The Reference Section

Terri Kirk’s article “Tough Love for Your Reference Section” has motivated me to weed the print reference section of my library more thoroughly. Although we have one set of 2010 World Book Encyclopedias, the other sets of encyclopedias have publication dates that, according to Riedling, condemn them to the dumpster. Earlier this year I discarded several now-historical atlases and a couple of ancient almanacs. Weeding the rest of the reference section will be a simple task; however, I am uncertain about which new print resources I should purchase (if any!) for the reference section.

Kirk, a high-school teacher-librarian, states that “[t]oday, with everything we need available on our cell phones, a book that can’t be checked of the library seems ludicrous” (28). At my K-5 school, which runs on a fixed schedule, students do not have much time to explore the reference section. I have trouble justifying the purchase of books that will rarely be used. Like Joanne McLarty, who revealed in a discussion posting that much of her reference section, including atlases, has “migrated” to the circulating collection, I prefer to provide access to information rather than to restrict it. I have ordered new atlases for my library, but plan to house only one or two in the reference section.

Because my school library has an electronic reference section that is close to meeting the A.I.L.’s “Exemplary” standard, I am less concerned about maintaining a large print reference section. As I noted in this week’s discussion posting, my district’s subscription to electronic databases and encyclopedias provides our K-5 students with access to more than 45 primary/elementary periodicals (via EBSCOhost’s Kids Search and Searchasaurus), to electronic indexes, and to several World Book products including Early World of Learning, Dramatic Learning, World Book Kids, World Book Discover, and World Book Student. Teachers can access professional materials and more comprehensive information through World Book Advanced, EBSCOhost and Canadian Points of View. As well, our district has invested in video streaming, providing online access to countless videos, video clips, and audio clips.

At this point, I need to continue to encourage teachers and students to use these electronic resources. As Lori Ingles commented in reference to the online resources purchased by her district, “…some of the value that I can provide lies in guiding students towards trusted sites that provide accurate, age appropriate information in an organized way.” If the electronic resources are there, but are not being used, they are a waste of the district’s money. As teacher-librarians, we need to take a leadership role in promoting the use of these resources and providing training if necessary. Throughout the year, I have worked mainly with the Grade 3, 4, and 5 teachers to show them how to access the encyclopedias and databases and how to use these resources as teaching tools. There are many features, such as timelines and visual bilingual dictionaries, that they have been excited to try out in their classrooms. Next year, as I will no longer have to provide prep time for two kindergarten teachers, I would like to create a schedule that allows for more time to teach information literacy—using both print and electronic resources.

Works Cited

Kirk, Terri. “Tough Love for Your Reference Section.” Library Media Connection 29.2 (2010) : 28. Academic Search Premier. Web. 20 May 2011.

The Reference Process

As a former secondary school English teacher, I have taught information literacy skills for years and believe that they are an essential part of students' education. Information literacy should be taught across the curriculum with support from teacher-librarians. Unfortunately, in my new position as a teacher-librarian at a small K-5 school, I am discovering barriers to my desire to teach information literacy. While I think it is reasonable to expect teacher-librarians to possess the six qualities (outlined in our Lesson 2 course notes) needed to successfully support the reference process, the small amount of time many of us have with the students limits the extent to which we can make use of these qualities.

I have a .35 FTE contract at a K-5 elementary school and have 7 divisions of students to see weekly. In addition, this year Kindergarten students no longer attended music classes, but instead were sent to the library, where I would teach outcomes chosen in consultation with the Kindergarten teachers. At my school, because we have two Kindergarten classes, I spent two hours a week having fun with the youngest students--we did choose some outcomes that enabled me to teach beginning information literacy skills--but I lost time that could have been spent focusing on the research process with older students.

Fortunately, the school board has decided not to continue with this plan, and it seems that there will not be a cut to the teacher-librarians' time. If I have this extra time next year, I will be able to extend the library classes and teach information literacy skills in context. This year, I have had time to teach only a few strategies in isolation, a much less effective means of instruction. The teachers tend to use the library for research projects on days when I am not at school because they can bring their classes in for extended periods of time. Ideally, I would like to be part of the research process from beginning (task initiation or identification) to end (evaluation or reflection).