Though my current t-l is not certified, and only on a term-certain contract, she is participating in updating the reference and non-fiction sections of the school library. Together, we evaluated the school library's reference services using the CLA's Achieving Information Literacy. We determined that based solely on the collection size, the library fits into the below standard category. Currently, the school's population is 195 students. The budget for the library has been set at $3000 and has remained stagnant for the past 4 years. According to Achieving Information Literacy, the acceptable standard for funding at the elementary level is $26 - $35 per student. Again, the library's "per student" funding falls well below standard at $15.38. The t-l and I successfully advocated to our PAC to award the library $1000 to aid in purchasing reference materials. Other external funds, such as money earned from the Scholastic book fair, will be used as well.
No printed encyclopedias are present and the amount of reference materials in the library is 47 books. Recently, I provided a "collection map" for a previous assignment (see blog post - Communicate, Collaborate & Evaluate...It Will Be Worth It!) and noticed the average age of reference materials is from 1991 (25 years old). Though I understand that each t-l is different when it comes to purchasing library materials, it is imperative to have a well-balanced library of print and digital resources. As Riedling (p.23) suggests, it is more important to have a small but relevant and up-to-date collection of materials than a large collection that is neither useful nor of good quality.
The school has access to a number of online databases, including: World Book Online, EBSCO, KnowBC, NFB-ONF Screening Room and Gale Virtual Reference Library. Also, curated web-links are provided on the library's Destiny homepage for inquiry projects. Working with the "computer software programs" section of Achieving Information Literacy, we determined that our library was in the acceptable level; however, we discussed how EBSCO is not utilized well enough in a K-6 elementary school.
Rationale for Improvement
With the inclusion of more inquiry-based projects and the need to use the computer lab, the staff has requested a printed set of the World Book Encyclopedia. Although many t-ls are choosing not to replace print encyclopedias due to cost, we have determined that it would be beneficial to invest in a new set. As Riedling suggests, encyclopedias should not be considered as sole sources of information, although they do assist in directing and strengthening a student's subsequent work (p.71). Also, encyclopedias do not need to be replaced yearly. For budget longevity, it was agreed to replace a encyclopedia set every 5 years.
Students at Rayleigh Elementary regularly access World Book Online as an information source in their research process. The t-l and staff noted that students primarily use World Book Online to access information on animals, heritage, countries and other areas of interest. A goal for the next school year is to promote inquiry projects as much as possible. Computer lab time is slowly diminishing as teachers are starting to bring their class to the lab more. The school does not have Chromebooks or tablets at this time. As such, the need for printed encyclopedias are high.
We would like to look forward and provide other reference materials such as factbooks and almanacs.
Plan for Improvement
Since the school budget cannot allocate additional funds to the library account, we plan to involve the school's Parent Advisory Council (PAC) in this project. The Rayleigh PAC has been supportive to the library in the past and has agreed to provide support. The improvement plan will be as follows:
1) Pull circulation data on the current reference materials to see which types of references are popular or to weed the materials that have not been used in quite some time.
2) Create a Google Form to survey the staff to gather information about units of study. From information gathered, locate possible factbooks and almanacs (assuming PAC declines to fund encyclopedias).
3) Determine cost of entire World Book Encyclopedia set. Provide information to PAC that new encyclopedia sets are to be purchased every five years. World Book Encyclopedia 2016 = $1099.95.
4) Provide PAC with information regarding the reference materials. We are hoping for continued support from our PAC. As such, we will provide information on: the state of the library, circulation stats, evaluation of our current reference section, rationale for change, library goals and future projects. It will be essential to demonstrate the need for printed encyclopedias as these will be used for inquiry-based assignments. Teaching students how to create "big" questions is an overall goal of this project. Encyclopedias will not answer all questions but it is a starting point.
The proposed timeline for improvement of the print encyclopedias is as follows: present to the PAC at the May meeting; ideally, receive approval by June. We are hopeful that the print encyclopedias can be ordered at the beginning of the 2016-2017 school year.
The change will be communicated to the staff and students in a number of ways. Staff will be informed of the update during a staff meeting. Support to the teaching staff will be provided. Students will learn about the update during the September library orientation sessions. The orientation can be in the form of a video, interactive display via the SMARTboard or a Google Presentation.
We will need to incorporate the use of the printed (and digital) reference materials into our library goals and policies. SD73's Information Literacy Skills: K-8 Continuum will be used to teach students good information strategies, as such, the reference centre will aid to reach such goal.
Conclusion
It is hopeful that more reference materials can be purchased for the school library. Materials include factbooks, almanacs, dictionaries and thesauri. To build a strong, supportive reference centre, outside agencies may be sought after. One such example is applying for a grant from the local Rotary club. We would have to demonstrate how an update to the school library is necessary and how it will benefit the learning community. Requests will continue for PAC to help fund resources. Also, staff has agreed to support the library and assist in advocating on our behalf for an increased budget. Regular updates will be provided to PAC and the administrator. These updates will include simple infographics to show the direction of the school library through class projects and small group enrichment projects. Our goal is to provide an environment where students can develop effective and responsible literacy skills. With the library being the central learning hub, it is essential for the school community to have appropriate resources that fosters higher-order thinking and literate strategies. A good reference [collection] is one that serves to answer questions, and a bad reference [collection or none at all] fails to answer questions (Rielding, p.21). As such, Rayleigh's library program is to prepare literate, lifelong learners who use their problem-solving skills to conduct real-life inquiries and communicate their findings to others (School District #73, p.4). In order to fully achieve such goal, a current and meaningful reference centre is essential.
Bishop, K. (2013). The Collection Program in Schools: Concepts and Practices. 5th ed. Santa Barbara, California: Libraries Unlimited.
Canadian Association for School Libraries. (2006). Achieving Information Literacy: Standards for school library programs in Canada. Retrieved from http://www.clatoolbox.ca/casl/slic/ail110217.pdf
Canadian Library Association (2014). Leading Learning: Standards of Practice for School Library Learning Commons in Canada. Retrieved from http://clatoolbox.ca/casl/slic/llsop.pdf.
Riedling, A. (2013). Reference skills for the school library media specialist: Tools and tips, (Third Edition). Linworth.
School District #73. (2007). A Framework for School Library Programs in the 21st Century. Retrieved from http://hgec.sd73.bc.ca/sites/hgec.sd73.bc.ca/files/WebPDF.pdf
School District #73. (2007). Information Literacy Skills: K-8 Continuum. Retrieved from http://www3.sd73.bc.ca/sites/default/files/nodes/library/002_vertical_k-8_continuum.pdf