Vision of the 21st century library

~by Kristie Oxley
EDES 545
Summer 2012

How can I create a school library environment that
preserves the best of past and present practice and
embraces the future?

How can my role as teacher-librarian reflect this
amalgamation of past, present and future?

#1
Traditional
school libraries Until recently, most information
has been stored in books.
housed mostly Libraries held row upon row of
books. fiction and non-fiction books.
Sometimes, a library would
house non-book forms of
information, like videos or
artifacts, but often this was a
secondary consideration.

Until about 10 years ago, there were few places a
student could go for information. Libraries were
essential as repositories of information. School
librarians and teachers taught traditional ways of
choosing, evaluating and using information.

The school library was a quiet place. Students
worked silently on projects by themselves or took
their materials elsewhere.

#4 Cataloguing rules have long
Traditional dictated the layout of the
school library. There was a
school
place for everything and
libraries have everything was in its place.
been logically If you understood the
laid out. rules, you were able to
navigate the library.
Librarians were responsible
for maintaining immense
card catalogues and were on
hand to assist those who
needed help finding items.

Caring, helpful, hard-working, organized and
loved by students – the school librarian has long
been a central figure in our schools.

 Information sources have rapidly increased in
number and type
 Technology is everywhere and is changing
how we obtain, evaluate and use information
 Students will need to master skills that weren‟t
demanded in the past (Richardson &
Mancabelli, 2011, p.10)
 Removal of barriers to authorship make critical
thinking an essential skill for students

The school library has the responsibility to provide
materials for pleasure and for information
purposes.

Traditional books can still make up part of the
library‟s collection, however, the collection needs
to also include “ebooks, audiobooks, open source
software, streaming media, flash drives, digital video
cameras, laptops, tripods, RSS feeds, and much
more!” (Harada, 2010, para. 40)

Novels Picture books Graphic novels
And more!

This fiction might be available in print
form or in digital forms, including books
on computer, Kindle, IPad or IPhone. Texts
will also be available in audio formats
(podcasts) or video formats.

The school library needs to provide non-fiction
resources that answer a variety of information
needs. These needs may be personal or curriculum
related. Achieving Information Literacy, a
Canadian guide for school libraries, states that an
elementary school with up to 300 students should
have approximately 3500 non-fiction books
(Asselin, Branch & Oberg, 2003, p. 28). In
addition, the school library needs to provide access
to non-fiction in a variety of non-book forms.
Luckily, this is easier than ever with access to
digital sources!

Teacher-librarians can‟t afford to ignore the other
means students use to find information
quickly, namely –

THE INTERNET AND GOOGLE SEARCH
ENGINES

Instead, teacher-librarians should make internet
connections available in the library.

In addition to internet access, teacher-librarians
should consider adding:
 Specific websites

 Blog entries

 Online picture and video content

 Data bases

or other pre-screened sites to their library
catalogue.

Increased options for content delivery will help
make the school library more inclusive by
eliminating hurdles to content accessibility. (Bull &
Sites, 2009, p. 12)
But this doesn‟t mean we have to eliminate books.
Maintaining traditional bound books may
help to preserve quiet, deliberative
reading habits (Carr, 2011).

Teacher-librarians recognize that society has
undergone an information explosion. Students
can have access to the information they require
virtually anywhere, anytime.

How can students:
Decide what they want to learn?
Locate information that answers their questions?
Judge the usefulness and accuracy of the information they find?
Learn how to synthesize information into a powerful product?
Learn ethical ways of using other people‟s information?
Decide the best ways to share their final products?
(Alberta Learning, 2004; ABCCLIO Live, 2010).

Teacher-librarians know that no matter how tech-
savvy their students seem, leaving them to
navigate the internet on their own is like throwing
them into the ocean.

Information literacy skills such as the ability to
efficiently locate pertinent information, critically
evaluate that information and synthesize the
information without copying are essential to all
students.

By teaching these skills we are
throwing a virtual life preserver to our students!
(Coombs, 2009; Ladbrook, 2010)

How can students:
Decide what information is safe to give out over the internet?
Determine what to do if uncomfortable when approached by
someone on the internet?
Deal with disturbing material they encounter on the internet?
Decide what information is ethical to use and when?
Learn how to get involved when they feel their privacy rights are
in jeopardy or when they care about something in the world?
(Young, 2012; Tapscott, 2009, p. 65-70, 229-237; Calgary Board of Education, 2011)

Libraries need to be the home of Information
literacy and digital citizenship learning! Teacher-
librarians need to take an active role in teaching it!

Students need to feel comfortable working in the
school library. Libraries need to provide access to
technology needed for synthesizing information
and creating products such as
computers, scanners, video
cameras, microphones, and more (Valenza, 2010;
Perez, 2011).

“(teacher-librarians) understand that library is not
just a place to get stuff, it is a place to make
stuff, collaborate on and share stuff. Not a grocery
store, but a kitchen!” (Valenza, 2010)

Gone are the card catalogues of old!
21st century libraries are organized
using digital, online catalogues. These
catalogues organize resources in traditional ways
but can be searched using author, title and
keyword functions that mirror searching on the
internet. Most library catalogues are now online
and can be searched from anywhere there is
internet access.

Library catalogues are often linked to the school
library‟s website, so that parents and students can
search for materials from home. Some catalogues
are linked to district and outside sources to
provide access to increased materials.
Catalogues may also include access to online
databases, ebooks and other sources.

The teacher-librarian‟s main concern is ease of use.
 The use of digital forms of information make room
so that materials can be spread out.
 Popular materials are grouped in places where
they will be found easily. For example, novels that
are part of a series might be grouped in baskets
with clearly visible signs instead of placed on
shelves.
 Computers, e-readers and audio-visual equipment
are set up to facilitate use right in the library.
 Work stations exist for individual users as well as
for groups.
 The library is accessible, not physically limiting.
(Harada, 2010; Perez, 2011; Asselin, Branch & Oberg, 2003, p. 39)

The teacher-librarian makes use of school talent
when maintaining the school library.
 Students can be enlisted to do everything from
shelving books to demonstrating the use of
new technology acquired by the library.
 Students can be a source of information when
deciding what new technology to buy and can
be responsible for its upkeep.
(Fingal, 2012)

The school librarian is a teacher-librarian. He or
she is responsible for teaching curriculum, often in
conjunction with other teachers. Resource
acquisition and management is only one aspect of
the job.

 The teacher-librarian is responsible for fostering
collaboration within the school. As time goes on,
higher levels of collaboration should be seen
between the teacher-librarian and teachers,
principals and other stakeholders (Branch &
DeGroot, 2011, p. 290; Overall & Jones, 2011;
Johnston, 2012).
 As in the past, the teacher-librarian is responsible
for the resources. This includes learning about
curriculum covered in the school and other
learning needs. The teacher-librarian should have
“extensive knowledge” of the collection and take a
proactive approach to connecting teachers and
students to materials (Kimmel, 2012, p. 91-92).

 The teacher-librarian should be comfortable
with using technology to support educational
goals. He or she:
 ensures his or her reasoning behind using technology is
well thought out and articulated to educational
stakeholders (Branch & DeGroot, 2011)
 employs a sound information literacy model to support
the use of technology in the library and classroom
 continues to explore new technologies (Branch &
DeGroot, 2011) and use established technologies with
students
 uses social media and participates in personal learning
networks (PLNs) to further her or his own professional
development and to connect students to larger
audiences for learning and sharing (Richardson &
Mancabelli)

 The teacher-librarian values inquiry learning
and promotes information literacy
 The teacher-librarian embraces his or her
leadership role in the school. The teacher-
librarian may advocating for large changes, for
example, pursuing a carefully thought out plan
for implementing technology (Richardson &
Mancabelli, 2011). Other times the teacher-
librarian may employ take a „servant
leadership‟ role, using persuasion and
community building to enact changes
(Heaphey, 2006).

As a teacher-librarian, I envision myself being responsible
for:
 creating an aesthetically pleasing library that houses
fiction and non-fiction resources in an abundance of
forms, as well as technology tools that allow for
students to use the library as a workplace
 knowing how to use all the technology tools in the
library and facilitating student learning of these tools
 teaching inquiry, information literacy and digital
literacy
 promoting and modeling true collaboration with
colleagues
 taking a leadership role within the school and helping
students and staff do the same

Please take some time to look through this library
blog. It was created to serve as a useful tool for
accessing a school library (when I finally get to
work in one) as well as a representation of my
vision of teacher-librarianship. Some of the pages
expand on topics covered in this presentation.
Others contain useful links.
Thank you!

ABCCLIO Live. (2010). Mike Eisenberg Vodcast #1- What is information literacy? Retrieved
from http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=l9UXEDNP1lc

Alberta Learning. (2004). Focus on inquiry: A teacher‟s guide to implementing inquiry-based
learning. Retrieved from
http://www.education.alberta.ca/media/313361/focusoninquiry.pdf

Asselin, M., Branch, J. M., & Oberg, D. (Eds). (2003). Achieving information literacy: Standards
for school library programs in canada. Ottawa, Ontario: Canadian School Library Association.

Bull, G., & Sites, M. (2009). Digital libraries shifting the landscape. Learning and Leading with
Technology, 37(1), 12-13. Retrieved from:
http://ehis.ebscohost.com.login.ezproxy.library.ualberta.ca/ehost/pdfviewer/pdfviewer?vi
d=4&hid=124&sid=29dd5532-af15-4117-956d-874ae9b14058%40sessionmgr104

Calgary board of Education. (2011). Why digital citizenship. Retrieved from:
http://www.innovativelearning.ca/sec-learntech/webaware-index.asp

Coombs, B. (2009). Digital natives or digital refugees? Why we have failed gen y?
International
Association of School Librarianship. Selected Papers from the Annual Conference. 1-12.
Retrieved from
http://search.proquest.com.login.ezproxy.library.ualberta.ca/education/docview/236
051593/137B850E55D7C026831/1?accountid=14474

de Groot, J., & Branch, J.L. (2011). Looking toward the future: Competencies for 21 st-
century teacher-librarians. Alberta Journal of Educational Research, 57(3), 288-297.
Retrieved from:
http://ehis.ebscohost.com.login.ezproxy.library.ualberta.ca/ehost/pdfviewer/pdfvie
wer?vid=3&hid=6&sid=0711f8ed-a8b8-4b79-b658-87e6bc7a81b0%40sessionmgr13

Fingal, D. (Ed). (2012) Wanna know how to fix the schools? Ask a student! Learning and
Leading with Technology, 39(7), 46. Retrieved from:
wer?vid=6&hid=124&sid=6e83bc9f-7522-4586-87e3-137d20834593%40sessionmgr104

Heaphey, J. (2006). Servant leadership in public libraries. Indiana Libraries, 25(3), 22-25.
Retrieved from:
http://ehis.ebscohost.com.login.ezproxy.library.ualberta.ca/ehost/detail?sid=c6479564
-1936-4850-
5d943014418003%40sessionmgr15&vid=4&hid=5&bdata=JnNpdGU9ZWhvc3QtbGl2ZS
ZzY29wZT1zaXRl#db=llf&AN=502969289

Johnston, M. P. (2012). Connecting teacher librarians for technology integration
leadership. School Libraries Worldwide, 18(1), 18-33. Retrieved from:
332140/fulltextPDF/1382004052B42094808/1?accountid=14474

Kimmel, S. (2012). Seeing the clouds: Teacher librarian as broker in collaborative
planning with teachers. School Libraries Worldwide, 18(1), 87-96. Retrieved from:
332128/fulltextPDF/1381FF172A6191DDCE3/1?accountid=14474

Ladbrook, J. (2010). Research note: Our emerging net generation: Are they information
literate?
New Zealand Journal of Educational Studies, 45 (1), 67-75. Retrieved from
http://search.proquest.com.login.ezproxy.library.ualberta.ca/docview/761436519
Montiel-Overall, P. & Jones, P. (2011). Teacher and School librarian collaboration: A
preliminary report of teacher‟s perceptions about frequency and importance to student
learning. The Canadian journal of Information and Library Science, 35(1), 49-76. Retrieved
from:
wer?vid=10&hid=124&sid=fb9b0dac-9e45-4427-9107-8f5c550f5987%40sessionmgr115

Perez, L. (2011). Not your grandmother‟s library! Learning and Leading with
Technology, 38(6), 16-19. Retrieved from:
wer?vid=4&hid=6&sid=bd5c16a0-bb20-4e5c-a9f0-eaeca6405755%40sessionmgr14

Richardson, W. & Mancabelli, R. (2011). Personal learning networks: Using the power
of connections to transform education. Bloomington, IN: Solution Tree Press.

Tapscott, D. (2009). Grown up digital. New York, NY: McGraw-Hill.

Valenza, J. (2010, December 3). A revised manifesto [Web log post]. Retrieved from:
http://blog.schoollibraryjournal.com/neverendingsearch/2010/12/03/a-revised-
manifesto

Young, N. (2012). The virtual self: How are digital lives are altering the world around us.
Toronto, Canada: McClelland & Stewart.

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