social media as an education platform.
There are several arguments supporting the use of social media. Students are using a variety of social media platforms and, as educators, and particularly as digital literacy experts, the teacher librarian are well-placed to support students in the safe use of these online spaces. Using social media opens up opportunities for ‘teaching moments’ to show students the importance of online responsibility and the use of privacy settings to ensure their online safety. Students also learn to engage with social media in a responsible manner and learn to only post what is appropriate. It’s the ‘think before you post’ mantra. My go to was always ‘if you wouldn’t put it on your grandmother’s fridge, don’t post it online’. These are vital skills for students as they interact with each other more and more in the digital world.
In saying that, interacting with students in a social media platform potentially opens a minefield of problems. When a page is opened for students to use it would become the responsibility of the teacher to monitor the use of the page. Teachers cannot monitor a page 24/7 so there is potential for the page to be used inappropriately. The page can’t be ‘closed’ overnight so students would have 24/7 access. Depending on which platform is chosen, students would be able to directly message the teacher, and this can place the teacher in an awkward situation in regard to child protection. These platforms are not monitored by the school and would breach child protection policies.
So, are there better options than teaching students how to be responsible in a public social media platform? Well, it depends on what the social media platform is being used for. Is it simply for sending out messages to students or is it for students to collaborate and contribute to the page? For messages being sent out be the teacher, the platforms School Stream and Class Dojo allows the school to make whole-school and individual class announcements. These platforms are monitored by the school to ensure that the content is appropriate.
Google Classroom allows interaction between teacher and students, and it includes a class homepage where students can post. I have previously worked in a ‘Google’ school and Google Classroom was used effectively to teach students about appropriate online interaction. The beauty of this choice is that the platform was monitored by school IT services, so the teacher was not on their own in monitoring the content. The page was also ‘closed’ from 8pm – 8am and on weekends. This is a setting the school chose to employ as a way to reduce issues around page monitoring.
I understand that students need to have real-world opportunities to build their skills in digital citizenship and that social media is not going away any time soon. However, I don’t think using public social media platforms is the way forward. I would suggest that teachers need to think carefully about what the purpose of using social media is before diving in headfirst.
I’m now halfway through ETL501 and I have been enjoying my learning journey so far. It has definitely challenged my thinking in the design of the physical library space and how that space is used by ALL members of the school community. I have looked at my library through a more critical lens and thinking about more than the aesthetics. The physical layout of the library must be purposeful and fit the needs of the school community, taking 21st century skills into account, thus future-proofing the library space. It was exciting to share the (imagined) library redesign ideas with my colleagues and to spark conversations around why the space is set up how it is and what would be changed, if anything. Being more critical of the library space allowed me to realise there are issues in my library, particularly the height of the non-fiction shelves. I hadn’t realised that the height makes browsing prohibitive as well as a WHS issue.
It was also eye-opening to realise that the library’s number one purpose is to service the needs of teachers and the students come secondary to this. However, by supporting the teachers it enables them (and us) to support the students. It’s not about neglecting student needs but supporting them through the curriculum needs of teachers.
Doing all this learning online is challenging however it does have advantages. The online delivery model allows me to
- Access the content when I want to
- Refer back to the content as required
- Curate readings digitally
Disadvantages include
- A lot of reading online
- Feeling isolated because there is no in-person interaction with the unit coordinators or students
Even though I have enjoyed the learning in ETL501 so far, I do find it difficult to be excited about it. I have to be self-motivated to engage in the learning and the discussion boards. The amount of reading can be overwhelming. I would like to see a change in the delivery of the bulk of the content through recorded weekly lectures with additional reading and activities required in addition to the lecture. I have previously engaged in distance education that followed this model and I found it to be more motivating.
Engaging with online content has got me thinking about the concept of the flipped classroom. The flipped classroom model needs to be considered carefully before implementation. The resources provided must suit the needs of the learners otherwise it is difficult to engage with the materials independently. The flipped classroom model also needs to take differentiation of content into consideration. There is not a one-size-fits all when it comes to learning. I can see that the flipped classroom model could possibly allow students to move through their learning more quickly because the learning is taking place outside of class time. This frees up the class time to be used for support from the teacher and peers through questions and practice of new skills.
The flipped classroom model could influence library research investigations with students engaging in independent research outside class time and then receive guidance from the classroom teacher and the teacher librarian at school.
However, it does make me wonder if the flipped classroom model works for motivated, capable students but is potentially a pitfall for students requiring more support.
Key aspects of Web 2.0 that are likely to impact on education in today’s schools include web search skills, website evaluation strategies and the effects of social media.
The use of search engines has a huge impact on education. There are a vast number of search engines available, and they all allow a list of websites appearing at the click of a button. This information glut can be difficult to navigate, particularly if students do not have the skills to effectively evaluate websites. These skills are not innate, and students are not digital natives (Kirscher & De Bruyckere, 2017). It is disservice to our students to assume they have the skills to navigate and discern information presented to them online. Just because our students have grown up in a world where the internet always been in their lives, does not mean they naturally have the skills to navigate it. To put this in perspective, we all grew up in a world where there are cars, however we all needed explicit instruction to learn to drive one.
Web 2.0 provides an interactive experience for students, and they can comment on and ‘like’ pages and posts. They can create their own blogs and interact with other internet users. This opens a whole can of worms for schools around cyber-safety for their students. All schools have a responsibility to ensure that students are safe online. Schools need to have a ‘Responsible use of ICT’ policy and it needs to updated regularly and adhered to. This helps to ensure students’ online safety.
The impact of social media platforms is ongoing in schools. It’s more than teaching students about the dangers of these social media platforms (grooming, cyber-bullying, identity theft) but for schools to understand what behaviours are being promoted in trending videos (Wright, 2022). With this knowledge, teachers can support students in their safe navigation of these social media platforms. Our students are exposed to more information than ever before and they must have the skills to navigate this information. Remember, not everything you read in on the internet is true!
This might all seem like a lot of doom and gloom with the online dangers for our students. But there is a light! The teacher librarian can support students in their skills to navigate Web 2.0 tools. From effective search skills to website evaluation, the teacher librarian is well-placed to teach these skills explicitly in a range of subject areas across the curriculum. There is also opportunity here for the teacher librarian to provide professional development to staff to upskill them in these areas as well. Web 2.0 applications are here to stay and cannot be ignored. To ignore these is to ignore student needs.
References
Kirscher, P.A., & De Bruyckere, P. (2017). The Myths of the digital native and the multitasker. Teaching and Teacher Education. 10(67) 135-142.
Wright, A. (2022, April 7). TikTok: What Are the Dangers and What Should Schools Do? School governance. https://www.schoolgovernance.net.au/news/tiktok-what-are-the-dangers-and-what-should-schools-do
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 21st 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/
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.
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/
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
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
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
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
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
I have just been reading about the overwhelming area of Creative Commons (CC)and my initial thoughts are “Wow! This is huge and complicated!” In this post I would like to unpack what is meant by CC and how the different licenses are built.
When something is created, it is automatically covered by copyright. This allows the creator to say who can share and reuse their creation. However, permission from the creator needs to be sought by the sharer on each occasion for the creation to be shared or distributed and this can be tedious for the creator. So, what’s the solution?
The answer is, Creative Commons.
“Creative Commons is a world-wide non-profit organisation that provides copyright owners with free licences allowing them to share, reuse and remix their material, legally” (Creative Commons Australia). CC does not mean the creator relinquishes the copyright on their creation. It simply means that it can be reused, remixed and shared legally. This licensing allows other to use works without having a seek permission from the creator each time the work is used. CCs all have baseline permissions and then there are four elements that are used to tailor the license to create six standard CC licenses.
Baseline permissions:
This allows the material to be copied, distributed, displayed and performed. This applies to all CC licenses. The baseline permission can be tailored using the four elements, outlined below.
Attribution (by):
The creator must be credited when the creation is shared.
Noncommercial:
The creation can be used for education and not-for-profit events. Creations cannot be used for profit or advertising.
No Derivative Works:
The creation cannot be changed or altered in any way. It can only be shared in its original format.
Share alike:
Alterations can be made to the creation, but when it is shared it must have the same licensing terms as the original creation.
These baseline permissions and elements can be combined to create the six different licenses.
It must be noted that Share Alike and No Derivative Works cannot be on the same license. This is because they are opposing elements. One gives permission for the creation to be altered, while the other does not.
A great overview of the different licenses is available here
I had previously heard of Creative Commons but hadn’t delved into the details. I always just thought that anything could be shared so long as it was properly referenced. As the teacher librarian, this is something that would need to be understood to help ensure the school is not in breach of copyright.