Month: March 2022

2.5 Selection Criteria Activity

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Select a resource and evaluate it according to the criteria listed above.
Consider which is the more appropriate approach for determining the general selection criteria to be used in a school, the general approach employed by many school libraries, or the alternative proposed by Hughes-Hassell and Mancall?
Can you think of an alternative approach which would incorporate the teaching and learning environment within the key general selection criteria?
Resource: Barker, M., & Scheele, J. (2019). Gender: A Graphic Guide.
Context: K-12 Central School
Primary Considerations
  • Appropriateness:
    • Content is not appropriate for all learners; appropriate for year 10+ conducting CAFS, S&C courses, etc.
    • Some words may need investigating; some students too developmentally young to access the resource due to mature content
    • may be of some interest to some students, but not all.
  • Scope
    • to educate readers of the scope, nature and history of the nature of gender (how it is informed, formed, etc.)
    • detail appropriate for older readers
    • presents a diverse view of gender; supports inclusivity
  • Accuracy
    • Material is u to date and accurate. Opinions and biases are not recognised. Sources identified within work, frequent references made to other works, specialists and experts.
  • Treatment
    • Style is appropriate for subject (cartoons used to illustrate – this is highly appealing for my learners). Stereotypes not avoided, as they are discussed in length about why they exist. Resource does reflect diverse society.
  • Arrangement and Organisation
    • Material is arranged and organised in a user-friendly manner.
  • Authority
    • Author is very knowledgeable, has published previous works on similar topics.
  • Comparison with other works
    • More engaging than other works as it is a graphic novel in structure and approach.
    • Same approach used with author’s previous works.
Secondary Considerations
  • Physical quality
    • physical elements support the purpose of the work and the learning styles of students
  • aesthetic quality
    • Yes – graphic novels are highly popular
  • literary merit
    • N/A
  • reputation of author, illustrator or producer
    • students do not currently use other works by the author
    • seniors may find it interesting in their stage 6 studies, as it may compliment their senior subjects

Selection and Management Issues around e-Books.

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Foley, C. (2012). eBooks for leisure and learning. Scan, 31(4), 6-14.

What follows are notes on the selection and management issues around e-books as outlined by Foley’s work.

  • “access to, and reading of, ebooks was most prolific where there were planned, explicit learning activities. […] The targeted classes engaged in scaffolded learning activities were the highest users of the ebooks resources” (page 8). This suggests that students need to be provided with opportunities for ebook selection and access, and that organic access is minimal/limited in comparison.
  • budget must be considered in the selection of e-book providers. For smaller libraries, this additional cost may not be feasible.
  • contracts can have hidden costs
  • devices for use and access may need to be purchased, such as ereaders. These will need to be managed individually.
  • freely available e-books need to be added manually, and regularly checked to ensure users can still access the site/resource.

2.1 Selection in the School Context: Professional Reflection

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Think about responsibility for resource selection. 

Discuss how the teacher librarian’s expertise and role is different from that required by all teachers.

All teachers are required by the AITSL standards to know about and utlise a vast array of resources to support learning in their curriculum areas. The TL differs in that they are expected to have a much deeper knowledge not only of resources required for curriculum learning, but how and where to find those resources, how to access them, provide access to them, support and encourage teacher use of them, and additionally have a wealth of knowledge on quality literature for student leisure and enjoyment. They must understand the diverse interests and characteristics of students across the entire school, and be well versed in current and aging quality literature to be able to match students with texts of interests. They must also have a deep understanding of what constitutes “quality” literature, where/how to find it (e.g. the range of awards for international and national literature, etc.), and what texts should be purchased to fill the gaps in collections.

Share ideas on how teacher librarians might effectively collaborate with the school community in the selection of resources in a school with which you are familiar.

First and foremost, a TL must be aware of what teachers are intending to teach, and the characteristics of the cohorts they are teaching, so that they may effectively cater to their needs by suggesting and providing access to appropriate, quality resources. Asking teachers what kinds of resources they use primarily, what resources they currently depend on, and what areas of the curriculum they feel could be further enriched is another excellent way to collaborate with teachers. Futher, TLs can source resources, and then discuss them with teachers prior to selection and acquisition to determine if they are a good fit for both the teacher and the curriculum content.

Consider also how to engage your learners in selection of resources for their school library.

Learners can be engaged in the selection of resources in many ways in the school library. Taking recommendations of texts for purchase is one such strategy. I recently implemented a Google Form Book Recommendation, and linked it to our library news page, so that students may formally submit requests for texts. Other means of taking recommendations and suggestions is verbally, or implementing a “suggestions box” at the front of the library. Alteratively, enlisting library leaders to survey students about what books they think would enrich the library collections is another stratgegy for engaging learners in the resource development of the library.

Who should have the final say on what is included? Why?

I think, to some extent, it should be the TL. Often I have students recommend texts to me with glowing reviews, and yet upon further research (or because I’ve read the text myself) I realise that the text would not, in fact, be appropriate for our school library, nor the age group the recommendation came from (such as texts with mature themes and excessive, graphic violence). Pigging books, for example, are often inquired about in my K-12 Central School, particularly by boys in year 4. However, investigations into such a topic has revealed that such books are often filled with gruesome, detailed and violent scenes, and often images, that are not appropriate for the school community to have access to.

The TL should take on board the needs, interests, and voices of all in the school community. However, as collection managaement is a highly important element of the TLs role, I believe the TL is most equipped to handle the final judgement on resources of interest.

2.1 Selection in the school context Activity

Monica CoddingtonLeave a comment
Review the model (p. 34) developed by Hughes-Hassell and Mancall (2005) – Chapter 4, Selecting resources for learning.
Note that it presents selection as a series of YES or NO decisions. In reality, many selection decisions are not this black and white, and involve a process of prioritising across a range of criteria.
Attempt to draft your own selection decision-making model or flowchart that considers a more complex set of choices and criteria.