LIBE 467 - Theme Two

 

 

I feel like I am starting to have a more solid understanding of the importance of a quality reference collection and how I need to go about reviewing, evaluating, weeding and selecting resources.  But while I have learned some specific skills and practical information about reference services, in this theme of our course I am reflecting on a more encompassing idea.    My thoughts that stem from this theme is the importance of the TL to have good communication skills.  If a TL can communicate well with staff and students, quality reference resources are more likely to be key.  Taking it a step further, if the TL has a solid understanding of what his or her role is, and is able to share it with staff effectively, the library/media centre is more likely to be used effectively.

In a school like my own, I believe that a large part of good communication is rapport – if I have good rapport with a student or staff member, they are more likely to come to me for help with resources.  Building good rapport can be done it a lot of ways but as many of the TL courses have emphasized, a good start is to be helpful and friendly at all times.  When it comes to resources I want to be known as the “go to” person in my school.

Communication and good rapport are not without their challenges.  The following quote from our course work really stuck out for me:

“Sure, I want to help you with your research, but why hasn't your teacher told me about this assignment so that I can prepare better?"

This happens to me frequently at work.  Sometimes this feels like a failing on my part – I have offered many times, in many different ways and approaches, to help teachers and students with their research but it’s a challenge for everybody involved when the library has such limited staffing, resources and budget.   All too often I am teaching research skills and showing students resources in isolation of what they are doing in their classrooms. I am hoping to change this, but creating a more participatory, collaborative environment is not easy.  Loertscher, et al, (listed below in my Works Cited) is worth a read (UBC Library) as it discusses the importance of collaboration (which, I will repeat, I think is key to knowing your library users and resources).  I think ultimately as TLs we have to “keeping fighting the good fight” and hope that our efforts eventually pay off.  I am slowly seeing small changes at my school and this is good.

 

Some Key Learnings from this Theme

·         It is important to have formal communication with students to assess their research needs.  While this may not always be possible in my own library setting, I can maintain a good rapport with students and help them in informal ways.

 

·         I should have a solid understand of my role within the school.  Knowing my role and making sure other staff members know it too will benefit student learning. I can access this information both formally (through my school district’s TL Procedures and Policies documentation) and informally (discussion with fellow TLs, etc).

 

·         Reference resources have to be carefully selected and deselected according to specific criteria and evaluation process we have discuss and read about in our text.  Evaluation of these resources falls outside of the scope of “normal teacher responsibilities” as I have to think about things such a budgets, cost effectiveness etc.  Any adding or removing from the collection should be given careful thought and attention to detail. 

 

·         At my school, when evaluating references resources I should be aware of certain cultural and socio-economic realities of students.

 

Works Cited

LOERTSCHER, DAVID V., and CAROL KOECHLIN. "Coteaching And The Learning Commons." Teacher Librarian 43.2 (2015): 12-16. Academic Search Complete. Web. 17 Feb. 2016.