Organization and access
School librarians are responsible for the evaluation, selection, and organization of resources and services in school libraries. the principles of open and equitable access to these resources and services in support of an inclusive and meaningful information environment for all members of the learning community is evident in the school librarian's practice.
One of my favorite accomplishments as a high school librarian has been the integration of local, Educational Service Unit, and Nebraska Access databases into Follett Destiny. I was the first school librarian in Nebraska to ascend that mountain, but I certainly will not be the last. It is one of my most frequently requested assists from other school librarians. The benefits have been remarkable. My students can conduct all of their research within Follett Destiny, which includes the library's physical and digital catalog, the databases, specially curated Collections of web resources on multiple topics, and Open Educational Resources. It has transformed how my students research and how my staff approach the research process.
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With both physical and digital resources, I carefully evaluate and select materials that will meet the diverse curricular and personal needs of the people within the learning community. This often results in data analysis from circulation, surveys, demographic information, and from professional organizations such as the American Association of School Librarians. Typically, I create a collection development plan for each school year after analysis and relevant discussions are complete. The principal is also included as he approves my purchase order requests. This team-effort approach not only ensures that the school community is informed but also keeps me accountable for spending tax dollars wisely.
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In the 2019-2020 school year, my school made the bold move of going fine free in the library. Over the summer of 2019, I began to research the issue and its impact on communities such as mine. In this research, I found only negative effects of library fines and many positive effects for removing that barrier to access. My principal and I met while I shared this document with him detailing our demographics, research behind library fines, examples of schools and public libraries that have transitioned to fine free, and a detailed plan for recuperating materials while retaining the most important thing to any school library: the patrons. We quietly implemented this plan, and so far it is going well. Although it is admittedly modified with the now-absence of a library aide to enable my going out and about to talk with students one on one, students are using the library and its resources more often when the fear of fines has been alleviated.
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In response to student surveys and circulation information from our middle school library, the high school library genrefied its fiction section as well. Students indicated that the switch would provide easier access to the materials they were searching for and that the categories made them feel much more comfortable using the school library. We did find this to hold true as circulation has steadily improved between 15 and 20% over the years since genrefication became our reality.
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All of these efforts combined resulted in a 344% increase in annual library item circulation from August 2014 to May 2019.
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I don't believe that access stops at the school doors or on the web. In an October 2019 survey of Schuyler Central High School students and their families conducted by my school library, 26% of students reported having zero books in their homes. Only 5% of families reported having eighty books or more. Why is this number important? Dr. Joanna Sikora and her team published the research study Scholarly culture: how books in adolescence enhance adult literacy, numeracy and technology skills in 31 societies in the January 2019 edition of Social Science Research. In her study, she found that a home library of eighty books or more for youth led to significant gains as adults in literacy, numeracy, and technological problem solving - all skills a thriving citizen should have.
My school library took our previous fine fund and purchased cartons of books from First Book. Then we hosted a multi-day event parading every student through the doors of the library to pick out a book of their own. I also advertised a "remaining book free for all" at the conclusion of the school week. Student came in droves to see what was left and lay claim to their own stack of books to take home. I still see these books in students' hands and backpacks. In some cases, it is the first book they have ever owned, and I could not be more proud to be part of that. |
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Finally, the library purchased two cartons of board books related to winter and held an after school event teaching students how to gift wrap. At the end of the event, students took their gift-wrapped books to give to children in their lives, ensuring that every students' family has a minimum of one age-appropriate book in the home and demonstrating that the school library cares about them beyond the doors to the building. |
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