As part of assignment one in ETL504 students were required to use mind mapping and concept mapping software. One resource that was shared with us was Kathy Schrock’s Guide to Concept Mapping in the Classroom which is a site I have shared with staff at school. This is a mindmap I created when becoming familiar with one of the software tools, Mindmup. I decided to start mapping many of the roles I do in school as a teacher librarian and think this is a good example of how it demonstrates how diverse the role is. Last week I used this as an advocacy tool when I shared this with the leadership team at school. There is so much involved that you will need to zoom in on the screen!
For the final assignment, I used Lucidchart instead, which I actually preferred to Mindmup because I found it more user-friendly. I have shared both of these tools with staff and already one year group have decided to use this tool and we are planning that into the curriculum. This is another great example of how as I learn the students and staff benefit from my new learning!
After completing this mindmap I was also introduced to the Future Ready Librarians website and think this poster and this infographic sum up a lot of what I was expressing in this mindmap. It is certainly a website I will refer to when writing assignment two which involves writing a future-proofing discussing paper.
My learning this week has been about dealing with conflict, and particularly how to manage those difficult conversations. I am going to call these courageous conversations going forward because I think this sums it up perfectly. Like the majority of people, I avoid these conversations and know that this is an area I need to develop. Effective leaders must be honest and direct communicators and they must manage conflict. Not dealing with conflict in the workplace will certainly not result in it going away and can cause more problems. I have summarised some of my big takeaways with lots of references because I feel I will revisit this material a lot, both for my own use, and also when coaching others who are struggling with this challenging aspect of leadership.
- Timing is crucial when dealing with conflict. If a situation is dealt with before it escalates, then it can sometimes barely be noticed as a conflict (Leading Change, 2019).
- Good leaders must give regular feedback, both positive and negative. This can be presented as constructive criticism and the way it is delivered is essential. Think positive sandwich! (Nohria, 2016)
- Plan the difficult conversation. Use the conversation plan document from Fair Work Ombudsman (n.d.) and rehearse the opening statement (STR!VE, 2013).
- STR!VE (2013) and The Fair Work Ombudsman (n.d.) both have steps to work through for this conversation, including planning a very clear opening statement.
- Begin and end positively (Bender, 2005).
- Emphasise areas of agreement (Bender, 2005).
- Practice active listening. Listening can be more important than talking (Bender, 2005; Minute MBA, 2012)
- We communicate in unintentional ways with body language and this is a result of long habits and requires focus to change these (Bender, 2005).
After completing the conflict resolution questionnaire, (McGraw-Hill Global Educational Holdings, 2018) it helped me to clarify what my current approaches are to manage conflict. It showed that my top preferences for handling conflict were avoiding (smooth over or suppress conflict situations) and forcing (hard influence tactics, including assertiveness). This was closely followed by compromising and problem-solving. The area I scored least on was yielding (giving in completely to the other sides wishes). I agreed with some of this but I certainly reflected on the ways I deal with conflict in my personal life are different from how I deal with them at work, which is quite different. With regards to dealing with conflict at work, I think I need to develop more in the areas of problem-solving and compromising. But most importantly I need to become braver and not avoid those courageous conversations. As I have worked my way through this literature I have already planned some conversations I will be having soon.
References
Bender, Y. (2005). The tactful teacher: Effective communication with parents, colleagues, and administrators. Retrieved from Ebook Library.
Fair Work Ombudsman. (n.d.). Manager’s guide to difficult conversations in the workplace. Australian Government. Retrieved from http://mel0201clsprod.blob.core.windows.net/uploads/fairwork/programresources/ca3bcd7f-8d27-4146-879e-35cb809a87d4/c9a2d0e7-dba1-49b6-a017-2dae43fdee62/manager’s%20guide%20to%20difficult%20conversations%20in%20the%20workplace.pdf
Leading change. (2019). In Teacher librarian as leader [ETL504 module]. Retrieved from Charles Sturt University website: https://interact2.csu.edu.au/webapps/blackboard/content/listContent.jsp?course_id=_42384_1&content_id=_2733070_1
McGraw-Hill Global Education Holdings. (2018). Self-Assessment 11.4: What is your preferred conflict handling style? Retrieved from http://highered.mheducation.com/sites/007040187x/student_view0/chapter11/self-assessment_11_4.html
Nohria, N. [HR360Inc]. (2016, January 7). Steps to successful employee communication [Video file]. Retrieved from https://youtu.be/bRXLTZMvy-U
Strive! (2013, June 12). How to have a courageous conversation [Video file]. Retrieved from https://youtu.be/CoFe_NRRITQ
The readings and videos this week from ETL504 have all been about leadership theory and as I have read through each one I have reflected on the leaders and managers I have worked with in education over the last twenty years and recognised many of their traits and also my own leadership strengths and weaknesses. Managers should ideally be leaders but this is not always the case, sometimes the principals in schools do not have the effective traits to lead and the deputy principal exhibits these traits and is operating more as the leader (“Leadership Theories,” 2019). As an employee in any workplace, it can be easy to criticise management and in schools that can happen a lot. There is no disputing that leadership in any workplace brings endless challenges and there can be numerous people leading within any organisation and this can depend on the type of business it is.
Henry Mitzberg in Kokemuller (2017) describes many different classifications for organisations and one of these is the professional classification whereby a school can be bureaucratic but they also have a high degree of professional, knowledgeable and competent workers who have specialist skills and drive the school forward (“Leadership Theories,” 2019). All of the schools I have worked in have enabled staff who are not managers to work as leaders in some capacity. My current school has project-based groups to drive the strategic vision forward and this enables staff who are not managers to lead.
My leadership journey has been an interesting one. In London, I worked for the most inspiring head teacher(Principal) I have ever come across, and I learnt so much from him. He was outstanding at empowering staff and would create extra responsibilities for even the most junior staff. These roles were always given a title and, at times, small pay increment which of course led to staff feeling recognised for their work. He also encouraged staff to further themselves and I was encouraged to enrol in a middle management course, Leading from the Middle, from the University of London. Shortly after this I successfully won the role of head of Key Stage One and then a couple of years later I acted as one of the Deputy Heads of school for a short time. After this, I had three children and took many years off full time work. We then moved to Singapore, where I started doing some part time teaching at a few different schools which provided me with opportunities to observe how they were lead. Almost four years ago I went back to full time teaching and shortly afterwards made the move into a teacher librarian role. I have often reflected if moving to the library meant the end of me working in school leadership and that brings with it mixed thoughts. I feel like I contribute so much to the entire school in my role and I am very passionate about it and get a lot of job satisfaction. However, I often feel frustrated that I am not officially recognised as a leader within my school, both in my job title, by pay or by my inclusion in any leadership teams. I have had conversations about this and will continue to and I am sure this subject will provide me with more strategies in my toolkit to pursue this further.
I know as a leader I need to look forwards not backwards. So enough, of my personal reflections, what have I learnt about leadership theory? There are a number of different types of leadership styles including:
- Situational: Leaders adopt a style depending on the situation and focus on enabling followers. This style can have issues because it is changeable depending on the situation and also because it relies on the followers (“Leadership Theories,” 2019).
- Transactional: This is task and results driven and is not focused on the strategic vision of an organisation and the underlying principle is that reward increases effort (Ingram, 2019.)
- Transformational: These leaders plan strategically and enthuse motivate and inspire employees. This is the complete opposite of transactional with regards to management and motivation (Ingram, 2019; “Leadership Theories,” 2019).
- Servant Leadership: These leaders are the servants of their employees and they replace self-interest with service to others by focusing on trust and collaboration. (Burkus, 2010)
- Distributed leadership: moves authority away from one individual and relies on strategic groups within the organisation and follows the idea that ‘many hands make light work’ (Harris, 2014).
- Instructional: These leaders direct and manage from the top but they always place students at the forefront and share their vision with staff who they involve in the decision making process (Spenceko, 2013).
The most effective leaders will have a range of styles but the instructional leadership is the one that is most appropriate for the current school context (“Leadership Theories,” 2019). Ferguson and Hamm (2013) summarise McEwan’s seven steps to effective instructional leadership.
- Establish, implement and achieve high academic standards through a strong vision.
- Collaborate with staff by being an instructional resource who creates collegiality.
- Create a learning orientated school culture.
- Communicate the vision and mission to staff and students and always be visible and accessible.
- Set high expectations for yourself and staff. This includes observing teaching and providing feedback.
- Develop more teacher leads, rather than followers.
- Create positive relationships with staff and students by being a good listener and celebrating success.
From immersing myself in this theory I want to end this blog with a list of what I believe are the most important leadership attributes. These are the attributes that I want to see in the managers who lead me and the attributes I would like to possess when I lead. Most of these would be traits of an Instructional leader.
- Organised, inspirational and enthusiastic
- Motivated and motivating
- Recognises and rewards effort
- Focused on the strategic direction of the school
- Team builder and collaborator
- Have empathy and the ability to listen and support
- Ethical, honest and aware of the cultural and socioeconomic diversity within the school community
- The ability to give direction and be a problem solver
- Willing to have courageous conversations and address difficult situations with staff, parents and students
- The ability to influence others to perform to a high level
- Intelligence and excellent knowledge of IT and 21st century learning
References
Burkus, D. (2010, April 1). Servant leadership theory. In DB: David Burkus. Retrieved from http://davidburkus.com/2010/04/servant-leadership-theory/
Ferguson, A. & Hamm, B. [BlueBearEdVidoes]. (2013, January 22). Seven steps to effective instructional leadership [Video file]. Retrieved from https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=T-p9A7EHCR4
[4.33 mins]
Harris, A. (2014, September 29). Distributed leadership. Teacher Magazine, ACER. Retrieved from https://www.teachermagazine.com.au/article/distributed-leadership
Ingram, D. (2019). Transformational leadership vs transactional leadership definition. In Hearst Newspapers: Small Business. Retrieved from http://smallbusiness.chron.com/transformational-leadership-vs-transactional-leadership-definition-13834.html
Kokemuller, N. (2017). Mintzberg’s five types of organizational structure. In Hearst Newspapers: Small business. Retrieved from http://smallbusiness.chron.com/mintzbergs-five-types-organizational-structure-60119.html
Leadership Theories. (2019). In Teacher librarian as leader [ETL504 module]. Retrieved from Charles Sturt University website: https://interact2.csu.edu.au/webapps/blackboard/content/listContent.jsp?course_id=_42384_1&content_id=_2733068_1
Spencekao. (2013, April 6). Instructional leadership. [Video file]. Retrieved from https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=efzXDk1–4w
[6.03 mins]
The first few weeks of ETL504 have provided me with more food for thought on how the libraries are viewed in our school and in other schools I have worked in or observed. One aspect that I really want to reflect on is the importance of a library being an information service and not just an information source. Many schools have barriers to ensuring that this happens. These barriers include budgets and lack of trained staff, including not having a teacher librarian (TL) working in the library.
An information source includes a collection of data including books, ebooks and weblinks, all of which should be, and usually are, housed in a library. This can certainly be useful to some patrons, however, if service is added to these resources, then there are huge benefits to patrons. 21st century libraries should provide information services that add value by creating access, packaging and interpreting information sources and provide twenty-four hour access to all of their services (“Organisation Theory,” 2019).
There is a danger in all libraries that the library staff are so focused on doing the day to day work of cataloguing new books and managing the circulation of resources but they are not adding service. As soon as a patron has a request that should be the number one priority, regardless of how many other tasks need to be done. Excellent libraries also have staff that manage and maintain information, not just the information on the shelves but also the electronic information they are providing with Ebooks and links to websites and databases. This includes preserving and ensuring the accuracy and currency of all resources and educating patrons on how to find information and use it effectively. It would usually include creating and maintaining libguides, blogs and/or pathfinders so that patrons can access information 24/7. Library services also need to be innovative and responsive to new developments in IT and curriculum. TLs need to model, lead and support 21st century teaching and learning (“Organisation Theory,” 2019). After discussing this article with my colleague she shared with me a great blog, Library Grits, by Dianne McKenzie, who I know after attending a workshop she ran a few years ago. In her post, Airlines V’s 5 Star hotels (in Asia) she uses an analogy of comparing service in a library to the service provided in a hotel or by an airline.
In my library, I have also discovered the importance of advocacy. If there is not a TL leading training for staff on how to use the resources then they will not be effectively used in a school. In my school, many of our subscriptions, like our online Encyclopaedias or subscription to Press Reader, as a news source, are forgotten by teachers and students unless I highlight them and plan lessons involving them. A TL should also be very involved in teaching and planning lessons that involve 21st century and information literacy skills. In schools parent sessions by the library staff are hugely beneficial and in my experience a great tool for sharing knowledge with parents. Communication with all patrons is also a service that needs to occur regularly, including newsletters to highlight library services are important.
This subject is looking at the teacher librarian (TL) as a leader and it also made me reflect, if a TL is not working as a leader in a school then there is the danger that the library will be treated as just a resource and that service is not being provided. It also made me consider schools that do not have libraries, like some I worked at in London, and also those schools who have libraries but no TLs. In Australia, when budgets are tight libraries are often the first to lose staff or money for resources (“Organisation Theory,” 2019). With regards to my local context here in Singapore, the government has excellent public libraries and all schools have libraries on premises. However, different use of funding allocated by the Ministry of Education in Singapore means that libraries are designed and managed differently in each school. School libraries are not staffed by teacher librarians and only some school libraries are well designed, well-resourced and well used (Loh, 2019). In most cases, they are just operating as a resource, merely because there is not enough money put towards staffing. A teacher who usually has a very full workload is put in charge of overseeing the library but they are too time stretched to be able to do this effectively. Alternatively, a library assistant is the only person who works in the library and they just manage circulations, without having the time or expertise to provide added services. Colvin (2000) argues that many employees in organisations are treated like robots by management and they are unmotivated or lack opportunities to become knowledge workers who can use infotech effectively and have the capability to organise and deliver projects. When schools don’t employ library staff with the time to dedicate to the library and the required knowledge and skills then the library is unable to become an information source.
In comparison, many of the international schools in Singapore have multiple libraries that are well resourced and are almost always staffed by a qualified TL. However, Singapore seems to be at a tipping point when looking at its education system and there has been a recent study (Loh, 2019) and conversations are starting about the importance of school libraries with TLs. In a culture and education system that is very academically focused, people are interested to hear that students who read for pleasure get better grades in school. There is starting to be an understanding that there is a correlation between high academic results and schools that have a well-staffed and well-resourced library. Part of Loh’s study created the following framework for a 21st century library.
(Loh, 2019, p. 4)
This figure resonates well with me and I think it is a good summary of some of the multitude of roles a library has if it is to be an information source and not just a service.
References
Colvin, G. (2000). Managing in the info era. Fortune, 141(5). Retrieved from http://archive.fortune.com/magazines/fortune/fortune_archive/2000/03/06/275231/index.htm?iid=sr-link1.
Loh, C. E. (2019). Envisioning the school library of the future: A 21st century framework. National Institute of Education (NIE), Singapore. doi:10.13140/RG.2.2.32524.36489
McKenzie, D. (2019, February 13). Airlines vs 5 star hotels (in Asia) [Blog post]. Retrieved from http://librarygrits.blogspot.com/2019/02/airlines-vs-5-star-hotels-in-asia.html
Organisation theory. (2019). In Teacher librarian as leader [ETL504 module]. Retrieved from Charles Sturt University website: https://interact2.csu.edu.au/webapps/blackboard/content/listContent.jsp?course_id=_42384_1&content_id=_2733066_1
I have been very quiet on the blog front because I took a year break and then last semester I studied, ETL505, Describing and Analysing Educational resources. It was a very technical subject and one where we were not required to blog. However, before I start on my next subject, ETL504, I want to share a reflection I have on organising a library by genre, or as it is commonly referred to in the library world, genrefication. Part of this was used in my last paper and it was one I found fascinating to research.
“Organization is the foundational structural element for access. Without organization, no one would be able to find materials in libraries” (Dickinson, 2013, p.5).
There is a plethora of literature about arranging school library collections and many reasons for and against moving away from the Dewey Decimal Classification (DDC) and genrefying libraries. This is driven by teacher librarians who want library collections to be organised in a way that makes more sense and with the maximum opportunity that books will be discovered and borrowed by users (Dickinson, 2013; Kaplan, 2013).
To give some context to my work situation, the three libraries in my school have not genrefied their collections. Our non-fiction is sorted by the DDC, or an abridged version of Dewey and our fiction is organised in alphabetical order, except in the infant school where part of the picture book collection is organised by subject. As all good libraries do, we constantly make and change displays to promote different parts of the collection, and sometimes this is by genre. Our Library Management System (LMS) is Destiny and we make very careful records when cataloguing and pay particular attention to using correct subject headings so that resources can be easily searchable. At the start of my research, I was very much against genrefying my library, for a number of reasons, but the most important was my concern that I did not want to pigeonhole books into just one genre and limit browsers from just looking at the genres they were most interested in. I read many articles and asked around in my librarian networks, both here in Singapore and online, and found strong opinions leaning both ways. I found a variety of statistics demonstrating an increase in borrowing after libraries had genrefied. However, for every argument that stated these increased statistics, that there was counter argument wondering if any change has an effect on borrowing statistics going up just because it leads to unexpected encounters – then changing it back again a few years later the statistics may go up again. We certainly see that when we make displays promoting different parts of the collections.
So, now for a bit of history and explanation. Dewey is the most widely used library classification system in the world and its purpose is to group items together for easy location. Many argue that the categories in Dewey are out of date and it is criticised for scattering subjects (Panzer, 2013). Others believe that Dewey is complex and not developmentally appropriate for young children. Snipes (2018) and Harris (2013) argue that it is unrealistic for a school library to follow it to the letter. Rodgers (2018) talks of streamlining Dewey to eliminate numbers after the decimal point and other library cataloguers are adapting Dewey so that it makes more sense to students. This is also why the abridged DDC has been created to support young children.
Librarians have created many new systems to address their dissatisfaction with Dewey or because they wanted a different system that arranges collections into genres. This includes Metis, BISAC (Book Industry Standards and Communications), C3 (Customer Centred Classification), WorldThink and Darien Library’s System (Kaplan, 2013; Kindschy, 2015). Some of these systems place fiction and non-fiction together, which some argue is more relevant with book publishers often merging these two categories and also because this can lead to students discovering tiles when just searching in just one category. The Schools Catalogue Information Service (SCIS) uses genre headings to help categorise resources.
This has resulted in many regional systems, all of which have advantages and disadvantages. (Jameson, 2013). For all its criticisms Dewey has been used universally and successfully for over 100 years. WebDewey, also ensures that Dewey is constantly evolving and that people are interacting with it. Snipes (2018) and Jameson (2013) argue that these new organisation systems are recreating a pre-Dewey era where every library was organised differently.
In contrast to the criticism comes success stories of increased circulation. Many libraries have genrefied fiction only and others, the entire collection. Supporters of genrefication argue that organising the library in this way is more student-centered, allows for easier browsing and exposure to new authors (Bojanowski and Kwiecien, 2013; Buchter, 2013; Kaplan, 2013; Rodgers, 2018; Snipes, 2015). Kaplan (2013) proposes that searchers need to discriminate between fact v’s fiction and that library organisation is an additional way of teaching these skills. In the world of the internet, social media and fake news, this is one question I am still pondering. If the fiction and non-fiction was mixed, the students would need to regularly make these decisions, which are definitely skills needed for 21st-century learning.
Pendergass argues that “students and staff will benefit more from personal interaction with us than they will from library staff re-shelving and re-cataloguing the entire library” (2013, p. 57). Therefore, the emphasis should be on skills instruction to ensure students know how to access the library and can transfer these skills to use in other libraries. There are of course other disadvantages with genrefication. Where to place books that fit in more than one genre? Ward and Saarti (2018) discuss the necessity of in-depth of indexing. Rather than spending time reorganising library collections, the emphasis should be on managing an effective catalogue. There must be high-quality catalogue records that have correct subject headings that include genres and accurate Dewey numbers. Resources with a range of topics need to be classified using a library policy that determines how they should be classified. Sometimes this might be the first named subject, at other times it might be the subject with the most content in the resource.
I found at the end of this research my position had moved and was feeling more of a ‘fence sitter.’ I do want to make changes in my library with a combination of the two systems and embrace the best of both worlds. I have looked at my library layout and chosen better subject signage for the Non-Fiction collection. This has involved a careful weed of non-fiction and I have moved many books to a different Dewey number that made more sense relevant to the ages of our students and our collection. The pressing question that we asked for each title was, where will it most likely to be discovered when browsing, without using the library catalogue? I have decided to keep our fiction collection arranged by the author but am planning to buy genre stickers to add to the spines of the collection. Some books will have a maximum of two stickers to deal with that problem of categorising books that cross genres. Our borrowing statistics are very high and the reading culture is very strong for our 7 to 11 year olds that my library serves. Therefore, the work in moving the whole collection into genres is not warranted. However, if I was working in a Senior School Library, where the reading tends to taper off, then it is something I would consider, with more research and perhaps trialling a small section. In the meantime, all of our libraries will continue to use aspects of genrefication by promoting their collection in innovative and resourceful ways. with focus collections and displays. However, making displays does not make the books searchable using the LMS so the focus will be to continue to maintain an excellent and up to date library catalogue so that resources are readily searchable, using appropriate subject headings, which may include genres. Students search online when locating information, so those same skills should be transferred into the library when searching. Lesson instruction must involve how to use the library catalogue as it is part of an important information literacy toolkit.
The 21st century has brought about drastic changes in the information environment and libraries have rapidly evolved. I believe that successful libraries will have a combination of systems which allows for flexibility to respond to their user’s demands. And now to move to the next stage, ordering those genre stickers!
References
Bojanowski, S., & Kwiecien, S. (2013). One Library’s Experience. Knowledge Quest, 42(2), 20–21. Retrieved from http://ezproxy.csu.edu.au/login?url=http://search.ebscohost.com/login.aspx?direct=true&db=lih&AN=91761319&site=ehost-live
Buchter, H. (2013). Dewey Vs Genre Throwdown. Knowledge Quest, 42(2), 48–55. Retrieved from http://ezproxy.csu.edu.au/login?url=http://search.ebscohost.com/login.aspx?direct=true&db=lih&AN=91761325&site=ehost-live
Dickinson, G. K. (2013). The Way We Do the Things We Do. Knowledge Quest, 42(2), 4–6. Retrieved from http://ezproxy.csu.edu.au/login?url=http://search.ebscohost.com/login.aspx?direct=true&db=lih&AN=91761315&site=ehost-live
Jameson, J. (2013). A Genre Conversation Begins. Knowledge Quest, 42(2), 10–13. Retrieved from http://ezproxy.csu.edu.au/login?url=http://search.ebscohost.com/login.aspx?direct=true&db=lih&AN=91761317&site=ehost-live
Harris, C. (2012). Summer project: Kill Dewey. The Digital Shift School Library Journal. Retrieved from http://www.thedigitalshift.com/2012/08/k-12/summer-project-kill-dewey/
Harris, C. (2013). library classification 2020. Knowledge Quest, 42(2), 14–19. Retrieved from http://ezproxy.csu.edu.au/login?url=http://search.ebscohost.com/login.aspx?direct=true&db=lih&AN=91761318&site=ehost-live
Kaplan, T. B., Giffard, S., Still-Schiff, J., & Dolloff, A. K. (2013). One Size DOES NOT Fit All. Knowledge Quest, 42(2), 30–37. Retrieved from http://ezproxy.csu.edu.au/login?url=http://search.ebscohost.com/login.aspx?direct=true&db=lih&AN=91761321&site=ehost-live
Kindschy, H. E. (2015, January 13). Time to ditch dewey? Shelving systems that make sense to students. Retrieved September 25, 2018, from http://www.readandshine.com/2015/01/13/time-to-ditch-dewey-shelving-systems-that-make-sense-to-students-learning-commons-model-part-4/
Panzer, M. (2013). DEWEY: how to make it work for you. Knowledge Quest, 42(2), 22–29. Retrieved from http://ezproxy.csu.edu.au/login?url=http://search.ebscohost.com/login.aspx?direct=true&db=lih&AN=91761320&site=ehost-live
Pendergrass, D. J. (2013). Dewey or Don’t We? Knowledge Quest, 42(2), 56–59. Retrieved from http://ezproxy.csu.edu.au/login?url=http://search.ebscohost.com/login.aspx?direct=true&db=lih&AN=91761326&site=ehost-live
Rodgers, L. (2018). Give Your Circulation a Lift: If you want your books to fly off the shelves, check out these ideas. School Library Journal, 64(7), 24. Retrieved from ProQuest Central database. (Accession No. 2059523653)
Snipes, P. R. (2015). Concrete to Abstract: Growing past Genre into Dewey. Library Media Connection, 33(4), 26–29. Retrieved from http://ezproxy.csu.edu.au/login?url=http://search.ebscohost.com/login.aspx?direct=true&db=iih&AN=100272012&site=ehost-live
Ward, M., & Saarti, J. (2018). ARTICLE Reviewing, Rebutting, and Reimagining Fiction Classification. Routledge Cataloging & Classification Quarterly, 56(4), 317-329. https://doi.org/10.1080/01639374.2017.1411414
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).
My school library has only just started offering eBooks and it has been interesting to see the mixed reactions to this. We have subscribed to Wheelers eplatform as part of a consortium which was a much more affordable option than using OverDrive, which we had initially thought we would try. Initially, our eBook library was met with a lot of interest and excitement initially by the student, staff and parent community. There has also been some resistance from parents who had concerns that their children used devices too frequently and would rather they read from print than from a device. Rosenwald (2015) discusses how many students have commented they would rather have the print book than the e version and interestingly we have had a lot of similar feedback. Numerous students have also said to me that they don’t want to read an eBook, they would rather wait for the print version to be available, even if it meant being in a wait list for many weeks. It is too early to draw conclusions in our school setting but I will be regularly reviewing the usage statistics and undertake some research before any conclusions are drawn. One massive benefit is immediate access to a book that is required by a student or staff member. Also, the fact that we can offer books to be available every day of the week, even through school holidays. I do however feel that for the library collection to remain relevant the non-fiction collection must be regularly weeded and ebooks and databases must play a very large part in providing students with a place to go for researching.
This decision has made me reflect on the changing digital landscape and my exposure and reaction to Ebooks. I do not have an e reading device but have read a few ebooks on my phone or Ipad. I love a printed book, the smell, the feel and the whole experience of holding a book in my hand. I don’t rule out the fact that I may buy an e reader at some point but for now, the pile of books beside my bed, and the ones I still want to read in my school library is too large to warrant it. I have also been following, with a great deal of interest, the statistics and predictions on how children’s books sales have been affected by the introduction of Ebooks. As someone who has published children’s picture books, I have attended a number of conferences over the past ten years where this has been a hot topic of conversation. Shatzkin (2015, 2016) shares his views about how the digital landscape has changed the book publishing world and how ‘The Four Horsemen’- Google, Facebook, Amazon and Apple influence and direct consumers in their book-buying choices. Like many literature buffs, I have always liked to support small independent bookstores and live in the hope that some of them will continue to thrive even though book sales are dominated by online booksellers. I do use and appreciate the convenience of The Book Depository, which was in fact bought by Amazon in 2011. This dominance of ‘The Four Horsemen’ has numerous implications for school libraries when developing their collections because all of the “discovery” of new titles is mostly done online, driven “search engine optimization, social media promotion and word-of-mouth, and online retailer merchandising” (Shatzkin, 2016).
Ten years ago there was so much concern that print books would disappear entirely but in the children’s market, they have demonstrated that they are here to stay. For a print lover, I am delighted to see that but as a TL I am also grateful for the convenience that eBooks bring when resourcing the school curriculum.
References:
Rosenwald, M.C. (2015). 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
Shatzkin, M. (2016). Book publishing lives in an environment shaped by larger forces and always has. The Shatzkin Files. [blog]. The Idea Logical Company. Retrieved from http://www.idealog.com/blog/book-publishing-lives-in-an-environment-shaped-by-larger-forces-and-always-has/
Shatzkin, M. (2015). Big focus at DBW 2016 is the tech companies that are shaping the world the book business has to live in.The Shatzkin Files. [blog]. The Idea Logical Company. Retrieved from http://www.idealog.com/blog/2015/11/
After four months of learning in ETL401, and three months in the role of a TL, I feel like my brain is full to capacity! It does not look exactly like Jennifer La Garde’s (2013) image at the end of this post, but it is certainly very similar. It is an image that really spoke to me about the multifaceted role of a TL and one that I had to share. My view of the role of the TL has changed through this subject and there has been a huge shift in my thinking.
I had not given a great deal of thought to the word ‘teacher’ when I had informed people that I would become the junior school librarian. This is not to say that I did not think I would be teaching much; I knew that I was walking into a very busy teaching timetable. However, I had not thought about how important it was to explain my new role as a TL, not just a librarian. Arguably, being a teacher is the most important part of being a TL. I referred to the misconceptions about the role of a TL in my first blog post and I realise that it is partly up to me to demonstrate and educate what a TL can do in a school. O’berg (2006) discusses the importance of principal support and reminds TLs what they should be doing to gain it. Remaining visible to the whole school community, promoting the library and collaborating with all staff are all important aspects of the role.
In my blog post about the multifaceted role of the TL I reflected on many of the roles in La Garde’s image and backed them up with lots of readings. There are two roles that I want to highlight, which are student learning and professional learning. So much learning has taken place for me in this subject, and I blogged about this in Teacher librarians are lifelong learners and Feelings of uncertainty in my personal information search process. The biggest learning curve for me in this subject has been about guided inquiry and Information Literacy (IL) models. My school does not have an IL policy, nor a model that is used, and guided inquiry is not embedded into the curriculum. The school is new and therefore many things need to be ‘rolled out’, which brings with it both enormous challenges and huge opportunities. It has been so useful for me to learn about the different models and think about how I would like to lead the introduction of purposeful information literacy practice. In order to do this, I will need to collaborate with the teaching staff and having been a class teacher so recently gives me credibility to achieve this.
In the coming months, and before I commence the next subject, I will have time to reflect and implement many of the ideas that have stemmed from the learning in ETL401. This blog has barely scratched the surface on some of these ideas, but this image certainly demonstrates many of them well.
References
La Garde’s (2013) Penny For Your Thoughts: What’s Really On The Mind of Today’s Teacher Librarian. In The Adventures of Library Girl Retrieved http://www.librarygirl.net/2013/09/penny-for-your-thoughts-whats-really-on.html
Oberg, D. (2006). Developing the respect and support of school administrators. Teacher Librarian, 33(3), 13-18.
