Theme One: Google or Bust!
“The day of seeking answers has not
ended; only the process has changed” – Riedling et al. (p.109)
If the school library is the hub of
information, the epicenter of knowledge in the school, then the role of the Teacher
Librarian is that of an information keeper and distributor. This is a heavy burden
to bear.
We have learned throughout these first
few lessons of the tasks required and strategies for selecting and evaluating
reference resources. In lesson 4, however, we addressed the idea that we, even
the teacher librarians, come to the selection table with biases towards
different reference resources. As I reflected on this, I realized that my biases
and tendencies towards one type of reference resource over another has shaped
how I view different reference materials.
My Biases and Tendencies:
In “Reference Skills for the School
Librarian, Riedling (et al.) says, “essentially every aspect of school library
media services has altered over the past few decades due to the emergence of
new and innovative technologies”(Riedling, 2013, p.109). During my childhood, I
found the library to be a dull place. I was a non-reader. But, from my
childhood perspective, if I was to rank the usefulness of the library (the
school library or the local library), I would have ranked its invitation into
fictional worlds the highest and it’s usefulness for fact finding the lowest. Reference
books such as dictionaries and encyclopedias were ways that teachers drilled vocabulary
into our minds or created busy-work of copying pages into language arts
duotangs. There was no critical thinking or activity. There was no analysis
with reference works. It was rote learning at its finest.
It is hard as a young person in the digital
age to see the value of reference resources that, once printed, cannot be updated
with current information, lying static in their physical space on the bookshelf
of one library, and are not interactive with their reader.
To juxtapose that, I have seen the
dynamic change in information available through the enhancement of technology,
namely the internet. In high school I was taught how to research accurately and
how to find reliable, authoritative sources. In university we took this further
and narrowed to peer-reviewed, scholarly resources. And now, accessible through
one’s smart phone or even the app capabilities in one’s vehicle, an information
seeker can simply say, “Hey Siri…” and the factual question they ask is
answered through a search engine.
Now, as the sole teacher librarian at
my school, I am the keeper of the budget. There are deterrents to purchasing
reference books. It’s hard to justify the high cost of purchasing reference
books compared to the free access of the world wide web. In an educational climate
where technology is replacing menial jobs, we know that, now more than ever, we
should be equipping our 21st century learners with critical thinking and
analytical skills. Pairing this with information literacy, it is our jobs to
teach students how to seek out good quality, reliable, authoritative, and
current information online.
I am wording this strongly in order
to be concise; of course I stock my shelves with relevant reference books, but I
need to admit my biases and temptations to withhold my budget to use elsewhere.
I am encouraged to see libraries move
towards the Learning Commons model. At the core of this model is the understanding
that many different types of learning and information gleaning can still occur
in one place—the library—but in many ways. The use of books and technology and
discussion groups and prototyping and feedback can all occur within one space. As
Riedling mentions, the Learning Commons has shifted the classic library to a “learner-centered”
and “service-based model” (Riedling, 2013, p.116).
I should clarify that I do, in fact, like books. My history texts books are how I made it through my undergrad degree. Reference books can be compelling based on their content alone. This post simply explains their comparison to online reference resources as well as their role in my early years.
Riedling, A. M., Shake, L., & Houston, C. (2013).
Reference Skills for the School Librarian. Santa Barbara, California:
ABC-CLIO.
Well done personalized and authentic reflection on your new learning, key takeaways, important reminders and connections you've made over the first theme of our course. Your personal tone was very accessible and familiar, and describes the feelings and memories of most of us, in our experiences and use of the nostalgic libraries of the past. Your highlights and goals for moving forward are very insightful and valuable for the small group members and other readers of your blog, who might be in a similar situation and struggling with what to prioritize going forward. Your new insights and goals will assist you going forward as you implement and adopt these new strategies and approaches.
ReplyDeleteJennifer, I agree with many of your points! My own biases are a definite factor in purchasing, and I lean towards fiction, especially since there are many excellent, up-to date online reference resources. However, with younger students, I have noticed that many of them will read the print books, out of interest sake (especially the almanacs). A trend perhaps, is that for enjoyment, student prefer print, and for research or basic question, they jump right online (google and siri). I wonder if this will be a trend that continues? Thanks for your thoughts and reflections!
ReplyDeleteGood post. I like the design of your blog.
ReplyDelete"Reference books such as dictionaries and encyclopedias were ways that teachers drilled vocabulary into our minds or created busy-work of copying pages into language arts duotangs."
As a kid I remember looking up the definitions of my spelling words every week in class. I think there are still benefits to using dictionaries. When you look up vocabulary in a dictionary you are discovering something new. This is a self learning skill. Sure, copying out the definition is regurgitation but the students independently learn the meaning or words. Dictionary practice can also help students with alphabetization. Which is an important skill when navigating around the library learning commons and encyclopedias.
I remember, when I was about 10, receiving a set of print encyclopedias as a Christmas present. It was one of the most exciting gifts that I received as a child, as I now had easy access to all this new knowledge. I must have read every article in those encyclopedias several times and they became quite worn over time.
ReplyDeleteThis was before the advent of home internet access and the World Wide Web. Nowadays, the last place I would look for current reference information is in an old-fashioned, print based encyclopedia (or an electronic conversion of one). We have moved on.
Reference materials are the one area of the library collection that have been most affected by the advent of the internet. Some school districts are actively pushing for the gradual removal of print-based non-fiction and reference materials from their school library learning commons collections. The rationale is that it is all available online.
I feel that there is still a place for some print-based reference resources within the collection, but it is much more limited than in the past, and it is more important that we teach students about critical information literacy. And this comes from someone who refuses to read fiction on an e-reader!