“Comprehensive, collaborative, and creative planning is essential to the library media program’s long-term success. Plans are road maps for achieving program goals and objectives, and ongoing and dynamic planning is required to keep the library media program at the core of the school’s learning community. Long-range, strategic plans must reflect the mission of the library media program, support the school s overall mission, and establish the program as critical to that mission” (AASL and AECT 1998, 106-107).
“to ensure that technology is effectively integrated into the schools,
educators and community members must collaborate to create a formal technology
plan. Developing a plan for using technology to support education reform means
more than providing for the acquisition of computers and software. To be successful,
a technology plan must promote meaningful learning and collaboration, provide
for the needed professional development and support, and respond flexibly to
change.”
(NCREL 1998, <http://www.ncrel.org/sdrs/areas/issues/methods/technlgy/te300.htm>)
A crucial element of planning is the vision to bring about change. Vision can improve programs and services that affect student achievement and the instructional process by being directed toward changes in goals and objectives, instructional practices to improve student learning, and the use of new personnel and resources.
An effective school library media and technology program relies on short-term and long-term planning. These plans must be based on the mission of the school, program objectives, and policies adopted by the local school board and school.
Because both of these change over time, those involved in the planning process must:
SHORT-TERM PLANS should be in place for efforts that need approximately a year or less to complete. They can also be used for making minor changes, solving problems, and covering smaller scale expenditures.
A short-term plan might also be used for:
LONG-TERM PLANS, on the other hand, provide vision and direction for a two-to five-year period and for planning major changes or acquisitions that require large expenditures. Effective student-centered media and technology programs are based on careful planning by the Media and Technology Advisory Committee.
Once a concept for the future has been envisioned and outlined through a well-designed process, it remains the responsibility of the technology facilitator and media coordinator to act as change agents by providing leadership and by being proactive in directing and overseeing the change process. In this way, they become catalysts for educational reform.
“If you want to fulfill this role, you will need to be lifelong learners,
to constantly seek new answers and solutions to educational problems, to stay
in touch with the public, the students, and your fellow teachers. You will
need to keep faith in what you are doing, never losing sight of the value of
what you have to offer. You will need to keep your vision simple, and you will
need to learn to work with your fellow teachers in true partnership, treating
them with a sense of dignity and respect”
(Brown, 1998, 70-71).
“. . . Flexibility, collaboration and change have to be critical components of your instructional program to make it work” (Fields, 2005).
According to the American Library Association, advocacy is “the process of turning passive support into educated action by stakeholders” (ALA, 2005). It must be based on specific needs and supported with evidence. In order to effectively advocate for a school’s media and technology program, it is important to determine goals, identify the target audience, and gather appropriate data to tell your story and make your case.
The vision of media and technology programs reflects the instructional mission of the school. All stakeholders in the learning process need to acknowledge and support this vision. Advocacy is a vital component for communicating the vision and building support for media and technology programs that impact instruction and promote student achievement. Ongoing advocacy is needed to sustain the existing media and technology program and to promote new initiatives.
There are a number of ways to build support within the school for the vision of media and technology programs. Two important objectives are:
The patrons of media and technology programs must first feel welcome—with a sense of ease and belonging where learning will take place. An inviting school library media center and computer lab will influence how students perceive and interact with media and technology resources and staff.
The checklists that follow suggest ways to create a positive and welcoming environment and provide tips for beating the “study hall syndrome.
Building trust and support of faculty and administrators is vital to the success of school media and technology programs. Below are some simple strategies for winning this support.
Other strategies for fostering communication with faculty and administration include:
Keeping community members apprised of program developments and successes is one of the best ways to build ongoing support for the media and technology program. The checklists that follow contain ideas for communicating program development and successes and for getting the community involved in media and technology programs.
“A well-documented, well-publicized program affirms its own excellence and demonstrates its value to the entire learning community. An effective program increases its stature through regular and systematic communication about its mission, goals, functions, achievements, and overall impact” (AASL and AECT 1998, 112).
A good advocacy plan should serve as a guide for a media and technology team’s actions and should address the following questions:
When collecting data to support the objectives of an Advocacy Plan, a variety of sources can be used to build a compelling case. This chart provides examples of data sources for different target audiences.
DATA SOURCES |
INTERNAL AUDIENCE |
EXTERNAL AUDIENCE |
Student Achievement Data |
X |
X |
Electronic Portfolios |
X |
|
Annual Media and Technology Report |
X |
X |
Needs Assessment Data |
X |
|
Total Cost of Ownership |
|
X |
Resource Statistics |
X |
X |
Event Participation Data |
X |
X |
Attendance Patterns |
|
X |
Discipline Referrals |
|
X |
Output Measures |
X |
X |
Teacher Retention |
|
X |
LoFTI |
X |
|
Program Rubrics |
X |
|
Survey Results |
X |
X |
Demographics |
|
X |
Listed below are additional resources for gathering ideas and sample documents for promoting your media and technology program:
Planning is most effective when those responsible for the instructional program are involved in:
Effective student-centered media and technology programs are based on careful planning by a Media and Technology Advisory Committee (MTAC). The committee should be co-chaired by the media coordinator and technology facilitator. For more detailed information on the make-up of the MTAC see Media and Technology Committee in the appendix.
The lists that follow outline the make-up and functions of the Media and Technology Advisory Committee and the responsibilities of the committee chairs and members.
The committee should be co-chaired by both the technology facilitator and the school library media coordinator.
“A VARIETY OF RESEARCH STUDIES INDICATE THAT FUNDING FOR SCHOOL LIBRARY
MEDIA CENTER RESOURCES HAS DIRECT IMPACT UPON STUDENT LEARNING, ESPECIALLY
UPON READING AND WRITING TEST SCORES. (LANCE, 1992/1999) THE ECONOMIC VALUE
OF WELL-EQUIPPED, FLEXIBLY-ACCESSED SCHOOL LIBRARY MEDIA CENTERS HAS BEEN VALIDATED
BY THE PLACES RATED ALMANAC (1998) AND SCHOOL MATCH (NPR, 1992)”
(North Carolina Educational
Technology Plan 2001-2005, <http://tps.dpi.state.nc.us/techplan2000>).
The most effective implementation of learning and instructional management technologies occurs when the funding program is continuous over a multiyear period. Continuous funding facilitates the development of high-quality, long-range local plans and allows for the deployment of resources to be coordinated with staff development and infrastructure improvement. Funding strategies and acquisition activities must be well-planned, organized, and coordinated.
As the financial component of program planning, budgeting should begin with the overall goals of the LEA/school technology plan and the school’s instructional program as outlined in the school improvement plan—and these goals should be reflected in the budget priorities and details.
Effective budget development is a continuous cyclical process. Wise budget planners continuously complete the cycle of steps shown.
The budget needs the support of teachers, administrators, students, and the community. Acting in their leadership roles, the technology facilitator and the media coordinator seek the support of these groups and use school and community public relations strategies to:
The budget process in North Carolina schools is implemented at the building level by site-based management teams whose members:
Building-level school library media coordinators and technology facilitators:
Needed technology often can be funded successfully through innovative restructuring and reallocation of existing budgets to realize efficiencies and cost savings. The new focus begins with the educational objective and evaluates funding requests – for technology or other programs – in terms of how they support student learning. Today, every program in No Child Left Behind is an opportunity for technology funding, but the focus is on how the funding will help attain specific educational goals.
Funding and budgetary recommendations for states, schools, and school systems include:
Technology and media professionals should be proactive in securing additional funding from the following sources:
To create new programs or expand services, technology facilitators and school library media coordinators should develop funding proposals that include the components listed below.
Educators must do a better job of selling programs to the public. Without public support, initiatives are much more difficult to begin and to maintain. It has been proven repeatedly that the organization that projects its needs and accomplishments the most effectively usually receives the most support.
Collaboration, like communication, is essential in today’s world. Working with other organizations to promote a common goal has a greater chance of success.
The quality of our actions can be no greater than the quality of our understandings” (Kerr, 1976).
A useful definition of policy is a process where needs, goals, and intentions are translated into a set of objectives, laws, and tenets that affect resource allocation, action, and output, and govern evaluation, reform, conduct, and disciplinary protocol (Cooper, Fusarelli, and Randall, 2004). Based on professional knowledge and philosophy, policies guide decision-making, help determine procedures of action, ensure equity of services, create awareness of resources and services, and guide appropriate decision-making in controversial situations.
PROCEDURES represent an implementation of policy and should change according to the development of new tools, new processes, new organizational patterns, or environmental changes.
GUIDELINES outline the appropriate circumstances, use and/or development of resources including instructional print materials, online instructional materials, facilities, and equipment.
Rather than combine policies, procedures, and guidelines in a single document, it is recommended that policies be a separate document from procedures and guidelines.
FIGURE 1 illustrates the hierarchical nature and relationship of policy, law, and procedure. Each level of the policy building block must adhere to the underlying block that supports it. Law is the foundation for all policies and procedures. While everyone within an organization may not be familiar with the details of a particular law or statute, a well-written school procedure assures that everyone is abiding by the law.
|
GOOD POLICY |
GOOD PROCEDURE |
LANGUAGE |
Policies are written in concise, simple language with clearly stated principles and objectives. |
Procedures adhere to policy. Well-written procedures should reference the policy that they enforce. The procedure should assure that institutional goals are met by providing the appropriate steps for compliance with policy. |
PURPOSE |
Policy statements address what the rule says, not how to implement the rule. |
Procedures outline the process or directions for implementing the rule. Well-developed and thought-out procedures should be written to provide the most benefit to the greatest number of users. |
AUDIENCE |
Policy statements are readily available to the community and their authority is clear. |
Procedures are developed and enacted by the institution and are generally distributed to those who must directly follow procedure. |
GOVERNANCE |
Policy is enforced by the legislators, boards and practitioners at the federal, state and local level. Designated “content experts” should be identified in each policy and are readily available to interpret policies and resolve problems. |
Procedures are developed by the department or office within the agency responsible for procedural implementation of the policy. Procedures should be written so that what needs to be done can be easily followed by all users and by those designated to implement the procedure. |
CONTENT |
As a body, policies represent a consistent, logical framework for action. |
Procedures should offer precise steps for action. Guidelines provide a frame-work and appropriate circumstances for when procedures should be implemented. |
The overall goal for any policy or procedure document is for the design to be simple, consistent, and easy to use.
The policy title, issuing date, and an identification number, page number, effective date, supersedes notification, governing office, and policy approval authority
A concise statement of the rationale for the policy, including reference to external regulations, legislation and other policy
History of document changes.
Complete policy statement
Exactly whom the policy applies to and the consequences for non-compliance
Definitions of terms
The office and specific individual, position title, that should be contacted for interpretations, resolution of problems, and special situations.
The highest administrative group authorizing the policy
Federal and state laws and regulations; policies; or other guidelines, procedures,references, or documents directly applicable to the policy.
Reference to department or organization responsible for implementing procedures
that are recommended in order to carry out the intent of the policy.
(Chart adapted from Page, 2002)
The procedure title, date approved, office responsible for its implementation, and the procedure approval authority.
Describes the overall objectives, functions, or tasks that the procedure is designed to accomplish, and the circumstances under which the procedure should be used.
Lists departments, units, offices, and/or individual job titles for those who have responsibility for
Clearly explain the scope of responsibility of the governing department, unit, office, or individual.
Format a statement that outlines
Definitions of terms
Federal and state laws and regulations, policies or other guidelines, procedures, references, or documents directly applicable to the procedure
A list of training programs, classes, other documentation, contact information,,and other sources of help for completing forms or carrying out procedures. (Chart adapted from Campbell, 1998)
Policies Required |
|---|
|
Procedures |
|
Guidelines |
|
“With a broad view of the curriculum, extensive knowledge of both traditional and electronic resources, and commitment to serve the full range of students and other users of the learning community, the school library media specialist [coordinator] can direct the design and maintenance of current, comprehensive, high-quality collections” (Information Power, 1998, 90).
“Although answers to students’ questions were traditionally found in the collection housed in the school media center, the answers today may or may not be found within the items on the shelves of the media center. The collection goes beyond the walls of the immediate media center and contains many sources that can be accessed through online services. Thus, the media center is connected electronically to a far-reaching world of sources and information” (Van Orden and Bishop, 2001, 6).
A primary function of the school library media coordinator and technology facilitator, in collaboration with the Media and Technology Advisory Committee (MTAC) is collection development. Developing a collection that supports the curriculum with appropriate print and non-print resources is a team effort. This team effort will result in a collection that includes a variety of materials so that all students’ needs are met.
MTAC plays a vital role in the collection development process. Communication between MTAC members and teachers to assess curriculum needs and gather recommendations is an important part of the selection process. The strength and value of the collection are ensured when the MTAC is involved actively by soliciting input from teachers.
“Authentic student learning is the focus of the media center program. As a teacher, instructional partner, information specialist, and program administrator, the media specialist [coordinator] now provides the leadership to build a community of learners, working collaboratively with teachers, administrators, and students. Both the media specialist [coordinator] and the collection play important roles in the media program in that the media specialist [coordinator] serves as the interface connecting students to the collection (both within and beyond the walls of the media center) and ultimately to the answers to the students’ questions” (Van Orden and Bishop, 2001, 8).
Responsible for planning, developing, and administering the school library media program, the media coordinator oversees the collection development process and assures that the collection supports the established goals and objectives of the school. With professional training and experience in library science, the media coordinator uses recognized techniques for maintaining a building collection of materials and resources through weeding, inventory, and staying abreast of current resources, books, and nonprint materials that support the school media program. Most important, the media coordinator informs the staff of the school of new resources and materials that support the SCOS objectives and assist teachers in the instructional program. When determining the most appropriate resources for the media center, the media coordinator seeks input of the staff through an evaluation procedure of materials and through professional recommendations. A knowledgeable media coordinator can ensure that the collection is an integral part of the school’s instructional program, meeting the needs of the program and its users.
FIVE “RIGHTS” TO REMEMBER
Deliver
The right information
To the right person
At the right time
In the right format
And in the right location
[Loertscher, 2000]
Technology plays a vital role in providing equitable access to a variety of resources. Today’s educational environment fosters the need for global connectivity that enriches the learning environment by allowing teachers and students to access leading libraries, examine remote information sources, converse with experts in a variety of fields, and complete research using primary sources.
The technology facilitator serves as a specialist for the selection of online and other technology resources. Even though the criteria for the selection of these materials is essentially the same as for more traditional formats, additional considerations should “be noted. These resources should promote instructional goals and support the curriculum through a variety of media formats that are compatible with the school’s technology hardware resources and meet the diverse needs of the students.
The following recommendations are intended to guide the development of high quality school library media collections in North Carolina schools. The average copyright age of the collection represents both fiction and non-fiction. Certain areas of the non-fiction collection should have even more recent average copyright dates than indicated below, such as Reference and Science. The rubrics in the Research and Evaluation section include these recommendations.
Minimum Quantity Standard - 20 Books Per Student
Minimum Quality Standard - 10 Years from Current Calendar Date
Minimum Quantity Standard - 15 Books Per Student
Minimum Quality Standard - 12 Years from Current Calendar Date
Minimum Quantity Standard - 10 Books Per Student
Minimum Quality Standard - 16 Years from Current Calendar Date
Less than 10 Books Per Student
Average copyright greater than 17 years from Current Calendar Date
“The collections of the library media program are developed and evaluated collaboratively to support the school’s curriculum and to meet the diverse learning needs of the students” (AASL and AECT, 1998, 90).
School library media coordinators and technology facilitators need information on which to base decisions about the collection and for communicating the needs of the collection to administrators. Collection assessment answers the following questions:
In addition, collection assessment should consider school improvement goals and student achievement data, as well as national standards, or “ideal collection” percentages.
Various methods should be used to assess collections so school library media coordinators and technology facilitators can determine how well the resources align with the curriculum and meet teaching and learning needs. Information gathered from diverse measures, including measures listed in the following checklists can be used to plan and to develop budget proposals.
“Using output measures requires much more than mastering formulas and collecting data. A good understanding of what information each measure conveys, judicious selection of which measures to use, and careful construction of your case are all necessary for presenting convincing data to support a proposal and their use can guide your planning” (Bradburn, 1999, XV).
QUANTITATIVE ASSESSMENT MEASURES |
|
QUALITATIVE ASSESSMENT MEASURES |
|
|
|
The physical condition of resources can be assessed only by examining resources firsthand. Some media coordinators may prefer to assess the collection by working with the curriculum guide at hand while physically “eyeballing” the collection. By recording impressions on a graphic organizer (See Collection Analysis Form), each section of the collection can be examined. This approach can be very useful; however, it is possible only at such times as when the majority of the resources are in the media center (i.e., at the end of a semester, school year, or in preparation for inventory).
Maintaining a media and technology collection with thousands of items can be difficult and time-consuming without a strategy or organized approach to adding and discarding resources. There are a number of ways to create a Collection Development Plan that are outlined in library science and instructional technology literature, but this chapter will discuss three of the most viable ones:
“One technique to accomplish this task is to map the collection; ascertain its strengths and weaknesses, create targets for growth, and track the impact of expenditures” (Loertscher, 2000, 213).
STEPS FOR DEVELOPING A COLLECTION MAP |
STEPS IN COLLECTION MAPPING |
(Loertscher, 2000, 211-213) |
(Salmon, et al., 1996, 99) |
The resulting collection map provides a graphic presentation of the analysis of a collection. The process involves four phases of activity:
| PHASE 1: | Identify collection’s areas of strength, diversity of formats, publication dates, and duplicate titles. |
|---|---|
| PHASE 2: | Meet curriculum demands, identify areas of the collection that need emphasis, re-map for proposed changes, and create budget allocations to reflect proposed changes. |
| PHASE 3: | Design an automated acquisition system to match the map; use it to maintain the consideration file, create purchase orders, record received items, and track the budget. |
| PHASE 4: | Evaluate and monitor the collection’s progress. (Van Orden and Bishop, 2001, 281) |
“School library media center resources need to be assessed in order to determine how closely the resources align with the state adopted curriculum for the various grade levels in the individual schools and/or district. Resources that are too old, worn, or inappropriate to provide curriculum support should be removed and replaced with attractive, current materials that are closely aligned with the state’s curriculum” (Lowe, 2004, 13).
KAREN LOWE’S RESOURCE ALIGNMENT PROCESS: |
|
PROCEDURE FOR THE RESOURCE ALIGNMENT PROCESS |
Resource Alignment is a step-by-step approach to collection development. A five-year plan is developed so that every marked resource is replaced by the end of the cycle. A budget supports the plan and communicates funding needs to the Parent-Teacher Organization, administrators, business and community leaders, and/or is attached to grant proposals. |
|
(Lowe, 2004) |
“It is neither necessary nor practical to evaluate every item in the collection. Instead, a small portion of the total collection can and should be used, if that smaller portion is properly selected. This smaller portion, called a sample, can be used to make generalizations about the entire collection . . . The sample must be representative. That is, the sample must be carefully chosen so it contains all of the characteristics of the library collection.
The common method of obtaining a representative sample is to select it randomly. This ensures that every item in the collection has an equal chance of being selected for the sample” (Doll and Barron, 1990, 12)
There are three techniques for obtaining random samples: simple random sampling, stratified random sampling, and systematic random sampling.
Once the samples have been selected, a number of procedures can be followed to analyze the data:
Most automation vendors have functions in their software to produce a variety of reports of collection age statistics. Pie charts and graphs can be generated from the data to show administrators at a glance the status of the media center collection. Follett Software’s free Titlewise service <http://www.flr.follett.com/> also can be used to produce statistical information. Sagebrush <http://www.sagebrushcorp.com/> has a program that compares a collection against “Blue Ribbon” schools and identifies areas that are “aged.” This system also can generate a variety of statistical reports.
School library media coordinators should check with automation vendors to determine the types of quantitative analysis and reports and formats that are available. The most powerful and compelling data, however, combines the quantitative data from the automation system and the qualitative data from a process such as collection mapping or resource alignment.
The ongoing weeding or de-selection of materials that are no longer relevant or accurate is an essential component of collection development and should be done as systematically and objectively as possible.
“A smaller, more attractive collection of relevant, up-to-date materials is more important to students and teachers than a large collection of mostly useless materials that will be ignored by all but the most aggressive students” (Woolls, 1999, 169)
The technology facilitator needs to evaluate software resources to determine if there are newer versions or releases available and if upgrades of hardware create problems for existing digital resources, possibly even making them obsolete.
Even if they meet all weeding criteria, the following items may be kept:
The five time-sensitive sections of the media collection, referred to as the “Big Five,”:
The copyright dates in these materials should be within five to ten years, with some exceptions. For example, in the 500s, plants and animals are exceptions; in the 300s, holidays and folklore are exceptions. The school library media coordinator should commit to keeping the “Big Five” as current as possible.
There are two approaches to weeding the collection:
To update the collection, two steps must be taken—weed the old, add the new—before the task is accomplished. If new resources are added without discarding the old materials, the new resources just get lost among the old ones.
DEWEY CATEGORY |
% OF COLLECTION |
TOPICS |
SUGGESTED GUIDELINES |
|||||
REFERENCE |
5-10% |
Encyclopedias Reference |
Five years except for historical materials. At least one print encyclopedia within five years. |
|||||
000 |
1% |
Encyclopedias Reference |
New edition is needed every ten years; five years is better. |
|||||
|
Computer science |
Seldom of use after five years from date of copyright. |
||||||
|
Books about reading |
Guides, etc. Value determined by use. |
||||||
100 |
1% |
Ethics/Values/ Character Ed. |
Value determined by use. Most unscholarly works are useless after ten years. |
|||||
200 |
1% |
Religion |
Value determined by use. Collection should contain basic information (but not propaganda) about as many sects and religions as possible. |
|||||
300 |
5-13% |
Social Sciences (Studies) |
See that controversial issues are well represented from all sides. |
|||||
310 |
|
Almanacs/Yearbooks |
Superseded by each new volume. Seldom of use after five years. |
|||||
320 |
|
Politics |
Books dealing with historical aspects—determined by use. Timely or topical material: discard after approx. ten years. Replace with new editions when available. |
|||||
330 |
|
Economics |
Timely or topical material; discard after approx. ten years. |
|||||
340-350 |
|
Government |
Ten years. Watch for new material on government to supersede older. |
|||||
360 |
|
Social Welfare |
Weeding depends on use. Most non-historical materials, ten years. |
|||||
370-380 |
|
Education/ Commerce |
Keep historical materials if they are used. Non-historical materials need replacement after ten years. |
|||||
390 |
|
Customs/holidays/folklore |
Keep basic material; discard when worn out. |
|||||
400 |
.5-5% |
Languages |
Keep basic material; weeding depends on use. Consider ESL/LEP students. |
|||||
500 |
5-10% |
Science |
Except for botany and natural history, science books are usually out of date within five years. |
|||||
510 |
|
Mathematics |
Keep basic material. Include literature tie-ins. |
|||||
520 |
|
Astronomy |
Five years. |
|||||
600 |
5-10% |
Health/Technology |
Most resources are out of date in five years. |
|||||
|
Inventions |
Keep significant historical materials; otherwise, five years. |
||||||
610 |
|
Medicine |
Five years. |
|||||
620 |
|
Engineering |
Five years. |
|||||
621 |
|
Radio/Television |
Five years at most; progressing too rapidly to be of use any longer unless it’s historical. |
|||||
629 |
|
Technology/Space Tech |
Five years at most unless retrospective look. |
|||||
630 |
|
Farms/Gardens/Pets |
Keep up to date with new editions and replacements. |
|||||
640 |
|
Home Economics/Food |
According to use. Keep mostly current material; keep almost all cookbooks. |
|||||
650 |
|
Business, etc. |
Ten years unless it relates to computers. |
|||||
660 |
|
Chemical/Food Products |
Five to ten years |
|||||
690 |
|
Manufactures/Building(s) |
Ten years, except older books on crafts, clocks, guns, toys which may be useful |
|||||
700 |
4.5-10% |
Art/Music |
Keep basic material. |
|||||
800 |
4-10.8% |
Literature |
Keep basic material. |
|||||
900 |
20.5-24.8% |
History |
Depends on use and needs of community, accuracy of fact and fairness of interpretation. |
|||||
910 |
|
Travel/Geography |
Discard travel books before 1994 unless useful from historical point of view or of interest as personal accounts. African, European, and Asian geography before 1994 is probably only of historical interest. Watch later books for hasty writing and misinformation. Check materials on the Middle East, Southeast Asia, the former Soviet Union, Central America and Africa carefully; materials prior to 1999 probably of little use. |
|||||
920-921 |
|
Biography |
Unless subject has permanent interest or importance, discard as soon as demand subsides. Replace older biographies of mediocre literary value whenever better ones appear. Keep those that are outstanding in content or style as long as they are useful. (Discard or reclassify as historical fiction any biographies with invented dialogue and/or events.) |
|||||
940-990 |
|
History |
Depends on use and needs of community. Only outstanding World War II material should be left by this time. Best material is now incorporated in regular histories. Much was catchy and poorly written because of haste to get on market. Check materials on Native Americans and other ethnic groups carefully for stereotypes (usually materials older than ten years). |
|||||
|
Rare books |
Usually published before 1900. Get advice on value from rare book dealer, university or State Library. |
||||||
F |
20-23% |
Fiction |
Use standard selection tools for evaluation, weeding, etc. |
|||||
E |
14-25% |
Easy Fiction |
Use standard selection tools for evaluation, weeding, etc. |
|||||
P |
|
Professional |
Use teacher/principal input to build a basic collection. |
|||||
(NCDPI; Updated 2004 by krl)
After marking the shelf list, the next step is to transfer the identified gaps and weaknesses to the Collection Analysis Form by highlighting the topics on the form. The form is organized in the same order as the Dewey Decimal system to make it easier to record the topics. When developing the five-year collection development plan, this form can be used to help prioritize needs.
This graphic organizer can be very helpful in working through the entire collection. The evaluator may prefer to use a collection map to record data. At the very least, the school library media coordinator should keep a running list of materials discarded and the resulting gaps left in each section. It is important to realize that the gaps were there before discarding, not as a result of discarding; weeding just makes the gaps more visible.
In order to make judgments regarding electronic resources, the technology facilitator should collaborate with the media coordinator to determine and make notes about curricular objectives or about the media center print collection that might be better supported or enhanced with electronic resources. The same criteria used for the print collection should be used to evaluate the non-print collection. The key consideration is always the accuracy of the information contained in the media.
COLLECTION ANALYSIS FORM |
DATE: _____________________ |
|||||||||||
SCHOOL: ____________________________________ |
GRADES: |
|||||||||||
MEDIA SPECIALIST: __________________________ |
PRINCIPAL: ___________________________________ |
|||||||||||
AVERAGE AGE: |
|
|
||||||||||
COLLECTION SIZE: ___________________________ |
ADM: _________________________________________ |
|||||||||||
BUDGET: ____________________________________ |
BOOKS PER STUDENT: |
|
||||||||||
|
||||||||||||
AREA |
HOLDINGS |
DISCARD |
+/ |
GAPS/WEAK AREAS |
||||||||
REFERENCE |
No. of items/ Avg. copyright date |
Most reference works over 10 yrs.; encyclopedias atlases, 5 yrs. |
|
Print Encyclopedia, Almanacs, Religion, Mythology, Careers, Etiquette, Dictionaries, Science Dictionary/Encyclopedia, Field Books, Medical Dictionary/Encyclopedia, Drug Dictionary/ Encyclopedia, First Aid, Art Encyclopedia/Dictionary, Sports Encyclopedia/Dictionary, Music Dictionary, Poetry Index, Atlas(es), Geographical Dictionary, Biographical Dictionary, Other per CC/MJHC/SHC and/or reviews |
||||||||
000s GENERAL WORKS |
|
Most resources over 10 yrs. |
|
Phenomena, Library/Information Science, News/Journalism, Organizations/Museums |
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100s PHILOSOPHY |
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Philosophy, Social Issues/Coping with..., Knowledge/Purpose of Man, Parapsychology/Ghost stories, Psychology, Senses, Feelings/Values, Character Education, Ancient/Modern Western Philosophy |
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200s RELIGION |
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Great Religions, World cultures, Bible stories, Mythology |
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300s SOCIAL SCIENCES |
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Most resources over 10 yrs. |
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Sociology (Women, African Americans, Family, Violence, Crime, Abuse, Drugs, Alcohol, Diseases, Welfare, Disabilities, Poverty), Ethnic Backgrounds, Cities/Towns, Political Science (Voting/Elections, Political Parties, Foreign Policy, Immigration), Law/Legislation, Constitution, Civil Rights, Civil Procedure), Community Helpers, Economics (Labor/Careers, Finance/Money, Conservation/Environment, Socialism/Capitalism, Public Finance/Taxes, Production), Government (State/Local/Federal, Military), Education/Higher Education, Commerce, Communications, Transportation, Metrology, Customs (Costume, Life customs, Death Customs, Etiquette) |
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394 -HOLIDAYS 398 -FOLKLORE |
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Use condition of books |
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Holidays, Folk/Fairy Tales |
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400s LANGUAGE |
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Language/Linguistics, Dictionaries, Thesaurus, ESL/LEP Native languages, Multiculturalism |
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500s PURE SCIENCE |
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Use 10 yrs. except for plants and animals; use 5 yrs. for space science |
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Projects/Experiments, Nature/Seasons, Math-Literature Tie-ins, Space Science (Astronomy, Universe, Solar System, Moon, Comets/Meteors, Planets, Sun, Stars, Time), Physical Science/Physics (Matter, Energy, Energy sources, Force/Motion, Simple Machines, Tools, Air, Water, Solids/Liquids/Gases, Sound, Light/Color, Heat, Electricity, Magnetism/Electromagnetism, Atoms/Molecules), Chemistry (Elements, Compounds, Mixtures, Rocks/Minerals), Earth Science (Geology, Soils, Lithosphere, Atmosphere, Hydrosphere, Movements of Earth, Landforms, Oceanography, Weather/Climate, Seasons) Paleontology (Fossils, Dinosaurs), Life Science (Nature of Life, Life Cycles, Evolution, Genetics, Early Man, Human Races, Anthropology, Biology, Habitats/Ecosystems, Microbes, Cells, Microscopy, Population Dynamics), Plants/Botany, Animals/Zoology, Animal Behavior |
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600s APPLIED SCIENCE/ TECHNOLOGY |
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Use 5 yrs. in health and technology; 10 years for other areas |
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Inventors/Inventions, Medicine (Senses, Anatomy/Human Body, Health, Hygiene, Fitness, Public Health, First Aid, Drugs, Diseases, Safety), Engineering (Energy/Energy sources, Machines, Military, Civil, Land, Water, Air/Space, Space Exploration, Sanitary/ Municipal), Careers/Community Helpers, Agriculture, Pets, Home Economics (Food/Drink, Cookbooks, Sewing, Grooming, Homemaking, Child rearing), Management/Office Services, Chemical Technology, Manufacturing/Products, Building/s |
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700s FINE ARTS/SPORTS |
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Use condition of books for 700789; use 10 yrs. in sports (790’s) |
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Art/Art History, Landscape, Architecture, Sculpture, Drawing, Crafts, Painting, Painters, Photography, Music, Recreational Arts, Sports |
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800s LITERATURE |
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Use condition of books |
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Use CC/MJHC/SHC and/or reviews to build basic collection; consider rebinding books which are out of print |
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900s HISTORY/ GEOGRAPHY |
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Historical works: 20 yrs. unless historically significant and/or primary sources Geography: 5-10 yrs. |
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Explorers/Discoveries, Atlas(es), Easy Country Books, Geography (Ancient World, Europe, Former Soviet Union, Asia, Africa, North America, Canada, Mexico, Central America, U.S., NC, South America, Oceania), Insignia, Native Americans, History (Ancient World, Europe-Middle Ages, Renaissance, Reformation, WWI, WWII, 20th Century, Former Soviet Union, Asia-Vietnam War, Africa, North America-Exploration, Colonial Period, Revolutionary War, Constitutional Period, Westward Expansion, Civil War, Reconstruction, 20th Century, Canada, Mexico, Central America, U.S., NC, South America, Oceania) |
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920-921 BIOGRAPHY |
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Collective Biography: 20 yrs. unless historically significant or primary source Individual biography: 10 yrs. |
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Use CC/MJHC/SHC and/or reviews to build basic collection |
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EASY/PICTURE BOOKS |
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Use condition of books, reading level, but may keep classics |
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Use CC, award books, and/or reviews to build basic collection |
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FICTION |
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Use condition of books, reading level, but may keep classics |
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Use CC/MJHC/SHC, award books, and/or reviews to build basic collection |
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PROFESSIONAL |
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Use Teacher/Principal input |
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BD = Before discarding |
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The need for such a collection development plan cannot be overemphasized. It will be useful, not only to present the needs of the media and technology program to the principal or other administrators who make budget decisions, but it may also be used to make presentations to school board members, community and business leaders, parent/teacher organizations, other concerned groups, and to document needs for grant proposals. The careful work that goes into a collection analysis is impressive when it is presented to one of these groups; for example, to show parents that the average age of the science collection in the media center is 25 years old.
Outdated collections do not get that way overnight, neither can they be fixed overnight. The budget commitment from the principal, system-level administrators and/or the MTAC will determine the length and detail of the plan that is developed. A realistic plan spans five years in most cases. The purpose of the plan is to cycle throughout the entire media and technology collection within five years so that at any given time, time-sensitive resources are within five years of currency. This is particularly important for collections such as reference, space science, technology, geography and other time-sensitive areas. Occasionally a resource gap will be so great that it may need heavy emphasis in the plan for more than one year.
Some areas have a logical place in the plan each year; for example, fiction or picture books. High schools may want to target funds for literature each year. This type of budgeting must be approached with caution, however. If too many areas are targeted in each year, progress will be more difficult. Best practice suggests including one of the “Big Five” (reference, 300s, 500s, 600s, 900s), one or two of the “little areas” (000s, 100s, 200s, etc.), and fiction in each year of the plan. An “other” category should be included each year to cover discretionary and/or non-book expenses.
Once in place, the plan should be reviewed annually to determine that curriculum priorities continue to be reflected in the plan and that resources are being selected and purchased according to the plan.
The most common reason that media and technology collections become outdated is the inability to purchase new and replacement resources at a rate to match the heavy demands placed on the collection. When budgets remain constant, schools lose ground because of the escalating prices of resources; for example, $1,000 will only buy 40 books in today’s market. Reference books, software, and online subscriptions average much more than that.
The success of the collection development plan will depend on a generous budget (usually much greater than is currently budgeted for media resources) and careful selection of resources. Often funds are allocated on a per pupil basis using the average daily membership of the school. Such an approach will not work unless each school in a system starts with a baseline collection. A school with fewer than 200 students needs the same access to a core group of materials in reference and other collections as a school of 2000. After all, the students and teachers need materials to support the same curriculum.
The more money that can be applied toward completing the plan, the faster the collection can be brought up to date. The principal can provide much needed support and encouragement during this five-year growth plan. The collection development plan may also be useful to demonstrate the school’s needs to the Parent Teacher Organization, community groups and/or businesses in the surrounding area. Collection data can be included in grant proposals (see bibliography at end of chapter for information on writing grant proposals). In order to help prepare budget requests, dollar amounts should be attached to the collection development plan.
There are at least three formulas from which to choose to determine budget amounts:
FORMULA 1: |
IMPACT recommends that 60% of the per pupil allotment of
state funds be spent on non-consumable materials available to all students
and teachers through the media center. (See <http://www.ncwiseowl.org/>,
follow the path through Media and Technology to IMPACT, ©2005). Use
this formula method: 60% of state allotted funds x number of students =
amount needed to determine the amount recommended. For example, 60% of
2003-2004 per pupil allotment is 60% of $46.51 = $28; thus a school of
500 students would need 500 x $28 = $14,000 per year, or a five-year total of $70,000. |
|---|---|
FORMULA 2: |
The second method for determining a recommended budget is by calculating the minimum amount needed to add one book per child, per year (per David Loertscher’s presentation at the 1998 North Carolina Association of School Librarians). If the average cost of a print resource is $25, then a school of 500 students would need $12,500 per year, or $62,500 over the five-year period of the plan to maintain, not build, the media collection. |
FORMULA 3: |
The third method for determining a recommended budget is by basing it
on accreditation standards such as Southern Association of Colleges and
Schools. If a collection currently meets the standard of ten usable books
per child, for example, and 300 books are discarded, the amount needed
is no less than 300 x $25 = $7500 for that year to maintain accreditation. |
Selecting resources should be under the guidance of the media coordinator, the technology facilitator, and the MTAC. If the school does not have a MTAC, one should be established (see the section on the MTAC in the Program Administration chapter). Selecting materials for the media and technology collection should be a committee decision based on input from the teaching staff in each school. Selection by committee is especially important when buying controversial resources.
The media coordinator and technology facilitator should keep in mind that the resources in a school serve a different function than a public library collection or any other type of library. While a public library must “cover the waterfront,” the primary function of a school library media center is to support the curriculum. The curriculum includes recreational reading and information seeking, as well as curricular support. Since schools rarely have all the money they need to buy resources for the media and technology program, following the curriculum helps the MTAC make difficult decisions about what to purchase.
In addition to the North Carolina Standard Course of Study, selectors should use appropriate standard selection tools for the collection being developed (e.g., Children’s Catalog, Middle and Junior High Catalog, Senior High Catalog; book review sources such as School Library Journal and BookList; selection guides such as Infotech: The Advisory List and the Evalutech Web site <http://www.evalutech.sreb.org/criteria/index.asp> and criteria for weeding/adding resources.
“An array of tools for acquiring information and for thinking and expression allows more students more ways to enter the learning enterprise successfully and to live productive lives in the global, digital, and information-based future they all face.” (Philosophy: Standard Course of Study 2004)
*For more information on State Purchase and Contract guidelines, refer to http://www.doa.state.nc.us/PandC
Additional review criteria for the selection of resources can be found at the Evalutech Web site <http://www.evalutech.sreb.org/criteria/index.asp>:
Selection of these resources is a joint responsibility of administrators and media and technology staff.
Equipment/hardware is required to permit access to audiovisual and computer-based instructional resources. Securing appropriate equipment/hardware in sufficient quantities to serve the needs of teachers and students is the responsibility of administrators and media and technology staff. Guidelines should be developed at the system level to ensure standardization of equipment and resources and equipment compatibility.
Making choices based on the needs of individual schools is essential. The Department of Administration, through the Division of Purchase and Contract, is charged with maintaining state term contracts for equipment, materials, supplies, and services. Schools should be aware of the options provided by current policies, procedures, and statutes for the purchase of these items with state funds.
Many aids are available to help schools. The North Carolina Department of Public Instruction (NCDPI) and the State Information Technology Services (ITS) have developed a series of technical standards, recommendations, statements of direction, and other aids to assist schools and school systems in implementing a wide range of instructional and administrative technology. The purpose of these recommendations is to provide a blueprint of what the minimum level of infrastructure (walls, wires, hubs, routers, computer hardware) should be in each school system throughout North Carolina.
For more information, refer to North Carolina Educational Technology Plan: Technological Recommendations and Standards at <http://tps.dpi.state.nc.us/techstandard/>
Inventory is an ongoing systematic procedure that verifies the location of every item in the resources collection. Conducting inventory should be part of the process of maintaining a collection of resources that meets the needs of students and teachers. Information derived from the inventory can be used to determine budget needs for collection development.
An accurate inventory provides multiple benefits to a school, including:
American Association of School Librarians and Association for Educational Communications and Technology. Information Power: Building Partnerships for Learning. Chicago: American Library Association, 1998.
---Information Power: Guidelines for School Library Media Programs. Chicago: American Library Association, 1988.
Abshire, Sheryl. “A is for Advocacy.” Technology and Learning (Nov. 2004): 7.
American Association of School Librarians. “AASL Resource Guides for School Library Media Program Development: Collection Development.” 5 May 2005 <http://www.ala.org/aasl/Template.cfm>.
“Average Prices of 2004-2005 Instructional Media.” Infotech: The Advisory List. Raleigh, NC: North Carolina Department of Public Instruction. (Jun. 2005): 3:20.
Becker, Gary H. Copyright: A Guide to Information and Resources. Third Edition. Lake Mary, 2003.
“BenchMARC.” Sagebrush Corporation. 2005. <http://www.flr.follett.com/login/?side=W>. <http://www.sagebrushcorp.com/ dataservices/benchmarc.cfm?ID=0&CFID=1977315&CFTOKEN=76579594>.
Bradburn, Frances Bryant. Output Measures for School Library Media Programs. New York: Neal-Schuman, 1999.
---“The School Media Advisory Committee: Key to Quality,” revised and updated. Originally published North Carolina Libraries. Spring, 1988: 16.
Brown, Jean. “Navigating the 90s—The Teacher Librarian as Change Agent.” Foundations of Effective School Library Media Programs. Ken Haycock, ed. Englewood, CO: Libraries Unlimited, 1998. 70-71.
Campbell, Nancy. Writing Effective Policies and Procedures: A Step-By-Step Resources For Clear Communications. New York: Amacom, 1998.
“Challenged Materials: An Interpretation of the Library Bill of Rights.” ALA (1990) 20 Oct. 2000 <http://www.ala.org/ala/oif/statementspols/statementsif/interpretations/ Default675.htm>
Cooper, Bruce, Lance Fusarelli, and E. Vance Randall. Better Policies, Better Schools: Theories and Applications. Boston: Pearson, 2004.
“Develop Your Core Library Collection.” Media and Methods 36 (January/February 2000): 10, 12, 14.
Doll, Carol A., and Pamela P. Barron. Collection Analysis for the School Library Media Center: A Practical Approach. Chicago: American Library Association, 1991.
Evans, G. Edward. Developing Library and Information Center Collections. 4th ed. Englewood, CO: Libraries Unlimited, 2000.
Everhart, Nancy. Evaluating the School Library Media Center. Englewood, CO: Libraries Unlimited, 1998.
Fields, Melissa, School Library Media Coordinator, Perquimans Central School. Personal Interview. May 2005.
“The Foundation Center’s User-Friendly Guide to Funding Research and Resources.” The Foundation Center, 2000 19 Feb. 2004 <http://fdncenter.org/onlib/ufg>.
Jacobs, Heidi Hayes. “Focus on Curriculum Mapping.” ASCD Curriculum Handbook. Alexandria, VA: Association for Supervision and Curriculum Development, 2000.
---“Upgrading the K-12 Journey through Curriculum Mapping: A Technology Tool for Classroom Teachers, Media Specialists, and Administrators.” Knowledge Quest, 29 (Nov./Dec. 2000): 25-29.
Johnson, Doug. The Indispensable Librarian: Surviving (and Thriving) in School Media Centers in the Information Age. Worthington, OH: Linworth, 1997.
Kachel, Debra E. Collection Assessment and Management for School Libraries: Preparing for Cooperative Collection Development. Westport, CT: Greenwood, 1997.
Kerr, Donna. Educational Policy: Analysis, Structure, and Justification. New York: David McKay, 1976.
Linking for Learning: The Illinois School Library Media Program Guidelines 1999. Canton, IL: ISLMA, 1999.
Loertscher, David V. Building a School Library Collection Plan: A Beginning Handbook with Internet Assist. San Jose, CA: Hi Willow, 1999.
--- Measures of Excellence for School Library Media Centers. Englewood, Colo.: Libraries Unlimited, 1988.
Loertscher, David V. and May Lein Ho. Collection Mapping in the LMC. San Jose, CA: Hi Willow, 1996.
Lowe, Karen R. “Resource Alignment: Providing Curriculum Support in the School Library Media Center.” Knowledge Quest (Nov./Dec. 2001): 27-31.
---Writing Grant Proposals: Tips for Educators ond Others. Millers Creek, NC: Beacon Consulting, 2001.
“North Carolina Educational Technology Plan 2001-2005.” Public Schools of North Carolina. 9 Aug. 2000 <http://tps.dpi.state.nc.us/techplan2000/>.
O’Neal, Anita J. “Administrators, Teachers, and Media Specialists in the Schools’Instructional Programs: Implications for Instructional Administration.” Journal of Education for Library and Information Science Fall 2004: 287-306.
Page, Stephen. Best Practices in Policies and Procedures. Westerville, OH: Process Improvement, 2002.
Pearson, Richard C. and Mary Y. Turner. The School Library Media Specialist’s Tool Kit. Fort Atkinson, WI: Highsmith Press, 1999.
Peltier, Thomas. Information Security Policies, Procedures, and Standards: Guidelines for Effective Information Security Management. Boca Raton, FL: Auerbach, 2002.
---Information Security Policies, Procedures: A Practitioner’s Reference. Boca Raton, FL: Auerbach, 1999.
Salmon, Sheila, Elizabeth K. Goldfarb, Melinda Greenblatt, and Anita Phillips Strauss. Power Up Your Library: Creating the New Elementary School Library Program. Englewood, CO: Libraries Unlimited, 1996.
Simpson, Carol. Copyright for Schools: A Practical Guide for Schools. Fourth Edition. Worthington: Linworth, 2005.
“TitleWise Online Collection Analysis.” Follett Library Resources. 2005.
United States. Department of Education. National Education Technology Plan. Jessup, MD: Editorial Publications Center, 2004.
“Update 1: More Nursery School Children Going Online.” Forbes.com 4 Jun. 2005. 4 Jun. 2005 <http://forbesbest.com/home/feeds/ap/2005/06/04/ap2077073.html>
Van Orden, Phyllis J. and Kay Bishop. The Collection Program in Schools: Concepts, Practices, and Information Sources. Englewood, CO: Libraries Unlimited, 2001.
Woolls, Blanche. The School Library Media Manager. 2nd ed. Englewood, CO: Libraries Unlimited, 1999.
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