Library Services and Management: Learning Outcome 3

I have demonstrated proficiency in managing and providing access to library media resources in and beyond the physical walls of the library media center to the entire school community through collection development by evaluating and selecting materials and resource to enrich and enhance the specific curriculum being taught at the school.

Description

Knowing the strengths and weaknesses in the library collection is a very important part of librarianship. The collection in the library refers to all materials in the library no matter the format whether print, visual, audio, or digital resources.  As librarians we need to make sure our collections are aligning with the school’s curriculum to meet the needs of the students. We also want to evaluate our collections and ensure we have material in the library that the community can enjoy for recreational purposes as well as educational.  The Collection Mapping and Analysis is an assignment where I had to analyze Blacksburg High School’s library.  Diving into the collection and learn how to use the software at the school to produce reports and see how it all aligns with the standards set forth by the AASL.

Analysis

            Going into the assignment, I was prepared with the standards set forth by the AASL.  I knew what was required in relation to what types of material the school should have and what the age of the collection should be and if it was compliant in those areas.  The school librarian at Blacksburg High was amazing and has been there for several years.  She was able to show me how to use their system and pull all of the reports.  Which is how I found that the collection was older and needed weeding and updating.  However, it is not always as easy as seeing that the collection and library needs updating.  It is also budgeting and making sure the needs are met in the most important areas. The budget is low and overhauling the library would be a costly undertaking as the librarian explained.  She showed me how she orders and plans her books on the budget she has. From this experience I took away a deeper knowledge of how to analyze collections and how to budget.  I also got to see some grants she had written for the library in the past.

Reflection

            I thoroughly enjoyed going into the library and being able to see how the system they had worked and how to get the analysis, more importantly how to understand the analysis.  Blacksburg is a small school with a small budget, and it made me realize that not all libraries will have the same opportunities to keep their collections the most updated.  Keeping that in mind, it makes me realize that I need to work closely with teachers and staff to make sure that the collection in the library not only algins with the students’ recreational choices but their curriculum as well.  If there are only so many books we can weed and purchase each year, I want to make sure that the choices we make are ones that will most enrich the students learning.