When it comes to references services I think I’m looking forward to the day where the learning commons model has been fully establish in my school. Lesson 5’s discussion of the reference interview seems like a really rich opportunity to connect with specific students and accomplish a lot. I could see there will be open periods where different students are working on inquiry projects where I can sit and help guide them through the research process highlighting useful sources along the way. There would be no clock ticking to mark the end of a 20 minute block, where 15 fidgeting students stand behind the one you’re trying to interview wasting their valuable time as they wait to tell me they can’t find anything on their topic. As you may be able to guess this happens fairly often. Giving time for this type of library space usage requires a full shift in the thinking of the school around schedule, class organization, and school-wide program planning. How can there be an open block in the library for inquiry project research if classes don’t have self-directed inquiry project models as part of their programs? Or what if there can be no classes in the library at all during specific blocks of the week as the band needs a space to practice because there are no rooms left in the school (my current struggle). Accessibility and school wide programs are key to helping the library space reach its full potential.
The ability for the library to be organized in that way falls to my role as the TL in promoting the model and the space as valuable to student learning. There are obviously huge benefits to collaborative planning and teaching included in that. Can I make the space useful for everyone? Can I systematically train my students to use reference resources to increase their independence and focus on aspects of critical thinking and synthesizing information. Can I increase interest in reference resources and pull them out of the shadows? I feel like the reference collection at my school is nebulous and hidden for the most part. The digital resources are accessible and separate by nature of their being accessed on a device. But the print resources are another story. In my role as manager and organizer of the reference collection I am working on drawing attention to what’s there, but truth be told, I don’t think there’s much there to begin with. I appreciated a short article by Mackin Educational Resources where they suggest 3 simple criteria for choosing reference titles: browsability, comparability, and visual appeal. They also conceded that encyclopedias provide information in a way that isn’t the same online. I think I’ve been looking for a reason to purchase a set of encyclopedias again. If this will increase access to information for my students then it will be worth the cost.
Access to resources dovetails into one of my goals for the year, which is to initiate collaboration with a few intermediate teachers who do not darken the library door. As a result, I’ve noticed that few of their students do either. Students aren’t really limited to what they’re allowed to take out of the library. There are very few resources that are reserved for staff alone, so I don’t believe that it’s access that’s keeping them away. It seems to be more of a habit issue and possibly an interest issue. An evaluation of the services currently provided through the library may throw some light how better to engage my intermediate students.
In conclusion, a quick evaluation of my library services indicates that transitioning the library to a learning commons model, allowing for more types of activities to happen simultaneously and facilitating more one-on-one time for inquiry would be beneficial. Drawing more attention to reference resources and highlighting some more of the more exciting options can help to draw students into the genre. And finally, analyzing and fine tuning the services and collection available to students to focus on their specific needs and interests is a goal to help involve more students in the library.
Ambaum, Gene. and Bill Barnes., Interview with gene Ambaum of Unshelved
November 16, 2007. February 16, 2018. http://students.washington.edu/aliss/silverfish/archive/winter2008/feat_unshelved.html
G. Ann., What to do about that Reference Collection. February 16, 2018.
https://mackinbooksinbloom.com/2014/04/21/what-to-do-about-that-reference-collection/
TheSparkleyBarkley. “Reference Materials Park 2: Atlas and Almanacs.” YouTube.
YouTube, 17 February, 2014. Accessed 16 February, 2018.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0AkhbhpdAKY&t=2s
TheSparkleyBarkley. “Reference materials Part 1: Dictionary, Encyclopedia.” YouTube.
YouTube, 17 November, 2013. Accessed 16 February, 2018.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=48IKfyP-Nug&t=42s
Hi Emily,
ReplyDeleteI enjoyed reading your blog post and I definitely share many thoughts with you on the subject of reference resources. Teaching students to independently use these resources is a great way to encourage their use, as often students are unaware of how to approach these larger texts. I too feel that the reference section can often go ignored. As TL's, we have the unique ability to reach all the students in the school, and teach them how to properly do their research using these sources.
It sounds like you are working hard to create a great library learning commons!