In my blog post, ‘Developing a library collection’, I reflected on how ELT503, Resourcing the Curriculum, has come at just the right point in my journey as a TL. The library budget has been allocated for next year and our curriculum is changing to reflect the new National Curriculum. I have started selecting and evaluating resources to be included in the library collection to incorporate this change. Johnson states that “collection is both an art and a science. It results from a combination of knowledge, experience and intuition” (2009, p.108). There is a danger that TLs can rely solely on intuition or opinion. Having a CDP in place that is regularly used and reviewed will ensure that selection aids and selection criteria are used to ensure that the collection is developed to meet the needs of the school and the curriculum (Hughes-Hassell and Mancall, 2005; NSW Department of Education, 2015).
Currently there is one Dulwich College Library Policy which includes aspects of a Collection Development Policy (CDP) and a Collection Management Policy (CMP), as well as library procedures. With my new armour of knowledge, I am now in a position to create a new CDP and CMP with the other members of our library team. Most collection decisions have been the result of my predecessor and having a thorough knowledge of the existing collection is an ongoing process for me. I was, and still am, delighted to be working in such a well resourced library and at the beginning of the year I was very happy to announce that we had over 9000 books in the collection. In my blog post, ‘Getting my weeding gloves dirty,’ I mention that Baumbach & Miller discuss that quality is more important than quantity and argue that “misleading, inaccurate, out-of-date information is never better than no information” (2006, p.6.). This statement has had a big impact on me and has helped guide how I will move forward with deselection and the acquisition of new resources, including digital resources. This year, I have also worked in collaboration with teachers and students to select new resources. Hughes-Hassel & Mancall (2005) discuss the importance of the community being the driving force behind resource selection. Although I agree that the TL should have the final decision on resources selected, it must be a collaborative process.
This subject has also been crucial in helping me to understand the importance of the library remaining current with constant advances in technology. The Oxford Dictionary (2017) defines ‘future-proofing’ as making something unlikely to become obsolete. Decisions need to be constantly made to ensure that this does not happen with the library space or collection.
Advances in technology play a large part in how a CDP and library practice will need to be regularly updated to keep up with current technologies. An Ebook library has been added to our collection this year and in my blog post, ‘Digital and print books for children’, I reflected on the mixed reactions to this and how in my school library many students prefer a print book rather than the electronic version. Rosenwald (2015) and O’Connell, Bales & Mitchell (2015) discuss how digital resources have not ‘taken over’ print resources as had been predicted. To ensure that money is well-spent on digital tools for our primary school library, the library must be promoting Ebooks and many other digital subscriptions, including online encyclopedias, newspapers and search and referencing tools. Once promoted, they are well used, but if not the user statistics have remained low. They must also be carefully selected and evaluated following guidelines in a CDP. Even as early as 2005, Wade discussed how there needs to be two distinct databases in the library: the traditional library catalogue; and a second catalog which consists of carefully selected websites that meets curriculum needs. At present, that does not exist in my library, but I have added it into the action plan for the next academic year. By carefully evaluating the collection, I have identified that the non-fiction collection is underused and will need to be regularly and carefully weeded. Rather than the money spent on new print books, time will need to be spent on creating libguides with carefully selected websites and resources.
As the year draws to a close I am using McKenzie’s (2009) guidelines to create an annual report. I am effectively evaluating our collection and creating a CDP that will ensure that the DCSG library is future proof to ensure we are serving the school community in a relevant and inspiring way.
References
future-proof. (2017). English Oxford Living Dictionary. Retrieved from https://en.oxforddictionaries.com/definition/us/future-proof
Hughes-Hassell, S. & Mancall, J. (2005). Collection management for youth: responding to the needs of learners. Retrieved from http://www.ebrary.com.ezproxy.csu.edu.au
Johnson, P. (2009). Fundamentals of collection development and management. Chicago: ALA Editions.
McKenzie, D. (2009). Importance of creating an annual report. [blog]. Library Grits. Retrieved Nov. 2016.
Mounsey, S. (2017). Getting my weeding gloves dirty. [Blog post]. Retrieved from https://thinkspace.csu.edu.au/paws/2017/05/19/weeding-a-library-collection/
Mounsey, S. (2017). Developing a library collection. [Blog post]. Retrieved from https://thinkspace.csu.edu.au/paws/2017/05/01/developing-a-library-collection/
Mounsey, S. (2017). Digital and print books for children. [Blog post]. Retrieved from https://thinkspace.csu.edu.au/paws/2017/04/30/digital-and-print-books-for-children/
O’Connell, J., Bales, J., & Mitchell, P. (2015). [R]Evolution in reading cultures: 2020 vision for school libraries. The Australian Library Journal, 64(3), 194-208. doi:10.1080/00049670.2015.1048043
Pickett, C., Stephens, J., Kimball, R., Ramirez, D., Thornton, J., & Burford, N. (2011). Revisiting an Abandoned Practice: The Death and Resurrection of Collection Development Policies. Collection Management, 36(3), 165-181. doi:10.1080/01462679.2011.580426
Rosenwald, M.C. (2015, February 22). Why digital natives prefer reading in print: Yes, you read that right. The Washington Post. Retrieved from https://www.washingtonpost.com/local/why-digital-natives-prefer-reading-in-print-yes-you-read-that-right/2015/02/22/8596ca86-b871-11e4-9423-f3d0a1ec335c_story.html
Snow, R. (1996). Wasted words: The written collection development policy and the academic library. Journal of Academic Librarianship, 22(3), 191. Retrieved from
http://ezproxy.csu.edu.au/login?url=http://search.ebscohost.com/login.aspx?direct=true&db=bth&AN=9606153744&site=ehost-live
Wade, C. (2005). The school library: phoenix or dodo bird? Educational Horizons, 8(5), 12- 14.
When I heard a librarian mention the word weeding for the first time I felt completely confused by what that could mean. One year later and I have a much clearer understanding how important this is for every library collection. So why does a collection need weeding? Quite simply we need to deselect those items that are not required so there is space for the new ones that have been carefully curated to fit in the collection. Weeding is often referred to as deselection or culling (Croft, 2017). If it is your vegetable garden you need to get rid of those weeds so there is space and optimal conditions for the plants to grow. In your library those weeds need to disappear to help your students and staff grow by providing them with a relevant, attractive and accessible library collection. Students should not be dealing with crowded shelves and old and unappealing books. When they can’t locate what they are looking for in cluttered shelves with old books, they will make the assumption that the library collection will not have what they need. Therefore weeding is a very important aspect of collection management (Renate Beilharz, R, 2007)
Many libraries undertake weeding in different ways but a method called CREW (Continuous Review, Evaluation, and Weeding) is, in my opinion, the best way to manage the collection. This will ensure that weeding is not a job not to be done only in stock take or every few years as an enormous job. Applying CREW will make the collection constantly relevant and mean that weeding is happening regularly (Larson, 2012). TLs should be using a collection management policy that has a section on weeding. It should include a selection criteria and all weeding should be documented.
It is just as important to weed electronic resources including ebooks, audio visual materials and websites linked to the library collection. Baumbach & Miller discuss that quality is more important than quantity and argue that “misleading, inaccurate, out-of-date information is never better than no information” (2006, p.6.). This involves looking at the non-fiction collection carefully and deselecting anything with outdated views. Science and technology topics change more rapidly than the arts and literature so will need to be updated more often (National Library NZ, 2014). Braxton(2016) provides a useful guide with timelines on when resources should be replaced in her Sample Collection Policy blog.
“Most weeding criteria used by libraries involve a combination of qualitative and quantitative weeding criteria. Commonly used qualitative weeding criteria have been expressed in the acronym ‘MUSTIE’. This is a useful guide to help develop weeding guidelines in any library. MUSTIE stands for:
- Misleading – factually inaccurate
- Ugly – worn beyond mending
- Superseded – new edition or better information
- Trivial – no literary or scientific merit
- Irrelevant – to needs of school
- Elsewhere – material easily borrowed or available from another source” (Renate Beilharz, R, 2007).
Quantitative criteria based on numerical or statistical measurement is a very useful way to weed. The Library Management system should be used to identify which resources have not borrowed for three to five years. Some resources may need to be promoted before a decision is made to discard them. Weeding also involves identifying resources to be replaced or repaired. When making the decision to discard materials, resistance can come from staff who do not understand the importance of this aspect of collection management. It is part of the TLs role to educate why these decisions are being made. Having a selection criteria and a policy in place is important to back up all decisions.
Another aspect that needs to be considered when weeding is the reading level and subject matter. At Dulwich College (Singapore) we have three libraries for the different age groups. We are moving books from our Junior School Library to the Infant or Senior Library on a regular basis. This is probably happening more often because the school is only three years old and the collections were originally created before the librarians started at the school.
This image, by LaGarde, was shared in the module notes of this subject I think it sums of weeding perfectly.
References
Baumbach, D. J. & Miller, L. L. (2006). Less is more: a practical guide to weeding school library collections [American Library Association version]. Retrieved from http://portal.igpublish.com.ezproxy.csu.edu.au/iglibrary/search/ALAB0000046.html?0
Braxton, B. (2016). Sample collection policy. 500 hats, the teacher librarian in the 21st century. Retrieved from https://500hats.edublogs.org/policies/sample-collection-policy/
Croft, T. (2017). Deselection (weeding the collection) [ETL503 Module 2.1]. Retrieved May 19th, 2017, from Charles Sturt University website: https://interact2.csu.edu.au/webapps/blackboard/content/listContent.jsp?course_id=_23916_1&content_id=_1294058_1
LaGarde, J. (2013, October 1). Keeping your library collection smelling F.R.E.S.H! [blog post]. The adventures of Library Girl. Retrieved from http://www.librarygirl.net/2013/10/keeping-your-library-collection.html
Larson, J. (2012). CREW: a weeding manual for modern libraries. Retrieved from https://www.tsl.texas.gov/sites/default/files/public/tslac/ld/ld/pubs/crew/crewmethod12.pdf
NationalLibraryNZ. (2014, March 30). Weeding your School Library [Video file]. Retrieved from https://youtu.be/ogUdxIfItqg
Renate Beilharz, R. (2007). Secret library business. Part 2. Connections, (63). Retrieved 2016 from http://www2.curriculum.edu.au/scis/connections/issue_63/secret_library_business__part_2.html
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I have only been working in the library for a few months and have been aware of our library policies but many of them I have not had to look at in great depth at this point. There has not been the time to analyse them or think deeply about them as every day has been so busy with teaching, managing the library and constantly learning about everything this new role entails. So it is quite timely that I am looking at our collection management policy in more depth through this subject, ELT503, Resourcing the Curriculum. At this time of year we are creating our library budget and looking at the curriculum for next academic year so it is useful to be referring to these policies when making collection decisions. Johnson states that “collection is both an art and a science. It results from a combination of knowledge, experience and intuition” (2009, p.108). However, teacher librarians (TLs) need to ensure that they are not relying solely on intuition or opinion, but instead using their experience and knowledge of selection aids and selection criteria to ensure that the collection is developed to meet the needs of the school and the curriculum (Hughes-Hassell and Mancall , 2005; NSW Department of Education, 2015 ).
My school, Dulwich College (Singapore), has consulted with all of the other Dulwich College International (DCI) Schools and a working party of Teacher Librarians (TLs), have created TL standards for all of the colleges (Slaats, 2016). To create these standards, the TL’s consulted many standards that are used internationally. These standards are used for TLs as part of the performance review process. There are four standards involved and each one looks at a different aspect of the TL role. Standard two involves Library Collection development to support teaching, learning and reading. Within each standard there are three levels: beginning, developing and mastering.
At a mastering level it is expected that the librarian develops the library collection to enhance, stimulate and promote the diverse curricular, personal, and professional needs of students and teachers. They develop and maintain online guides to enable and promote access when and where needed to the library resources, and information / instructions on library related skills and fluencies. The librarian pro-actively supports teachers to embed EAL and other learner’s needs in their practice. The library collection reflects the cultural diversity in the college and the wider community, and provides students with opportunities to explore their own cultural identity and many native languages in depth.
In addition, there is a Dulwich College (Singapore) Library Policy (2016), which includes a section on Collection Development. The content of each DCI Library Collection is determined by curriculum requirements, student needs and the international nature of its patron body as set by each College. It aims to:
• Provide a wide variety of resources suitable for all student ages and ability levels, learning needs and styles.
• Offer access to relevant internal and external resources (e.g. Intranet, Internet, Inter-Library loans), and to encourage students to use technology effectively and responsibly.
• Place principle above personal opinion and reason above prejudice in the selection of materials, reflecting a broad spectrum of knowledge, cultures and thought.
When reviewing these policies only one area that I think could be added in the Dulwich College documents is the importance of collaboration (NSW Handbook for School Libraries, 2015). These collection decisions should not be the sole decision of a TL, but in collaboration with teachers, students, parents and school management. A collection policy should be constantly evolving and regularly consulted so I will look to make these changes with my TL collegues. (NSW Handbook for School Libraries, 2015)
References
Chandler, P & Taylor, L. (2016) Dulwich College (Singapore) Library Policy. (Working paper).
Hughes-Hassell, S. & Mancall, J. (2005). Collection management for youth: responding to the needs of learners [ALA Editions version]. Retrieved from http://ebookcentral.proquest.com.ezproxy.csu.edu.au/lib/csuau/detail.action?docID=289075
Johnson, P. (2009). Fundamentals of collection development and management. Chicago: ALA Editions.
NSW Department of Education. (2015). Handbook for School Libraries. Retrieved from NSW Department of Education Policy Library database and related documents. https://education.nsw.gov.au/policy-library/policies/library-policy-schools
Slaats, M., Beck, S., & Taylor, L. (2016). Dulwich College International Librarian Standards. (Working paper).
