The School Library Website: Revitalizing Digital Reference Materials Through Online Access

LIBE 467: Assignment Three

“Courtney,” students call teachers by their first name at my school, “What is going on here?”

I am in the back right corner of my library scoping out a graphic novel when a student calls out to me. He’s referencing the pitiful state of the reference “section” in the library learning commons and he is right – it is questionable at best. He is not looking for anything in particular, but this high school student has been conditioned to know what should be located in this section and Travis (not his real name) realizes that there are very few items here to access. In fact, he is looking at fewer than twenty items, which mostly include dictionaries, thesauruses, and other English literature-based references. Of course, given the course I’m currently enrolled in, this starts a conversation. Usually, students are not rapt to converse about the reference section, so I grab the moment. After our conversation, I can boil Travis’ main points to: “If I can get newer information digitally why would I use old books,” the section is not well-stocked, and the school library website is not as easy to get access to as Google is. His points are fair. After all, he is the audience, so I need to cater to him, his peers, and my colleagues.

It may be difficult to see from this small photo, but the current reference section is located on two small shelves on the left side of the library. There are about 20 items on these shelves and most of them are dictionaries. Non-fiction texts are located on the back walls of the library on two mirrored bookshelves. 

Present Condition of the Reference Section

As I have outlined in previous posts, the building I am currently the Teacher Librarian at houses three different “schools” – Alternative Education, Distance Education, and Continuing Education. The library’s budget is split between the three schools. Which, although it is flexible now, was once more difficult when the “library” was located in separate rooms in the building. Once it became a medium-sized more centralized room, it became clear that there were some deficiencies to the resources. After a quick search on Follett Destiny it is determined that there are a total of 79 copies identified under the reference call number. In addition to being housed in many areas all over the building, the Teacher Librarian has been held by educators and support workers with various levels of training. I often find items miscataloged or organized in a fashion that does not align with my beliefs and training. Going over the Follett Destiny report suggests that the use of the REF call number has been interpreted in many different ways over the years. This interpretation is shown in the many teacher resources given the REF call number that should have been listed as TR (teacher resource) instead. So, the 79 copies the list indicates is closer to the twenty items Travis pointed out on the small lower shelf in the library. In addition to the print resources, I had argued to Travis that there are a multitude of digital reference resources that he could find on the school library website – “It is not a replacement for the physical LLC but an extension of it to make the LLC available to students and learners 24/7” (Leading Learning 35). Our district subscribes and funds the reference resources below:

Esquimalt High School Library Resources- Esquimalt High School's library website indicates a good example of the resources our district funds. My school's current library website is not as well organized as our district is undergoing significant changes to our school library websites. 

Despite funding these databases and encyclopedias, the school library websites are currently individualized by school and therefore, do not all share the same capabilities. The Teacher Librarians in my district, GVTLA, are currently working with the Greater Victoria School District (GVSD) to put to use new temporary funding, which, as indicated by the GVTLA, needs to go towards the creation, support, and revitalization of school library websites as just one of its funding initiatives in the Spring of 2018. Small groups of Teacher Librarians are currently working on gathering information and making final suggestions to our district's learning team in order to create new school library websites that will support changes towards a learning commons model. Therefore, since beginning my 0.20 FTE position as TL at my school I have put in minimal time to updating the library website under guidance from the GVTLA due to the potential changes that are coming. For this assignment, and the improvement of my school’s references, I will focus on the improvement of the school library’s website in order to aid the highest number of our students, which will focus on our distance/digital learners through our building’s online school. Many of our students are “non-traditional” and thus, “that they need access to information online as much as possible” (Feeney 134).

Rationale for Improvement

In January 2019 SJ Willis Education Centre will move to a newly refurbished 1913 school (https://www.sd61.bc.ca/news-events/community/burnside-education-centre/).

The photos above and below were taken in December 2017 at the job site of the future Burnside Education Centre. The photos show the space that the library learning commons will occupy in January 2019. The space is not large, so effectively incorporating digital resources will be needed to make the most of the space and keep room for print resources. 

As such, I intend to weed, add, and indicate appropriately where reference materials can be found. Given the minimal library time available for a qualified Teacher Librarian, the library learning commons needs to function with minimal professional supervision. There needs to be clear indication where the reference materials are, how to access digital materials (including passwords for off-site access), and appropriate materials for student use that support the new BC curriculum. If there is any time to make a fresh change, it is moving to a new building. I aim to organize and advertise the library reference section so that, “school library media reference services… assist students to get a better value from the media collection than they would have on their own” (Riedling 3). I will welcome Reference Interviews, when needed, but I want to establish a reference section that is mostly self-sufficient – designated catalogue computer, “A school library equipped with an automated catalogue maximizes the availability of learning resources for staff and students,” similar to a public library, designated computer set up for basic database searching off the school library website, and a clear indication via signage in the library itself of where to find certain materials (Achieving Information Literacy 46). In “Achieving Information Literacy” it is highlighted that libraries are “Gateways to the World” (6). For my school, this is more important than ever because of the special qualities of our students – adult and distance education. As the TL at this school is it my responsibility to provide them with resources and ways of gathering information that are going to be found in other areas of their life; for example, post-secondary education, careers or at the public library. Often, this will be done digitally. Students need to be shown the benefits to using services and reference materials provided by their school and district. In terms of digital reference materials, the prevalence of Google and other digital internet sites, “Convenience is the most important factor in deciding whether to use reference services,” states an article by Deng and Zhang (388). So it is one of my foremost goals when evaluating changes to the reference resources that reference materials, digital and non-digital, are convenient for users. As suggested by ERAC, “Turning [digital] information into a valuable learning resource requires organization, planning, and careful selection of material” (136). Along with convenience, it is important that websites and digital reference resources are chosen carefully and collaboratively by many different participants in the school. 

Evaluation and Implementation Process

a.       How will the change take place?

The changes will take place in consultation with the people indicated in part b of this section. There will be consultation in the spring upon return from the break in April/May 2018. Once teachers and students are consulted, requests and suggestions will be brought forward to the GVTLA and other district planners to indicate the needs of the school. After consultation, I will begin to collate the findings and bring together a final list. I also need to make sure that print reference materials are given the correct call number so that, when searching, the correct information can be found. In addition, there needs to be an inventory on the reference materials to ensure what is physically available in the library. For my focus on the school library website the Leading Learning document suggests, “Invit[ing] students and teachers to help you build resource pathfinders and other content” (Leading Learning 35). I find this suggestion refreshing. Things in the library need to happen in collaboration and having students and colleagues create content for the website may make the website more usable and more frequently accessed, which is one of the goals of adapting the reference section of the library website.

b.      Who will be involved?

Due to overarching changes already taking place within the district, the District Vice-Principal will be a resource to keep and obtain support for district-wide digital resources including databases and encyclopedias. The GVTLA and TLs elected to work on the new restructuring of the websites will be involved. Also, teachers at the school will be consulted for their needs and suggestions. The administration will also be consulted, specifically if there are needs that go above the regular library budget. Finally, students will be informally consulted and given a Google Form to submit via the school website indicating their needs and hopes for the library and new library learning commons coming in January 2019. Staff and students will also have collaboration in the resources available on the school library website. It is my hope that this can be co-constructed without becoming overwhelming. Ultimately, as a professional, I should make final changes and evaluations about the reference resources. 

c.       Timeline for improvement

In the article by Lesley Farmer, it is suggested that electronic resources have an eight step “life-cycle”: Pre-planning, Acquisitions, Licensing, Web Presentation, Usage, Maintenance, Preservation and Archiving, and Review (Farmer 121-122). The timeline below addresses up to “usage” where the selected materials are evaluated for things like “cost-per-use” and “instruction” (Farmer 121).

May 2018 – call for suggestions from students and staff via Google Forms. Speak at April staff meeting upon return from Spring Break to indicate that the change and evaluation will occur into the fall and that people should begin to think about what resources are needed and how this affects them. If it doesn’t affect them, it would be interesting to hear why. Weed old reference materials (print and digital) and inventory current reference section. (“Pre-planning stage”)

June 2018 – collate responses and seek clarification. Create a document with the requests, comments, etc. that all can see. Share. Indicate to staff and students that changes to the reference section will be continuing into the Fall and Winter of 2019 as we move to our new space. Purchase or formalize a list of digital and print reference materials that will be bought for the new space.

September/October 2018 – remind people of the work that begin evaluating the reference section in the Spring of 2018. Call for any new requests. Work with the district and GVTLA to finalize new standard school library website for secondary schools. Ensure that all schools have access to online databases, encyclopedias, and digital references equally. Promote the coming website and digital resources with classes in small workshops. Order new print reference materials and catalogue them appropriately. Shelve new print resources in a higher traffic area that is separate from other collections. (“Acquisitions and Licensing”)

December 2018 – visit new space and evaluate, if not already done by district, where the reference section will be. Consider having formal signage made for main areas so that patrons new to the space can find resources and texts easily. Be sure to test website links and sign on passwords off-site. Consider printing bookmarks with off-site database login information. (“Web Presentation”)

January 2019 – bring over purchased print reference materials to new library learning commons at Burnside Education Centre. Put in a prominent spot near the two computer terminals (or iPad stations depending on technology availability) that will indicate an area to look up information in the catalog and search the school library website for databases or digital encyclopedias. Request feedback from users after a few weeks to see if changes need to be made immediately to the space as a whole and the reference section specifically. (“Usage”)

d.      How will the change be communicated?
The change will be communicated through email, on the new school library website, through shared Google folders, and through G-Suite applications like forms. There will be consultation in person at staff meetings and informally with colleagues as they use the library. Also, students will be given information on bulletin boards around the school, but also in the library learning commons. Finally, students will be given mini-lessons at the beginning of some classes in the Spring of 2018 to indicate what reference services they wish to be made available and indicate what they already use or access. 

e. Other considerations?

It is important to consult with other secondary school TLs in order to ensure that our digital resources are similar and that as a new TL I am not missing anything that could benefit the staff and students at my school. One of the goals of education is to create lifelong learners. “School librarians serving K–12 students need to be sure their own websites are stepping stones to using the sorts of information and resources offered on university and public library websites,” suggests Carolyn Foote in her article regarding the acquisition of digital library skills to help students succeed outside of high school. 

Follow-Up After Implementation

In the months following the move to Burnside Education Centre, February and March 2019, data will be taken on students who access the reference materials digitally. At that point, it may be determined that more advocacy needs to be done to demonstrate to students what is available off the school library website. It may be difficult to determine the usage of the print references because they are not checked out as often or, in some cases, are not allowed to leave the library. The usage of print resources may rely on informal observations and determination of use from reference interviews. The success of the plan will be determined by the traffic digitally, the increased collaboration with staff members, and the usage of print references in the library. If the traffic of the school library website increases and the traffic for district-purchased references like databases increase the evaluation and implementation will be considered successful. If there is an increase in any area in solitary - for example, only the library website experiences increased traffic - it will still be considered a success. Overall, potential challenges may be accessing the data that will indicate if databases are accessed regularly over convenience searches like Google. Sometimes the district holds this information and it is difficult to access at the school level. Finally, I also anticipate challenges getting feedback from staff and students because generally there is a disconnect between the three schools in my building and emails often go unanswered. Talking with people in person through face-to-face collaboration may be the best indicator if things are working or need to have continued improvement. 

References

Asselin, M. (2003). Achieving information literacy: Standards for School Library Programs in

            Canada. [Ottawa]: Canadian School Library Association.

Canadian Libraries Association. Leading learning: Standards of practice for school library

            learning commons in Canada. http://www.accessola.org/web/SLIC . Ottawa, ON:

            Canadian Libraries Association.

Deng, Shengli, and Yin Zhang. "User Perceptions of Social Questions and Answer Websites for

            Library Reference Services: A Content Analysis." The Electronic Library, vol. 33, no. 3,

            2015, pp. 386-399.

Evaluating, Selecting and Acquiring Learning Resources: A ... (n.d.). Retrieved March 29, 2018,

            from https://www.bcerac.ca/resources/whitepapers/docs/erac_wb.pdf

Farmer, Lesley S. J. "The Life Cycle of Digital Reference Sources." The Reference Librarian,

            vol. 50, no. 2, 2009, pp. 117-136.

Feeney, Mary. "Centralizing Information about Library Services and Resources: Delivering the

            Library to Users at any Distance." Internet Reference Services Quarterly, vol. 9, no. 1-2,

            2005;2004;, pp. 129-146.

Foote, Carolyn. "Building Success Beyond High School with Career- and College-Ready

            Literacies." Knowledge Quest, vol. 44, no. 5, 2016, pp. 56.

Riedling, Ann, Reference skills for the school library media specialist: Tools and tips,

            (Third Edition). Linworth.