ETL 503 Ass 2 part C: Reflection

This process has taught me the importance of a Collection Policy encompassing both development and maintenance. Selection and acquisition are often focused upon, as clear evidence of these activities exists. However, without regular collection maintenance including weeding and stocktaking, new resources will be obscured by misleading or unattractive ones, impairing the collections’ ability to meet user needs (Beilharz, 2007).  

As meeting users’ informational and instructional needs are key collection goals, needs must be clearly identified, through examination of both the curriculum and the users (Bishop, 2013, p. 13). Understanding user needs is also critical for TLs to achieve Professional Learning Standards 1.4 and 2.1, to create a learning environment with resources professionally managed to support needs (Australian School Library Association, 2004).

My understanding of the value of a clear selection policy to guide decisions and act as a defence against censorship has strengthened. Censorship can occur if controversial resources are not selected for inclusion into the collection due to potential disputes, as well as if challenged after selection (CSU, 2013b). I believe the selection policy’s importance in affirming the commitment to intellectual freedom (Bishop, 2013, p. 14) and the TL’s professional responsibility to uphold the freedom of information and support the development of informed citizens is a key point (Australian School Library Association, 2000).

As the collection aims to provide materials to support users curriculum and recreational reading requirements, effective resourcing is about selecting the most appropriate resources to serve learners “just in time” (Hughes-Hassell & Mancall, 2005, p. 43). Again a thorough understanding of user needs is critical. As 21^st century learners demand access digital resources (Kennedy, 2005) to maintain currency in a rapidly changing information environment, this must be a priority area and be reflected in the Collection Policy.

Module 3 taught me that acquisition involves more than purchasing physical resources (CSU, 2013a). As digital resources continue to develop, providing effective, 24/7 access to them is paramount. Similarly, we must ensure that weeding goes beyond the print collection and that we regularly maintain digital resources so that users are not frustrated by deadlinks or misleading information ("Spring cleaning @ your library," 2011, p. 2).

This course has expanded my understanding of selection criteria and the range of tools that can support and guide selection decisions.  In particular the importance of maintaining professional networks and a social networking presence to share resource knowledge and reviews (CSU, 2013b).  In addition to developing knowledge, sustaining professional connections assists achievement of ASLA Professional Commitment standards.

Finally, reviewing the existing policy highlighted for me, the need for regularly updating policies.  The vibrant collection library that existed encompassed a variety of high-quality resources and advancements in digital resource provision had been undertaken. However, as regular updates had not occurred, these developments were not reflected in the policy, limiting its use to provide accountability and evidence the collection’s strengths. Similarly, as changes relating to ethical practice were not included, the documents protective value against legal issues was limited.

References

Australian School Library Association. (2000). Policy statement - School Library Bill of Rights.   Retrieved 25 May 2013, from http://www.asla.org.au/policy/bill-of-rights.aspx

Australian School Library Association. (2004). Standards of professional excellence for teacher librarians.  Retrieved 25 May 2013, from http://www.asla.org.au/policy/standards.aspx

Beilharz, R. (2007). Secret library business. Connections, 3(62), 10-11.

Bishop, K. (2013). The collection program in schools: concepts and practices (5th ed.). Santa Barbara: Libraries Unlimited.

CSU. (2013a). Accessing and acquiring resources [ETL 503 Module 3]. Retrieved from Charles Sturt University website: http://interact.csu.edu.au/portal/site/ETL503_201330_W_D/page/cc27bbe6-e6e0-4c57-0010-f556b9fde7d2

CSU. (2013b). Developing collections to support teaching and learning [ETL 503 Module 2]. Retrieved from Charles Sturt University website: http://interact.csu.edu.au/portal/site/ETL503_201330_W_D/page/cc27bbe6-e6e0-4c57-0010-f556b9fde7d2

Hughes-Hassell, S., & Mancall, J. C. (2005). Collection management for youth: responding to the needs of learners. Chicago: American Library Association.

Kennedy, J. (2005). A collection development policy for digital information resources? The Australian Library Journal. Retrieved from Australian Library and Information Association website: http://alianet.alia.org.au/publishing/alj/54.3/full.text/kennedy.html

Spring cleaning @ your library. (2011). School Library Monthly, 27(7), 2.

 

 

Collection Management Policy

Having a written policy provides accountability and support.

As the policy should contain information on both development and management – labelling as Collection Policy is preferred.

Johnson argues that the collection policy serves to both inform and protect , through stating the collection’s purpose and goals and detailing guidelines regarding disputed  materials procedures, intellectual freedom and treatment of donations (Johnson, 2009, pp. 74 - 75)

One issue is that– is the policy being followed? If it is to be a point of accountability then must be implemented.

Some argue that schools do have collection management policies, however they are unwritten. This poses issues in that:

·         without the TL the information is unavailable

·         weaknesses are not clearly identified and possible changes to policy not outlined

·         there is a lack of accountability and policy defence for decisions

The ALIA statement of professional conduct outlines how school library collection policy addresses issues, notably that “People engaged in library and information services are members of a profession committed to intellectual freedom and the free flow of ideas and information.” (ALIA, 2007).

The statements:

1.      “encouraging intellectual freedom and the free flow of information and ideas.” (ALIA, 2007).

– this point can be addressed in the policy under selection criteria and controversial resources and censorship, having clear guidelines for how resources are selected and how complaints to selection of certain materials will be handled provides defensible policy

5. “distinguishing in their actions and statements between their personal viewpoints and those of the library and information service that employs them or the Australian Library and Information Association;” (ALIA, 2007).

- this point reflects the need to ensure personal views do not influence selection decisions.

The collection policy is a policy not procedures document, thus should outline, what and why things happen in the library. The how, processes are continued in other policies eg acquisitions, which can be hyperlinked to the collection policy.

Debowski suggests Policy should contatin information regarding

·         collection purpose and goals, users,

·         selection principles and criteria

·         acquisition policy

·         collection evaluation and weeding

·         challenges to controversial materials policy

·         information on intellectual freedom

Collection management and censorship

 -          Must include policy to address challenges to materials and procedures to follow in the event of complaints.

-          Censorship occurs both when controversial materials are not initially selected as complaints may arise, as well as when items previously selected, are removed from the collection due to causing offense to some users.

-          Term can be extended to warnings labelling material containing sexual references, violence etc

-          Reputable selection aids and good selection criteria can assist and provide a defensible support for decisions

Some useful sites containing advice for writing school library policies are:

• A manual for developing policies and procedures in Australian school library resource centres http://www.asla.org.au/policy/policy-development-manual.aspx

Comprehensive document, merges policy and procedures.

• Policy support for school libraries
  http://www.esa.edu.au/scis/connections/issue_65/policy_support_for_school_libraries.html

Policy support from SCIS, provides Australian perspective

 

References

Debowski, S. (2001). Collection management policies. In K. Dillon, J. Henri & J. McGregor (Eds.), Providing more with less : collection management for school libraries (2nd ed.) (pp. 126-136). Wagga Wagga, NSW : Centre for Information Studies, Charles Sturt University.

Johnson, P. (2009). Fundamentals of collection development and management (2nd ed.). Chicago: American Library Association.

 

Collection evaluation Module 5

Involves evaluating the collections ability to meet curriculum and user needs and enable the library to achieve its goals
·         Kennedy (2006) and Bishop (2007) provide useful overviews of collection evaluation purpose and methods
·         when judging the value of the collection, TLs need to determine the criteria for evaluation and decide
o   what quantitative and qualitative data will be collected and used,
o   who will collect data,
o   what will data be used for and
o   who will results be reported to.

·         Barriers to evaluation include
o   the perceived lack of tangibility of the process eg weeding as opposed to acquisition,
o   time pressures,
o   lack of experience of data collection or interpretation or
o   fear of what the results of evaluation may uncover and what this will mean for future planning decisions.

·         A range of methods for evaluating the collection are possible. TL must decide which one or combination is most appropriate for particular school situation. Techniques include:

o   Collection centred measures including
§  checking the size and scope of the collection against recommended lists. OPAC is used for determining current collection. Benefit of recommendations include increasing TL knowledge of potential titles may not be aware of however, need to ensure lists are compiled for local not overseas users and be sure that titles listed are available and the best source of required information.

§  Direct examination of the collection – physically checking shelves for condition and scope of what is there. Does it still meet selection criteria? Are there evident gaps? Gives a good picture of individual titles, however titles may be out at time of inspection and is time consuming. May miss getting picture of entire collection.

o   Use centred measures

§  Determining who is using materials and frequency of use eg through circulation studies, in-house use, surveys

§  Benefit is focus on users, however disadvantage is that doesn’t address non-users, why are they not using the collection?

o   Collection mapping – creating a graphical representation of the strengths and weaknesses of the current collection. Identified strengths can be promoted and may be limited in future resource selection until more balanced collection results. Identified weaknesses become priorities. Check curriculum to identify if gaps in supporting exist. Developing a balanced collection is difficult. Selection bias can occur due to personal likes or dislikes and being aware of this assists overcoming issues. Engaging assistance of teaching staff can assist in achieving balance.

Some examples of online sources in this area are:

• A guide to the collection assessment process http://www.nla.gov.au/libraries/help/guide.html
• The School Library Media Specialist – Collection mapping http://eduscapes.com/sms/program/mapping.html
• Collection assessment http://www.lib.az.us/cdt/collass.aspx

Weeding

An important element of evaluation is weeding what no longer meets user needs or selection criteria. As the aim of the collection is to serve users, material that fails to achieve this outcome should not be part of the collection and should be removed.

A useful weeding guide is available at National Library of New Zealand Services to Schools (2012). 'Collections 5: Weeding Guide'.

·         Weeding ensures that the collection remains current, appealing, accurate and supports curriculum and user needs. Outdated material is removed and current ideas are represented. Areas of weaknesses are easily identified and can be addressed and strengths can be promoted.

·         Ensures valuable resources are not obscured by old or misleading ones. 

·         Weeding can be difficult to achieve as it is time consuming and may be difficult to justify removing titles.

·         Involving subject teachers in reviewing their areas and using general selection criteria to justify removing resources can assist weeding decisions.

·         LIS can be utilised for data on usage, including materials that are not being issued.

·         Selection criteria also apply to weeding. Further criteria include physical condition, usage, whether more up-to-date materials exist online, publication date if advancements in thinking have occurred, curriculum relevance, appropriateness of reflection of current attitudes and level of difficulty.

·         Resources that are no longer supported by existing technology should also be removed.

·         Discarded titles should be clearly labelled and removed from the OPAC.

·         Gaps that are identified provide priorities for future collection development

·         Remember that weeding must also extend to e-books, digital and online resources curated as part of the collection

·         Ongoing weeding assists manageability however may occur across entire collection or rotate through sections.

·         Disposal methods of weeded resources outlined in the collection policy assist justification.

·         The acronym MUSTIE provides a useful basis for weeding decisions

The collection exists to support the curriculum and meet user needs.  If it is not evaluated regularly against predetermined criteria it may fail to meet this goal.

The TL must evaluate all sections of the collection to ensure they provide current, accurate information that is free from bias.  Weeding is as important as developing collections, as if materials that no longer meet criteria or user needs are not removed, users may access incorrect or misleading information or have difficulty locating useful resources, resulting in frustration.

Legal Considerations when accessing, using and creating resources

Legal considerations for staff and students

Text, artworks, music, websites, films, TV program's and games etc are protected under the Commonwealth copyright act and subsequent amendments.  The law covers work in material form. For example the idea for a film is not covered, however the screenplay for the film is.  Schools must comply with copyright legislation or face heavy penalties.

A range of exclusions exist for schools to use materials for educational purposes. Fair dealing and reasonable portion are 2 important concerns for schools.  Fair dealing includes use for research or study purposes in the course of completing school work. Schools can copy 10% or 1 chapter of a book (whichever is greater) or the entire boom if it is no longer available commercially. Otherwise permission needs to be obtained from copyright owner.

It is important to remember that different elements eg of websites eg text, images, music etc may have different copyright owners.

Copyright rules covering use of films in the classroom allow showing films for educational purposes where doing so enhances the curriculum taught, however screening on excursions, bus trips etc is not covered. Some schools can be permitted to use films for the latter purposes but the school must check with the copyright advisor if they are covered for this. Only legitimate copies of films purchased by schools can be used and heavy penalties apply to screening pirated copies including given by students.

Schools can be covered by educational licences where royalties are collected by a central agency on behalf of members. These licences govern use of text and artistic works, broadcast audiovisual resources and music.

Students and staff need to be aware of copyright when uploading to and downloading from school LMS.

Assisting students with disabilities

Schools are allowed to copy materials without breaching copyright eg making large print or sound copies for students with sight difficulties as long as no suitable copy is commercially available within a reasonable timeframe

Copies created for this purpose must be specifically marked and written communication must be sent to the copyright agency within 3 months when a temporary or master copy is made to support students with print reading disabilities.

The Smartcopying  website outlines rules surrounding legal use of various forms of media.

Creative Commons

Creative Commons resources can be used freely as long as correct attribution and use rules are followed.  CC symbols indicate how the material can be used.

Attribution details should include name of the creator of the work, name of the item, details of the CC licence provided under eg "Creative Commons Attribution 2.5 Australia", and website URL of the original item and where it was found. This information must be included where is reasonably expected ie may be at the end of a film or under a photo.

Smartcopying Creative Commons: A Quick Overview factsheet gives suggested attribution examples.

Source: Creative Commons: A Quick Overview factsheet, Smartcopying website

Schools should also be familiar with the National Educational Access Licence for Schools (NEALS) logo which is an agreement between commonwealth, state, catholic and independent school sectors permitting schools to freely copy and communicate print and digital material published on their websites and publications for educational purposes. NEALS also covers non-commercial curriculum materials and policy documents but does not extend to films or sound recordings.

Source: National Educational Access Licence for Schools factsheet, Smartcopying website, available at http://www.smartcopying.edu.au/scw/go/pid/748

Teachers and students should also be able to use CC licensing to protect their own produced work.

Sites such as Flikr provide some free to use resources, and CC search, available at  http://search.creativecommons.org/ links users to range of CC resources.

Creative Commons also assist students and teachers to learn about how they can legally use material without infringing copyright.

The presentation by J. Coates (2013) Creative Commons in the Classroom available at http://www.slideshare.net/Jessicacoates/creative-commons-in-the-classroom-2013 is a useful resource to assist teaching. Teachers and students should also be able to use CC licensing to protect resources they have produced.

Contracts, classification and filtering

Even where the Copyright Act may permit certain actions eg downloading a copy, users need to check that such actions don't breach rules of the site eg YouTube does not allow downloading.

Staff also need to check online contracts eg for minimum age of use eg social media sites may have 13 minimum age

Individually purchased material is usually not considered the same as that purchased by the school, and classroom use of such digital content should be discouraged.

Film and Literature classification

AV resources including films, TV and games are covered by classifications set by the Commonwealth Office of Film and Literature Classification.  Teachers need to use professional judgement to ensure content and classification is appropriate for the age group and that the material supports the curriculum.  Teachers should also ensure that the content dose not present cultural or religious issues when previewing the material prior to showing in the classroom.

Internet Filtering

ALIA supports unregulated access to online content thus is not supportive of filtering as it is not considered effective in protecting students from illegal activity or inappropriate content and hampers use of certain useful sites. Instead of filtering, cybersafety education is promoted and links to useful sites such as cyber smart available at http://www.cybersmart.gov.au/Libraries/Cybersmart%20library%20resources.aspx is provided.

Research by AASL (October 2012, available at http://www.ala.org/aasl/researchandstatistics/slcsurvey/filtering-schools) in US schools suggests that filtering may impede genuine research and thus learning.

Sources:

Smartcopying factsheets available www.smartcopying.edu.au

Cybersmart website available www.cybersmart.gov.au

 

Avoid censorship by stealth

When selecting resources, the TL must be careful to ensure selection doesn’t become censorship, either according to the beliefs of the TL or any other member of the school community.  Remember the educational purpose of resources selected for the school collection and ensure a balanced collection results.

 

Suggestions for ensuring selections decisions are accountable include keeping records of sources and recommendations, communicate with teachers and school executive to ensure clear understanding of needs and decision making process, recognise parent concerns or desires in context of the needs of the entire school community. 

Selection Aids

Selection aids assist librarians in knowing what resources are appropriate and available. Some examples include:

1.    Promotions from suppliers eg bookshops.

   ·         Sellers visit schools with a selection of resources which permits physical inspection for evaluation prior to purchase.

   ·         Negative aspects of this method include limited range not necessarily suited to needs of the school.

   ·         Online sellers provide access to a greater range of resources, however inspection prior to purchase can be an issue. Examples – ABC, Book Depository, Dymocks, EzyDVD, Wheelers.

   ·         Publisher catalogues and websites – increase awareness of available resources, but may be biased towards own titles eg Australian Children’s television foundation, Curriculum Press, Harper Collins, VEA

2.    Recommendations from teachers, other TLS, students etc

   ·         Useful however need to consider recommender’s experience of the resource, bias and knowledge of alternative resources.

   ·         Professional networks assist sharing of knowledge. Some examples given in module 2 include:

·      OZTL_NET 

·      Delicious

·      Diigo

·      Goodreads     

·      LibraryThing 

·      Scoop.it!

·      Twitter

·      TroveLists 

3.    Bibliographic services eg SCIS, Trove, core collection lists provided by education authorities, subject lists eg from Asia Education Foundation or Premier’s Reading Challenge, or online bibliographies such as Children’s Book of the Year Awards (CBCA), Book Awards and Book Lists (ALA) can all contain information on useful titles for schools.

4.    Reviews – print or online, reviews are important for their educational focus eg SCAN, Magpies. Others including Inside a Dog, ReadPlus, Resource Reviews (NSW DET), The Source (Magpies) contain useful reviews for libraries. Good Reads and LibraryThing are other online reviewing sites with recommendations, however may need to check for sponsored or biased reviews.

When choosing selection aids, points to consider:

·         look for reviews that evaluate resources and provide alternatives to assist in selection decisions,

·         information regarding the relative value of the resource,

·         choose broad range to ensure a balanced library collection

·         remember professional knowledge of the school and community

When selecting resources, 3 levels of selection criteria apply.

1.      Broad selection criteria – refer to the overarching principles regarding purpose and content considered when selecting any resource eg direct relationship to the curriculum, inclusive for all students, appropriate for age group, balanced views represented.

2.      General selection criteria – decision making applied to all resources surrounding the “authority, physical format and technical quality, arrangement of content, appropriateness, currency, cost, availability, format, inclusion of controversial material”. This criteria is sometimes criticised for failing to focus on teaching and learning approaches of the school.

Hughes-Hassell and Mancall (2005, p. 47) provide a set of general selection criteria.

3.      Specific selection criteria – are applied to specific resource formats eg fiction, DVDS, nonfiction, websites, and are designed with the particular characteristics of that format in mind

Reference:

Developing collections to support teaching and learning [ETL 503 Module 2]. Retrieved March 19, 2013, from http://interact.csu.edu.au/portal/site/ETL503_201330_W_D/page/cc27bbe6-e6e0-4c57-0010-f556b9fde7d2

Hughes-Hassell, S. & Mancall, J. (2005). Collection management for youth: responding to the needs of learners. Chicago: American Library Association.