Here are my reflections from Weeks 1 & 2.
Week 1
Reflect on the articles and videos. How do these articles and videos challenge your understanding of the role of the library? How did you feel about the potential role and skills required of library staff in such libraries?
Reflecting on this first week I have already implemented one change. As I am a teacher with a library unit, I don't have as much time in the library as I would like. However I have started promoting the library at our Whanau Times (assemblies) and this week I titled it "Our library, the heart of our school." I want to get student and staff buy in that the library and it's people are our heart, and to give a school wide language to that.
I am starting to see that for real change to happen it would be amazing to have a full time librarian in the library. Whilst this is not a possibility at the moment for our school, a dream of mine would be to be released for one day a week to have the whole day in the library. This week's study has made me see that research and experience backs this idea.
It has been cool this week to see the possibilities for the library in the future, that it is not a space that is now redundant in our modern times. If anything, it is more necessary and invaluable to our students and communities.
Week 2
Record the key characteristics of your school community.
My school is a mix of cultures with majority being Indian, Chinese, NZ Pakeha, Maori and Pacific Island, with smaller numbers of South East Asia and Middle Eastern.
Your library may already have programmes to support specific groups of students, but your reading and the Forum discussions are likely to have triggered new ideas. Jot these down in your Learning Journal. Who would you need to collaborate with to further develop some of these ideas?
I like the idea someone suggested in a forum about a station on easier chapter books for children transitioning to chapter books.
Over the past year I have been trying to diversify our collection to include more cultures and languages, but I have found it hard to find Pasifika books. I found a website that lists the top 20, but no where does it say where to purchase them from. Our Maori and NZ collection is pretty strong. It was interesting to learn about the different languages that are spoken at home and to realise that these are not reflected in our library connection, so I need to research where to buy more of those. We just bought a whole lot of Pasifika language books, but they are pretty junior. I would love to find out more about where I can just buy books with Pasific characters, especially chapter books.
I would like to learn more about programmes that are run in the library to support specific groups of students.
Looking at the wealth of data you've now accessed from your ILS were there any surprises? Did it raise any concerns? What were some of the key points coming through? Who will you share this information with in your school, and how? What other usage reports might you now decide to create?
My own class surprised me! Out of 29 children, only 22 had books out. I need to start paying more attention haha! I think I will print out the reports for teachers so that they can pinpoint children in their class who are not engaged with the library as well.
Otherwise our library is pretty well used, and I think as I promote it during Whanau Times, especially as a place to hang out at lunchtimes, that might up the borrowing. I know that some children don't realise they can exchange books at lunchtimes too, not just allocated class time, so I'm talking about that at this week's Whanau Time.
I still need to look more at different reports and statistics during the next few months as I haven't ever used this tool before.
Do you need to update your library procedures manual?
Yes, as in we need to write one! Are there any templates you could provide for us??
It's good to be starting at the very beginning, so that as I learn things from tutorials on AccessIt and from others on this course, I can start to document them as I go.
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