ISCI 794: Implementing the AASL Standards in the School Library (2 of 4)

This is the second 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 second interview, I spoke with Mary Beth Williams at St. James Middle School and the Shared Foundation that I selected for her was Curate:

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

Mrs. Bennett believes that by genrefying the collection, she is fulfilling competency IV.A.1., which is, “Modeling the response to a need to gather and organize information” (p. 94). Along with the fiction section, the nonfiction section was also organized so that it would be easier for students to find materials appropriate to the subjects in which they are interested. For example, graphic novels and manga have been separated out into their own sections, and the sports titles have been divided up by which sport is featured.

The major project that Mrs. Bennett works on with the students each year is the National History Day (NHD) competition. That competition requires that there be a wide array of history titles for the students to draw from when selecting a topic. This aligns with competency IV.B.1., which states that the librarian should promote information gathering by, “Sharing a variety of sources” (p. 94). Competency IV.B.2. states that the librarian should encourage, “the use of information representing diverse perspectives” (p. 94). This is something that she tries to keep in mind when ordering titles in general, but when ordering titles for the NHD section, she tries to find titles from diverse authors so that students are exposed to different perspectives on historical events.

One of the lessons that she teaches the students is about why databases are more reliable than Google search results. Through this lesson, she is practicing competency IV.A.3., “Guiding learners to make critical choices about information sources to use” (p. 94). This lesson also ties into a discussion on website credibility, and through it, she is able to implement competency IV.B.3., “Fostering the questioning and assessing of validity and accuracy of information” (p. 94). I would also argue that this lesson aligns with competency IV.D.1. “Engaging learners in ongoing analysis of and reflection on the quality, usefulness, and accuracy of curated resources” (p. 94).

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

In order to implement these competencies, you need to have a well-rounded collection that includes diverse titles and a wide array of materials to choose from. Mrs. Bennett told me that you cannot just buy diverse titles for the collection, you also have to use them in the activities that the library participates in, like the Battle of the Books and NHD competition. In addition to the collection, the databases offered by Discus and EBSCO are utilized.

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

The primary two activities where collaboration takes place are the NHD competition and breakout boxes. For both of those activities, the Social Studies department is the primary collaborator. They help with selecting topics and suggesting sources. The English Language Arts department also helps with the NHD competition but is mostly involved with the written portion.

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

Mrs. Bennett stated that scheduling time in the library is the biggest challenge. Getting the library’s schedule to line up with the teachers’ schedules is sometimes difficult. She also said that when doing breakout boxes or other activities, it is hard to have classes come in for circulation because those activities require the librarian’s full attention. The collection is there regardless of whether or not the librarian is there, but if you are not free to interact with the students circulating, then it becomes difficult to model, encourage, or guide the student’s information gathering. Also, strict pacing guides make it so that you cannot get to every class before they have moved on to the next unit of study.

 

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?

 

In regard to the Shared Foundations in general, Mrs. Bennett said that when you are getting evaluated, it is difficult to demonstrate all of these competencies, because realistically you would spread them out across more than one lesson. She said that you have to know what your evaluator is looking for when they observe you and try to do your best. She also said getting students to engage is sometimes difficult because they know that the lessons that they are learning in the library are not graded, so there are not really any consequences for not paying attention. You have to find a way to sell what you are teaching them by relating it to something they would have to deal with in the real world. I feel like, in some way, that reflects the overarching theme of competency IV.D., which states that, “School librarians show learners how to select and organize information for a variety of audiences” (p. 94). It’s about knowing your audience and selecting materials that they can engage with and that will give them something to reflect on.

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.