“E-Book Collections in High School Libraries:
“E-Book Collections in High School Libraries:
Factors Influencing Circulation and Usage”
Factors Influencing Circulation and Usage”
The article selected for this task is titled “E-Book Collections in High School Libraries: Factors Influencing Circulation and Usage” published in School Library Research, a research journal of the American Association of School Libraries. Within the article, authors Dr. April M. Dawkins and Dr. Karen W. Gavigan provide the findings of a mixed-methods study of eight United States High Schools in eight different school districts with a library collection that included Follett e-books. The study examined two recurring themes related to school library studies about e-book collections and their use: accessibility issues and reading preferences: digital versus print (Dawkins & Gavigan, 2019). Even with librarian’s marketing 24/7 access to e-books, student access to technology is a barrier when it comes to accessing e-books and the digital divide is not limited to certain areas of the United States as noted in the article, “it was apparent that the digital divide was an issue regardless of the schools’ locations”. Student preference of reading digital material versus print is also a factor that dictates e-book circulation and when it comes to reading for pleasure or fiction reading “although students are on devices much of the time, they have not yet made the transition to thinking of reading…on those devices” (Dawkins & Gavigan, 2019). Additional factors that have an impact on e-book circulation include marketing, district involvement and budgets.
While the article does address relevant challenges of e-books schools face, it has not deterred me in continuing to promote e-books and audiobooks through my school library. The role of the teacher and librarian in the marketing of and support of e-books has a strong influence on the success and circulation of e-books with students. When classroom teachers and librarians are supportive of e-book usage, they will “heavily promote the usage of e-books with [their] students” (Dawkins & Gavigan, 2019). Since the school I serve is already 1:1 and the district-provided technology has only increased, I plan to provide small group and one-on-one opportunities to model for teachers how they can use e-books and text with students by “emphasiz[ing] the ability to project book in front of the whole class or the multi-user capabilities of some titles” along with promoting convenience and accessibility options for teachers’ own use (Dawins & Gavigan, 2019). All staff and students also have an account through our local public library system which provides students with an extensive access to e-books and audiobooks through OverDrive and does not detract from my library budget.
When considering whether or not to purchase materials a teacher/student/administrator requests, my first response is to determine whether or not this is a material that can be accessed for free through a subscription or network that is already in place through the district or our community. The next factor to consider would be time. This includes how soon the material is needed and the duration of time they need the material. Other factors to consider are the quality, currency, and relevancy of the material. For the teacher, I would inquire about how soon she is needing the textbook, then provide her with guidance on ways she could possibly access the text such as discounted book purchasing sites, textbook rental options, or if the book is available in e-book format. For the student, I would interview them to learn more about why they are wanting this particular title to see if this is truly the text that is required to fulfill their need, or if our library collection has a title similar that would fulfill the student’s need for this title. If the student is adamant about locating this specific book, I would assist them with accessing the public library database and other databases to see if we could gain access through an inter-library loan or as an e-book. For the administrator, I would interview them about the purpose and urgency of the video they are requesting be purchased, inform them that they can access it immediately and legally through YouTube for free, and provide one-to-one guidance on accessing the video and presenting it based on their purpose.
Publishers Weekly is a website that focuses on international book publishing and would be an advantageous tool for selecting physical and digital materials for our school library. They provide a continuous stream of prepublication book reviews for all genres usually 2-4 months in advance of the publication date and have regular free newsletters and spotlights specifically marketed for K-12 librarians to provide them with the most current book and literary news along with forecasted bestsellers, allowing libraries to be proactive in providing high-interest titles relevant to their school community. Their focus on international book publishing is also important to note because it provides another avenue for libraries to expand their collections and materials that address diversity and inclusivity among their school community. Compared to other similar selection tools. Publishers Weekly is easy to navigate, is visually appealing and provides up to date articles, news, and reviews, and explicitly states it has an international focus when it comes to books and book publishing news and reviews, which supports our school as an International Baccalaureate school as well.
This collection being a part of EBSCOhost is incredibly advantageous because many schools, including my own, subscribe to EBSCOhost because of its expansive collection of databases. It is also a helpful tool for collection building with several filters available to refine search results such as publication date and subjects. Books in this collection have several subjects associated with them, helping to increase search results when looking for particular subject matter. This would be especially useful when searching for titles to add to a particular section or genre within the collection.
School Library Journal is a resource that provides quality information and reviews written by and for professionals who work with youth. SLJ provides current reviews and publications covering best practices, technology, and education policy targeted specifically for librarians in the school realm, public realm, and for educators. They review books, apps and other media, print resources and digital databases, and technology in an intuitive structure, allowing users to search specific date ranges, to select whether they want articles, reviews, or both, and they can search with specific tag phrases or terms as well. In addition to providing reviews and news, SLJ is also a valuable source for relevant professional development courses, events, and resources on topics such as censorship, equity, advocacy, and more.
Follet’s Titlewave is one of our two primary vendors we already use for ordering. They offer eBooks with multiple checkouts, audiobooks, database subscriptions and interactive curriculum resources. Users can search for books to add to their collection through many criteria including: title, author, lexile, topic, genre, and more. They also provide analyses and MARC records of your collection through Destiny, making the cataloging and inventory process less burdensome. Follet’s collection analysis is incredibly helpful and informative for conducting regular collection reviews to evaluate the collection’s average age, balance between print and digital resources, classifications of fiction and nonfiction items, and more. These various features are valuable because they save time when it comes to ordering and processing new titles into the collection as well as streamlines the process of building and evaluating the collection to determine where holes are within classifications, the balance between types of resources and forms of resources offered, and the currency of the current collection.
Like Follet’s Titlewave, I have frequently referenced YALSA booklists for high-interest titles for teens and YA. YALSA is a division of American Library Association (ALA), so it is a credible, quality resource to use for identifying titles and authors that will be enjoyed by high school aged students. YALSA Booklists page notes that they have launched a new Teen Book Finder Database that will allow users to search for texts with several different filters as well as create customized lists for their own reference. The current page is relatively easy to navigate and groups texts by topics such as: Best Fiction for Young Adults, Graphic Novels, Reluctant Reader picks, and more. YALSA is also an organization that advocates for diversity, safety, inclusion, and representation through the library, and their communications focus especially on these qualities in the array of titles they recommend on a regular basis through their blog and social media news feed.