Final Reflection

LIBE 465: Final Reflection

Students in Canada today need to be able to think rationally and logically. With more and more sources of information, both print and electronic, and the increasing difficulty of ensuring that students can derive meaning from this information, the role of the teacher-librarian becomes central. Teacher-librarians are skilled in accessing and evaluating information regardless of delivery system, book or computer, and providing leadership in the appropriate use of newer information technologies.

I) Organizing Information: Theory and Practice

If any statement sums up the new world of learning and teaching, this is it. Gone are the days when information was contained almost solely within the walls of the library; we have entered a new age of endless information in multiple formats. As librarians, we still have the responsibility of organizing the books and other physical resources within our libraries, linking those resources to the curriculum, and organizing and making those resources easily accessible to students and staff, but we now have the additional job of including parallel and appropriate online resources as part of the library collection, organizing them, and making them easily accessible as well. This new era of internet information means that teacher librarians must become internet experts, and we must be able to teach students and teachers alike how best to use what can be found there. We need new skills, thus we must continue to learn and explore, so that we can help our students “thrive in the new world of education.” It’s a new world to explore, and librarians are the explorers, interpreters, and organizers of this vast new space. More than ever, we must be both organized and creative as we work with our resources to provide easy access for all users.

 II) Organizing Learning Resources: The Technical Aspects

Learning about MARC records was the most challenging part of this course. Fortunately, many tools help me catalog books in a standardized way, and using MARC is not a skill that I have to master. L4U, my library cataloging system, imports MARC records, then translates them into the records that appear on the OPAC when a catalog search is done. I add additional information to the records in the acquisitions screen, and this in turn adds to the various fields in the MARC record, creating a complete bibliographic entry for any given resource.

The most useful skill I learned from this section of the course was copy cataloging.  In fact, I had been doing this for many months after a librarian friend told me that she always has the Vancouver Island Public Library (VIRL) site open and she inputs information from that website to complete the often incomplete or inaccurate data provided by the L4U MARC record search. Sometimes the record I import is complete, and I only have to add some local information (loan type, reading level, price, etc.) to complete the entry. Many of the records I import are incomplete, so I end up adding information. My procedure is to look on the VIRL or Vancouver Public Library (VPL) websites to find subject headings, summaries, and call numbers. When I find no record to import (generally books published in the UK or Australia), I use the CIP. CIP can be woefully inadequate (and I now understand why), so in those cases, I create my own record. I check the back of the book for a summary (or read the book if it is short), and fill in as much as I can. I look up similar books on VIRL to find subject headings, or choose subjects already in my list of subject headings on L4U. As I create the record, I consider various things: how much the particular resource is likely to be used, how much time I want to spend on a record, and how many books I’ve already cataloged that day!

III) The Organizational Tools

I now understand what the OPAC is, and finally ours is posted on the school website under its own tab. The next step is to make the catalog a functioning link to library resources for students and staff. For students, this will mean creating some lessons, and then finding time in the computer lab to familiarize them. Teachers will only need a brief introduction. I now know that I need a lot more training on L4U. Since cataloging has been my primary objective, I have only learned the most basic functions, including acquisitions and basic circulation. I would like to be able to generate reports, make global changes, do inventory, and more.

Creating a website for my school library (http://acwsalctalibrary.weebly.com) has been a great way to organize online resources to complement the physical resources in the library. I like the flexibility of the website platform, and the ease with which I can now present and organize these resources. I can customize content for students and teachers, and I can communicate with students outside of library class time. The website and continuous physical changes in the library (including shelving and weeding, creating sections and special displays, books in baskets for easier access, etc.) both help to make access to books and information easy and fun for students, while at the same time building skills for finding and using the books, resources and information they need.

Lesson 12 Reflection

Now that you have seen the work that is being done to support online, digital resources, many of you will be thinking about your own commitment or support for this area. Again, if your time or the technology in your school is limited, you can start with some basic lessons that will indicate to the students the importance of using the better Internet sites and digital resources. It won't be a matter of convincing the students that the Internet is an important source of information. The challenge will be for you to get them to access the better sites. If you agree with the above, consider how you, in your schools, might you go about this?


I think that pre-screening websites is one way to help students access better sites on the internet. I have started doing this when a teacher comes and asks me if we have anything on "X" and I say no. Now that I've created a website, I have a section for students and for teachers, and I have some content loaded for teachers. Teachers need to further screen what I have chosen, then let the students have access. I choose according to grade level, and the appropriate reading level. I have also found youtube videos on such diverse topics as Fission and Fusion (for physics) as well as Tecumseh, a First Nations leader (social studies). The teachers were glad to have me do the initial search, and then to have these resources easily available for students to use.


Another way to start encouraging students to use better websites would be to introduce them to kids' search engines. Students could do a comparison: first do a google search (with millions of hits) and then use a couple of selected kids' search engines and see what they come up with. Since kids' search engines already have limitations, the results are much easier for students to use, and the reading level is more appropriate.


I know that I have done a lesson on encyclopedias. I had students compare World Book in hard copy and Wikipedia. In general, wikipedia had too much information and the reading level was too high. Some of the articles scrolled down for pages and pages and finding any relevant information was too difficult for middle school students. So using an appropriate online encyclopedia for kids would be much more useful, though we don't have subscriptions to any, and I have not yet taken the time to find appropriate ones available online.

Lesson 11 Reflection

Reflection for Blog

Generally, OPACs are rated according to the following:

• Flexibility and power of the program and its ability to provide multiple functions;
• Ease of use for teacher-librarians, library technicians, students, teachers, parents etc.;
• Cost-effectiveness of the original price and ongoing maintenance;
• The visual appeal of all of the on-line components. 

**Please post your thoughts in your blog about the following**: The degree to which a library catalogue can be consulted easily by teachers and students is of great significance if teacher-librarians wish to encourage user-independence. A flexible catalogue will allow broader use of the school library.

Yes, I agree with this statement. Our school uses L4U. Because of the recataloging project, it was not until very recently that I looked into the OPAC and how the library catalog actually works. I now have 5000 resources in the catalog, so it is useable, though limited because the complete collection is not cataloged. 

Previously (before the crash/previous library tech person), the library catalog was never used by staff or students. There was no attempt made to train anyone, or to make the OPAC a user friendly/independent user resource. Now it is my job. First, I need to train the teachers. I have offered to show teachers how to use the catalog, but have had no takers. I guess I provide such good service that they don't really need to do self-serve! Once the teachers are trained, however, then I need to work with them to start teaching the students how to use the catalog. This would mean integrating classroom projects and needs with selecting books from the library. Because there was no previous history of this happening with the library, there is no tradition of good library use. Again, it is me who has to change all this. Slowly, I have been making changes to how the library is perceived and used, and slowly, I will create a complete culture of library use.

Lesson 10 Reflection

Reflection: This is a good point to take a few minutes to think about your views on the importance of making learning resources available to students and teachers as quickly as possible. Unfortunately, many school libraries have boxes of uncatalogued material waiting for decisions regarding cataloguing and processing, or the funding to pay for this. Should we be finding temporary ways to make these available? Or, is it more important that they are catalogued and processed properly? What strategies can you think of that would allow uncatalogued, newly acquired learning resources to circulate temporarily? Or, would this result in more problems than it is worth? What is the situation at your school?


As I work at an independent school, it is my job to catalog all learning resources, both old and new. Whenever I get new resources, I catalog them right away so that they start circulating. After our Scholastic book fair, I was able to purchase $1800 worth of new resources. I cataloged them right away, and made an event out of it: 2012: New Year, New Books. I made displays with all the new books, and they were very popular. The kids seem to love it whenever there are new books. When new magazines come in, I do a very brief catalog entry, and make them available the same day. I make sure I tell the classes that come in that there are new magazines. Unfortunately, the magazines don't really seem to be that popular in general. I'm not sure why. Personally, I find magazines these days really "busy" and sometimes it seems to be hard to find the actual content.


For the special Titanic Centenary, I have purchased quite a few new books, and have them in a special display. I cataloged them as I received them, and make sure to point out new books in the display.


I guess I'm lucky that I have the time to process so quickly and get the books circulating. 

Acwsalcta School Library Online Catalogue

Here is the address for our school library catalogue. I just got it going last week, and was quite pleased with how it looks and the collocating features.

I don't understand why the address is numbers, and I have emailed L4U to see if there is an icon to put on the desktop. I am waiting for their response.

http://www.192.168.0.21

Well, when I go to test this link it doesn't work. So now I'll have to figure out why, and figure out exactly what should be put on the school website.

Ah, technology.

The Library Catalogue

The degree to which a library catalogue can be consulted easily by teachers and students is of great significance if teacher-librarians wish to encourage user-independence. A flexible catalogue will allow broader use of the school library.

I certainly agree with the above statement. As a frequent user of the Vancouver Island Public Library, I am very familiar with their online catalogue and use it in various capacities. I now can also use it to find MARC records! Since I've been using their website, it has gone through a couple of changes, and in their latest version of the catalogue, some things are not quite as easy to find (inter-library loan, for example), but with some perseverance and the desperation of getting a particular book, success is usually the result.

As far as using the library catalogue at my school, well, that is another story. Before I took over the job, the catalogue was never used. A subject search on something common like bears would come up with very few results, so it was often just easier to go and browse the shelves. I'm not sure how well the initial cataloging of the collection was done, but my impression is that it was not done adequately to make it a useable and useful database. Now that I am re-cataloging everything (after the June 2010 server crash), and learning what I'm learning through this course, I now understand the importance of correct and detailed cataloging.

Our school uses L4U, a Kelowna-based company. Whether or not I like it is irrelevant, as this is what we have. It seems like Follett Destiny has more bells and whistles. 

On February 22 (yes, two days ago), I finally talked to the tech guy about our online catalogue, and found out the website address. I have gone online and had a look, and now it is much clearer to me how my cataloging "looks" when a user is doing a search.

The user page seems very straight-forward, and I just e-mailed the staff to let them know that there are now 4800 books in the database, and I am happy to show people how to use the OPAC for their own searching. 

As far as showing the students how to use it, that will require a few direct lessons in the concept of a catalogue, etc. Since I only have two computers in the library, this might be a slow process, but I will figure out a way to integrate searching the OPAC with my library lessons and research projects. Unfortunately, I don't have very many of the non-fiction books catalogued yet, but they can at least find a general call # and then browse the stacks.

Independence for library users is a good concept. Our school is small enough that I am always available to help all the students, but I can see that with a bigger school, that would not necessarily be possible. Once I have created a culture of doing research projects (research has been sadly lacking in general), then independence will be the ultimate goal for students. The library resources will have to be linked with online resources as well, and this will probably happen through the library website which I am developing. When I teach library search skills, I always emphasize that these same procedures are used at any library in the world (relatively speaking), just so they start to understand that these are transferable skills. 

I now also understand that the ability to look up a resource and then find it is the goal. I know that the way I've been organizing some of the resources, that this might not be that easy. For example, I have easy non-fiction in a separate section in the library, but I also have easy non-fiction in colour-coded bins sorted by reading level. Hmmm, that will have to change, as probably even I might not be able to find a resource without a lot of looking. Also, I don't know how to differentiate NF books in the easy section or the regular section on the catalogue. 

I have separated out holiday and other special ocassion books, and they are shelved in the teacher resource area. For example, books on the seasons, books without words, Mother's Day, etc. This way I can pull out all the books for a special day and display them easily, rather than having to search for all those books. I could easily direct a student if they needed one of those books, but they could not find the book independently.

There is so much for a new librarian to learn and figure out! 

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Ahhh, Delicious

I created a delicious page a few years ago, and the site has totally changed! The stacks part is new, but I really liked the look of it once you've loaded in your links, etc. It is very visually interesting, and I think kids would really like it. I liked how the site suggested the tags to use, though sometimes no suggestion came up and I'm not sure why.

My first "stack" is on the Titanic, which is also what my website project is on. I am doing a Titanic remembrance month at my school in March/April, so this delicious site and the website project are going to be used.

The only thing I couldn't quite figure out is my delicious address.

THis is the link that came up when I was on the stacks page:

http://www.delicious.com/stacks/view/EqgnPW

But is the homepage address different? I think it's
http://www.delicious.com/acwsalctalibrary

If someone tries these links, maybe you can let me know if they work. 

I like the idea of tags. It seems very user friendly. Since I catalogue every day, I generally use subject headings, either that I import, from the publication page of the book, from another library site, or (gasp!) that I make up myself.

I'm still not quite sure of the functional difference between subject headings and keywords. Where do the keywords come from? Any word in the catalogue entry?

MARC and ME

Ahhh, the joys of meeting MARC. Finding MARC, manipulating MARC, comparing MARCs. It's a realm of strange symbols, spaces, tags, and official places where one finds these records of computer codes to help librarians everywhere.

I must say, I'm not that fond of MARC. The process is interesting, finding accurate records on various websites, including AMICUS (yet another username and password to remember) and Library of Congress. I much prefer the familiar, and I am very familiar with Vancouver Island Regional Library, being a frequent user for personal reading, as well as using it to supplement the school library collection.

I won't be sad to see the last of MARC, though I deal with him almost every day in my ongoing work to re-catalogue the complete library collection at Acwsalcta School. Not my favorite task, but it will be so rewarding when I finish the job. I don't know how to estimate when that will be done.

Weebly: learning to create a website for the "Titanic Remembered" project for assignment #2. Yes, another username and password to remember (how does one ever remember all these things?). I created a homepage and imported a photo of the Titanic from a shared commons resource which can be searched through the website software. Now, of course, I have to make some choices as to the resources I will put on the site, as I want to use the site with my students for our special Titanic commemoration. And of course, I will once again be getting to know MARC very well indeed as I create the records for this project.

http:titanicremembered.weebly.com

Lesson #5: Points of Access

Reflection #1:

Study the above information. Reflect on how students and teachers could access data about this particular book. What would be the most common ways? Title, key words in the title, author, subject, or key words in the subject.

Comments:

The provided bibliographic record is clear and concise. If students have been taught how to use the school library catalogue, and how to locate materials in the library non-fiction section, this record provides a very complete picture of what they would find if they went to the call number listed. I think that looking up "nursery rhymes" as the search would be the most useful, as it would come up both under keyword search and subject search.

Reflection #2

Consider the reading for this week by Connors and discusses how the catalogue record and the rules around choosing 'access points' are evolving.

I am old enough to remember the days of doing research using a card catalogue. I actually loved doing research (my first year of university was in 1981) and was fascinated by the treasure hunt nature of looking in the card catalogues, then going off into the book stacks to find books and journals. 

That experience seems to have nothing to do with accessing information these days. Accessing the readings and information for this course, for example, is a good example of the new way of becoming informed, and how the necessary information is disseminated. There aren't even any books involved, only website addresses.

It is still essential to be able to identify resources in a library. I would say that the minimum for a point of access is the title of a work. However, depending on the physical nature of the resource (book, map, DVD, CD, realia), the way to identify it would have to change. 

The way a resource is identified also depends on how the library's particular cataloguing system works, and what information is deemed relevant. As the article discusses, the future seems to be about multiple access points and collocating a resource. In the end, as long as the resource can be found on the data base and found in the physical sense in the library, then archaic rules seem irrelevant in this new age of computer data bases. 

Lesson #3: What's the Meta?

Check out this image:

/http://www.flickr.com/photos/will-lion/2595497078/

There must be a way to get the actual image into my blog, but I couldn't figure that out. But go to this link, and enjoy the photo and its message.

This image is a must for those of us involved with finding information in a professional capacity, and important to remember. The amount of accessible information is indeed overwhelming and over abundant. Personally, when there is too much of anything, it loses value. When something is scarce, it becomes more valuable. That could apply to information, or the carrots you grow in your garden.

Metadata

Metadata is data associated with objects which relieves their potential users of having full advance knowledge of their existence or characteristics.

Metadata is a systematic method for describing resources and thereby improving access to them.

Resource description is important because good descriptions of information resources are the most important determinant of whether people will find what they are looking for.

Metadata provides the essential link between the information creator and the information user.


Reflection:
Consider how a mastery of search engine anatomy would help with the role of the teacher librarian in developing information literacy with colleagues and students.


Understanding how to search for information on the internet effectively would help to develop information literacy. However, learning how to limit and weed the massive amount of information that's out there is also an important part of this skill. Perhaps putting a time limit on searches? Choosing a couple of sites and looking at them in-depth rather than skimming? Using a variety of mediums besides web pages, including YouTube and blogs? Trying out a couple of search engines? I didn't know that there were so many out there. For kids, using kid-friendly search engines is helpful. 


Perhaps asking colleagues and friends, finding a good "techie" person to consult, putting questions out there on Facebook (I found the solution to a Garage Band problem that way) for suggestions, favorites, preferences.......


Honestly, the more I learn, the more I get bogged down in how much is out there. It often seems like you need a bit of luck and the time to find what you're looking for. The image of the fire hydrant just keeps haunting me.

Lesson #2: To Web or Not to Web

The "Digital Library Collection"

First, this concept pre-supposes a couple of things: that everyone has access to up-to-date computers; that internet connections are fast and reliable; that people have their own personal devices (cell phones, iPads etc, ebook readers). 

Teaching at a First Nations school in an isolated area means you cannot assume the above, meaning that there are limitations to how the internet can be used as a teaching tool and as an information source and interactive learning tool.

The families of our school are often poor, and I would say that most have no home internet access or computers. Our internet is not always accessible, and it is often slow, so that downloading can also be slow. We do not have cell phone reception everywhere, so accessing the internet via cell phones is not always possible. Families probably cannot afford ebook readers. The overall literacy rate is low, and basic literacy is not modeled in many homes. Many families have little education, thus modeling internet use would be limited.

How strong are your biases for or against digital media? 

Well, I am one of your "middle-aged" colleagues. Though I am not against digital media, I am of the philosophy that the simplest solution is often the best. Digital media is complicated, and requires access to the various modes of accessing internet information. I have one laptop computer which meets all my personal needs. I don't need/want a cell phone, ebook reader (I go to the library where books are FREE and virtually unlimited), or whatever the latest "i" thingy happens to be.

I do value the resources and the various web 2.0 applications I have used personally, and for kids, including blogs and wikis, digital photos, online book review sites, TeacherTube and YouTube videos, etc.

Reflection: How have you provided ongoing support for digital media including Internet sites, school or library websites, online encyclopedias and reference materials, social networks such as "Facebook", blogs, etc.?

Currently, students do their computer work in the computer lab. It is almost always fully booked for "computer" classes. I only have two computers in the library, and students generally do AR reading quizzes there. I realize that I should be helping students learn how to find information in the library AND access relevant information on the internet, but would have to have more computers in the library in order to do both. This is surely the future of information. For younger students, however, I think books are still the best choice, rather than the internet.

I do have plans to create some sort of website (blog/wiki/delicious) to communicate info to kids about websites etc. that I find that are applicable to their classes, and so they can reply back to me. Navigating the internet can be a trying experience, because there is so much information out there, even for an experienced reader. It helps to weed out the wheat from the chaff for young learners. 

Facebook is blocked in our school. 

Currently, our library has no subscriptions to digital databases. Literacy is generally so low, and research projects so minimal, that they would be wasted on our student population.

LIBE 465 Lesson #1: Dear Dewey

Good old Dewey. Where would we be without him and his lovely system of organization? But with the increase in online resources, will Dewey go the way of the dinosaur? Hard to tell.

A close relative of Dewey is "Dewey the Library Cat". For those of you who haven't read this lovely book, look it up. Now available are picture books of Dewey which kids love.

http://www.deweyreadmorebooks.com/

Question for reflection: After reviewing the two example competencies, look through the entire document again to determine if there are many areas of Professional or Personal Competencies that do not require a knowledge of how to organize and a commitment to good organization.

The following quote from CASL sums up the absolute imperative of organization in the library:

Students' Information Literacy Needs in the 21st Century: Competencies for Teacher-Librarians

Students in Canada today need to be able to think rationally and logically. With more and more sources of information, both print and electronic, and the increasing difficulty of ensuring that students can derive meaning from this information, the role of the teacher-librarian becomes central. Teacher-librarians are skilled in accessing and evaluating information regardless of delivery system, book or computer, and providing leadership in the appropriate use of newer information technologies.

Particularly note "with more and more sources of information, both print and electronic" being highly important. Today, there is so much information out there, yet finding what is appropriate and relevant, particularly for kids who are learning to read and developing the skills to evaluate information, the librarian's job is more important than ever. BUT, we have to be able to find the information ourselves, so having a good understanding of the physical collection as well as online resources is essential. Otherwise, it's too easy to get lost in the information jungle.

I still think that for younger children, the first step in learning information literacy skills must parallel their acquisition of reading literacy skills: start with books! The supply is limited and manageable, the books are finite, they can take them to their classroom, put them in their desks, share them with friends, sit in a quiet corner and read them, and enjoy their physical presence. My experience is, that kids LOVE books! I don't work with them in the computer lab, though I know they love computers as well.