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).