Dear SLIA: On the Depth and Breadth of a School Library's Collection

A year ago, more or less, an interesting query started out on the Facebook Page of librarians from IB schools worldwide. The question grapples with the evaluation criteria for collection development in schools, especially the ones who are running the IB program. The question came from Ms. Mikee Chan and with her permission, I am putting out our extended conversation on chat regarding the matter.

Mikee Chan (MC): Hi Ms Zarah, I was the one who posted in IB Librarian group regarding the distribution of books in each area. If you can remember me, I was Raya School's Junior High School Librarian. I am using the DDC % rate attached in DepEd School Library Guidelines and from what I have understood, our collection should grow based on the recommended growth rate. For example if we have 500 books in the 100s for this school year we will need to add 5 book next school year since the recommended growth rate for 100s is 1%. And I am still actually confused on how am I going to deselect the books using the recommendation by DepEd though I have established basic standards/guidelines when it comes to weeding which are 1. Timeliness of the book -- I am following the 10 year rule for STEM 2. Physical look (if the book is already worn out, damaged, etc.)

ZarahG: Yes. And you can also use it (the DDC standards) as the baseline or mean for each division. that's the standard. A DDC division can go below or beyond the percentage. Also, a balanced collection is not the norm in the IB Library. IB authorization visitors would look for depth and breadth of a collection. This is what I am grappling with because, for a student population of 110 plus, we have a total book collection of 9000 titles. And in the last IB authorization visit, the authorization officers told me that we need to grow the collection further. And this makes sense because we run the MYP and the DP, programs that put great value on collaboration and inter disciplinary studies.

MC: So does that mean that we cannot say that "oh I have too much books in this certain area and I lack in this other area". I am new to my work and right now I am trying to figure out the gaps in our non fiction collection and I am thought looking at the distribution of non fiction across different areas is a good step.

ZG: Your collection analysis can always inform you of the numbers. And if you subscribe to a library management system, it will compute the numbers for you. This data can serve you in reporting and in meeting the quantitative standard. But where is the reader in all of in this? Start asking the questions how does my collection reflect the school curriculum? How does my collection support the learning needs of the community?

MC: I am trying to look if we need to add more books in certain subject area specifically in our 600s coz the number of books in the 600 is only half of the 700s.And if we also need to update the STEM books

ZG: What informs your decision to add titles other than statistics and standards? Of course you will have to update the sciences. Once you have met the standard % management of the collection should no longer be a numbers game but a knowledge management issue. Use the curriculum to analyze the content of the collection.

Any thought you wish to share on the discussion? It will add to the growing practice on collection development and programing. Type in the comment space or send me an email. This is how we learn online.

Singapore Sunshine Day 3: IBAP Workshop for Librarians 2

The sessions on the second day of the International Baccalaureate Asia Pacific (IBAP) workshop were all about Inquiry, Approaches to Teaching amd Learning (ATL) the DP Core namely Theory of Knowledge (TOK) Extended Essay (EE), and Community Action Service (CAS), and a visit to the libraries of the Canadian International School. Iman Ragab, our workshop leader, connected the ATLs and the DP Core to library services and functions that cater and support the DP curriculum. We read a lot of IB documents, discussed current library practises in our schools that support the DP, unpacked the EE criteria and accessed MyIB, the IB portal for all authorised schools and IB applicant schools.

During the session in accessing documents in MyIB, we were made to skim and scan pertinent documents to the ATLs and the DP Core. I had a review of my role as EE Coordinator this year. I told my workshop leader how, as a librarian coordinating the EE, I would get derailed from the expected roles I am meant to play. 80% of my efforts go to administration and procedural functions. To this, my workshop leader gave me an empathetic smile in recognition of my frustration.

I mean to do something about this sooner or later. There has to be a balance between running a program and teaching skills so students can meet the requirements and standards of the program. 

The day ended with a visit to the CIS libraries which lifted my spirits. The smell of books reminded me of the Children’s Media Center of the International School Manila. Ah, memory of my childhood! 

The librarians who welcomed us, were warm and friendly. Lisa Miller, the Library Coordinator shared valuable experiences in teaching research skills. What I found common to their experience with ours is the ladder approach to skills instruction. In each grade level beginning in 7th grade, a research skill is put into focus for instruction. For example, search strategies are taught alongside extracting information, concepts and content from sources as applied to tasks in different subjects. In 8th grade till 9th, focus on skills like evaluation of sources, in-text citations, knowing the right sources to use in a research paper, following a process of inquiry are mapped until the DP. The expected output from students in the EE is 4,000 word essay with a focused research question and evidences to back it up. Imagine the skills a 17 year old would need to learn and apply at the same time. The key is to prepare them early and nip the problem in the bud.

The Bulletin Board at the Canadian International School promotes the Extended Essay a a journey.

Research is a big concept that involves global and unitary skills. To teach it, a knowledge of its parts and the micro skills of research helps the teacher or the librarian make students understand them better. Teachers must recognize the support librarians can offer them and librarians must listen to teachers and students to be able to provide this support in very complicated and cognitive tasks.