LIBE 477: Final Vision Project Blog #3

LIBE 467: Assignment #1 - Evaluation of a Reference Work

Building on previous research processes, our new BC Curriculum has a new focus on developing inquiry skills in our students. In this model students are:

-Actively involved in the learning process

-Use prior knowledge

-Ask questions

-Hypothesize and investigate

-Construct new understandings

-Communicate their understandings with others

-Are reflective and critical thinkers who acquire the skills for independent learning (BCTLA, 2018)

As teachers, we want to prepare our students to become educated citizens who can question, reflect, think critically, adapt to change, make decisions, and solve problems “based on accurate and authentic information (Asselin, 2003). In addition, as members of our local and global community, we want our students to connect to themselves as individuals, but also to gain understanding about, and acceptance of, those peoples and places around them. We can provide instruction through various lessons, but can also encourage students to search for the answers to their own questions about the world and the people in it.

An area students and teachers can turn to in order to inform and learn, is their school library’s reference section. Selecting, analyzing and evaluating a variety of resources is essential for students to become information-literate learners. When I started looking through the reference section at my particular school, I was surprised at how small it was! In speaking to the current teacher-librarian (who is now in her third year at our school), it was interesting to learn that prior to her arrival, there was not a lot of weeding of the collection happening due to a “revolving door” of TLs in the school. With the arrival of 150 new students from a neighbouring school closure, our TL took on the enormous task of weeding the library collection to make room for new books. Now, what is currently left, is a small selection of reference materials, some of which are outdated. How does the teacher-librarian decide what to keep and what to pull out? Evaluation of reference materials is important to ensure students and teachers have “easy access to a high-quality collection” (Riedling, 2013).

A reference I’ve decided to evaluated from our Library Learning Commons is The Nystrom Atlas of Canada and the World.

We have one copy of this atlas in our reference section. It is a softcover textbook with brightly coloured illustrations on the cover that provide a glimpse of the contents inside to students and staff. The pages within the textbook are equally as vibrant and filled with a plethora of images and student-friendly text. There is a table of contents that clearly indicates how the atlas is organized as well as a section that states how to use the atlas, a glossary of terms and an index. The pages are filled with maps, text, photographs, and data (pictographs, bar graphs, etc.) that inform about the world, different continents and people. There is specific information about topics such as landforms, weather, climate, natural resources, environmental issues, increase in population, health concerns, rich and poor, the global economy, and cultural diversity. There is a small section included in the ‘Canada’ pages that inform about the ‘Aboriginals and First People’ and an infographic that shows the population of various First Nations.

Using my school district’s School Library Policy and Procedure Manual (Sansoucy-Jones, 2011) and Riedling, Shake, and Houston’s book (2013), I created a rubric to evaluate reference resources in our library learning commons. In order to determine the usefulness of a reference material, currency, relevancy, curricular connections, efficient use of library space, and purpose (with a range from beginning to satisfactory to exemplary) are being explored. Using this rubric, The Nystrom Atlas of Canada and the World (updated 2011 version) scores beginning to exemplary.

When examining the rubric, I think this is a very good resource in terms of being appropriate for elementary students with its use of easy to read text and a variety of clear images. Students would be able to find a lot of information and gain knowledge about the world in examining this resource. In addition, it has very good relevancy in that it can be used to inform in multiple curricular areas, from social studies (maps, information about people, population trends, etc.), math (data and graphs), science (weather, climate, information about the ‘Moving Earth’, etc.), language arts (reading and comprehension, research process), and art (visuals). This atlas does not take up a lot of physical space in the library, but could be improved if it was available online as it would provide 24/7 access and the ability for students with difficulty reading an avenue in which to use tech tools to assist in reading it.

The areas in which this altas falls short is primarily due to it being out of date. This physical copy of the atlas was updated in 2011 and much has changed since then, including population, boundaries, and information about current climate conditions/worries, natural resources, and immigration. Current events and conditions are not updated in this atlas. Even though the altas connects to some parts of our curriculum (knowledge about our country, history, and people, as well as those of the world), our new BC curriculum places more emphasis on learning activities that parallel the growing call for Aboriginal understandings. This atlas’ two paragraphs and one image do not do enough to connect to the big ideas of Aboriginal understanding found in the curriculum.

Reference Rubric for Evaluating Reference Resources at Frank J. Ney Elementary

	Beginning	Satisfactory	Exemplary
Currency	The reference resource has not been updated in the past five years	The reference resource has been updated in the past 1-2 years.	The reference resource is constantly updated with current events happening in B.C. and globally
Relevancy	The reference resource provides minimal cross curricular connections for students and teachers	The reference resource provides some cross curricular connections for students and teachers	The reference resource provides numerous connections and opportunities for cross curricular studies for students and teachers
Curricular Connections	The reference resource provides little or no connections to the B.C Curriculum	The reference resource has some relevant connections to B.C and the curriculum	The reference resource provides comprehensive connections to the B.C curriculum, including First Peoples and the geography of B.C
Efficient Use of Library Space	The reference resource takes up a considerable amount of space in the learning commons	The reference resource is sleek and accessible for students	The reference resource is available online and accessible through the school website as well as the learning commons site.
Purpose	The resource is used for recreational searching for students and teachers. Language is confusing and above the elementary level.	The resource must be accompanied by an additional reference resource. Language may be hard to follow or understand for elementary aged students	The resource is an exceptional tool for referencing and research. The layout and language is appropriate for elementary aged students.

*Highlighted sections refer to the evaluation of The Nystrom Atlas of Canada and the World (updated 2011 version)

One potential way to resolve the ways in which this atlas falls short would be to purchase a more updated one (fourth edition, 2019), in which the information has been revised to reflect our current trends and information around the world. The cost would be $18.90 per altas. It could also potentially be supplemented with the use of the website: www.worldatlas.com for exploring maps. The issue of the atlas not connecting to the big ideas around Aboriginal understandings is still not addressed though. A potential reference resource that may be a more current and relevant addition to the library learning commons would be the Canadian Geographic Indigenous Peoples Atlas of Canada series (2018).

These atlases are more thematic and are of particular relevance to the curriculum. These sleek hardcover books are beautifully illustrated with authentic and relevant photographs, timelines, maps, and some data. The text is written in student-friendly language (more intermediate level), with first hand accounts of experiences in Canada from an Aboriginal lens. They provide a more detailed account of Indigenous People from their perspectives and experiences, including their landscape and geography (such as maps and boundaries), history (such as residential schools and treaties), language (including Indigenous words), and culture ( for example, ceremonies). I was pleasantly surprised to see these books are also available in digital form on our district’s library hub (Destiny), allowing a variety of ways in which this atlas and its information can be viewed and experienced. Although the hardcover version of each of these books (along with website access) comes with a $98.99 price tag, the currency, relevancy to the curriculum and student/staff use, make it worth the cost in my opinion.

Reference Rubric for Evaluating Reference Resources at Frank J. Ney Elementary

	Beginning	Satisfactory	Exemplary
Currency	The reference resource has not been updated in the past five years	The reference resource has been updated in the past 1-2 years.	The reference resource is constantly updated with current events happening in B.C. and globally
Relevancy	The reference resource provides minimal cross curricular connections for students and teachers	The reference resource provides some cross curricular connections for students and teachers	The reference resource provides numerous connections and opportunities for cross curricular studies for students and teachers
Curricular Connections	The reference resource provides little or no connections to the B.C Curriculum	The reference resource has some relevant connections to B.C and the curriculum	The reference resource provides comprehensive connections to the B.C curriculum, including First Peoples and the geography of B.C
Efficient Use of Library Space	The reference resource takes up a considerable amount of space in the learning commons	The reference resource is sleek and accessible for students	The reference resource is available online and accessible through the school website as well as the learning commons site.
Purpose	The resource is used for recreational searching for students and teachers. Language is confusing and above the elementary level.	The resource must be accompanied by an additional reference resource. Language may be hard to follow or understand for elementary aged students	The resource is an exceptional tool for referencing and research. The layout and language is appropriate for elementary aged students.

*Highlighted sections refer to the evaluation of Canadian Geographic Indigenous Peoples Atlas of Canada series (2018).

Works Cited:

Asselin, M., Branch, J. L., & Oberg, D. (2003). Achieving information literacy: standards for school library programs in Canada. Ottawa: Canadian School Library Association.

Chalk, J. R. (2009). The Nystrom atlas of Canada and the world. Chicago, IL: Nystrom.

The Points of Inquiry. (2018, October 23). Retrieved from https://bctla.ca/resources/point-of-inquiry/

Riedling, Ann. Reference skills for the school library media specialist: Tools and tips, (Third Edition). Linworth. 2013.

Royal Canadian Geographical Society. (2018). Indigenous peoples atlas of Canada = Atlas des peuples autochtones du Canada. Ottawa, Ont.

Sansoucy-Jones.E et al. (2010). School Library Policy and Procedures Manual.

Nanaimo, BC: Nanaimo-Ladysmith School District 68.