LIBE 467: Theme One: Providing Reference Services in the Digital Age

A Theme One Reflection:  

    As the month of September is coming to an end and we begin to wrap up the first theme in LIBE 467, I have been reflecting upon our course readings, class discussions and the many things I have learned. Over the past few weeks I have learned about school library reference services, the reference process and my role as a teacher-librarian in providing reference services through the provision of information and bibliographic instruction. Providing reference services as an elementary teacher-librarian in the digital age means the ways in which we provide this information to students as well as the ways in which we teach our students to locate, analyze and synthesize information is dramatically changing. As teacher-librarians we must carefully consider many factors when selecting, acquiring and evaluating resources to meet our students needs. It is also crucial, now more than ever, that we equip our students with the information literacy skills they require to successfully locate, evaluate and use information in a variety of formats to meet their information needs. 

    As teacher-librarians, two of our duties include the provision of reference services and maintenance of the reference collection. However, with the introduction of the internet, along with rapid developments in technology in the 21st-century, the composition of reference collections in elementary school libraries looks much different now than it did 20+ years ago when I was an elementary student learning to write my first report. Nowadays, rather than just a simple shelf with a collection of print dictionaries, encyclopedias, atlases etc., many school libraries are now providing digital resources either as a replacement or as an addition to their print reference collection. With such a wide variety of print and digital resources now available, teacher-librarians now have a number of factors to consider when selecting and deselecting reference materials for their collection. 

    As we learned in the readings from module 3, there are seven main criteria to consider when evaluating a reference resource:

1. Content Scope
2. Accuracy, Authority, and Bias
3. Arrangement and Presentation
4. Relation to Similar Works
5. Timeliness and Permanence
6. Accessibility/Diversity
7. Cost

(Riedling & Houston, 2019, p. 24-25).

The ways in which we consider each of the criteria listed above depends on whether we are evaluating a print or digital reference resource. Accordingly, whether we select either print or digital resources for our collection is also dependent upon the above criteria. 

Figure 1. Girl using computer. (Spratt, 2020)

    Over the past few weeks I have found myself pondering whether elementary school libraries in the 21st-century should invest in print reference materials, digital reference materials, or try to invest in and  maintain both? This question first came to mind while I was reading Reference Skills for the School Librarian: Tools and Tips, in which Riedling and Houston (2019) state that "at the elementary level, reference instruction continues to use print sources because of the difficulty young children experience in navigating the Internet" (para. 6, p. 25). At first I was somewhat perturbed by this statement, because although I agree that young children do experience difficulty in navigating the internet, one of our roles as teacher-librarians is to facilitate student development of information and digital literacy skills to enable them to "locate, evaluate and use information in a variety of formats to meet their information needs" (Riedling & Houston, 2019, para. 5, p. 6). Thus, in order for our students to become information literate, they must have opportunities to engage with information in a variety of formats, including online, digital formats. 

Figure 2. World Book Kids. (World Book, 2020)

    This topic came up for me again a few days later when I conversing with a teacher-librarian from a local elementary school. She explained to me that she is currently in the process of phasing out the print materials from the reference collection. According to her, the high cost of print materials, along with the frequent need to update them, makes maintaining a print collection of reference materials a nearly impossible task when on a limited budget. She also noted that with the low cost of subscriptions to online reference databases such as World Book Online Kids (approximately $1.00 per student) students are able to access regularly updated, verified, multimodal forms of information. While she confirmed that younger students do experience some struggles with navigating online information, she explained that she begins reference instruction by teaching students how to navigate a few select kid-friendly websites and databases before teaching them the skills required to use more sophisticated search interfaces. 

    As we learned in module 1, the key evolutions of reference resources as they become more digital has lead to many benefits, as well as drawbacks. Some of the benefits we explored include increased speed of access, increase in amount of information available, increase in access to free material, increase in technology in schools and increased comfort with use of technology compared to previous generations. Another advantage that I have recently witnessed myself, is remote access through subscription logins, which has been a huge benefit to those who are currently engaging in remote learning due to Covid-19. Additionally, digital reference resources have increased access to information for all, through various formats which go beyond the limitations of print materials. As Riedling and Houston (2019) suggest, "reference resources must be accessible to the entire student population regardless of linguistic or physical limitations" (para. 4, p. 24). However, although digital resources produce many benefits, they also have drawbacks to consider. For example, although students may feel comfortable using a computer, most students still lack the skills to find and identify the best information available. Since digital materials can vary in quality, students must develop the skills to analyze, critique and evaluate information. Another consideration is that the increase in availability of free materials may lead to budget cuts for the school libraries along with the assumption that libraries are no longer necessary. 

    As I have yet to obtain employment as a teacher-librarian or work in a library, I have been imagining what my future school library reference collection will look like. I believe digital reference resources have a lot to offer an elementary school library. One appealing factor of digital reference materials is that some can provide modes of access to information not available through print materials, such as "read aloud" commands which reads the text aloud to students. Other formats available digitally include videos and podcasts which allow students to see and/or hear information, a major benefiting factor for ELL students for example. Additionally, many school libraries have a library website which includes links to subscription databases as well as links to popular, credible websites that have been vetted by the teacher-librarian. I must admit, I am very much looking forward to developing a website that will assist my students and colleagues in finding and accessing the best information available. In addition to having a variety of digital resources in my future reference collection, I also believe that print reference materials should be included, as they are still relevant in elementary school libraries. Personally, I love the hands on experience I engage in when using print materials. I love using bookmarks and sticky notes to take note of specific information, and being able to quickly flip back to find the right page. I also believe that it is important for our students to develop the skills necessary to navigate print reference materials such as dictionaries, encyclopedias and thesauruses as it teaches them the basics of navigating sequences such as alphabetical and chronological order. Additionally, as we learned in module 4, print encyclopedias work as a "basic building block to information gathering" and "the predictable layout of entries and the formal and structured arrangement of most of these print references allow for students to focus on a limited amount of information that will give them the background that they require to dig deeper into a topic" (UBC, 2020, Module 4, para. 8). 

    Ultimately, I believe that finding a balance of both print and digital reference resources in the reference collection is the best means of providing reference services and instruction in an elementary library. As stated in Achieving Information Literacy: Standards for School Library Programs in Canada, "the collection is to reflect an appropriate balance of print, non-print and electronic and digital resources" (2006, para. 3, p. 24). However, with so many factors to consider when evaluating and selecting new resources as I mentioned above, I imagine it will be a challenge to find the right balance. Considering Riedling and Houston's guidelines on timeliness and permanence alone (most reference materials are outdated within five years), I also imagine it is a struggle to maintain an adequate collection of up-to-date print and digital materials without a very healthy library budget, which is unfortunately not the case for many school libraries. As a teacher-librarian I will need to weigh the costs on print vs. digital materials, while also considering the quality of each in terms of arrangement and presentation, accessibility and diversity, as well as in terms of content and accuracy. Another factor to consider is that "as print and electronic reference collections grow in size and format, they must be continually assessed to determine their relevance, utility and appropriateness to patrons" (American Library Association, 2007, "4.0 Measuring and assessing reference resources", para. 1). I recognize that considering all these factors will be a challenge, however, we also learned from Riedling and Houston (2019) that the selection of new materials should be a collaborative initiative; "above all, collaboration with teachers on assignments using information resources is crucial for continuous improvement in developing an effective reference collection (para. 3, p. 20). By including my colleagues in the selection process, I am ensuring that the materials selected for purchase are relevant, appropriate and will be useful for students information needs. 

Concluding thoughts...

    Although we learned that a mix of print and digital references resources is essential, the reality is that many school libraries do not meet the "acceptable" or "exemplary" standards identified in Achieving Information Literacy: Standards for School Library Programs in Canada due to restricting factors such as limited budget. Thus it is essential that we as teacher-librarians carefully evaluate reference resources for selection and that we do our best to facilitate the development of student information literacy skills, to enable our students to ask the “right” questions and to locate, analyze and use the best information we have access to. As suggested in module 4, "perhaps, what information students find is less important than how they find and apply it" (UBC, 2020, Module 4, para. 3). 

References:

American Library Association. (2007). Measuring and Assessing Reference Services and Resources: A
    Guide. Reference & User Services Association (RUSA). Retrieved 27 September 2020,
    from: http://www.ala.org/rusa/sections/rss/rsssection/rsscomm/evaluationofref/measrefguide

Canadian Association for School Libraries. (2006). Achieving information literacy: Standards for school         library programs in Canada. Retrieved from: http://accessola2.com/SLIC-Site/slic/ail110217.pdf

Riedling, A., & Houston, C. (2019). Reference skills for the school librarian: tools and tips (4th ed.).
    Libraries Unlimited.

Spratt, A. (2020). Girl using computer [Image]. Retrieved 27 September, 2020,
    from: https://unsplash.com/photos/4-4WPFLVhAY

UBC. (2020). Module 4: Print and/or electronic reference materials [Canvas]. Retrieved from UBC LIBE
    467. Canvas site. 

World Book. (2020). World Book Kids Online [Image]. Retrieved 28 September 2020, from: 
    https://www.worldbook.com/resize/Shared/Images/Product/World-Book-Kids/kids.jpg?
    bw=575&w=575