2023-2026 Need Assessment
Though work has been done to improve District library collections, work is ongoing in removing outdated materials and improving diversity.
While libraries are utilized daily for lessons and book browsing, more can be done to make the library the center of the school, offering a safe space for students to learn and explore.
With students having open access to Chromebooks and digital resources, skills need to be developed, refined, and fostered to ensure that interactions with technology are safe and efficient.
2023-2026 Goals and Action Plan
District LMS will continue to analyze District library collections for diversity and collection development.
a. Titlewise Analysis tools in our Follett Titlewave accounts will be used to guide collection development in diversity and areas where the collections are lacking and in need of improvement.
b. Collection Development Plans will be created to guide the weeding and acquisition process.
District LMS will create a welcoming environment in the school libraries to encourage student and staff browsing, reading engagement, inquiry learning.
a. Libraries will provide Maker Space materials to foster inquiry based learning.
b. Encouraging use of the space through collaboration with staff and ongoing promotion.
District LMS need to create lessons fostering digital literacy including digital citizenship, information seeking skills, and basic technology skills that will aid in students becoming competent, responsible and resourceful users of technology.
a. Librarians will evaluate Digital Citizenship resources to implement in library and Homeroom activities.
b. Library lessons will incorporate more technology and digital creation skills aligning with Future Ready Library standards.
c. Staff collaboration with staff will play a vital role.
2022-2023 Need Assessment
1. District LMS need to continue to analyze District library collections for diversity. Tools have been identified to assist with the analysis (Titlewise). The focus needs to be on collection development in areas where collections are lacking and need improvement.
2. District LMS will continue to develop collection development plans for each school library, to guide the weeding and acquisition process. Models have been shared and discussed.
3. District LMS will create a welcoming environment in the school libraries to encourage student and teacher browsing and foster a greater interest in reading for enjoyment.
2022-2023 Goals and Action Plan
1. Analyze District library collections for diversity.
a. Use Follett Titlewise analysis reports to identify areas for collection improvement.
b. Make purchasing decisions based on collection data.
2022-2023 Work Completed
Follett Titlewise analysis reports were run at the beginning of the year and again at the end of the school year. More time was spent analyzing the age of the collection. Diversity was looked at in a very minor way and will continue to be a goal for next year combined with collection development.
2. Develop a Collection Development Plan for each school library, to guide the weeding and acquisition process.
a. Use collection analysis data to identify collection needs.
b. Write 3-5 year collection development plan.
c. Focus weeding and purchasing decisions, on the identified areas of the collection, in each year of the plan.
2022-2023 Work Completed
MS and HS libraries developed 3 year plans for what to focus on in terms of weeding and purchasing each year. Purchasing was focused on the weeded areas of the nonfiction to bring the date of the collection up and make for a more usable, well rounded collection. Titlewise analysis reports were used to indicate dated materials and also to purchase materials specific to Dewey number areas. The elementary continued analyzing plans and looking at what was in each library that needed attention. Weeding of dated, unused and irrelevant titles have been removed from the elementary libraries throughout the year.
3. Create a welcoming environment to encourage reading for enjoyment.
a. Collaborate with classroom teachers to promote library use.
b. Create unique and eye catching book displays and bulletin boards.
c. Promote library use outside of scheduled class time.
2022-2023 Work Completed
Book displays and bulletin boards were utilized to bring attention to genres and subject areas. The High School used a bulletin board to feature titles from certain genres with books displayed below the bulletin board. Books were also faced out on book stands more frequently throughout the book shelves to gain attention from students. The Middle School continued to have book displays and bulletin boards with new nonfiction books being moved to the top of the bookcases on the nonfiction side of the library and featuring a more dynamic shelving approach to displaying items. The Hilltop Elementary fiction section moved to a dynamic shelving approach, featuring stacked and face-out books and displays. Many series were also placed into browsable bins on the bookshelves. A transitional reader section was created for students who are ready to branch out into slightly longer chapter books. New nonfiction and graphic novels continued to be displayed atop the bookshelves, generating interest from students. During genre units, appropriate titles were displayed. Space constraints at Haugen make displays difficult. New and thematic books were displayed on tables at Tainter during library classes.
Collaboration with 6th, 7th, and 8th grade classes using the library space, materials, and staff for research projects was introduced or continued. High School Language Arts classes also visit the library for tours, book talks, and research skill and material lessons. Items were purchased for the High School Library to hopefully lead to more collaboration with Language Arts and Foods classes in the coming years. Teachers have been encouraged or scheduled to bring their students in, whether for a full library lesson or just checkouts/returns, when their classes have missed library time due to school events or closures.
2021-2022 Needs Assessment
1. District LMS need to continue to analyze District library collections for diversity. Tools have been identified to assist with the analysis (Titlewise). The focus needs to be on collection development in areas where collections are lacking and need improvement.
2. District LMS need to write a collection development plan for each school library, to guide the weeding and acquisition process. Models have been shared and discussed.
3. With new Library Media Specialists coming into the District, the time is right to evaluate spending priorities and affirm spending practices that align with Common School Fund criteria and guidelines.
2021-2022 Goals and Action Plan
1. Analyze District library collections for diversity.
a. Use Follett Titlewise analysis reports to identify areas for collection improvement.
b. Make purchasing decisions based on collection data.
2021-2022 Work completed
Follett Titlewise analysis reports were run at the beginning of the year and again at the end of the school year. More time was spent analyzing the age of the collection. Diversity was looked at in a very minor way and will continue to be a goal for next year.
2. Develop a Collection Development Plan for each school library, to guide the weeding and acquisition process.
a. Use collection analysis data to identify collection needs.
b. Write 3-5 year collection development plan.
c. Focus weeding and purchasing decisions, on the identified areas of the collection, in each year of the plan.
2021-2022 Work Completed
MS and HS libraries developed 3 year plans for what to focus on in terms of weeding and purchasing each year. The elementary started analyzing plans and looking at what was in each library that needed attention.
3. Make the best use of Common School Fund allotments; the source of funding for the District library programs.
a. Review District policies - ie. 361.2: Library Media Center Materials Selection and Reconsideration (adopted 11/14/16)
b. Review Common School Fund purchasing criteria and guidelines.
c. Evaluate spending priorities and affirm spending practices.
2021-2022 Work Completed
District policies were consulted to guide collection development and library spending. DPI's website and tools were reviewed and used as a guide for spending and budgeting.
2020-2021 Needs Assessment
1. Because of the changes to how instruction is delivered during this pandemic time, we want to be able to analyze the usage statistics for purchased online resources. Doing this will help us understand how resources are being utilized and drive decision making about investments in online resources.
(Future Ready Framework: Invest Strategically in Digital Resources - Budget and Resources)
2. The events of 2020 have highlighted the need to evaluate our collections to ensure they are culturally diverse. We will identify and use tools to evaluate the diversity of the library collections. (Future Ready Framework: Curates Digital Resources and Tools - Curriculum, Instruction and Assessment)
3. Because of the uncertainties of what library access will be, the promotion of digital reading resources is a priority at this time. (Future Ready Framework: Curates Digital Resources and Tools - Curriculum, Instruction and Assessment)
4. Continue with the mapping of the ITL Standards because the work in incomplete at this time. (Future Ready Framework: Build Instructional Partnerships - Curriculum, Instruction and Assessment)
2020-2021 Goals and Action Plan
1. Analyze the usage statistics for online, purchased resources to establish baseline data and measure growth with promotion of the resources.
a. Create a spreadsheet that identifies the databases and their usage.
b. Identify the processes for gathering the statistics.
2020-2021 Work Completed: See the table below. Information was gathered from available administrative usage reports, sent or available on each subscription database site.
Resource Title Usage 2020-2021 Annual Cost Additional Expenditures
Follett Shelf (HS) 241 free $2139
Follett Shelf (MS) 1198 free $2709
Follett Shelf (ELEM) 583 free $1560
WSDLC 816 $1130 $3775
Facts4Me (ELEM) $450 none
Gale in Context (MS) 87 $895 NA
Culturegrams (MS) $754 NA
SIRS Datbase (MS) $882
World Almanac for Kids / Learn 360 (MS) $1479
World Almanac for Kids / Learn 360 (HS) $1555
Gale Opposing Viewpoints (HS) 802 $2443
Gale in Context (HS) 696 $2301
CQ Researcher (HS) $1127
SIRS Discoverer (HS) 281 $1719
2. Analyze collection data to determine collection diversity.
a. Utilize District selection criteria for evaluating as stated in District Policy 361.2 Library Media Center Materials Selection and Reconsideration.
b. Weed materials and identify, select and add new materials to maintain a balanced collection.
2020-2021 Work Completed: We have identified a tool to help analyze collection diversity and, will utilize the information to inform our decision making for future purchases for the collections.
3. Promote the usage of digital reading resources.
a. Design and deliver instruction about how to use and access digital collections (ie. Follett Shelf, WSDLC, digital audiobooks, etc).
b. Track usage over the course of the 2020-2021 school year.
2020-2021 Work Completed: At the MS, Michelle created video tutorials showing all students how to access the digital reading resources, utilizing Google Meet when meeting with virtual students. To promote summer reading, Michelle met with all Language Arts classes, reminding students about digital reading resources.
At the HS, digital reading resources were highlighted during 9th grade library orientation.
In the fall of 2020, HS library staff created posters with information about accessing digital reading resources and classroom visits were made to highlight the resources.
At the elementary level, students in grades 2-4 were given instruction in how to access the WSDLC - Wisconsin School Digital Library Consortium - collection. Throughout the year students were given time to access the WSDLC collection resources during their weekly library classes and, by classroom teachers. Students were also shown how to access the Follett Shelf collection.
Both Library Media Specialists made the commitment to add digital resources to all collections, to provide more reading and instructional choices for students and teachers.
4. Continue and complete the mapping process for ITL Standards - Innovative Designer and Knowledge Constructor.
a. Gather data from Middle School and High School staff.
b. Work with subcommittee to analyze and report the data for Innovative Designer and Knowledge Constructor.
2020-2021 Work Completed: No progress was made on this goal. Until there is further direction from Administrators this process is at a standstill.
2019-2020 Goals and Action Plan
2018-19 Needs Assessment
After library media specialists’ reflection on the current status of the Future Ready Librarian framework, the following goals and objectives were identified for the 2018-19 school year.
Wisconsin Information and Technology Literacy Standards were updated in 2017. The previous standards had not been mapped to the core curriculum since 2008-2009. District administrators have charged library media specialists with developing a process to map the current ITL standards to the curriculum.
Collection data analysis is an ongoing and continuous process. Improving the average age of each building library collection is imperative to maintaining quality library collections. Our current collection analysis data shows an average age range between 2000-2005, as the average age of the building library collections.
Results of the 8th grade Next Gen Assessment, last administered in 2015, indicate that students are at the basic or minimal level of understanding of digital citizenship concepts. Even though the assessment tool is no longer available, we feel “Advocates for Student Privacy” is an important area to focus on in the Future Ready Framework.
2018-19 Program Goals & Action Plan
Media Specialists will facilitate the mapping of the current Wisconsin Standards for Information and Technology Literacy.
a. Create a document to gather data about where Information and Technology Literacy skills instruction is currently being integrated into the core curriculum, identifying grade level and subject areas.
2018-2019 Work Completed: Prepared a Google form to survey K-12 staff to gather information about how Empowered Learner and Digital Citizen standards are currently being integrated into the curriculum. Gathered and analyzed data. Prepared a final report that was shared with the Superintendent, and Administrative team, detailing the current status and suggesting next steps. ITL Progress Report for 2019
b. Library Media Specialists will meet with teachers to identify where ITL standards are covered in the curriculum.
2018-2019 Work Completed: LMS met with District K-12 specialists - Art, Music, PhyEd, Foreign Language, Tech Ed - prior to the beginning of the 2018-19 school year, during a curriculum day, to gather information about standards coverage in their curricula. This group was able to have rich discussions about the Empowered Learner and Digital Citizen standards. K-4 staff completed the Google survey during an in-service day in January, with an LMS present but with little discussion. MS and HS staff completed the survey independently.
Through continuous and ongoing collection analysis, media specialists will improve the average age of building library collections.
a. A collection analysis will be conducted for each library collection in the District.
2018-2019 Work Completed: We did a pre- and post- analysis at each library, using the Follett Titlewave Collection Analysis tool.
b. Library Media Specialists will act on the analysis information, by making weeding and purchasing decisions to improve the average age of the library collections.
2018-2019 Work Completed:Weeding and purchasing decisions vary by level and by site, but with the same intent - to improve the average age of the library collections and improve the quality of materials available to students and staff to support the curriculum. At the Elementary level, the AV collection was evaluated and weeded at Tainter. At Haugen, the Easy book collection was heavily weeded because there was not enough shelf space to house the books. At the Middle School and High School, specific areas of the collection were targeted for weeding, based on aged collection data, balanced collection recommendations, and age sensitivity data. Elementary Collection Development Plan, 2018-2019;
RLMS Collection Development Plan, 2018-2019 ; RLHS Collection Development Plan, 2018-2019
Media Specialists, as educational leaders, teach data privacy through instructional activities with students and modeling best practice for district staff.
a. At the High School level, work with Grade 9 - Freshman Success teachers to plan digital citizenship lessons.
2018-2019 Work Completed: Minimal work was completed on this task despite efforts to reach out and suggest changes to the curriculum.
b. At the Middle School level, maintain instructional activities currently in place and seek opportunities to integrate with other curricular areas.
2018-2019 Work Completed: We have a Digital Citizenship curriculum within the Health and Media Literacy curriculum. There is an ongoing effort to keep teaching materials up-to-date and relevant. In addition, weekly technology tips about Digital Citizenship were shared with RLMS staff. A group of student leaders attended a CESA 11 Workshop about Digital Citizenship. Outcomes of this were two student directed initiatives: Phone Free Friday and Humans of RLMS.
c. At the Elementary level, maintain the instructional activities currently in place with 3rd and 4th grade students, identify additional resources to use in instructional activities, and model digital citizenship practices for staff.
2018-2019 Work Completed: Instructional activities, curriculum updating and modeling digital citizenship practices for staff were maintained in the 2018-19 school year.