As collections morph into a digital-physical hybrid, curation will become just as, if not more important than collection development. Dr Kay Oddone
I agree with Dr Kay Oddone, curation is one of the most important roles of a teacher librarian. As I have gained hands on experience as a teacher librarian in a K-12 school library, I have realised that we have unique skills and knowledge that we can share with teachers. Our familiarity with resources aligned with the curriculum, our ability to use engaging IT tools, promote literature and develop information literacy skills can spark interests with students and contribute to greater learning outcomes. Many teachers are time poor and a curated list of resources could enrich student experience, making available resources accessible to teachers.
I am always perplexed by the advancements in technology and yet generally libraries haven’t embraced this dramatic evolution to how we live, receive our information, socialise and learn. While I have deep respect for Melville Dewey, times have changed. Within the context of a school library, there is an argument to genrefy the collection. I am curious as to how this works with non-fiction collections. I could envision this working within the library I work in. The call numbers are usually more of a barrier for students rather than an aid. Further, information literacy is far more complex than navigating numbers.
The library management systems currently available are also archaic and should be tied in with the internet. Information is available everywhere and curation is the link to bridge between the world of the physical collection and the vastness of the worldwide web and digital repositories. While there are ways to integrate both using Learnpath via Oliver, more needs to be done to link in with the real life experience of students and how they access their news, information and entertainment to solidify the importance of school libraries for student outcomes and well-being.
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