It has been a few weeks since I last reflected on my work to do with weeding the collection.
Things have slowed down a bit there, but have been encouraged by what I have managed to do. Time for me has been difficult as I contend with the other challenges of weeding the collection.
I have been impressed generally by the response of colleagues as they select books to be retained or to be disposed of. I have felt quite confident as I communicate about progress. Even as books have been moved into sorting areas before discarding them on OASIS, I have been flexible in letting teachers come to pick what they want. A few books have found their way back onto the shelves which is fine.
The weeding itself is going to take much longer than what I hope for, but I have found some side projects as well that I feel are linked back to this - like following up on overdue books, removing duplicate borrowers and accounting for other unreturned items.
Thursday, June 11, 2015
Friday, May 1, 2015
Revisting Weeding in 2015
Back in 2011 as part of my studies, I explored the issue of weeding on it.
Where I am at the moment, one of my short term challenges is to remove items from a collection that has aged significantly, especially the non fiction collection where there appear to be few (if any) contemporary resources available. The shelves are overcrowded and in fact can barely accomodate much more.
I've actually had to create my own weeding policy simply because the library does not have a collection development policy.
What I have done so far, is that I'm focusing on what I want to keep as opposed to what I want to dispose. I have my criteria set up for weeding e.g. poor physical condition and outdated information. I have been placing stickers on shelves as I check items, while placing stickers on the items that are to stay in the collection.
I also have consulted teachers and invited them to inspect the collections to see what they want to keep while explaining to them as to why we "weed" the collection e.g. helping us to decide which resources need to be purchased so that students can have easy access to resources that are contemporary and relevant to learning. I emphaised the positives of doing so because weeding can seen on the surface as "negative". They have been keen so far in their input. There are items no longer relevant to the kids but they are still relevant to teachers.
I even will need to document areas that really need updating, like books on computers and sport.
Where I am at the moment, one of my short term challenges is to remove items from a collection that has aged significantly, especially the non fiction collection where there appear to be few (if any) contemporary resources available. The shelves are overcrowded and in fact can barely accomodate much more.
I've actually had to create my own weeding policy simply because the library does not have a collection development policy.
What I have done so far, is that I'm focusing on what I want to keep as opposed to what I want to dispose. I have my criteria set up for weeding e.g. poor physical condition and outdated information. I have been placing stickers on shelves as I check items, while placing stickers on the items that are to stay in the collection.
I also have consulted teachers and invited them to inspect the collections to see what they want to keep while explaining to them as to why we "weed" the collection e.g. helping us to decide which resources need to be purchased so that students can have easy access to resources that are contemporary and relevant to learning. I emphaised the positives of doing so because weeding can seen on the surface as "negative". They have been keen so far in their input. There are items no longer relevant to the kids but they are still relevant to teachers.
I even will need to document areas that really need updating, like books on computers and sport.
Tuesday, April 21, 2015
Louise Limberg - UTS Connected Intelligence Centre Presentation - April 1 2015
On April 1, I attended a presentation by Louise Limberg at the University of Technology, Sydney. She spoke about meaningful learning through information literacy.
As a Teacher Librarian, I need to foster a culture of meaningful learning within my school but ensure that students have the information literacy skills needed for effective engagement.
One key finding of interest to me was that those who analyse and scrutinise information. Learning outcomes were likely to be more sophisticated with well grounded and independent conclusions of a research topic. If we focus on fact finding, learning outcomes are less likely to be met. Knowledge is fragmented.
I think my qualifications as a history teacher helps me because we need to scrutinise and analyse sources in order to draw a finding or conclusion. I'm currently on a Ten Week block at the Hurstville Boys' High Campus of the Georges River College in Sydney and already I'm telling my students to look at the sources that they use when undertaking research. Even though at the moment its a bibliography, we need to draw some conclusions about sources, particularly if the source is missing information e.g. author. Does it make the source credible or not? Does the information appear accurate compared to other resources.
Another element I need to consider is ensuring the research questions are researchable. Instead of picking topics for research, we as educators need to set research questions that will foster inquiry.
We have also been reminded to provide feedback on student learning and progress in the research process. This can be overlooked when marking an assessment. I feel we need to foster the process of inquiry questions with our students in order to form knowledge and provide the conclusions that we seek from learning.
There are challenges that lie ahead which were identified by Limberg. Technology is ever changing. Obviously we must adapt to those changes especially the easy access to the ever burgeoning amounts of information in a digital world. Information is presented in a wide variety of formats. We need to ensure that students can draw on that variety (not a few) to add their reading, interpretation, assessment and construction of meaning. There is also the challenge associated with politics and society e.g. free access to education or the content to be included in new national curriculum.
As a teacher librarian, I must keep alert to the new and emerging formats and encourage students to utilise it, but at the same time also draw on traditional resources. If a student can draw on a variety of resources, it will become easier to construct meaning. I have found that any student that uses a variety of resources is bound to achieve better results in learning tasks, than one who may for instance rely on two or three websites.
As a Teacher Librarian, I need to foster a culture of meaningful learning within my school but ensure that students have the information literacy skills needed for effective engagement.
One key finding of interest to me was that those who analyse and scrutinise information. Learning outcomes were likely to be more sophisticated with well grounded and independent conclusions of a research topic. If we focus on fact finding, learning outcomes are less likely to be met. Knowledge is fragmented.
I think my qualifications as a history teacher helps me because we need to scrutinise and analyse sources in order to draw a finding or conclusion. I'm currently on a Ten Week block at the Hurstville Boys' High Campus of the Georges River College in Sydney and already I'm telling my students to look at the sources that they use when undertaking research. Even though at the moment its a bibliography, we need to draw some conclusions about sources, particularly if the source is missing information e.g. author. Does it make the source credible or not? Does the information appear accurate compared to other resources.
Another element I need to consider is ensuring the research questions are researchable. Instead of picking topics for research, we as educators need to set research questions that will foster inquiry.
We have also been reminded to provide feedback on student learning and progress in the research process. This can be overlooked when marking an assessment. I feel we need to foster the process of inquiry questions with our students in order to form knowledge and provide the conclusions that we seek from learning.
There are challenges that lie ahead which were identified by Limberg. Technology is ever changing. Obviously we must adapt to those changes especially the easy access to the ever burgeoning amounts of information in a digital world. Information is presented in a wide variety of formats. We need to ensure that students can draw on that variety (not a few) to add their reading, interpretation, assessment and construction of meaning. There is also the challenge associated with politics and society e.g. free access to education or the content to be included in new national curriculum.
As a teacher librarian, I must keep alert to the new and emerging formats and encourage students to utilise it, but at the same time also draw on traditional resources. If a student can draw on a variety of resources, it will become easier to construct meaning. I have found that any student that uses a variety of resources is bound to achieve better results in learning tasks, than one who may for instance rely on two or three websites.
Tuesday, March 31, 2015
Dymocks Top 101 list for 2015
Dymocks have now released their top 101 list for 2015. For the full list click here.
The Book Thief by Markus Zusak has topped the list again after 15 000 votes were cast by Dymocks readers to determine the best 101 books of all time.
The top ten has been dominated by books that have been adapted to films. Only one book in that top ten is yet to be a film.
Also I have a link to a report by The Sydney Morning Herald today relating to the list.
The Book Thief by Markus Zusak has topped the list again after 15 000 votes were cast by Dymocks readers to determine the best 101 books of all time.
The top ten has been dominated by books that have been adapted to films. Only one book in that top ten is yet to be a film.
Also I have a link to a report by The Sydney Morning Herald today relating to the list.
Thursday, March 19, 2015
Are Teacher Librarians on Borrowed Time?
An article was published in The Age Newspaper in Melbourne last year that questions the relevance of the Teacher Librarian to the learning process.
But at the same time it looks at the threat that the profession is facing as some schools opt for specialist teachers in other subject areas instead or in some instances closing libraries and replacing them with IT Centres.
I have to say "well done" to the paper for highlighting the challenges that the profession is facing.
But there was one thing that I felt that was missing from the comments provided by Dianne Ruffles (Teacher Librarian - Melbourne Grammar) and Alison Lester (Author); the importance of communicating information.
As a Teacher Librarian, I believe that providing students with skills in the effective communication of information is important to the learning process. It is one of the most important life skills that one can possess as it allows us to share and transfer information from person to person, whether it may be in a written form, visually or verbally. Through that new knowledge can be created.
But are we on borrowed time? I'd say no. Jobs are under threat from budgetary but as the research indicates, Teacher Librarians are gaining an ever more important role in the learning process. For me, just continue to advocate the role and show to everyone how wonderful Teacher Librarians are.
But at the same time it looks at the threat that the profession is facing as some schools opt for specialist teachers in other subject areas instead or in some instances closing libraries and replacing them with IT Centres.
I have to say "well done" to the paper for highlighting the challenges that the profession is facing.
But there was one thing that I felt that was missing from the comments provided by Dianne Ruffles (Teacher Librarian - Melbourne Grammar) and Alison Lester (Author); the importance of communicating information.
As a Teacher Librarian, I believe that providing students with skills in the effective communication of information is important to the learning process. It is one of the most important life skills that one can possess as it allows us to share and transfer information from person to person, whether it may be in a written form, visually or verbally. Through that new knowledge can be created.
But are we on borrowed time? I'd say no. Jobs are under threat from budgetary but as the research indicates, Teacher Librarians are gaining an ever more important role in the learning process. For me, just continue to advocate the role and show to everyone how wonderful Teacher Librarians are.
Tuesday, March 10, 2015
AIS TL Network Meeting - February 26
Just under a fortnight ago, I was able to attend my first Association of Independent Schools network meeting which was held at Our Lady of Mercy College, Parramatta.
Even though I'm only casual in a teaching sense, it does give me a very good opportunity not just to meet those within the profession but also be informed on what schools are doing and what we can do.
Being new, I had to introduce myself to the group and provide a few lines on my teaching background.
Paul Macdonald of The Children's Bookshop at Beecroft provided us with an overview of the books that teens should read in 2015. Already I'll admit I have recommended some of those titles to one school where I was doing relief work last week (St Pauls Catholic College, Greystanes).
The Library team at Our Lady of Mercy College at Parramatta provided us with an overview of their wide reading program and I was quite impressed with some of the activities that they do during their wide reading sessions which I would not have thought of in the first place including speed book dating (examining covers, blurbs etc), and using QR codes to access author websites. The readers group is a good strategy as well as it allows students to discuss books in a more relaxing manner. There was also an overview of how library services are promoted including orientation for year 7 students, staff morning teas and a book trivia contest.
Thanks to Our Lady of Mercy College for making me welcome and for their presentation along with Ruqqiya Dean (Pymble Ladies College) for organising the meeting.
Also some photos I took on my Ipad of the school library. Some had proper cameras with them which was a nice idea and hopefully I can do it next time.
Even though I'm only casual in a teaching sense, it does give me a very good opportunity not just to meet those within the profession but also be informed on what schools are doing and what we can do.
Being new, I had to introduce myself to the group and provide a few lines on my teaching background.
Paul Macdonald of The Children's Bookshop at Beecroft provided us with an overview of the books that teens should read in 2015. Already I'll admit I have recommended some of those titles to one school where I was doing relief work last week (St Pauls Catholic College, Greystanes).
The Library team at Our Lady of Mercy College at Parramatta provided us with an overview of their wide reading program and I was quite impressed with some of the activities that they do during their wide reading sessions which I would not have thought of in the first place including speed book dating (examining covers, blurbs etc), and using QR codes to access author websites. The readers group is a good strategy as well as it allows students to discuss books in a more relaxing manner. There was also an overview of how library services are promoted including orientation for year 7 students, staff morning teas and a book trivia contest.
Thanks to Our Lady of Mercy College for making me welcome and for their presentation along with Ruqqiya Dean (Pymble Ladies College) for organising the meeting.
Also some photos I took on my Ipad of the school library. Some had proper cameras with them which was a nice idea and hopefully I can do it next time.