LIBE 463
Collection Evaluation Report Assignment 2 Laura Bosch 33525189
February 26, 2021
Collection Evaluation
Collection evaluation is an important component of every teacher-librarian's role in the school library learning commons (SLLC). According to Mardis (2016), collection evaluation should include a variety of quantitative and qualitative techniques, and “should be based upon how well the collection serves the needs of its users” (p. 287). There are three general approaches to collection evaluation, as described by Mardis (2016), these include: collection-centered measures, use-centered measures and simulated-use studies (p. 287). These measures can be used independently, however Mardis (2016) suggests that most often several methods are used collectively (p. 287). Mardis (2016) also suggests using collection mapping as an evaluation technique, as collection maps (or emphasis maps) can be used as a visual display of the strengths and weaknesses of a collection or subset (p. 299). Thus, in my evaluation of a subset of the school library collection, I will employ a combination of collection-centered and use-centered measures to gather information and develop an emphasis map.
The Subset and Curriculum
The section of the library collection that I have chosen to evaluate is a subset of the nonfiction collection, the Zoological Sciences section of Dewey (590-599). This subset of the library collection is commonly used to support the Grade 3 Science unit on Animal Life Cycles from the Alberta Program of Studies:
Topic E: Animal Life Cycles
Overview: Students learn about the growth and development of animals and discover that different animals have different life cycles. By observing the life cycle of one small animal from its earliest stage to adulthood, students acquire a reference point for the study of other animals and come to appreciate the beauty and fragility of life. Students learn that the egg, larva, pupa and adult stages that are characteristic of many insects represent a different life story from that of the egg, young, adult life cycle that is common to most vertebrate animals. In studying these animals, students learn about the changes in needs of the young as they grow and develop and about the changing relationship between these animals and their environment.
General Learner Expectations: Students will:
3–10 Describe the appearances and life cycles of some common animals, and identify their adaptations to different environments.
3–11 Identify requirements for animal care.
(Alberta Program of Studies: Science: Grade 3: Pages B.11-B.16)
Mapping the Collection
I began by gathering quantitative data, which I collected with the help of the school's teacher-librarian, who ran several system reports using Insignia Software. The first report we ran was a Collection Analysis which looked at the entire library collections statistics, and provided information on the number of items (and copies) in the collection, the average age of the collection, the number of students currently enrolled at the school, the number of resources per student, and the recommended number of resources per student. I have summarized the results in a table below:
As can be seen from this report, there are 13, 897 items in the current collection, with an average age of 20 years. The approximate number of items per student is 36.19, which is above the recommended number stated in the report (30), and well above Mardis (2016) recommendation that school libraries should have at least 10 books per student (p. 299).
The next report we ran was an Analysis by Dewey:
As can be seen in the highlighted portion, there are currently 1,406 items in the Natural Sciences and Mathematics section of Dewey (500), which accounts for 8% of the total collection, making it the largest subset of the nonfiction collection. The average age of this section of the collection is 20 years, which aligns with the average age of the overall collection.
Following this we ran an Analysis by Age report, to collect data on the subset relating to the Grade 3 Science unit on animal life cycles, the Zoological Sciences (590-599) section:
This report shows that there are currently 828 items in this subset, and that the average age of the items in the subset is 21 years. Of the 828 items in this subset, 749 are considered aged, making 90.46% of the collection older than the system reports recommended age of 5 years.
Because the school library very recently transitioned to the use of a new software program, the teacher-librarian explained to me that there have been a few issues with generating circulation statistic reports. While he has been in contact with Insignia to resolve these issues, the current statistics shown on the Insignia circulation report are incorrect, and unfortunately the circulation history from the previous software program (L4U) was lost during the transition. However, through a look at several portions from the detailed 47 page report generated for the 590-599 section of the collection, we can see that a significant portion of this subset has been used since the recent software transition:
Summary of Quantitative Data for Subset:
Qualitative Data Collection:
To gather qualitative data on this subset of the collection, I examined the subset directly. Mardis (2016) suggests that “a physical examination of materials can reveal the size, scope, and depth of a collection” and that “an assessment of the timeliness of materials and their physical condition can help identify which items need to be mended, repaired, bound, replaced, removed, or discarded” (p. 294). The following is a list of the resources I examined directly, along with the notes I took throughout the process:
Evaluation Report
Strengths:
There is a large collection of resources within this subset (828 items) relating to a wide variety of animals, their life cycles, adaptations and other areas which directly relate to the Grade 3 science curriculum. With 40 students currently enrolled in Grade 3, there is an average of 20.7 items per student in this subset.
The subset features a variety of texts with clear, detailed, colourful and engaging images, graphics and photos, making components of the collection accessible to a range of learners, including ELL students and developing readers.
Many of the items within this subset have circulated recently (430 times), demonstrating that this subset is used regularly.
Weaknesses:
According to the systems report, 90.46% of this nonfiction subset is considered aged (older than 5 years).
After observing the physical collection directly, it appears that at least half of the subset is quite worn and dated, is unappealing and/or too advanced for Grade 3 readers.
There is a lack of resources in other formats. Although there are several VHS and DVD items within the collection, the school no longer houses VHS or DVD players. This lack of resources in other formats may make it difficult for ELL students and developing readers to effectively meet their information needs.
Summary:
The Zoological Sciences section is a well used subset of the school library collection. Many of the resources within the subset support the Grade 3 Science curriculum, specifically the Alberta Program of Studies unit of study on animal life cycles. The majority of the resources within this subset are dated, and a significant portion are worn, torn and faded, making them unappealing for student use. There is a lack of variety in terms of format within this subsection, which may inhibit accessibility for some students.
Recommendations for Improving the Subset:
To improve this subset of the collection, I recommend that this subset be weeded to remove worn and out-dated materials. Although the Insignia report suggests that resources in this subset should be within 5 years of age, this would remove 749 items from the collection, leaving the subset with only 79 items. The remaining collection would be insufficient for meeting the information needs of 40 Grade 3 students and the rest of the student population, thus I recommend that we begin weeding by only considering titles with a copyright date of 2000 or older, along with any items that are significantly worn or are of poor condition. I also recommend that additional resources be considered for purchase, specifically digital resources in a variety of formats, as this area of the collection is currently lacking, and digital resources have the potential to better meet the needs of all learners, as they can offer a variety of accessibility features that print resources do not. In the consideration of new resources for selection, I recommend referring to the Focused Education Resource website which features a K-12 Evaluated Resource Collection, along with an expansive core collection of subscription-based digital resources.
Reflection:
The process of conducting a collection evaluation was not without challenges. The biggest obstacle I faced was the Insignia software not generating a proper circulation statistics report. This meant that I had to go through all 47 pages of the subset report and manually calculate the number of times items from the subset had circulated. This was very time consuming, tedious and not at all efficient. In the future I will be sure to directly contact the software provider so that any issues of this sort can be resolved. Physically observing the collection proved to be very informative, and although it was time consuming, I found it gave me a much clearer sense of the state of the collection than simply analyzing the system reports. However, something I would do differently next time is record my observation notes on my laptop or tablet, rather than take handwritten notes, as this would allow me to easily transfer my notes to my digital evaluation report, rather than have to type them out. Overall I feel that this was an informative and productive introduction to collection mapping and the collection evaluation process, and I am confident that I will be able to effectively evaluate the collection and it’s subsets in my future library learning commons.
References:
Alberta Education. (1996). Alberta Program of Studies: Science (K-6). Alberta: Alberta
Education. Retrieved from https://education.alberta.ca/media/159711/elemsci.pdf
Mardis, Marcia A. (2016). The collection program in schools: Concepts and Practices. (6th
ed.). Santa Barbara, CA: Libraries Unlimited.
No comments:
Post a Comment