AASL

4.1 Access: Use digital tools, resources, and emerging technologies to design and adapt learning experiences. Engage all learners in finding, evaluating, creating, and communicating data and information in a digital environment. Articulate, communicate, model, and teach digital citizenship.

4.2 Information Resources: Use evaluation criteria and selection tools to develop, curate, organize, and manage a collection designed to meet the diverse curricular and personal needs of the learning community. Evaluate and select information resources in a variety of formats.

4.3 Evidence-Based Decision Making: Make effective use of data and information to assess how practice and policy impact groups and individuals in their diverse learning communities.

CAMP (LIS 653/AASL 4.2, 4.3) utilizes data to evaluate and set long-term collection development goals. The projected outcome is to diversify the collection over the next five years, with a particular focus on increasing representation of Muslim and Middle Eastern voices. By aligning with data-driven decision-making, this initiative ensures the library remains responsive to the needs of the community.

The Refugee Quest (TED 610/AASL 4.1) leverages technology to create an adaptive learning experience, allowing learners to explore the complexities of the refugee experience. By incorporating multimedia elements, learners engage in a dynamic, interactive process to demonstrate their understanding and showcase their insights.

CSA Data (LIS 653/AASL 4.3) examines the school and surrounding community to gain a deeper understanding of cultural influences. By aligning library initiatives with the school’s strategic goals, librarians can design programs that are both relevant and impactful, ensuring that the library serves as a responsive and inclusive space for all learners.

ISTE

4.6 Data Driven Decision Maker: Coaches model and support the use of qualitative and quantitative data to inform their own instruction and professional learning.

• Keeping assessment data and other data secure/protected

• Helping educators interpret data

• Supporting students to make sense of their data 

The Filter Bubble (LIS 654/ISTE 4.6) is a redesigned lesson centered on inquiry-based learning. It encourages learners to examine the personalization of online content, the impact of data collection, and the ways in which filter bubbles shape their digital experiences. This lesson not only increases awareness of online privacy but also equips learners with strategies to protect their data and critically evaluate the information they encounter.

The Program Analysis (LIS 653/ISTE 4.6) uses data to assess the strengths and areas for growth within the library program. By analyzing this data, librarians can make informed decisions to improve services, expand outreach, and increase the library’s overall impact on the learning community.

The Infographic (LIS 635/ISTE 4.6) was designed to visually communicate the library’s impact in a concise, accessible format. By presenting data in an engaging way, it highlights key successes and can serve as a model for learners to analyze, interpret, and present their own data effectively.

Data in schools can take on multiple meanings. The way it is viewed depends on individual experiences. When used effectively, data-informed instruction can support meaningful learning and unite a school community together around a shared goal. When the human experience is overlooked, data can feel like nothing more than numbers without the people behind them. It is important for school leaders to use data to tell a story. A story that reflects where the school has been and the possibilities for the future.

CAMP (LIS 653/AASL 4.2, 4.3) and CSA Data (LIS 653/AASL 4.3) helped me understand different ways to collect data about the library collection, school, and community to make informed decisions. I found it valuable to use that data to develop a plan for increasing and diversifying the collection to better reflect the school community. Aligning data with the strategic goals of the school allows me to make a greater impact on teaching and learning. As a librarian, I need to understand the population I serve and use that knowledge to lead from the library.

The Refugee Quest (TED 610/AASL 4.1) guided learners through an exploration of refugee experiences. Through this activity, they evaluated, created, and communicated information using multimedia. Inquiry-based activities like this one promote critical thinking by encouraging learners to engage with multiple perspectives. This project was designed for learners to recognize that not all refugee experiences are the same. It also allowed them to consider the challenges of adapting to a new culture while preserving their own traditions.

The Filter Bubble (LIS 654/ISTE 4.6) lesson expanded my understanding of personalized online content and how filter bubbles are more complex than simply good or bad. In designing this lesson, I wanted learners to critically examine their online presence and think about how it affects their real-world decisions. Personalized content can limit exposure to different perspectives, narrowing a person’s understanding of the world. In today’s political climate, it is essential for learners to develop digital and information literacy skills that help them as global citizens who will be be collaborating with diverse people who may not always have the same views and experiences.

Program Analysis (LIS 653/ISTE 4.6) and the End of the Year Library Infographic (LIS 635/ISTE 4.6) focused on interpreting data to make professional decisions within the library’s scope. These assignments helped me analyze library data through the lens of impact and service. It is just as important to recognize strengths as it is to identify areas for growth. I learned how data can be used and modeled to advocate for library programs and align them with strategic goals as well as teaching and learning. Data tells a story, and the library plays a key role in shaping that narrative.

Understanding the culture and community within a school is essential to building trust and fostering connections beyond the library. Alcantara-Antoine (2023) emphasizes the importance of assessing outcomes at the start of a new initiative or service (p. 5). CAMP (LIS 653/AASL 4.2, 4.3) and CSA Data (LIS 653/AASL 4.3) helped me develop a better understanding of the people in the school. For library programs and services to be sustainable, they must be relevant and meaningful to the community. People need to see themselves reflected in what the library offers. Alcantara-Antoine (2023) also highlights the importance of qualitative data, such as comments, testimonials, and feedback, which provide a deeper understanding of the library’s impact (p. 5). The most meaningful way to support teaching and learning is to start by understanding the people it serves.

Refugee Quest (TED 610/AASL 4.1) allowed learners to engage with a complex and sensitive topic through inquiry. The guiding questions encouraged them to think critically about the refugee experience. By examining diverse resources, they explored different perspectives on what it means to be displaced and the role of host countries in providing support. For some learners, this topic was deeply personal. For others, it provided an opportunity to develop empathy and a better understanding of what it means to lose a home. Filter Bubble (LIS 654/ISTE 4.6) taught learners to critically examine their online content and consider the effects of filter bubbles. This lesson empowered both learners and educators to navigate digital spaces more intentionally. Understanding how data is used to create personalized content is not just relevant for teaching and learning—it is an essential skill for engaging with the world.

Alcantara-Antoine (2023) notes that data helps reveal blind spots and informs how to allocate resources effectively (p. 4). Program Analysis (LIS 653/ISTE 4.6) and the End of the Year Library Infographic (LIS 635/ISTE 4.6) used data to assess impact. The Program Analysis focused on evaluating current programs and identifying areas for growth, while the infographic highlighted accomplishments from the past year. Both are necessary. Recognizing achievements is just as important as identifying opportunities for improvement. Alcantara-Antoine (2023) explains that libraries go to great lengths to provide support, and the true measure of success is whether those efforts are used as intended (p. 4). Data serves as a tool for advocacy, demonstrating the role of the library and the contributions of librarians.

Alcantara-Antoine, S. (2023). Transforming the Library with Data-Informed Decisions. Public Libraries, 62(6), 4–5.