Looking back, moving forward

     The exploration and discovery of the Reference Collection of my library has been an eye-opening journey.

Look at me, I have seen!

     Ann Riedling's book, Reference Skills for the School Librarian provided guiding principles with which I analyzed my collection and the programs provided in the Library. This chart helped me organize my conclusions.

Collection is of an acceptable size for our school population	It is somewhat on the dated side - average age of Reference collection is 14 yrs.
We have Biographies, Factbooks and Handbooks in our Non-fiction collection - they are well used and more recent and they would lower the age of the collection if they were included in the Reference collection	Encyclopedias are old (2008, 2009) - should consider replacing them with more recent edition
Good selection of Dictionaries and Thesauri in French and English	Atlas need updating
Access to an excellent list of digital resources purchased by the District	Underutilized - need to be promoted and explored with teachers and classes

     The comparison between 2 resources, one print and the other digital was also a valuable exercise. L'Encyclopédie Découverte (2009), although dated and only occasionally used, is a essentially a good resource with beautiful pictures and written in age-appropriate language. It does not, however, support our new curriculum and has more of a "world" focus where as I was hoping it would have a "Canadian" flair to it.

     The digital resource I looked at was Idéllo (https://www.idello.org/en). This resource, newly recommended by ERAC, is excellent. I have been successful in my push to have the school purchase subscriptions for the staff. Yay! I now have to set up these accounts and promote this resource with the staff. They have been unhappy with the digital content available through the Discovery Ed resource, because everything is in English! I hope that Idéllo will fill a need.

     The role of the Teacher-Librarian as stated by the Greater Victoria School District is very detailed and accurately describes the many hats we wear. So much of what we do is behind the scene and unseen by others. It is very important for us to be advocates for our programs and to take the opportunity to showcase these whenever possible through the school monthly newsletter, displays and pictures.

     The reference services that are offered in a school are dependent on the resources in the collection AND the ability of the TL to make the connections necessary with the staff in order to collaborate. This collaboration is key to the programs offered, especially moving forward with our new curriculum. The Teacher-Librarian must keep in mind that every staff member will not be at the "same starting point" and will approach collaboration, new curricula, new technology from this point. The Concern Based Adoption Model  (CBAM) was very useful in helping me find the best way to approach staff members, to address their concerns and to help them move forward.

     The last section of the course focused on print reference resources. I believe that there should be a place in our collection for print reference resources such as encyclopedias, almanacs, handbooks, factbooks and dictionaries. I understand that some of these can be expensive (encyclopedias) but, especially in an Elementary School, these resources should play an important role in building and reinforcing research skills in our students.

     Our schools are not set up to have 1:1 device per student. Until then, we must use the resources at our disposition: print, digital in the computer lab, and digital when using the Chromecart.


from University of Washington

     This image represents my learning journey in this course. At this moment in time, I am looking for ways to improve my Reference collection, the Reference services I provide to students, teachers and classes as well as continuing to showcase the Library programs that are in place now and to advocate for more: time, funding and support!

     Although the above image effectively reflects the journey, I find the following image more inspiring!

Happy journey to you all! 😊

L'Encyclopedie Decouverte. Vol. 1-15. Chicago: World Book, 2009. Print.

Evaluating, Selecting and Acquiring Learning Resources: A Guide. ERAC, 2008. Web. 31 Jan. 2017.

https://eucaps.wsu.edu/wp-content/uploads/sites/731/2015/07/CBAM-explanation.pdf

Holloway, Karel. "A Mesure of Concern." Learning Forward: The Professional Learning Association. National Staff Development Council, Feb.-Mar. 2003. Web. 1 Mar. 2017. https://learningforward.org/docs/tools-for-learning-schools/tools2-03.pdf?sfvrsn=2.

"Idello: Educational Website, Resources for Online Learning." IDÉLLO. Groupe Media TFO, n.d. Web. 24 Jan. 2017. https://www.idello.org/en.

http://quotesaboutfriendship.info/?page=/looking-back-moving-forward-quotes/

"Regulation 2224 Teacher Librarian." Greater Victoria School District No 61. Greater Victoria School District No 61, 28 Sept. 2000. Web. 12 Feb. 2017. https://www.sd61.bc.ca/our-district/documents/name/regulation-2224-teacher-librarian/.

Riedling, Ann Marlow, Loretta Shake, and Cynthia Houston. Reference skills for the school librarian: tools and tips. 3rd ed. Santa Barbara, CA: Linworth, an imprint of ABC-CLIO, LLC, 2013. Print.

http://www.washington.edu/teaching/2015/02/02/reflecting/  (image)

What Is a Teacher-Librarian. Document. BC Teacher-Librarians, 2017. Web. 12 Feb. 2017. http://www.bctf.ca/bctla/.

Evaluation and Selection of a Reference Resource

   Many of the books in our Reference collection appear new, not according to the date they were published, but because they are in such pristine condition.


   In my 4 years in the Library, only rarely does an encyclopedia get used. We try to direct students there if they are looking for information on specific moments and people in history, well at least those that lived, and died before 2009!


   For the purpose of this assignment, I have decided to evaluate the French encyclopedia that I have in my collection called "L'Encyclopédie Découverte".

   The circulation statistics for this resource were not very useful. Only 3 volumes have ever been signed out AND on average, only twice. But, because these are Reference books, they do not generally leave the Library. We tend to ask the students to use them while in the lab or Library or we photocopy the needed section!


   Riedling states that "a good resource is one that serves to answer a question" (p.17) In thinking about the subject that teachers (in my school) require their students to do research in, Social Studies comes to mind. Our school is heavily involved with Heritage Stamp, Heritage Stamps and Concours d'Art Oratoire (French public speaking contest). Even though the choice of topic for the CAO is open to anything, teachers tend to insist on Canadian content - a famous Canadian, a Canadian location... So, come January and February, everyone is wanting the same resources!


   Our non-fiction collection is not vast enough to satisfy 200 students wanting to research Frederick Banting, John Naismith and Terry Fox. I do have, in some instances more than one resource on the same person... but not enough.


    I decided to evaluate l'Encyclopédie Découverte by focusing on the following criteria:

• content / curriculum fit
• accuracy, bias and social considerations - correct information, presented without bias (gender roles, aboriginal people, multiculturalism, gender identity and sexual orientation
• arrangement and presentation - text organization, language and use of visuals

These criteria are a mix between those suggested by Riedling and the ERAC guide to selecting and evaluating resources.


   There are 14 books and one index in this encyclopedia series. L'Encyclopédie Découverte is visually appealing on the outside and on the inside. Its blue cover filled with hot air balloons, is attractive to students. The pages are well laid-out, with titles (in red), images on a colored background with captions, maps and labelled diagrams.



  
   The vocabulary used is appropriate for elementary students, more suitable for intermediate classes. I found the section on "blogue" interesting to read and the students may also be interested in finding out that it started as an on-line journal, or web-log and in time the name became blog.
  
   In using the index to search different things, I was sad to find 2 pages dedicated to basketball, but no mention of Naismith.
  
   Keeping the new curriculum in mind, I looked for First Nations content. Under "Autochtone" (Aboriginal) I found many resources, but most of them related to the Aboriginals from Central and South America. There was nothing under "Premiere Nations" (First Nations) and when I looked under "Indiens" (Indians) I found information about the Cri, the Crow, the Mi'kmaq, the Miskitos and the Salish. I guess that "Indiens" was an acceptable term in 2009 when referring to First Nation people.
  
   Again, with the new curriculum in mind, I looked for information regarding different sexual orientations - no keywords in the index.


   I have summarized my evaluation in a chart. This resource has its purpose in my library however, it does not answer the questions my students are generally asking. I need a resource that has a more Canadian focus. L'l'Encyclopédie Découverte could be used as a starting point for a general research, just like Wikipedia is used. The information included in this resource is clearly stated and visually appealing. Once the student has read the information from the encyclopedia, they can move on to other resources: either print or digital. We do have access to the digital version of this encyclopedia, but it is lacking information in the areas mentioned above.


   I would like to add the following French digital resource to the ones purchased by the District. Idéllo is described as "THE CANADIAN REFERENCE IN FRENCH EDUCATIONAL CONTENT for teachers, educators and parents". This digital platform is presented by Groupe Media TFO, and was originally created to support Ontario French teachers - providing excellent quality resources that can be used in Immersion, Francophone or FSL classes.


   There is a cultural bias towards the First Nation tribes of the East, but you can find resources for the western ones. On the home page you can see that people of diverse cultures are showcased. Resources a good fit to the BC curriculum. They include videos, songs and links to games. I must admit that I am biased as I was a member of the ERAC team that evaluated this resource and I fell in love with it. Along with a partner, we evaluated the resources for K-3.


   My school is a test school for Discovery Education (tech book) and the number one complaint is that NONE of the resources are in French! This resource provides a collection of French videos that are appropriate for second language learners. These videos are generally hard to find.


   Resources can be searched using key words and a long list of filters (level, subject, type, theme, FSL, language and skill (which is similar to the competencies we need to teach).


   Although I cannot access the official ERAC evaluation, here is an abridged version.


   Of course, one of the key factors Teacher-Librarians must take into consideration is the cost of new resources. Well, the best part of this resource is that there is a short term offer through ERAC. There is a link to follow, but bottom line you must get your District coordinator, the one who is able to login and access the information in order to get the "confidential pricing information". After many emails between my District Librarian, ERAC and Idéllo, I have the coveted information! And I will share it with you!

Here are the regular prices 

For a 1 year subscription (1 year + a free month)

   5 licences : $230/yr.  $115 with ERAC promotion
  10 licences : $350/yr. $175 with ERAC promotion
   20 licences: $692/yr.  $346 with ERAC promotion

For a subscription that would go until the end of June 2018 (a free trial month in February + 1 year + 4 months)

   5 licences : $306.66   $153.33 with ERAC promotion
   10 licences : $466.66  $233.33 with ERAC promotion
   20 licences: $922.66   $461.33 with ERAC promotion 


   If I compare these prices to the three French resources we purchase through Les Plan at $190 each for 8 pdf's per year... that can only be used by grades 3-7, I think that this website has better value for our students and teachers. One of the goals in Immersion is to provide opportunities for students to hear a variety of French accents through presentations, songs and videos. This website does this. It is also an excellent fit to our new curriculum and the core competencies that teachers must focus on.


   It is time to plan how I am going to present this to the staff. I tried to get them to play with the site when my evaluator password still worked. A few teachers did, but no one jumped. It was a busy time and everyone was knee deep in new curriculum and Discovery Education. Perhaps now, if I create a quick presentation of the website and all that it has to offer, I may be able to convince staff to give it a try! And admin to pay for it using our French Resource budget rather than the Library budget... sneaky I know!  😊 



References
L'encyclopedie Decouverte. Vol. 1-15. Chicago: World Book, 2009. Print.


Evaluating, Selecting and Acquiring Learning Resources: A Guide. ERAC, 2008. Web. 31 Jan. 2017. http://www.bcerac.ca/resources/whitepapers/docs/erac_wb.pdf.


"Idello: Educational Website, Resources for Online Learning." IDÉLLO. Groupe Media TFO, n.d. Web. 24 Jan. 2017. https://www.idello.org/en.
 
Lesplan Educational Services." Lesplan Educational Services | LesPlan. LesPlan Educational Services Ltd., n.d. Web. 01 Feb. 2017. https://www.lesplan.com/fr.


Riedling, Ann Marlow, Loretta Shake, and Cynthia Houston. Reference Skills for the School Librarian: Tools and Tips. Santa Barbara, CA: Linworth, an Imprint of ABC-CLIO, LLC, 2013. Print.

Reflection Theme 1: Reference Services

   Theme 1 provided an opportunity to look at my collection with a critical eye. Yes, the focus was on the Reference services that I provide to our staff and students, but I was able to look at the rest of the collection as well.


   Ann Riedling's book, Reference Skills for the School Librarian and the book Achieving Information Literacy both provided guiding principles with which I should look at my collection and the programs that I provide in the Library.


   The library collection is of an acceptable size for our school population, however, it's average age is 15 yrs. When the District amalgamated schools a few years ago, all of the books from another immersion school were sent to us and catalogued over the summer. In haste, ALL books were catalogued, no weeding was done and not all information was entered and so I know I have some old books hiding on my shelves.

My Reference collection

   This is a picture of my Reference collection. Many of the resources mentioned by Riedling are not in our Reference collection, but rather they are housed in our non-Fiction section. Books like Guinness World Records that you see on the bottom shelf have been placed there because:

• they are so popular and we cannot keep them on the shelf; 
• there are normally so many of them (15);
• they were on a high shelf that required students to use a stool in order to reach them and this became a safety issue.

   We also have put handbooks, some atlases and biographies in our general collection. The biographies, especially those about Canadians are well used as the school is heavily involved in Heritage Fair, Heritage Stamp and Concours d'Art Oratoire (a French public speaking contest)


   The average age of my Reference section is 14 years. My English encyclopedia (2008) and the French one (2009) are not within the recommended age. It is my dictionaries and an Usborne thesaurus that are even older: 2002! They are, however in excellent shape (because they are rarely used!) So this provides a dilemma. Should these be replaced, when they rarely get used? If students are looking for information on Canada, our non-fiction collection is quite current. If they are looking for information on athletes from the summer Olympics, they will have to head to the computer!


   The School District purchases ERAC's digital reference bundle that includes resources such as EBSCO, Worldbook Online, Encyclopedia BC, Passport to the Internet, Reality Check, My World Teacher, Learn 360, LegalEze, National Film Board, Gale and National Geographic Kids. An excellent variety, something for everyone, if they use them! We even have these nice bookmarks that have the passwords on them!

   We are fortunate to have 2 Chromecarts for intermediate teachers to use with their classes, however the downside to this is that most of the research now gets done in classrooms rather than in the computer lab (that is attached to the library) I cannot help the students develop big (thick and juicy!) questions, direct them to better resources or help them take notes (rather than copying and pasting). Having realized this, I am now focussing my efforts on grades 3,4 and 5.


   Students need to be taught to go beyond the first few sites that are suggested when they are searching. Wikipedia will invariably be at the top. I think it should be used as a starting point and can lead to other credible sources. I found this infographic by the Daring Librarian about Wikipedia. She uses Wikipedia to teach research skills and critical thinking. I find that this is an interesting approach, rather than limiting or banning the use of Wikipedia, she has embraced it and given students tools to evaluate the information that they read.


   Now, back to my library... Theme 1 has helped me look at my collection with a critical eye and I have found areas that need attention. My Reference collection needs updating, and a decision will have to be made regarding updating my encyclopedias. As well, the ratio of fiction to non-fiction needs readjusting, if I am to follow the guidelines as they are stated in Achieving Information Literacy...




Asselin, Marlene, Jennifer L. Branch, and Dianne Oberg. Achieving Information Literacy: Standards for School Library Programs in Canada. Ottawa: Canadian School Library Association, 2003. Canadian Association of School Libraries. Web. Jan. 2017. http://www.accessola2.com/SLIC-Site/slic/ail110217.pdf.
                                                  
Riedling, Ann Marlow, Loretta Shake, and Cynthia Houston. Reference Skills for the School Librarian: Tools and Tips. Third ed. Santa Barbara, CA: Linworth, an Imprint of ABC-CLIO, LLC, 2013. Print.