Change is Gorgeous!

Every Library Learning Commons with a Teacher Librarian has an impact on the learning of the students that walk through its doors.  As we all endeavour to make the space inviting, used, and purposeful, we look towards resources such as university professors, district initiatives, national documents, and digital resources where experts voice their opinions and give teacher librarians advice on how to achieve a purposeful LLC.   While sifting through all of the advice it is ultimately the individual school, where its teachers and students learn together, where the idea of change is able to take root and attitudes evolve just as our entire BC curriculum has evolved.  Not only has the curriculum changed, the classroom and LLC spaces have changed with their furniture arrangements. Attitudes around rote learning have changed and we all are delving into inquiry based learning.  Also, digital literacy is no longer an asset it is a necessity. "The major learning outcome for the school library program is to develop students who are information literate." (Achieving Infomation Literacy, 2006). Nowhere is this more apparent than the reference section of the LLC. 

This is a very hard, messy and ultimately gorgeous time to be part of any LLC.  At this time, reflecting upon the reference collections, services, and policies is a good idea since the role of the teacher librarian is crucial in working alongside our incredible classroom teacher colleagues as they inspire the curious minds of their students. "As a school librarian, the goal should be to look at what students are learning and what teachers are teaching in the classroom and see where you knowledge and skills can fit into that plan." (Dees, Mayer, Morin & Willis, 2010) Let's be at the ready with some equally inspiring resources.

Analysis and Rationale for Change of the Reference Collection

The ASM LLC is central in the building.  It is a gathering place for meetings, a welcoming spot for small group collaboration, it functions as a classroom, a space for our indigenous culture club, a place where technology is integrated into learning, and lastly a haven for research when it comes to inquiry based learning.  Presently we have research being done on every topic under the sun it seems. There is a big responsibility to make sure that not only are our students information literate, but also ensure that the reference collection in our LLC is current.  Although we know that not all schools have the same budget or population "learners have a right to expect good school libraries in every school in Canada.  Our school libraries should reflect our common values of equity, diversity, and cultural identity as well as best approaches in the educational and library professions.  They should be contextually relevant to student need and success, and built, cared for, measured, renewed and sustained on an ongoing basis by their learning communities.  We should position school libraries to lead learning for the future." (Leading Learning, 2014). With this in mind, I will continue to focus on the countries and atlas section of our reference collection.  We currently have three atlases from 2001-2004 and a series of 34 books from A True Book Collection: Countries by Children's Press and it is nineteen years old.  I am most looking forward to updating this section because our school has a population of 275 students with many countries being represented in the building.  

This section of our reference collection needs to be changed because it is outdated.  It needs to be current because cultural identity, travel, exploration, and understanding our planet remains a hot topic of interest for students aged K-6. "Demand selection is providing patrons with what they request and want.  Quality selection is based on what patrons should have." (Lamb, 2013). In this instance both are true for our Atlas and countries reference collections.  Students request weekly, the circulation is strong for books about culture, and as teachers we have seen their benefit to the social studies curriculum.  One example of where a full series of books would be beneficial is to the Grade 3 Social Studies curriculum big ideas. "People from diverse cultures and societies share some common experiences and aspects of life." (BC's New Curriculum, 2018).  I look forward to using new resources with my colleagues soon.

Analysis and Rationale for Change to the Research Services provided by the LLC.

With a population of 275 students at a K-6 school the LLC is allocated a .5 TL.  With this time there are currently three 50 minute blocks allocated to Learning in Depth and one 50 minute block that has flexibility for research presentations by Virtual Field Trips.  It has worked quite well this year with the exception that we have a very complicated group of students who need more one on one guidance with their research at the younger grade levels.  Also, we now have a solid handle as a group of four teachers and myself as to the direction of LiD at our school.  Moving forward it would be most beneficial to offer more blocks of collaborative work with ADST (Applied Design Thinking and Technologies, STEM (Science, Engineering, Technology and Math), Design Thinking, and the Five Points of Inquiry process in the LLC.

The rationale to change the schedule slightly is to keep up with the inquiry based learning that is happening in the classrooms.  Currently the classrooms do not have classroom libraries that could support this sort of learning and they are relying heavily on the internet.  LiD encourages students to spend an hour a week at school researching their topic.  They need both print and digital resources.  "The aim of Learning in Depth is for each student, by the end of her or his schooling, to know as much about that topic as almost anyone on Earth." (A Brief Guide to Learning in Depth, 2018).  To really understand the needs of the students when it comes to reference resources, being a part of the research end of the knowledge seaking helps all TLs outsource digital resources as well as print resources.  In other words, before changing the entire reference collection a TL needs to know what is needed.  "A good reference source is one that serves to answer questions, and a bad reference source is one that fails to answer questions." (Reidling, 2013). Keeping this in mind, a TL can make some valuable purchases.  

In the past the thinking was to expose students to as much knowledge as possible to many things.  Now the thinking is to expect students learn how to be skilled at finding information.  We have many roles as TLs and creating a schedule that best meets the needs of our school community is one of them, along with "encouraging the appropriate problem-solving research processes, as well as critical thinking, in order to lead students to information.  Ultimately self-directed learners lead themselves to knowledge from that information."  (Riedling, 2013).  For this reason, every year the services being provided by the TL need to be evaluated and the input from colleagues needs to be sought.

The Plan

A decade ago I began my first volunteer role on a board for a summer camp.  I quickly learned that with multiple volunteers, many more opinions, and limited resources the best laid plans came to fruition within the time frame of 3-5 years.  I have taken my ten years of board experience and applied it to the Library Learning Commons. Shifts in thinking and communication are necessary for change and that doesn't happen overnight.  With all of the steps that will be listed to move the learning forward in the LLC with reference resources and services, it is important to remember the mental shift that needs to happen with not only educators, but students themselves because if "they don't seek information for its own sake, they will not become lifelong learners."  (Weisburg & Toor, 2015).  There is no time like the present to begin any 3-5 year plan.

Moving Forward with the Reference Collection

1.  Spend an afternoon to getting to know the reference collection. 

2.  Spend an afternoon reflecting on the questions of the students.

2.  Continue weeding.

3.  Find a reliable print source to meet the students' learning needs.

4.  Visit other TLs and LLCs in my district or elsewhere.

5.  Begin investigating other district's digital resources.

6.  Specifically this weekend I will be purchasing the Crabtree Atlas and Country collection.  

7. Continue to join committees with my administrator and attend Library Network presentations to network with other TLs and hear about their digital resources.  

8.  Find compatible digital resources that offer information about countries.  Introduce these resources to the students this month. Pursue my inquiry about a free trial with Research Rocket.

9.  Continue to update all of the stakeholders about new resources via my school blog and the Monday Memo.

Moving Forward with the Services Provided 

1.  Create my timetable for next year and then as the teachers see me next week with their classes for their "Love of Literacy" sessions review the schedule.

2.  Set up a meeting with my administrators for Thursday of this week to talk about timetabling for next year.

3.  Make it a priority to offer research skill building with all of the classes in an authentic learning environment.

4.  Continue to update all of the stakeholders about schedule changes via my school blog and the Monday Memo.

5.  Continue to jump on board district professional development.  This year's focus has been Inquiry Based Learning and 

No changes can happen alone.  Ultimately the TL is the one who purchases the books and creates space in their day for collaboration with the teachers, but it is the team that changes the practice.  The change will happen as a school community.  Ideally "the learning commons is a place where the emphasis is switched from teaching to learning.  It is a place that fosters curiosity, a place where everyone models how to learn.  It is a space for everyone within the school community: teachers, parents, administration, technical staff, support staff, and students- a place where everyone collaborates in learning partnerships." (McNee & Radmer, 2017).  Research and our reference resources can no longer be relics.  It's time to change.

Citations

A Brief Guide to Learning in Depth. (2018). Retrieved from https://www.sfu.ca/~egan/A%20Brief%20Guide%20to%20LiD.pdf

Achieving Information Literacy. Canadian Association for School Libraries. 2006. p4.

BC's New Curriculum. (2018) Social Studies Curricular Competencies Gr. 2-5. Retrieved from https://curriculum.gov.bc.ca/curriculum/social-studies/3

CLA. (2014). Leading Learning: Standards of Practice for School Library Learning Commons in Canada. Canadian Library Association. p. 4.

Dees, D., Mayer, A., Morin, H., & Willis, E. (2010). "Librarians as leaders in professional learning communities through technology, literacy, and collaboration." Library Media Connection, 29(2), 10

Lamb, A. (2013).  Electronic Materials for Children and Young Adults. Eduscape.  Retrieved from  eduscapes.com/electronic.17.htm

 (Links to an external site.)

McNee, D. & Radmer, E. (2017).  Librarians and Learning: The Impact of Collaboration.  National Council of Teachers of English.

Riedling, Ann, Shake, Loretta & Houston, Cynthia. (2013). Reference skills for the school library media specialist: Tools and tips, (Third Edition). Santa Barbara, CA: Linworth. 

Toor, R., & Weisburg, H. K. (2015). New on the job: A school library media specialist’s guide to success. 2^nd edition. Chicago: American Library Association. p. 10