Issues with Non-Print Books
The article, School and Public Library Partnerships: How to Quickly Increase Student Access to eBooks covered the story of a diverse and highly poverty rated rural community located in the San Joaquin valley of California. A group of local librarians formed a committee to discuss the lack of equality in the school and public libraries and their access to non-print books. (Wile, 2021). Many of the students and their families had little access to a public library and the school libraries had limited resources. The committee wanted students to be able to have the same opportunities as other students outside of this area. They noted that many of the school districts, “were already utilizing Over-Drive and its Sora reading app to provide access to ebook and audiobooks.” (Wile, 2021) However, the resources were limited.The committee collaborated with the public library to gain access to the numerous resources available. However, there were many obstacles that kept families and students from being able to easily access this material. After approaching OverDrive the committee, “found out about Public Library Connect, a Sora feature that allows students to add their public library in-app.” (Wile, 2021) This would then allow students to have access to the library’s digital collection, only having to use their school information. Once the collaboration process was a go, the committee spread the word, and students were accessing more resources than ever before.
This article is a beautiful example of collaborating, advocacy, and providing equality to a community. After reading the article, I am definitely an advocate for both print and digital resources. I believe that giving students access to digital resources broadens their opportunities to grow and learn. I feel that a reader should be given a choice of print or digital resources. It is my responsibility as a librarian to provide students with the same available resources of their peers outside of our school community.
RESOURCE:
Wile, J. (2021). School and Public Library Partnerships: How to Quickly Increase Student Access to Ebooks. Computers in Libraries, 41(1), 33–36.
Dealing with Request Scenarios
If a colleague of mine requests a book purchase that I assume is for personal reasons, I would ask how the book is being used in class. If it is for their personal use, I would provide them with information on professional development resources and how the book could be purchased without it coming from library funding.
If a patron requests a book purchase that may be self published through Amazon, I would first do some research on the book. After researching, if the book meets the expectations that are set for materials added to the school’s library collection then I would purchase it. However, if the book does not meet the criteria, I would let the patron know that I am unable to purchase it.
If an administrator asks me to purchase a video that may be available on YouTube; I would simply let the administrator know that the video is accessible legally through YouTube. However, if the administrator does not want or feel comfortable with the video being accessed through YouTube, then I would purchase the video and add it to the collection as long as it meets the criteria for the school/district library.
Selection Tools
Professional Selection Tools:
Booklist. http://www.booklistonline.com
Booklist provides librarians the ability to subscribe to newsletters and Booklist’s Shelf Care, podcast in which subscribers receive and learn up to date information regarding new books. Also, Booklist gives librarians access to free webinars to learn about new titles and trends. For those without a subscription, librarians still can access the Booklist Blog to acquire various informational resources. Booklist separates the list of book and media awards for adults and children and is easy to navigate. In addition, searching for a specific title using the search engine was very user friendly. Kerby (2019) states that Booklist follows a “recommended-only” policy, which means that every title reviewed would make a quality addition to library collections. This is an extensive collection that would be beneficial to any librarian.
Professional Selection Tools: Core Collection-
Children's Core Collection
I love that the key focus of the Children’s Core Collection database is children’s literacy, because I intend to work in an elementary school library and the collection is recommended for preschool through sixth-grade learners. (Kerby, 2019) One of the first things I noticed is that the header of the website features the most recent additions to the collection, and is updated weekly. (Kerby, 2019 ) This is a great feature because it helps librarians stay up to date with new resources, without having to search for these on their own. While browsing through a particular category, I found it easy to navigate and I loved that the picture of the book is posted along with the various subject matters that the book touches on. Not only does the Children’s Core Collection have an abundance of titles. The reviews of the titles are nicely laid out and give detailed information. I also like that it gives additional information about similar books and books written by the same author. I found the user guide feature located in the Reference Shelf very helpful especially since using these tools are new to me. Also located in the Reference Shelf was the Weeding Checklist that I find to be very beneficial to librarians especially while working on adding to their library’s collection. This is definitely one of my favorite selection tools and I look forward to exploring it more!
Professional Selection Tools and Important Sources of Professional Development:
Children & Libraries https://www.ala.org/alsc/publications-resources/cal
The subscription cost for Children and Libraries for librarians is fairly low, and gives librarians access to quarterly published journals that provide librarians with support and resources that aid them in providing quality resources and learning to young students. Reading lists are created to be shared not only with the librarians, but the school community as well. I feel that this would be a great resource to share with parents to build connections with families and the library. Various reading lists are compiled to meet the needs of specific ages/grade levels; learner’s interest; and more. This source is perfect for an elementary school librarian and provides educators with professional development resources and information.
Ordering Tools:
Bound to Stay Bound https://www.btsb.com/
Bound to Stay Bound is very user friendly and is easy to navigate and order materials from. I liked how easy it was to access various categories. For instance, the popular series list, featured all of the book titles within a particular series including a picture of the book and cost per book as well as the cost of the entire series. One of my favorite features was the State Award List and the ability to find Missouri lists quickly. I know I will want to add copies of Mark Twain award nominations to my collection and this lists them all. It also provides a quality description of each title, picture of the book, and even includes AR level information. The side bar that allows the librarian to keep track of their purchase order and budget is extremely convenient. There are so many products and resources that are accessible making this tool very appealing and one I will be using as I add to my library collection.
Free Tools from the Web:
YALSA best books lists http://www.ala.org/yalsa/booklistsawards/booklists
YALSA is a great free tool for librarians that focuses on book and media lists for young adults and teens. There are several lists to choose from and they are easy to navigate through. All lists contain simply laid out information regarding the title and cost. In addition, there are many resources that are available for all school staff and resources to share with parents. YALSA offers a free app which will allow students to use multiple devices to access the database and resources. There is also a feature that allows users to create their own book lists from the database. I feel this is an excellent tool to use particularly with older students so that they can continue to explore books on their own outside of school as well.
RESOURCES:
ALA. (2022). Booklist. http://www.booklistonline.com
Bound to Stay Bound Book, Inc. (n.d.). https://www.btsb.com/ (Accessed June 12, 2023).
"Children and Libraries: The Journal of ALSC", American Library Association, February 27, 2017.
http://www.ala.org/alsc/publications-resources/cal (Accessed June 12, 2023)
Kerby, M. (2019). An introduction to collection development for school librarians. ALA editions.
Wilson, H.W. (2023). Children’s Core Collection. JCKL’s EBSCO. https://web-p-ebscohost-com.cyrano.ucmo.edu/
ccc/search/basic?vid=0&sid=9d344860-7301-482f-89d0-77075c224a20%40redis (Accessed June 13, 2023)
YALSA. "YALSA Booklists", American Library Association, October 28, 2011.
http://www.ala.org/yalsa/booklistsawards/booklists (Accessed June 13, 2023)