LIBE 463 Assignment 6
Final Reflective Essay
I entered this course looking forward to learning about collection management. I have been in the library for less than a year and this is my fifth course, so I am still new to the world of teacher-librarians. One of the biggest challenges is managing the collection and I was hoping this course would help me address some of the issues that arise when managing a collection.
Although I was already familiar with the weeding acronyms, this course fleshed them out for me in a more coherent and concrete manner. I was forced to draw on the district’s policy manual to become more comfortable with the weeding standards and then put a combination of the manual and our course readings into practice. By combining the policy with the readings, I became much more confident in my weeding decisions; however, I still have some work to do in this area. The biggest challenge for me was choosing a resource that I felt fairly confident in weeding only to discover that it is still present in most of the collections in the school district. I look forward to continue to increase my confidence in this area and to continue to improve the collection through weeding.
I really appreciated learning about the different weeding strategies. I like Dr. Dickinson’s suggestion of taking fifteen minutes each week and using the one shelf approach. The advice from the State of Iowa Department of Education’s document “Weeding the Library Media Center Collection” by Betty Jo Buckingham and Barbara Safford reminds teacher-librarians that “selection is an ongoing process which shall include the removal of materials no longer appropriate and the replacement of lost and worn materials still of educational value.” The idea that it is part of the selection process is integral to collection management. Teacher-librarians need to manage their collection continuously, therefore, they need to weed continuously. By remembering that weeding is part of collection management, and taking a manageable approach to weeding, the quality of the collection will only be enhanced. I will definitely keep these points in mind when managing my collection and try to take fifteen minutes each week to examine a shelf for weeding.
Using these weeding strategies in combination with a sense of curriculum is also important. I can use Kay Bishop’s questions “Does the collection meet the users’ needs?” and “Is the collection integral to the curricular and instructional needs” to help collection management decisions. This will also allow me to work more productively with classroom teachers to develop the collection to better suit the needs of their curricula and students. I can also draw on classroom teachers’ expertise to assist in weeding by having them check over materials that I have selected as possible weeds. Hopefully, this will help me build relationships amongst the staff and lead to collaboration opportunities.
Collection mapping was also really useful. Combining qualitative and quantitative data provides the best approach for this strategy. Using the data from the automated circulation system along with input from patrons and physical examinations of the collection, create a complete picture of the collection. Loerstcher’s “Elephant Method” for collection mapping, like Dickinson’s weeding strategy, makes the process less daunting, more manageable, and easier to implement. By taking approaches like these, collection management is not as overwhelming as it first appears.
The community analysis was another really valuable exercise. It gave me a better understanding of the patrons and can be used when making selection decisions. By using this information in concert with Bishop’s Chapter 15, I can make selections that will meet the needs of as many patrons as possible. Having titles that appeal to our multi-cultural community as well as titles that reflect a variety of view-points and lifestyles will allow more students to see themselves reflected in texts and will give other students better perspectives. When selecting materials, I need to keep in mind Rudine Sims Bishop’s metaphors of windows, sliding glass doors, and mirrors so that students can see “views of the world that are real or imagined, familiar or strange;…walk through in imagination to become part of whatever world has been created or recreated by the author; and see [their] own lives and experiences as part of the larger human experience” to have “[reading]…[become] a means of self-affirmation.” These new understandings will only help to further the quality of the collection so that it best suits the needs of patrons.
Improved physical access is another aspect of the collection that I want to work on. I am in the process of turning the library space into a more user-friendly setting and want to create a learning commons. I would like to move the books to the perimeter of the room to open up space. This will improve access to the books as students will not need to fit in between aisles of books. Also, recognizing that half-full shelves improve access is another step I would like to take. Ideally, I would also like to remove books from the top and bottom shelves to make locating and browsing books an easier and more comfortable process. Having a library that is physically accessible to most patrons should increase patronage as a welcoming, well-organized space is more appealing than a cluttered and cramped one.
The other issue linked to access is being able to have access to materials that favour intellectual freedom rather than censorship. Because education aims to promote liberty of thought, the development of individual intelligence, and democracy, the school library’s collection needs to provide access to materials that enable these processes to occur. As a result, I will be sure to keep Ahseim’s points in mind when selecting or de-selecting materials for the collection. I need to remember that “selection…begins with a presumption in favor of liberty of thought; censorship, with a presumption in favor of thought control.” I will be sure to keep the selection process democratic rather than authoritarian and I will have “faith in the intelligence of the reader; [while] the censor has faith only in his own.” By applying these principles that “favour…liberty of thought”, I should be able to develop a collection that is open and democratic rather than closed and censored. Using the clear procedures that are outlined in the district’s teacher-librarian handbook along with Asheim’s points, I can feel confident in making selections and supporting those decisions should a challenge arise.
The discussions that I had in class made me realize how valuable it is to be part of a school district with clearly defined policies and a strong network on teacher-librarians and support staff. I do not need to create my own separate policies and procedures as these have already been developed by a group of experienced teacher-librarians. Because policies and procedures are standard across the district, should any issues arise, as long as these have been followed, I feel confident that I will have the support of my fellow teacher-librarians, administration, and school board staff. I have also taken advantage of being part of a network of teacher-librarians and have drawn on my colleagues for advice and resources. The service provided by the district at Learning Resource Services is another benefit of being part of a large school district. This service allows teacher-librarians to spend more time on collection development and collaboration as cataloguing duties and ordering are taken care of by this department. I am grateful to be part of a school district that recognizes the importance of teacher-librarians and provides them with ample support.
This course has provided me with a wealth of information. Being able to apply theory to specific projects in the library has been a meaningful and productive process. I recognize that I still have a long way to go on my journey as a teacher-librarian, but I feel like I am well on my way. I will strive to become better acquainted with the curricula offered at my school and make selection decisions that will support teachers and their classes. Using this knowledge of curricula will allow me to answer yes to Kay Bishop’s question: “Is the collection integral to the curricular and instructional needs.” I will also be able to better collaborate with teachers if I am familiar with what they are teaching. The role of the library and the teacher-librarian will be improved and strengthened within the school.
As I move forward in my role as teacher-librarian, I want to continue to use the data available from the automated circulation system. Because this system has only been in use since September, the data right now is limited, but the value of the information collected will increase with use. Additionally, I want to develop strategies that include input from the patrons to assist in selection decisions. Using informal surveys and observations along with more formal data collection from patrons will give me a more complete picture of how the collection is used and perceived by patrons. I look forward to using the professional review services more extensively and networking with other teacher-librarians to develop electronic collections. So far, I have enjoyed my time in the library and am looking forward to further developing my skills to better serve my school.
Works Cited
Asheim, Lester. "Not Censorship But Selection." American Library Association. ALA.org, 2005. Web. 24 February 2013.
Bishop, Kay. The Collection Program in Schools: Concepts, Practices, and Information Sources. 4th ed. Westport, CT: Libraries Unlimited, 2007. Print
Bishop, Rudine Sims. “Mirrors, Windows, and Sliding Glass Doors.” Multicultural Literacy. Reading is Fundamental. n.d. Web. 5 March 2013.
Buckingham, Betty Jo and Barbara Safford. “Weeding the Library Media Center Collections.” State of Iowa Department of Education, 1994. PDF. 25 February 2013.
Dickinson, G. “Crying Over Spilled Milk.” Library Media Collection. 23,7 (2005): 24-26. Education Research Complete. Web. 25 February 2013.
Loertscher, David. “The Elephant Technique of Collection Development.” Collection Management for School Library Media Centres. Brenda H. White ed. Google Books. Routledege, 1986. Web. 7 March 2013.