Assignment+3

__//**Collection Evaluation**//__


 * Overview:**

For this assignment, I am focusing on resources applicable to the grade seven Social Studies curriculum, which focuses on ancient civilizations. The grade seven Social Studies curriculum does not name specifically which ancient civilizations need to be covered by the classroom teacher, but instead focuses on which characteristics and features of the civilizations should be discussed and taught.

The learning outcomes of the B.C. grade seven Social Studies curriculum are as follows:

__Skills and Processes of Social Studies__ A1 apply critical thinking skills – including comparing, classifying, inferring, imagining, verifying, using analogies, identifying relationships, summarizing, and drawing conclusions – to a range of problems and issues A2 use various types of graphs, tables, timelines, and maps to obtain or communicate information A3 compile a body of information from a range of sources A4 deliver a formal presentation on a selected issue or inquiry using two or more forms of representation A5 defend a position on a contemporary or historical issue __Identity, Society, and Culture__ B1 analyse the concept of civilization as it applies to selected ancient cultures B2 analyse social roles within one or more ancient civilizations B3 identify influences and contributions of ancient societies to present-day cultures __Governance__ C1 describe the evolution and purpose of rules, laws, and government in ancient civilizations C2 assess how ancient systems of laws and government have contributed to current Canadian political and legal systems __Economy and Technology__ D1 describe various ways ancient peoples exchanged goods and services D2 assess ways technological innovations enabled ancient peoples to adapt to and modify their environments satisfy their needs increase exploration and trade develop their cultures D3 compare ancient and modern communications media __Human and Physical Environment__ E1 assess how physical environments affected ancient civilizations E2 identify the impact of human activity on physical environments in ancient civilizations

The reason for this collection evaluation is “to know what resources are already available, what [resources] may be needed, and whether future collection development can be filled most effectively with print or electronic resources” (Agee, 2005, p. 95). More specifically, I want my library resources to be utilized by both staff and students. I know, from working in the library, that the ancient civilization materials we do possess do not circulate. Staff does not use library resources to support their teaching and students do not seek additional resources to supplement their learning. The library collection is not working for my library users and because of this, a collection evaluation is desperately needed to identify why this is.


 * Quantitative Data:**

W.E. Kinvig Elementary is a Kindergarten to grade 7 school that is the learning base for just over 400 students. Kinvig is an old school, and as such some items in the library collection are older than I am. The school has historically operated on a philosophy of “collect everything” (Agee, 2005, as cited in Rowley & Black, 1996). With space in the library reaching critical limits, this approach simply cannot continue. This is my first year in the library, and weeding the collection is a task I have been slowly working on, but I have not have an opportunity to reach the non-fiction section yet.

As of February 1, 2011, the library at Kinvig had 10,753 holdings with a total of 481 registered users. This results in an average of 22.31 items per user. This number is considered completely adequate according to national standards (Canadian Association for School Libraries, 2006).



I then extracted records from my circulation system based on call numbers where the ancient civilization books are held. From examining the collection from this perspective, I found 82 holdings that directly related to the grade seven Social Studies curriculum, all of which are housed in the 930s range of the Dewey Decimal System. I examined holdings in other areas, to see if some resources had been categorized under another heading (for example, structures or religion), but was unable to find addition resources.



The average age of the titles in the 930s section is nineteen years old and they account for 0.76% of the total library collection. This data was appalling. The average age of a book in the non-fiction section should not be greater than ten years old (Canadian Association for School Libraries, 2006). For the average age to be nineteen years, that means that many of the 82 items are significantly older than that age. Items in the 930 section are not time sensitive, and as such the information probably has not changed drastically. Still, the age of the collection is detrimental to the circulation of the holdings due to appearance, currency, image quality, and lack of recent discoveries.



The above chart shows the breakdown within the 930 range of the Dewey Decimal System. The 930 section of the Dewey Decimal System all represents the history of the ancient world, but can be further defined as follows: 931 – China 932 – Egypt 933 – Palestine 934 – India 935 – Mesopotamia and the Iranian Plateau 936 – Northern Europe and Western Italy 937 – Italy and Surrounding Areas 938 – Greece 939 – Other Parts of the World

This chart shows that the library collection contains 11 holdings on ancient civilizations in general, 2 holdings on ancient China, 26 holdings on ancient Egypt, 1 holding on ancient Palestine, 2 holdings on Mesopotamia, 1 holding on Northern Europe, 25 holdings on ancient Italy, and 14 holdings on ancient Greece. Of these holdings, 5 are VHS videos and the rest are books. The holdings are out of balance and do not meet the needs of the 51 grade seven patrons, plus teachers, who would need access to this section of the collection. Ancient China, ancient Egypt, ancient Greece, ancient Rome, and Mesopotamia are the five most studied ancient civilizations at my school. With only 2 holdings for each ancient China and ancient Mesopotamia, the library collection is essentially useless for research or for preparing a resource-based unit. While the Mesopotamia resources are quite new (average of 4 years old), the ancient China resources average 32 years old. These books, although not highly circulated, are unlikely to meet the needs of my learners because of their appearance, how dated they look, the currency of the images, and the lack of new research or discoveries related o the topic. While I have significantly more holdings for ancient Egypt, ancient Rome, and ancient Greece than I do for Mesopotamia or ancient China, 26, 32, and 16 (respectively) is not anywhere near an adequate number of holdings for two classes to share. With an approximate age of twenty years for each resource, again, the resources are not going to be attractive options for students or teachers alike.



Lastly, the above chart shows the circulations, by call number, of the 930 section of my library collection. In the month of January, 2 of the 82 holdings were circulated. This school year, 10 of the holdings were circulated. Since the library was automated in 2007, the items have only been circulated 94 times. For 82 holdings, that circulation number is abysmal. As I had guessed from my work in the library, physically checking books in and out and working with patrons, my ancient civilization books are not being used.

I began gathering my qualitative data by reflecting on what I have noticed in my library regarding the 930 section of the library collection.
 * Qualitative Data:**
 * I have never had a staff member ask me to pull resources for a grade seven social studies unit, even though I have very good collaborative relationships with all three grade seven teachers and they often come to me to help plan units and to help find resources.
 * Mesopotamia books are limited. When a student needed one for a make-up assignment, he had to use online resources and encyclopaedias because no Mesopotamia books were available in the physicla collection.
 * It is over halfway through the school year, and as such the teachers are probably at least halfway through their social studies curriculums.
 * Students are not using the 930 books in the library as I very rarely have to reshelve them.

These initial reflections helped me determine a plan of action for gathering the rest of my qualitative data. I decided to 1) have conversations with each of the grade seven teachers regarding their units of study for social studies, why they do not use library resources, what resources they do use, and what resources they would like to see in the library for social studies; 2) poll my grade seven students regarding how they use library resources for social studies; 3) look at the physical condition, quality, currency, and attractiveness of the resources; and 4) find out if other social studies resources exist in the school that are not catalogued in the library (A/V, kits, teaching guides, etc).

__1) Conversations with the Teachers__

Teacher 1:
 * I have my own resources that I use every year. Using library resources always ended up being more trouble than it was worth as they were always needed by the other class at the same time and when checked out by students, they could only be used for two weeks at a time.
 * We don’t study ancient China, but we do study Mesopotamia, ancient Egypt, and one of ancient Greece/ancient Rome, depending on student interest and time constraints.
 * Maps, images, and artifacts are the hardest resources to find and would be the most beneficial for the library to get, if possible. Most of the other information can be found online now.

Teacher 2:
 * This is my first year at this school, and I have been relying on the public library more so than the school library, because I am only here part time.
 * The textbook we have covers the ancient civilizations in detail. Most of the other resources I use come from the internet – teaching aids, blackline masters, web quests, databases, Google maps.
 * When I browsed through the ancient civilization section of the school library, I found the books to be very old. They looked old and I couldn’t see my students wanting to read them. It’s hard enough to engage these kids in reading, nevermind when what they are reading is older than their parents.
 * Even if I could get the kids to want to read those old books, they probably would struggle with the reading level. I need high interest, low level books for a lot of the students.

Teacher 3:
 * I don’t teach social studies this year – I am doing science and my jobshare partner is doing social studies.
 * When I did teach social studies, they library never had enough books to bring the class down for research, so we always went to the computer lab.
 * More books on each civilization, regardless of what books, are vital if you want us to use the library more. It’s a quantity thing – if I don’t have enough for all the students, I can’t use it.
 * Don’t get rid of the old books! Just buy new ones, too.

From these conversations, I discovered the teachers find the library collection inadequate to meet their or their students’ needs because there are not enough books in this section of the collection and the books are too old. This data exactly matches what my quantitative data showed. If I want to increase student and teacher use of this section, I need to weed some of the most unappealing resources and make purchasing new, attractive resources at a lower reading level (probably grade 3-6) a priority in the budget.

__2) Student Survey__

When I surveyed the grade seven students, I received 47 questionaires back. I asked the following questions (and received the following results):

1) How often do you go to the school library? - Every day (0) - 2-3x week (3) - 1x a week (36) - Every few weeks (7) - 1x a month (1) - A couple times a year (0) - Never (0)

2) When you go to the library, is it usually books to read for fun or books to help you with school work? - Fun (43) - School work (4)

3) Have you ever checked out or read an ancient civilization (Rome, Greece, Egypt, Mesopotamia, etc) book from the school library? - Yes (6) - No (41)

4) When you are looking for a non-fiction book to read, what characteristics do you look for? Check all that apply. - Appealing picture on the cover (35) - Published recently (12) - Looks new (43) - Easy to read (19) - Challenging to read (2) - Has pictures and graphs in it (41) - Is in colour (43) - Cartoon or hand drawn images (4) - Easy to find on the shelf (17) - Recommended by teacher or friend (21) - On a special display (26) - It is something I don’t think anyone else has read (8)

The results of this survey show that the majority of grade seven students come to the school library at least once a week. They have access to the space and have the potential to use the materials available. Most students come to find books to read for fun or for silent reading – they do not come to the library to find curriculum related information or resources. The students are drawn towards pretty, new, attractive books. They avoid books that look old, out of date, or tattered. The students are also not visually drawn the to ancient cilization section.

__3) Visual Assessment of the Collection__

When looking at the shelf containing the 930 section, I am struck by what a small portion of the collection it really is. I definitely need to add titles to the collection. The books look old, even from their spines. The words and labels are faded and hard to read. On most books, some fraying of the corners and the spine are visable. While flipping through the books, only a few are brightly coloured and visually engaging. Most are text heavy and what pictures do exist are not in colour or are in limited colour. The books look their age. The data in the books seems quite accurate. New findings are not documented, but what information is there is correct. The books would be quite intimidating for a reluctant or struggling reader, as they seem to be written at a level above that of the average grade seven. When looking at the few videos available, I immediately notice that they are all VHS. They are not easy for a teacher to show as the require physically fast forwarding and rewinding, instead of skipping chapters as one can do with a DVD. As well, the people are dressed in styles not familiar to the students. Most of the videos are from the early 1990s and showing the videos would result in a lot of laughing and a distraction from the content.

__4) Search for Non-Library Resources__

I began my search for additional social studies related resources by talking the thre grade seven teachers. They quickly made it clear that what resources they had in their rooms were their own, discluding the textbooks.

I then went through the teacher prep room and the book room to see what I could find. I found a set of slides for a slide machine the school no longer possesses and a set of ancient Egypt image cards, with pictures of tombs, treasures, and mummies. I took the image cards to catalogue and include in the library collection, as they are obliously not getting used under the covering of dust they had acculated.

I then began to talk to the Learning Specialist Teachers to see in they used or knew of any additional school-based resources for the grade seven social studies curriculum. I was told that they had resources for language arts and math, but not for social studies. They modified and adapted the resources the teacher was using on an as-needed basis.


 * Collection Mapping:**

W.E. Kinvig Elementary School Population = 407 Curriculum Area – Ancient Civilizations Grade 7 Student Enrollment = 51 February 2011
 * **Category** || **# of Resources** || **Circulation** || **Average Date** || **Quality** ||
 * 930 || 11 || Low || 1990 || Poor ||
 * 931 || 2 || - || 1979 || Good ||
 * 932 || 26 || Low || 1993 || Poor ||
 * 933 || 1 || Very Low || 2000 || Good ||
 * 934 || 0 || - || - || - ||
 * 935 || 2 || Low || 2007 || Average ||
 * 936 || 1 || Very Low || 2005 || Good ||
 * 937 || 25 || Low || 1992 || Average ||
 * 938 || 14 || Low || 1990 || Poor ||
 * 939 || 0 || - || - || - ||
 * **Total** || 82 || Very Low || 1992 || Poor ||

Total Number of Resources = 82 Books per Student = 1.61 Average Age of Categories = 1992


 * Summary:**
 * While my library collection has a considerable number of titles, the average age of the collection is unacceptable. It is out of date, tattered, inaccessible, and no longer meets the needs of the library users.


 * The section of the library that coincides with the grade seven social studies curriculum is the 930 section of non-fiction. This section only contains 82 holdings, of which the average age is 19 years. This section follows the trend of the entire collection in that it is too old for non-fiction and is out of date. The visual appeal of the section makes it unattractive for both teachers and students, which decreases circulations. If the items are not circulating, they are wasting space of the shelf. The age of the 930 section of the collection falls sigificantly below national school library standards. This may be helpful in making a case to school administration and the parent counsel to provide extra funding for the library next year.


 * While this section of the collection is very weak overall, its main strength is its existance. In a time of cut backs to libraries and Teacher-Librarian staffing ratios, I feel I need to be thankful my collection exists, that I have a budget (however small) to supplment and update the collection, and that I am present in the school on a regular basis.


 * Qualitative analysis revealed that the teachers were not using the collection because there were not enough items to make it worthwhile and what items were available were inapproproiate for their learners. Students are not using the library for academic purposes and an effort needs to be made to showcase and highlight how they can use the library for school and why they should want to use it that way. I will start by making visually appealing non-fiction displays that face the covers outwards and make up for what the books lack in visual appeal with posters and bright graphics of my own finding.


 * There are not enough resources available in the librry to successfully plan resource-based units for any of the potantial grade seven social studies units. As resource-based teaching is so valuable to our learners, more resources need to be aquired. These resources need to be of a variety of formats – audio-visual, video, computer/online, print books, etc. I would also like to approach the vice-principal to see if we could obtain any hands-on manipulatives for the units – sandstone, papyrus paper, tomb replicas, etc. to support kinetic and visual learning.


 * In order to increase circulation in the meantime, I need to weed out any titles that are too hard of a reading level for the students and also lack visual appeal. Those with an appropriate reading level or those with visual appeal will remain in the collection until I can evaluate, purchase, and catalogue new resources. My goal is to have the average age of this section to a nationally acceptable age within two years by purchasing new resources and by weeding old resources.


 * The majority of my budget has been going to support the fiction section, as it is the section that receives the majority of the circulations in the library. I need to break my budget down so that I am allocating a specific amount of money towards non-fiction resources that support the curriculum. My budget will not support a library that is everything to all users. It has to support the curriculum and it needs to promote a love of reading. I need to find a balance between these two goals.


 * Reflection:**

When I read the assignment outline for the collection evaluation, I immediately felted anxious and panicked. This assignment did not seem straight forward or easy in the slightest! I was worried about how much time it would take and if I was going to be able to get the data necessary to complete it. I am a first year Teacher-Librarian and am still in the learning and coping stage of my school library career. The only way I was going to get through this assignment was by starting, and I am so glad that is became more surmountable as I proceeded.

I am very glad that I did the quantitative data gathering first, as it relly helped guide how I chose to gather qualitative data and probably saved me a lot of time. I enjoy numbers and the really helped me see the status of my collection as a whole, and as a section. I was very greatful for the Follett Destiny software when I gathered my material – the reporting options in this circulation system are bountiful and user-friendly. I gained all of my quantitative data from the Destiny program and from a Follett TitleWise report I requested the district prepare on my library using the MARC records. The quantitative data really showed the collection is not effective and does not meet the needs of my learning community. It did not, however, tell the entire story. While it showed some serious issues with the collection (age, lack of circulation, low number of resources), it did not tell me why the users we not even attempting to find items in this subject area within the school library.

Starting my qualitative data gathering with a reflective piece helped make the labour-intensive task of gathering qualitative data more manageable because it gave me goals and a plan. Talking to the teachers informally allowed them to voice their opinions and concerns freely and I think my goals for the conversations helped me gather the data I needed. When I surveyed the students, I chose closed-ended questions because I only had 20 minutes with the classes to gather the data. In the future, I would like to have more open-ended questions about library use in general and online resources in order to truy hear the opinions of the students and let them have a voice.

Overall, the collection evaluation project was more manageable than I had anticipated. I will definitely use this process again in the near future to examine other areas of my curriculum-based non-fiction section.

Agee, J. (2005). Collection evaluation: a foundation for collection development. Collection Building 24(3), 92-95. Retrieved from Emerald Management Plus database.
 * References**

Bishop, K. (2007). The collection program in schools. Connecticut: Libraries Unlimited.

British Columbia Ministry of Education. (2006). Social studies grade 7: Integrated resource package 2006. Victoria: Author. Retrieved from [_7.pdf]

Canadian Association for School Libraries. (2006). Achieving information literacy: Standards for school library programs in Canada. Ontario:Canadian Association for School Libraries.