ISCI 794: Implementing the AASL Standards in the School Library (1 of 4)

This is the first entry in a four part series, in which I have interviewed four librarians about ways in which they implement one of the six Shared Foundations (Inquire, Include, Collaborate, Curate, Explore, and Engage) of the AASL National School Library Standards for Learners, School Librarians, and School Libraries (American Association of School Librarians, 2018). Specifically, the focus was on the Shared Foundations as they relate to School Librarians. Each librarian was paired with a Shared Foundation, was allowed to review the associated Domains and Competencies beforehand, and then asked the same five questions.

For my first interview, I spoke with Sonny Williams at St. James High School and the Shared Foundation that I selected for him was Engage:

Question 1: What are some examples of the ways in which you are implementing these competencies in your library program?

Mr. Williams told me that one of the major projects that students use the library for is to do research for their senior projects. Every year, the students are tasked with selecting a subject and doing a senior project that is meant to represent the culmination of their learning thus far and has an accompanying research paper. It is through this project that Mr. Williams is able to implement many of the competencies attached to the Engage Shared Foundation. When teaching how to research, Mr. Williams instructs the students on the use of databases and how to find peer-reviewed sources. I believe that this instruction is in line with competency VI.A.3. “Teaching learners how and why to evaluate information for accuracy, validity, social and cultural context, and appropriateness for need” (p. 112).

One of the requirements of the senior project is that students include an annotated bibliography. Teaching students how to create that bibliography is one way to implement competency VI.B.3., which says that the school librarian should promote, “the inclusion of elements in personal-knowledge products that allow others to credit content appropriately” (p. 112). In conjunction with teaching how to create the bibliography, Mr. Williams also teaches students how to cite sources, which I think aligns with competency VI.B.2. which requires that students present a, “complete attribution to acknowledge authorship and demonstrate respect for the intellectual property of others” (p. 112).

The students also learn about copyright and how to use Creative Commons sources. Depending on what type of license a Creative Commons work has, there are policies that govern how you are able to use the content and if you are able to modify or remix it. For this reason, I see teaching about it as an implementation of competency VI.C.1., which deals with, “Imparting strategies for sharing information resources in accordance with modification, reuse, and remix policies” (p. 112). I also think that showing how to use Creative Commons materials satisfies competency VI.B.1., which states that the school librarian will show, “a variety of strategies to ethically use and reproduce others’ work, and modeling this ethical use” (p. 112).

Question 2: What are some of the resources in your library program that you are using to implement these competencies?

Horry County Schools Smart Search gives the students access to a number of databases, some of which are also offered through Discus. One of the databases that Mr. Williams highlighted was Opposing Viewpoints in Context from Gale, which is a collection of resources, including articles and primary sources that illustrate the pros and cons of social issues. He also suggested the Points of View Reference Center, which includes materials that provide differing viewpoints on various current topics. In terms of citations, in addition to using the Purdue Online Writing Lab, the online services EasyBib and BibMe are also used.

Question 3: Do any of the competencies that you are implementing include collaboration with classroom teachers? If so, please provide examples.

The senior projects, through which many of these competencies are practiced, involve a significant amount of collaboration between the library and the English Language Arts (ELA) department. Aside from that, there are not really any other collaborative lessons in which these competencies are implemented.

Question 4: What are some of the challenges that you face when trying to implement these competencies?

One of the challenges is when the schedules of individual ELA teachers do not match up with the library. I feel like having the library be busy is a good thing, but if something comes up and a visit gets cancelled, then the downside is that it can be difficult to find another opening. Because of this, opportunities to practice these competencies might be missed.

Question 5: Are there any other comments that you would like to make regarding the Shared Foundation / Competencies and Domains that we have discussed today?

Mr. Williams worries that the research process is sometimes being simplified. For example, maybe the students will be asked to research a topic, then be provided with a list of resources to choose from, rather than consulting with the librarian to teach them how to find resources on their own. I think the issue is that if you do not teach them how to find information on their own, then they will not be able to critically assess the information with which they are presented. Also, a lack of collaboration means no opportunities to model, guide, or teach students how to ethically and responsibly use information.

Reference

American Association of School Librarians. (2018). National school library standards for learners, school librarians, and school libraries. ALA Editions, an imprint of the American Library Association.