Library Upgrades - My Changes vs. My Colleagues

I have been really interested over the past few days reading about my colleagues desired library upgrades.  Some have wanted to change the layout drastically including circulation desks and door locations.  Others have wanted to add more resources.  Some want to make technological changes.  Finally and similar to my own changes, some have wanted to add more shelving.  All of the desired changes would make a difference within libraries. I would be very curious to see exactly what impact these changes will have in the near future and years down the road.

After reading about the other upgrades, I am worried about one thing: cost.  Every one of my colleagues upgrades seem to be inexpensive while my own were approximately $6000.  While this concerns me, I do rest assured knowing that my changes will make a significant difference to my library users.  I also know that because of other recent upgrades, we have the funding to be able to support these changes.

I look forward to reading about more of my colleagues upgrades to get ideas for other changes I may want to consider making in my library space in the future.

Assignment #3 Complete

Late last night I completed by plan and presentation for my library upgrades.  Rather than reflect right away, I took some time to think about what I accomplished.  Had I reflected immediately I would have just written about how relieved I was to be done!  However, in hindsight I am very proud of what I completed.

As a non-TL I struggled at first with what changes our library required.  However, after talking to our TL and spending some time in the library I realized what needed to be done.  Technology was excellent as was the overall space.  What really needed changing was the configuration and layout of furniture and shelving.  The library really lacked a comfortable feel and did not have enough space to house/display all of the resources.  By focusing on these changes I think I was able to create a much better space which could help the library better achieve their goals.

I am very proud of what I was able to accomplish.  I believe that I could give this plan to our current TL and she could use both the report and PPT presentation as they are to go to both administrators, parents and district heads to get approval for the proposed changes.  The document is extremely detailed and attempts to relate the changes to specific library goals.  The presentation covers all of the main aspects of the report yet is general enough that it can be used to present to a number of differing groups (admin, district heads, parents, etc.).

After some hard work and a night to sleep and reflect, I am very proud of the changes I proposed and the report/presentation I created to express the need for them.  I hope that it is actually something our current TL could use to make improvements to the Elgin Park Library!

Improving Our Library - Part II (Nearing the end of assignment three)

In preparing to complete assignment three I spent a lot of time walking through the library and visiting the space when user groups were there.  What I realized is that some of the initial deficiencies of the library were really non existent or did not make much of a difference to the users experience.  Instead, I noticed that there were other flaws which needed to be addressed.  Furthermore, these flaws were more closely related to improving access to learning resources and the overall experience of library users.  By addressing these flaws would also help the library better achieve their six goals and objectives.

The two changes I have gone about addressing for assignment three are shelving and furniture layout.  Through careful research I have found additional shelving units and products which will provide extra shelving to use to house more resources and display others or possibly display student work, art, etc.  I have also found new furniture pieces which can be used to create a quiet reading lounge.  The original furniture has then be re-arranged to create a larger classroom type space with an additional quiet study area for other library users who aren't with the larger groups.

At this point I am nearly done developing my plan and presentation for making the shelving and furniture changes to my library.  I hope that both the detailed plan (Word Document) and visual presentation (PowerPoint) will help my library make the changes it requires to improve the users overall library experience and specifically their access to learning resources.

Improving Our Library - Part I

When I first did the readings for lesson thirteen I had the following reaction.  However, as I began working on assignment three I realized that several of the issues I discuss below really were non issues with regars to user access to learning resources.  As a result, a subsequent post will address the changes I will be making to improve our library as part of assignment three.

Is Our Library At An Acceptable Level?

I feel that our library meets the standard of acceptable.  As the criteria states it is “a barrier-free learning environment that ensures access to a centrally organized collection of learning resources. The school library is an inviting, safe, and stimulating place for individuals and small and large groups to use for research, browsing, listening, viewing, and reading. There may be a limited production area. The design of the facility supports the wide range of activities that comprise resource-based learning and teaching” (National Standards).
Our library allows for good flow of students throughout the space.  It also is organized in a way which allows easy access to the book shelves.  The library is also very open with lots of windows.  This provides the space with a lot of natural light.  It also makes it aesthetically appealing, especially on bright sunny days.  Due to the light and layout, there are good sightlines so that the teacher-librarian and teachers can supervise the students.  There is a great deal of resources available to students including computers and other audio-visual equipment.  These characteristics make the library at my school on par with the acceptable standard from the “National Standards” document.

While our library does have a lot of positive attributes, there are areas where improvement could occur.  For instance, the acoustics in the library are poor.  The library has a very high ceiling and the space itself is quite sparse.  As a result, the acoustics are poor.  This makes it difficult for students to work quietly as their every noise is amplified by the glass windows and high ceiling.  The library also does not have access to adjacent computer labs.  While it is located next to a computer lab, this space has been used for the Planning 10 classroom.  As a result, less library users have access to digital resources found online.

The aspect of our library which requires the greatest amount of change is its layout.  The space is set up in a way which only allows one group of students (one class) to be in the library at a time.  As a result, multiple user groups can not be in the library working on a range of activities.  This has caused teachers to have to sign up for library privileges weeks in advance.  The teachers who are unable to book time in the library never get a chance to explore all that the library has to offer them and their students.

Changing the Library: A Physical or Mental Thing?

I think that if your library is not up to standard then changing need to occur.  While I am not a big proponent of change, when I realize something could be done better I am all for making the change.

Our library needs to make several changes which I have previously explained.  Firstly, the configuration of the space could be changed so that there are distinct learning/work areas.  This would allow more than one class to be in the library and working on different tasks at the same time.  This change is possible and could potentially be inexpensive with the purchase of dividers, the reconfiguration of shelves or the purchase of different furniture.  While cost could be a deterrent to making these changes, inexpensive solutions could be developed if the teacher-librarian worked in conjunction with administrators and members of the district offices.

While change can be costly and difficult, if there is a way to make it happen so that students will benefit, then I feel that the changes have to be encouraged and made.

It’s a Sign

After completing the readings for lesson thirteen I decided to conduct an inventory of the different signs in our school library.  In total I found seven different types of signs located throughout the library.  I feel that many of these signs are beneficial for both the teacher-librarian as well as the users.

The first sign I saw when entering the library was with regards to hours.  The hours were clearly stated on the front door in large readable font.  This sign is definitely needed so that students understand when they can access the library.

The next sign I saw was just inside the door.  This sign listed the rules and expectations of students.  I believe that the placement of this sign is important as if students do not see that there are clearly identifiable rules they may take advantage of their time in the library.

After entering the library I approached the circulation desk.  Above the desk was a large sign stating, “Reference Desk.”  On the desk was another sign stating, “Please check out books here.”  Both of these signs are clearly visible and ensure students know where to sign out resources.

Above the book shelves are signs which state what subject/category of books would be found on those shelves.  The signs are in bold writing and hang clearly above each shelf.  On the front of each shelving unit is a sign with the Dewey Decimal reference numbers for the books on each shelf.  This aids users in finding where their desired book would be.

While all of the above signs make the library more user friendly, there is one sign which I dislike.  On every computer monitor there is a list of acceptable uses for computers.  However, rather than focus on what students could use it for, the sign states all of the things students can not do.  I can appreciate that being explicitly clear on what is not acceptable is important, they seem to take away from the joy and excitement of using technology.  By placing these negative signs on every computer I feel like the teacher-librarian is limiting students experience with digital resources as they are fearful of going to the “wrong sites.”

Signage plays a key role in the library.  I think our library makes use of signs which make the space more users friendly.  However, I do feel that there are ways of focusing on the positives rather than negatives.

Maybe what our library needs is a sign that says, “Smile!”

Beginning Assignment #3 - The cost of change is costly!

In all honesty I started working on assignment three about a week ago.  However, due to a busy schedule, lots of marking and a bit of procrastination I never really got into the research aspect of assignment three.

I decided to address furniture and shelving.  I believe that their is not enough shelving at my school library and the shelving we do have could be arranged in a more functional and user friendly way.  The same goes for the furniture.  With some new additions and a different arrangement, our library space would be much improved.

While I thought these would be easy and inexpensive changes I am learning tonight that this is simply not the case.  Shelving is REALLY expensive!  I could save money on furniture if I purchased at IKEA type stores.  However, after reading some posts in LIBE 465 and 461, buying cheap furniture might cost more in the long run.

As a result of my new findings I am realizing that the amount of changes I can make will have to be limited.  While I can address shelving and furniture concerns, the changes will have to be scaled back.  I hope that despite the cut back, I can still create a better space for the library users of EPS.

How essential is a school library homepage and what elements are the most important? (Lesson 12)

Based on the concept of having the school library function as a “Learning Commons” at the heart of every school, it should also be accessible and visible from wherever you are.  Therefore, I believe that it is essential for a library to have a website with a well formatted and functional homepage.  As Joyce Valenza states, “Your library web page is your second front door.”  By providing users, mainly the students and staff, with a way to access the library and its resources from online helps let the library play a more central role in the users lives.

There are many important elements of a school library homepage which make it attractive and useful.  The school library homepages of Dr. Charles Best, Prince of Wales and Elgin Park Secondary exemplify many of these elements.

The Charles Best homepage includes widgets allowing the site to be easily translated into Chinese, Korean, Japanese, Italian, German, Portuguese, Spanish or French.  This feature makes the information on the homepage accessible to many more users who might not be proficient in English.  The Best homepage also offers a variety of links including world news from the Globe and Mail as well as links to popular blogs.

The Prince of Wales library homepage has a reference desk.  From this reference desk the user can find links to different types of resources include homework help and community resources.  These links go beyond classroom and library activities and offer ways for users to get involved with extra curricular activities.  The Prince of Wales homepage also denotes whether links or resources are Canadian by placing a red maple leaf beside them.  I think that this is an important element as it helps show students where the content is from.  So many resources that we use in Canadian schools is American.  By identifying and highlighting Canadian resources, they will be more likely to find relevant information.  I also like that this homepage highlights the new content in bright yellow.  This helps advertise new resources to students.

The Elgin Park website incorporates many of the same elements as the previous sites.  What I specifically like about our school homepage is that there is a great deal of white space.  I find that many sides overwhelm the user with content.  Our school library’s homepage is very simple and therefore the desired resources and links can easily be found by the user.  I also like that our teacher-librarian includes videos of the week or month which help to advertise new resources or films related to items in the library.  This is an excellent way of engaging students with library resources.

Since I am not an expert on creating websites and have never made one before I do not have any suggestions for all of you about to tackle this task.  However, I would encourage you to keep the website simple with lots of white space.  I would also encourage you to have easy to navigate links with engaging and eye catching “extras” wherever you can.  Finally, I would encourage you to create your school library homepage with some TLC because it is worth it.  As Joyce Valenza states, “Your library web page is your second front door.”

How do we teach students to use better internet sites and digital resources? (Lesson 12)

As stated in the readings, it is not about convincing students to use better sites and resources, but more so teaching them how.  I believe there are a variety of activities which would help students realize the importance of using better sites and resources.  I have offered three possible activities below.

Firstly, a lesson could be taught on the origin and nature of Wikipedia.  Many teachers condemn students for using Wikipedia as they say it is an unreliable source.  Rather than condemn the use of Wikipedia, teachers could show students firstly how it works.  Once students understand that anybody can post information they will see the dangers in relying solely on Wikipedia.  Teachers can then have students create their own wiki’s with false information and post it online.  Hours or days later the class can search Wikipedia to see if the information is still available online.  Once students realize that the information on Wikipedia is not always correct, teachers can show them how to cross-reference information.  If students can learn this important skill, then Wikipedia can still play an important role in research activities.

Secondly, a lesson or activity could be developed about how search engines operate.  Students could examine the Google and Yahoo search criteria to see why certain pages show up and why others do not.  With a better understanding of these engines work, students will conduct future searches more efficiently and effectively.

Thirdly, teachers could develop an activity whereby students compare a variety of different digital resources and websites.  The information will be about the same subject and students will have to compare which parts are accurate.  This will help teach students that not everything they find is appropriate or accurate as well as how to properly cross-reference information.

While I have not fully developed these ideas and activities, I hope they may be useful in teaching your students information technology skills which will make them more literate when working with online and digital resources.

The Strenghts and Weaknesses of Our OPAC

From a student/teacher perspective:

The Online Public Access Catalogue system which we use at our school is Destiny.  This cataloguing system is used throughout the Surrey school district at both the elementary and secondary level.  In the past few weeks I have been using our system on a much more regular basis.  I have accessed it both from the school library computers as well as from my home computer.  In my experience with the system, I have found it to be very user friendly.

The big strength of our OPAC is that it is district wide.  Therefore, when students learn how the system works in elementary school they will also know how to use it in their secondary school.  This would be a major benefit for student users as it they would not have to learn a new system when they entered high school.  Since it is likely secondary students will be conducting more research in the library than elementary students, the knowledge of how the system works will allow them to find the necessary resources more efficiently.

A second point of strength of the OPAC is that you are not overwhelmed by information on the catalogue screen.  There is a lot of white space and a limited amount of writing.  As I have learned in other courses, having a lot of white space is important as it ensures that viewers do not experience a stimuli overload.  With less writing and more white space it is easier to navigate to the items of the user’s choice.

The OPAC system at our school also includes a lot of visual cues.  Each of the five search methods are accompanied by both text as well as visual.  This helps the user select which type of search they want to conduct whether through using the text or visual.

A fourth strong point of our OPAC system is that there are a number of ways to search for items.  There are five basic search criteria which allow users to search for items using keywords, titles, authors, subjects or the name of a series.  The system also allows users to conduct a more detailed search, referred to as a power search.  Finally, the system allows users to conduct searches based on major subjects.  These are known as visual searches as each subject is accompanied by a large 1 inch by 1 inch visual.  This form of search would be beneficial for users who struggle with reading or with language comprehension.

A final point of strength of our library cataloguing system is that it includes a help page with frequently asked questions.  The information explains areas where users may have troubles in a simplistic easy to follow way.  However, I did find it hard to locate this help section on the screen as it is located in the top corner with very small font.

While OPAC system at my school has many strengths, the biggest weakness is that the additional tabs to conduct more detailed searches lack an explanation.  While the function these searches perform are beneficial the lack of an explanation beyond the word “power” or “visual” may prevent users from making use of them.

From an administrator’s perspective:

Since I am not a teacher-librarian I did not have access to perform administrative functions on our school’s OPAC system.  Therefore, I asked our teacher-librarian what she felt the strengths and weaknesses of the system were for her.  Her response highlighted four main strengths of the systems administrative options.

Firstly, the system is very user friendly when entering new items into the system.  This was something which the previous system did not allow for with ease.

Secondly, our teacher-librarian informed me that the system is easy to use for checking in and out items.  It is so user friendly that this function of her job is now performed by student clerical volunteers.

Thirdly, the OPAC system allows for easy retrieval of information about overdue books and loans.  At our school we have a problem with students not returning books on time.  However, this system allows our teacher-librarian to print out records with ease which informs her of students who have not returned items.

Finally, I was told that the system makes our teacher-librarian’s job much more efficient and less stressful.  With so many tasks to complete and job functions to perform, having an efficient and effective cataloguing system allows her to focus on assisting students and staff.

Online Public Access Cataloguing Systems

I found the lesson about Online Public Access Cataloguing systems to be quite interesting as I never considered how important it is to the daily functions of the school library.  Without a functional OPAC, there would be a number of problems.

Firstly, library users would have to search for resources by hand on the shelves.  This would be a time consuming task which may discourage library users from coming to the library in the first place.

Secondly, the teacher-librarian would not be able to perform numerous aspects of his/her job as efficiently.  For instance the tracking of resources, shelving as well as sign-in and sign-out of resources.

These are the main issues which caught my attention when completing lesson eleven.  A more detailed reflection on the role of my school's OPAC is to follow.

My Digital Library on WWII

Seeing as everyone is in the process of finishing up their Digital Library's this weekend I thought I would post the link to mine.  My library is 90% fully accessible online.  As a result, if you are a Socials/History teacher anywhere in B.C. or the world you could use this library of resources to help with your instruction of WWII.

I hope it can be of some use to you!

https://sites.google.com/site/worldwariidigitallibrary/

Where and How Much?

The discussion about how resources are purchased got me thinking:

1.) Where should we buy resources?
2.) Should TL's be able to decide where they are bought and what prices to pay?

It seems like that puts a lot of responsibility and power in the hands of the TL.  I think they should be in control of the resources that are in their library.  However, what if the TL is purchasing resources at an inflated cost or is purchasing poor resources?  Should there not be district/school guidelines?

I think I now have more questions than answers.  Hopefully future posts on the discussion board will help me figure out just how to buy resources and catalogue them.

Cataloguing Options...

Since I am on a role, here are my reactions to module 10.  I was overwhelmed with the amount of cataloguing optinos which exist for TL's.  While I like the variety of options, it would be so much easier if every TL, library, publisher followed the same format and system.  That being said, this weeks readings definitely made me realize the complexity of the cataloguing process.

Below are my reactions shared on the Disucssion Board.

The Seven Cataloguing Options:

In this week’s readings I was surprised to find that there are seven different options for cataloguing items in a school library.  Based on the previous readings I was aware that the CIP information could be used to create records for a catalogue system.  However, I did not realize how many options there were and the benefits that they offered.

District based central cataloguing and processing seems to be the best and most efficient way to catalogue items in a school library.  By having a system run by the district, all schools within that district would operate under the same system.  This would allow for students and staff to use the library with ease regardless of whether they move schools.  Furthermore, this form of system would mean that entering cataloguing information and preparing books for the shelves would be done by the district.  This would make a teacher-librarian’s job easier as they would no longer have to deal with cataloguing and processing records.  While there are many advantages to having the district control cataloguing and processing, it may limit the freedom of the librarian in selecting new items as well as how the library must be organized and run on a daily basis.

Purchasing cataloguing from book suppliers does not seem all that beneficial to me as they will only be able to provide information on the items which their company represents.  I would imagine that a library contains items by tens or hundreds of different publishers and suppliers.  If this is the case, then purchasing cataloguing information from each supplier may be very time consuming and provide the teacher-librarian with records which are not uniform or consistent.

Making use of cataloguing agencies may alleviate the concerns of the previous option, however the information would likely still have to be processed by the teacher-librarian.  Even if it is done for them, it would create a library with a cataloguing system which is different than users may be accustomed to.  As a result, teaching users how to use the system would be an added task for the teacher-librarian.

As stated in the readings, it is unlikely that schools would use bibliographic utilities.  This is likely due to the time consuming nature of having to enter information into a database.

Copied cataloguing may be an effective option however, similar to bibliographic utilities, the information would once again have to be entered into the cataloguing system.

Exchanging records could work especially if schools within a district were willing to work together.  With the amount of work teacher-librarians have to do I am not sure if having the added task of exchanging records would be realistic or fair.

The final option is using the CIP information.  This makes a great deal of sense as all of the pertinent cataloguing information is listed on the verso of the title page.  However, entering all of this information into records in a database would be very time consuming for the teacher-librarian.

Does or would my school library use them?

Since I am not a teacher-librarian I can not speak to the details of how our school catalogues items.  However, I do know that we use a cataloguing system called Destiny.  It is district wide throughout Surrey elementary and secondary schools.  Since this program is a district initiative it would appear that we have a district-based central cataloguing and processing system.

However, since I am not an expert I would assume that certain items need to be entered by our teacher-librarian.  Based on my understanding of the seven different options, it would make the most sense for the librarian to use the CIP information or get these records from another school or online.

Follett and ULS:

In browsing Follett and ULS I was amazed at how many resources they offer for TL. 

With Follett’s Titlewave I liked the lists of new books and items that were available for purchase.  There were a lot of items listed including title’s which I do not think the average person would find.

With ULS I thought that the information they provided regarding cataloguing and processing was extremely relevant to this week’s discussion.  In particular I was interested by the quotes/prices for cataloguing and processing services.  I had no idea that a basic MARC record costs $.56.  I do not know how many items an average school library has, however at $.56 per item that is an astronomical expense which I had never even considered.  However, I would imagine that this is a one time expense for each item.  

ODLIS and Z39.50:

When I searched Z39.50 in ODLIS I was given the following definition:

A client-server protocol established as a NISO standard that allows the computer user to query a remote information retrieval system using the software of the local system and receive results in the format of the local system, often used in portal and gateway products to search several sources simultaneously and integrate the results

I understood this to mean that Z39.50 is a program that allows a user to search for something with one system, find results on other systems and have these results converted into the format of the user’s original system.

Am I completely wrong on this one?  Any clarification would be much appreciated.

If my interpretation is correct, then teacher-librarians can search for records on items from other systems and the results will be converted into their own system’s format.  This would allow teacher-librarians to get uniform records from a variety of sources and save them time when cataloguing and processing items.

Done with MARC, but what about CIP and AMICUS...

Once I finished assignment two I came down with a flu.  As much as I'd rather be laying on the couch sleeping it off, I am trying to use my free time wisely.  As a result, I have been able to complete lessons 9 and 10 of the course!

I found lesson nine to be very enjoyable because I was able to see how the CIP information and AMICUS records correlated with regards to books our students would be using at my school.  It really shows how many different types of records exist for books/resources.  Considering the variety of record types I was very surprised at how accurate they were in relation to one another.

Below is my discussion post for the week...

I greatly enjoyed the activity of selecting three juvenile items from our school’s library for further study.  Part of the enjoyment came from the fact that I went through the library selecting history books about evil rulers of the world including Adolf Hitler, Joseph Stalin and Napoleon Bonaparte.  The look on students’ faces was priceless while I hopped around the library on crutches, selecting books on the evil fascist dictators of our past.

The three books I selected were Napoleon Bonaparte and Imperial France by Miriam Greenblatt, Adlolf Hitler and Nazi Germany by Earle Rice Jr., and Joseph Stalin: Dictator of the Soviet Union by Brenda Haugen.  In comparing these items to the CIP information on the inside of the title pages as well as MARC records found on AMICUS I was surprised at their accuracy.

With regards to the Napoleon book, I found that the item in hand appeared to match the information entered into the school library catalogue.  Furthermore, when reading through the CIP it was clear that this information was accurately recorded in the school catalogue system.  I also compared this book to the MARC records and noticed that all of the information was accurate.  Even the DDC number on the MARC records matched the DDC number in the CIP.  There were no glaring omissions in the library catalogue or MARC records when examining this book in hand.

Similar to the Napoleon book, both the Hitler and Stalin books had accurate descriptions in the MARC records, CIP and library catalogue.

While there were no mistakes or glaring omissions, there are a few field notes I would add to the MARC records or directly into my school library cataloguing system.

Firstly, I would try to match the DDC number in the MARC records and CIP to that of the school catalogue system.  I think if this could be done it would stream line the cataloguing process and would help users find books/items in the same location no matter what library they were in.

Secondly, I would include information about the cover/binding of the book.  While there is information on the measurements of books, would it not be helpful to include information about whether the book is hard or soft cover?  I think that this information would be much more helpful when a user is scanning the shelves for their book.  In my opinion knowing whether you are looking for a book which is hard or soft cover would be much more useful than knowing if it is five centimetres or eight centimetres thick (this would be most helpful with younger students who don’t understand measurement).

Finally, I would include information in the records about the colour of the book.  This may be difficult as the publisher may release the book with multiple covers.  However, when searching for a book on the shelf it would be helpful to know what colour it was.  This would make both the user and librarian’s job more efficient when it comes to selecting or shelving books.

The task of comparing MARC records with library school catalogue records and the CIP information of an item was very enlightening.  I was surprised at how accurate and consistent the information was between records.  While none of the information was inaccurate or incomplete, some minor notes could be added to assist users and librarians in locating, selecting and shelving items.