I am a little stunned to have finished all the readings and posts for this course. In the end, I read each lesson at least twice, and feel I could go back and do it again, and still have more to learn.
As a bit of a perfectionist, I found this class to be overwhelming. Creating a digital library was a HUGE task, but it has drawn many kudos already. I enjoyed making it, and demonstrated to myself and others that finding, organizing and linking relevant online resources is an important job of the librarian.
Perhaps librarianship draws perfectionists or perhaps it draws us to drink as once into the depths of the course, I found more and more problems in the library system. When working with the DRC support, I asked her if anyone else had these issues and she said, "oh probably, but no one else has time to care." I can't imagine that other school also cannot find resources, but since I had to do a collection analysis for my other course, and in the light of this course, I was able to figure out the error in the system. I'd imagine that others don't know it's a problem?
Essential Understandings:
1. MARC. Before the course, I had no understanding of marc except that I downloaded them into my database. Now I understand the complexity, and am terrified that we may lose our support, in the budget cuts, for the creation of these records. At least now I have a greater understanding of the process and complexity so I can advocate for the help we need to make sure our records are functional.
2. Database: I understand a great deal more about how my database functions. Strangely, although this was only a minor piece of one of the last lessons, imagining each marc number as a folder of data really helped me to see how the data base works. If I search all NF, then I get all NF b/c they are in the NF folder. This explains why when I discovered yet another error, some FIC were in the NF, b/c they had been imported incorrectly somehow in the new L4U version. (We fixed it with a global change.) I think this knowledge will help me create the reports I want, as this has been an ongoing issue.
3. Digital World: Spending time with digital sites and resources helped me to understand that librarians need to help both students and staff find good quality online resources. A simple google search may not bring up the best sites for a particular topic. I also realized, that while I have better technology skills than most, that my understanding of the school technology is mediocre.
4. Digital World: Websites-- as I delved into creating my library's website, I became more and more aware that being perceived as not-knowing or not-understanding limits the conversations one can have with supervisors. I really feel that I need to focus on these skills to a greater extent.
In the end, I would like to become a librarian who is referred to as an expert. I would like my library website and our program to be used as exemplars for new librarians. I wonder how on earth this can happen with such limited time in the library and I honestly wonder if Valenza has a life outside of her library!
Friday, February 18, 2011
Lesson 13: Organizing and Maintaining the Collection
- In order to improve access to learning resources, how important are physical changes in your own school library?
My school library was renovated about 10 years ago. In this renovation a fiction section was added on, and new shelving was created for the fiction section and center of the non-fiction section. Furnishings were also replaced and a new office and checkout areas were built.
Any changes are really minor. For example, when asked recently, frequent comments from students were about three main areas: One was in regards to the lack of signs. They would like signs posted in the NonFic Section to show general topics instead of numbers. Another area to focus on is the easy readers which are crammed into spinning book holders and are not displayed nicely at all. Lastly, magazines are in slots with no organizational strategy either.
Little do the patrons know that there is more disorder in the audio book collection – and that would be because they don’t know we have an audio book collection! It is not in the data base and not displayed anywhere.
- If changes are necessary, how possible do you think these changes are? Will they require a large expenditure?
These changes are not expensive, but require time and energy.
Update:
Joanne (from our class) discarded some turning bookracks which were put up for grabs by the DRC staff before they went into storage, I said YES, and when I showed them to our metalwork teacher, and explained the size of the book problem, he immediately had students cut out the extra dividers that are between the books. It took a few days, but now the racks have no dividers, and the front covers of the books face out.
Interestingly, and I’m not sure it was Joanne, but a magazine rack also came up for discarding. Sometimes I think people have no idea how much other librarians have purchased these items for. I inherited a dusty, but almost new, magazine rack, and have seen the magazines improve circulation tremendously.
Audio books: Labels were placed on all books with audio support. The front and back covers of each book with an audio companion book was copied and glued onto a colored paper, which was then laminated. Now they will be attached to a ring, and students can search the books by cover and information, and know which ones are audio much easier than before.
Lesson 12: Organizing Online Resources - The School Library Homepage
"How essential is a school library homepage and can we do without one? Consider grade levels, the size of the school etc."
As a librarian in and 8-12 school, the website is an important starting point for students.
Last year I asked the principal to add Library as a tab on the school home page, hoping that he would work with me to develop the site. He takes the website on as part of his role, and updates it every day or so. I sent him a variety of links to put on, but they ended up on a student page list that was not organized in any way.
I have been teaching students how to search the database, and the link was on the student page, but they always went to the under-construction library page, and didn't even think to go to the student page. That makes me wonder if they ever use that page or the website in general.
The more a secondary libray has to offer on its' pages, the more students will see it as a place to go to find the help they need 24-7. My goal is to eventually have a website that other teachers and schools go to as an example of a great site. It will be a huge learning curve.
"Based on the sites that you reviewed, what are the most important elements of an attractive, useable school library homepage? Be very specific."
Clear organization seems to be the best thing I have noticed. I find Joyce Valenza's sites busy and so packed full of information, I get lost. Her sites make me feel like a failure, and I wish she listed how many tech staff she has that help her to maintain her many sites. I find her sites messy and visually distracting. While they may be held up as great examples, I think they would be difficult for visually impaired students and learning disabled students to navigate.
I find the Torquay Elementary Library site more doable, although I will need to show this to my principal, so he can understand that it can be managed through a district server. I like this site best because it's organization is clear and concise. The audience for it is also clear: students predominantly, with a small section for students.
"If you have been successful in developing a school library homepage, do you have any suggestions for others on how this was accomplished? Was the effort involved in developing the homepage worth it? "
My library site is under development and as yet I have no suggestions.
As a librarian in and 8-12 school, the website is an important starting point for students.
Last year I asked the principal to add Library as a tab on the school home page, hoping that he would work with me to develop the site. He takes the website on as part of his role, and updates it every day or so. I sent him a variety of links to put on, but they ended up on a student page list that was not organized in any way.
I have been teaching students how to search the database, and the link was on the student page, but they always went to the under-construction library page, and didn't even think to go to the student page. That makes me wonder if they ever use that page or the website in general.
The more a secondary libray has to offer on its' pages, the more students will see it as a place to go to find the help they need 24-7. My goal is to eventually have a website that other teachers and schools go to as an example of a great site. It will be a huge learning curve.
"Based on the sites that you reviewed, what are the most important elements of an attractive, useable school library homepage? Be very specific."
Clear organization seems to be the best thing I have noticed. I find Joyce Valenza's sites busy and so packed full of information, I get lost. Her sites make me feel like a failure, and I wish she listed how many tech staff she has that help her to maintain her many sites. I find her sites messy and visually distracting. While they may be held up as great examples, I think they would be difficult for visually impaired students and learning disabled students to navigate.
I find the Torquay Elementary Library site more doable, although I will need to show this to my principal, so he can understand that it can be managed through a district server. I like this site best because it's organization is clear and concise. The audience for it is also clear: students predominantly, with a small section for students.
"If you have been successful in developing a school library homepage, do you have any suggestions for others on how this was accomplished? Was the effort involved in developing the homepage worth it? "
My library site is under development and as yet I have no suggestions.
Lesson 11: The Library Catalogue
"The degree to which a library catalogue can be consulted easily by teachers and students is of great significance if teacher-librarians wish to encourage user-independence."
There have been a number of illuminating moments over the past 18 months which highlight this statement in action at my school. After taking over the library, I started to wonder why few teachers used the space, and why students (when looking for books) wandered the shelves looking at titles.
First, 80% of the teachers did not know that they could access the database from their classrooms, and few knew how to search for a book or topic using the data base. Worse, was many of the grade 12s had never, yes NEVER, checked out a book from the library. I discovered this horror when I took my grade 12 English class into the library to find a banned book of their choice. I was stunned.
Over the years, with staffing decline, and what might have been the disillusionment of the librarian who could no longer do the job to the level she had become used to doing, use of the library diminished and collaborative teaching and unit planning amounted to zero. The library had become a storage area for books, many of which had cobwebs and garbage behind them.
Over the years prior to retirement, sick leaves, surgeries, salary deferment, admin take a block of library type events occurred, and when I took over my first discovery was that 2000 books from 0-600's or so had been deleted from the data base. The previous librarian had left me a note to say that something was wrong with the database and she didn't know what. I found out before school started when I attempted inventory. (Nice start to my library job!) It appeared that the books had been deleted about three years prior, since new acquisitions were in the database going back a few years. How scary to think that none of those books were checked out in that time, or if they were no one questioned why the message... no record.. was coming up. Perhaps it was just too overwhelming of an error to deal with so close to retirement.
Other errors have popped up that are in the process of being dealt with:
1. MARCs that do not have subject details. In other words, if you search for cellular biology, nothing will come up, b/c you have to use Science as that was all that was put in when the record was created.
2. MARCs that have the correct call # ie DDS # and the first three letters of the author's name, yet on the book itself, the letters are the first three of the title. In other words, if you search for the book and get the call # from the data base, you will not find that call # on the shelves.
3. Authority control/subject heading errors: Because the subjects did not conform to Sears headings, many have been entered incorrectly. Thus science and Science, or biology, cells and cells, biology.
4. We had no cover art, even though this feature was allowed in our L4U
5. No websites or digital resources are linked in our records.
6. Multiple Audio books are piled all over with no records and no way for students to know we have them.
7. No picture searches for easy searching for common subjects such as castles.
In the end, the more I know, the more overwhelmed I feel, yet I have a clear sense of what needs to be done to make the system more user friendly. Whether teaching students one on one, or teaching them as a class, most now know how to search the data base. All teachers know through staff meeting demonstrations. Now the goal will be to develop the L4U in a way that makes it more user friendly and get those resources into students' and staffs' hands.
Lesson 10: Other Sources of Cataloguing and Processing and Preparing
The problem of the length of time it takes to process materials is an ongoing issue in our school district. Items have a nine week turn around. The question: "Should we be finding temporary ways to make these available? Or, is it more important that they are catalogued and processed properly? " has been discussed freqently at our library meetings.
I think temporary circulation would work IF one had a library clerk at school who could quickly grab need-to-be-processed materials as he/she had time. In our district we must send the materials to the DRC, so keeping them at school would only slow the process down further. If something is neededd quickly, we simply send a note with the box and an email to say it is coming. We usually get the material back the following week processed. We appreciate this occasional skip the line up process, so no one abuses the offer.
For my own sanity, I need to have materials catalogued and signed out correctly, as little notes and sticky reminders of who has what simply get lost, and if the item was lost, then there is no official record that it was borrowed.
"What strategies can you think of that would allow uncatalogued, newly acquired learning resources to circulate temporarily?"
In an urgent situation, I have wondered about copying the front/back/inside covers of books and sending those in. There is enough information there to create the marc record, and then I could add the bar codes when the marc records are available for downloading.
Or, would this result in more problems than it is worth? What is the situation at your school?
In the long run, for a few urgent items it is worth asking for skip-the-line service. If it is an entire set of materials, then hopefully the unit can be rescheduled/postponed. If not, then worst case scenario is a book or two gets misplaced. I suppose we could keep the books on a cart and count them afterwards, but in a highschool setting there are so many things going on, and so many lack of control variables, that I would probably forget. I would need to assign the counting task to a student helper!
In conclusion, cataloging is one of those jobs that must be done and must be done well. It seems to be a task that is little understood by both librarian students, administrators and trustees. Knowing that our DRC is on the budget cut list, once again, distresses me more this year knowing how complicated their jobs really are. I dread the thought of having to deal with this alone!
Purchasing Options:
Anywhere: Currently this is what I have. I can buy anything I want and send it in for processing. This has been handy for book sales or donations, as I do not even think about processing or its costs.
Follett's Titlewave: I really like the sales reps for Follett and I use Titlewave to analyse my database. They are fabulous to work with and help solve problems. I have yet to purchase anything from them, although I do have a group of potential science purchases saved. I found their huge amount of resources almost overwhelming, and I had 'spent' two years' of budget in a matter of minutes.
U.L.S. sales rep is also very helpful. He brings boxes and boxes of books to one of our meetings each year, as the cost of the ferry etc to Vancouver would not make sense to go there to shop for books. He will bring whatever content area you wish if you prerequest before the meeting. I have not seen any processing done by U.L.S.
CanLit for Kids: I like to use this company, based in Victoria. They are a group of retired librarians who read all the new reviews and create book packages three times a year. They just started offering marc records for free with a full purchase, BUT the DRC staff had to change them somewhat to get them to work in our system. The sales staff are great and will call that at truck is coming up island, if I have forgotten to place my order.
Smart Apple Media: I have used this company twice, but in the end found that their books have not been checked out much at all. They are hardback and great quality, but the content just doesn't seem to fit with my students. I find this sales rep to be too harassing. Perhaps I just need to say no, rather than putting her off month after month! The problem is I spent $1500 with them last year, so they know I will buy hardcover books.
I think temporary circulation would work IF one had a library clerk at school who could quickly grab need-to-be-processed materials as he/she had time. In our district we must send the materials to the DRC, so keeping them at school would only slow the process down further. If something is neededd quickly, we simply send a note with the box and an email to say it is coming. We usually get the material back the following week processed. We appreciate this occasional skip the line up process, so no one abuses the offer.
For my own sanity, I need to have materials catalogued and signed out correctly, as little notes and sticky reminders of who has what simply get lost, and if the item was lost, then there is no official record that it was borrowed.
"What strategies can you think of that would allow uncatalogued, newly acquired learning resources to circulate temporarily?"
In an urgent situation, I have wondered about copying the front/back/inside covers of books and sending those in. There is enough information there to create the marc record, and then I could add the bar codes when the marc records are available for downloading.
Or, would this result in more problems than it is worth? What is the situation at your school?
In the long run, for a few urgent items it is worth asking for skip-the-line service. If it is an entire set of materials, then hopefully the unit can be rescheduled/postponed. If not, then worst case scenario is a book or two gets misplaced. I suppose we could keep the books on a cart and count them afterwards, but in a highschool setting there are so many things going on, and so many lack of control variables, that I would probably forget. I would need to assign the counting task to a student helper!
In conclusion, cataloging is one of those jobs that must be done and must be done well. It seems to be a task that is little understood by both librarian students, administrators and trustees. Knowing that our DRC is on the budget cut list, once again, distresses me more this year knowing how complicated their jobs really are. I dread the thought of having to deal with this alone!
Purchasing Options:
Anywhere: Currently this is what I have. I can buy anything I want and send it in for processing. This has been handy for book sales or donations, as I do not even think about processing or its costs.
Follett's Titlewave: I really like the sales reps for Follett and I use Titlewave to analyse my database. They are fabulous to work with and help solve problems. I have yet to purchase anything from them, although I do have a group of potential science purchases saved. I found their huge amount of resources almost overwhelming, and I had 'spent' two years' of budget in a matter of minutes.
U.L.S. sales rep is also very helpful. He brings boxes and boxes of books to one of our meetings each year, as the cost of the ferry etc to Vancouver would not make sense to go there to shop for books. He will bring whatever content area you wish if you prerequest before the meeting. I have not seen any processing done by U.L.S.
CanLit for Kids: I like to use this company, based in Victoria. They are a group of retired librarians who read all the new reviews and create book packages three times a year. They just started offering marc records for free with a full purchase, BUT the DRC staff had to change them somewhat to get them to work in our system. The sales staff are great and will call that at truck is coming up island, if I have forgotten to place my order.
Smart Apple Media: I have used this company twice, but in the end found that their books have not been checked out much at all. They are hardback and great quality, but the content just doesn't seem to fit with my students. I find this sales rep to be too harassing. Perhaps I just need to say no, rather than putting her off month after month! The problem is I spent $1500 with them last year, so they know I will buy hardcover books.
Lesson 9: Copy Cataloguing
Yet more article links are broken!
When I read articles such as McCroskey's I shudder at the thought of really knowing this stuff thoroughly. I find the level of detail overwhelming, and sometimes think "wow their brains are full of miniscule details!" The article really showed me that I trust my cataloguing has been done correctly, and even with that said... I hope it has been done correctly, as I find many errors from the past that have not been fixed. The more I know about Dewey, MARC, and now CIP, the more errors I am able to find.
Just as the lesson states: "the primary reason for a sound knowledge of cataloguing standards is that you are able to recognize the difference between a good catalogue record and an inadequate or inaccurate one" which I have found to be TRUE!! Maybe ignorance is bliss!
Activity:
AMICUS No. 16132169
Monograph
NLC COPIES: Preserv - off site - PS8576 U575 A84 1997 fol. Juv - NO
ILL
Juv - PS8576 U575 A84 1997 fol. - Copy 2
NAME(S):*Munsch, Robert N., 1945-
Martchenko, Michael
TITLE(S): Alligator baby / Robert Munsch ; illustrated by Michael
Martchenko
PUBLISHER: Richmond Hill, Ont. : Scholastic Canada, 1997.
DESCRIPTION: [32] p. : col. ill. ; 26 cm.
NOTES: For children.
NUMBERS: Canadiana: 97930413X
ISBN: 0590123874 : $5.99
CLASSIFICATION: LC Class no.: PS8576*
LC Call no.: PS8576 U575 A84 1997a
Dewey: jC813/.54 21
Vancouver Island Regional Library
<> <> <> <> <> <> <> <> <> <> <> <> <> <> <> <> <> <> <> <> <> <> <> <> <> <> <> <> <> <> <> <> <> <> <> <> <> <> <> <> <> <> <> <> <> <> <> <> <> <> <> <> <> <> <> <> <> <> <> <> <> <> <> <> <> <> <> <> <> <> <> <> <> <> <> <> <> <> <> <> <> <> <> <> <> <> <> <> <> <> <> <> <> <>
AMICUS http://amicus.collectionscanada.gc.ca/amicus-bin/self_register?l=0
McCroskey, Marilyn and Michelle R. Turvey. "Frequently Asked Questions on CIP." Knowledge Quest, March 2004, p. 39. retrieved from http://web.ebscohost.com.ezproxy.library.ubc.ca/ehost/pdfviewer/pdfviewer?hid=108&sid=c38ecdac-8892-47b9-a169-58ec78319034%40sessionmgr110&vid=9
When I read articles such as McCroskey's I shudder at the thought of really knowing this stuff thoroughly. I find the level of detail overwhelming, and sometimes think "wow their brains are full of miniscule details!" The article really showed me that I trust my cataloguing has been done correctly, and even with that said... I hope it has been done correctly, as I find many errors from the past that have not been fixed. The more I know about Dewey, MARC, and now CIP, the more errors I am able to find.
Just as the lesson states: "the primary reason for a sound knowledge of cataloguing standards is that you are able to recognize the difference between a good catalogue record and an inadequate or inaccurate one" which I have found to be TRUE!! Maybe ignorance is bliss!
Activity:
AMICUS No. 16132169
Monograph
NLC COPIES: Preserv - off site - PS8576 U575 A84 1997 fol. Juv - NO
ILL
Juv - PS8576 U575 A84 1997 fol. - Copy 2
NAME(S):*Munsch, Robert N., 1945-
Martchenko, Michael
TITLE(S): Alligator baby / Robert Munsch ; illustrated by Michael
Martchenko
PUBLISHER: Richmond Hill, Ont. : Scholastic Canada, 1997.
DESCRIPTION: [32] p. : col. ill. ; 26 cm.
NOTES: For children.
NUMBERS: Canadiana: 97930413X
ISBN: 0590123874 : $5.99
CLASSIFICATION: LC Class no.: PS8576*
LC Call no.: PS8576 U575 A84 1997a
Dewey: jC813/.54 21
Vancouver Island Regional Library
<> <> <> <> <> <> <> <> <> <> <> <> <> <> <> <> <> <> <> <> <> <> <> <> <> <> <> <> <> <> <> <> <> <> <> <> <> <> <> <> <> <> <> <> <> <> <> <> <> <> <> <> <> <> <> <> <> <> <> <> <> <> <> <> <> <> <> <> <> <> <> <> <> <> <> <> <> <> <> <> <> <> <> <> <> <> <> <> <> <> <> <> <> <>
AMICUS http://amicus.collectionscanada.gc.ca/amicus-bin/self_register?l=0
McCroskey, Marilyn and Michelle R. Turvey. "Frequently Asked Questions on CIP." Knowledge Quest, March 2004, p. 39. retrieved from http://web.ebscohost.com.ezproxy.library.ubc.ca/ehost/pdfviewer/pdfviewer?hid=108&sid=c38ecdac-8892-47b9-a169-58ec78319034%40sessionmgr110&vid=9
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