The Three R's of Reference Services

For my first few years of teaching, I would drop my class off at the library and pick them up without ever really knowing what research and information literacy skills they were learning…. I never even thought to ask; I simply assumed that the Teacher-Librarian and I were separate entities, each with our own full plates. Throughout my teacher training courses, it had not been emphasized that you can collaborate with the teacher-librarian. Perhaps, because we had faced decades of cuts to library funding, we started to function without them and new teachers had no idea of the benefits a fully staffed library learning commons offered.

My current school district works on a mixed schedule with the teacher-librarian mostly taken up by prep coverage. Teachers at my school are not used to having collaboration time and although we have more time available this year, many are not sure how to utilize it. While working through Lesson 5, I began thinking that one way to be pro-active with building communication between classroom teachers and the TL would be to map out the research skills to be taught throughout the year and share the rough outline with colleagues so that they are aware of what students are learning when they come to the library learning commons. This could trigger them to think, “Oh, they will be learning about developing inquiry questions this month, I could link that to our study on ‘xyz’… “ Then the classroom teachers may feel more confident about coming to the T-L and starting that collaboration conversation. I realize this may not be possible in all settings but it would be worth aiming towards.

Ken Haycock (2007, p.26) notes in the analysis of studies of teacher and librarian collaboration that “collaboration depends on trust, shared vision and communication”. By sharing a year outline and allowing for input/feedback, we could open the door to communication and opportunity to create a shared vision for student learning in research skills and information literacy. Especially as the inquiry process is at the heart of the BC New Curriculum. This also links to the standard in Leading Learning (2014) of Fostering Literacies to Empower Life-Long Learners. Under Evolving it states that the

“Teacher-Librarian/LLC teacher provides information literacy instruction in units and lessons to build student skills” and then moves to Established where the Teacher-Librarian “…collaborates with teachers to infuse information literacy in learning experiences”(p.17).

In Lesson 6, a different type of the ‘Three R’s’ is outlined in Riedling (2013, p.100).

The types of reference interviews that occur most frequently in the Library Learning Commons are:

·      Ready-Reference

·      Research Projects

·      Reader’s Advisory

While it was generally noted in the course discussion that the formal, uninterrupted interview that Riedling (2013) describes in Chapter 9, is an unlikely scenario in a busy elementary or secondary learning commons, the important take-away was that the student, teacher or parent using the library feels as though their question is valid and that the teacher-librarian is open and receptive to helping them access the resources they need. It made me wonder though if we can assist library users with their questions before they even come to us? I think we can do that through targeted instruction in developing inquiry questions and also by posting signs throughout the library to prompt students in their thinking such as the following:

Image Source: http://www.theprimarygal.com/2015/07/5-strategies-to-help-your-students.html (Accessed Feb. 17, 2018)

How we manage and organize the reference collection is a significant part of our role as Teacher-Librarians. Not being in the role currently, my best guess (based on my own observations of my school library and the course discussion board) is that the areas that are most affected by limited time and budget are collaboration opportunities and replacing outdated but expensive reference sources. As I read through the role description for the teacher librarian in the Surrey School District Teacher-Librarian Handbook (2008, p.12), the areas that stood out to me as most important were:

2.1

     Provide access to appropriate library and learning resources to support the curriculum.

       Provide library instruction, resources and services to promote active learning
    Promote reading

2.2.1

·              plans and administers the school library budget

·              develops and monitors the library collection…establishing procedures for the evaluation and        selection of the library resources

These essential parts of the role would be what I would focus on developing initially in a teacher-librarian position and then hopefully after building relationships and learning about the school community, I could start to address the collaboration and community engagement aspects of the role.

This video does a great job of summarizing and highlighting the value of teacher-librarians and their role within the school. Although it has been produced by the Australian Library and Information Services Association (ALIA), it closely aligns with the standards of practice for Canadian school libraries outlined in Leading Learning (2014).

So… the remaining question is how to evaluate the reference services? How do we know if we are doing a good job and meeting the needs of students and staff? How can we do better?

I think that the informal method of seeking evaluation is intricately linked to the relationships that we build with colleagues. Teachers and students will not willingly offer feedback if there is no trust or understanding that their concerns or questions will be well received. Happily, in Surrey SD we also have the assistance of a District Helping Teacher-Librarian who we can use to seek a peer evaluation of our reference services.

I think it would also be a good idea to regularly seek formal evaluation of the reference services in the Library Learning Commons by sending out a short Google doc survey at the beginning and end of the year for teachers and perhaps even a selection of classes to give anonymous feedback. Leading Learning: Standards of Practice for School Library Learning Commons (2014) also recommends a collaborative approach to growth by forming a Library Learning Commons Leadership team to actively participate in the building of a community of life-long learners. I believe that my school used to have such a committee a few years ago when we applied for funding to transition to a learning commons, however it has since disbanded. Perhaps it is time to bring it back!

References

Australian Library and Information Association (2014). ‘Promoting Your School Library’ Accessed February 17^th, 2018 from https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Va5mo6ik2_M

Canadian Library Association (2014). Leading Learning: Standards of Practice for School Library 

Learning Commons in Canada. Accessed January 10^th, 2018 from http://llsop.canadianschoollibraries.ca/

Haycock, K. (2007) "Collaboration: Critical success factors for student learning" School Libraries Worldwide 13.1:25-35

Riedling, Ann. (2013). Reference Skills for the School Librarian. Santa Barbara, CA: Linworth.

Surrey School District Teacher-Librarian Handbook. Accessed February 2^nd, 2018 from https://www.surreyschools.ca/departments/EDSC/CurriculumInstruction/Library/Documents/SD36%20TL%20Handbook.pdf