2.5 Million Teens

Rickman, W. (2015). 2.5 Million Teens. Knowledge Quest, 43(5), 22–27. Retrieved from http://libaccess.sjlibrary.org/login?url=http://search.ebscohost.com/login.aspx?direct=true&db=ehh&AN=102556292&site=ehost-live&scope=site

Rickman surveyed Arkansas school librarians about LGBTQQ issues in collection development. Although her response level was very low (37 out of 700), Rickman concluded that there is a "lack of resources available for the LGBTQQ student population in the state and an acknowledgment of the need for resources."

Although there are a few major limitations to the study, I agree with Rickman's assessment and also appreciated the list of resources for finding quality material for LGBTQQ students. 

That Other School Library

McGrath, B. S. (2018). That other school library: Love them or hate them, classroom libraries can provide opportunities to partner with teachers. School Library Journal, 64(9), 42-44. Retrieved from http://libaccess.sjlibrary.org/login?url=http://search.ebscohost.com/login.aspx?direct=true&db=ehh&AN=131502577&site=ehost-live&scope=site

McGrath argues that librarians should support selection and organization of books for classroom libraries in order to ensure variety and interest.

How this should happen is not described in much detail. Also, McGrath attempts to downplay the competition between libraries and classroom libraries, but multiple references to budget cuts for libraries in favor of classroom libraries would have the opposite effect.

"Let's Do It!' - A New Approach to Collection Development

Anna Fenerty

Citation

Loertscher, D. V., & Koechlin, C. (2016). Collection Development and Collaborative Connection Development: Or, Curation2. Teacher Librarian, 43(4), 52–53.

Summary

The authors, Loertscher and Koechlin, discuss the progress of implementing Learning Commons in the school libraries and offer a list of tools and templates to help the librarians make the transitions. In 2015, the authors conducted a survey of 900 teacher librarians, which showed some progress in connection developments since most schools were shifting from exclusively traditional book and database collections by adding online resources. On the other hand, shifting from one-way library websites to participatory virtual spaces was still in the very beginning stages in most of the schools surveyed. The authors suggest approaching collection development with a new attitude; WE, librarians, teachers, and students have a collective responsibility “to curate the very best educational resources” together. All need to pitch in at the building, district, state, and national level to develop connections to community resources and OERs that benefit everyone involved.

Evaluation

A relevant and inspiring article that shows the current state of digital collections and trends in school libraries. The authors offer “hands-on” advice, tools, and templates to help school librarians transition into a leadership role to “mentor collaborative curation” of connections and participatory resources instead of building collections of “owned” resources that are constricted by individual and finicky budgets. Everyone can benefit from connected participatory collections. So, “Let’s do it!”

Untapped Resources: Graduate Assistants and Collection Development

Dailey, Kaitlin.

Todorinova, L., Deputy, B. R. (2011). Untapped resources: Graduate assistants and collection development. In B. R. Bernhardt, L. H. Hinds, K. P. Strauch (Eds.), Something's gotta give (pp. 584-589). DOI: 10.5703/1288284314969

Summary:
This book chapter discusses how libraries are incorporating MLIS students into collection development practices, and the positive impact that this has on not only the students but also the library since the budget does not have to be reallocated to accommodate additional staff members. I felt that this chapter was something that as MLIS students we could all identify with as we are learning about collection development and could incorporate some of the ideas or themes into our own libraries. The article starts off with a brief introduction of where collection development falls within a library, where "paraprofessionals and student assistants" play a role currently, and the history of paraprofessionals in the library. After this brief introduction, the article discusses what role collection development plays in the current curricula, graduate students in the library, along with the incentives of incorporating graduate students into the library.

Evaluation:
So, I really liked this article because I feel that I am someone who learns the best in a very hands-on environment, so this article catered to me. However, I can see the hesitance in some professionals when incorporating students into their institution. When I started working in libraries as an undergraduate, there was a fair amount of training that I had to complete prior to being on the floor (and I was being paid). Looking at graduate students, it may be more difficult to motivate them when they're already working so hard to complete their degrees. Additionally, I've noticed that many of the students in this program are library professionals already in some capacity so it may be less of an incentive to help their library for free when they're already working so hard as it is.

Is Ther a Future for Collection Development Librarians?

Clark-Collier, Kelsey

Thomas A. Karel, "Is There a Future for Collection Development Librarians?" (2013). Proceedings of the Charleston Library Conference. http://dx.doi.org/10.5703/1288284315257

How has the development of the E-Book and other digital resources impacted the role and purpose of the collection librarian? This is the core question that Thomas A.Karel seeks to discuss and address in his article titled Is there a Future for Collection Development Librarians? Reflecting on his career as an academic librarian, which required a great deal of collection development responsibility, Karel discusses how factors such as changing acquisiton plans combined with a lack of available space for the thousands of journal databases and 500,000 book titles housed within his library has resulted in an increasing number of demands being placed on the institution to develop an effective collection development and management policy. 

Following this, Karel touches upon his main critical point, which is the effect of the introduction of E-Books into his library's collection. He argues that the expertise of librarians regarding selection is considerably diminished when it comes to digital materials, a concern shared and supported by a wide  variety o recent literature. Karel goes onto list factors that pose threats to the collection librarian (such as E-books, diminished interest from faculty in ordering materials and the ever incresing demands from students regarding information needs) as well as potential opportunities (establishing closer relationships with vendors, working more closelywith faculty to select materials, and taking the opportunity to update exisiting collection development policies). Karel concludes by reflecting upon a teaching session he attended withother librarians where themes affecting collection development were discussed, along with varying degrees of concern and hope regarding the future of collection development in all different types of libraries.

This article stood out to me for a variety of reasons. While the impact of digital resources and technology on traditional print library collections is a complex topic that I have expierenced in prior courss, it is my belief that the notion of digital materials replacing print materials is somewhat overestimated, especially in school and public libraries. That's not to assume that patrons have been reluctant to adapt to new forms of technology and digital services. Rather, I feel that libraries as repositories of print and tangible resources is a deeply ingrained concept that spans thousands of years, and is likely not going away anytime soon. As Karel discusses however, the real core questionp is not whether digital materials will overtake print materials, its to what degree are which librarians in the present day willing and able to incoporate digitial materials innovatively into their institutions in such a way that benefits both library users and potential non-users. He takes it one step further by providing three excellent questions that serve as solid foundations for discussion and debate regarding the topic:

1.) What does a Collection Development librarian do?

2.)What tasks can be effectively carried out by other staff? 

3.) What, ideally, might be the role of a Collection Development Librarian in the new electronic enviornment?

These questions serve as excellent foundations for further discussion and debate because they provide an opportunity to gain insight not only into the current role and purpose of collection development librarians, but also the factors that are affecting this particular position both here in the present and in the future. 

Libraries of Things: A Movement

Westa, Emily


Robinson, M. & Shedd, L. (2017). Audio recorders to zucchini seeds: Building a library of things. Santa Barbara, CA. ABC-CLIO.
Preview found here!


While this link leads not to an article, but rather to the first few chapters of a book, I feel that these few chapters give a great introduction and insight into the rising Library of Things movement. Many libraries in the Boston area (where I live), have been expanding their collections to include significant Library of Things (LoTs) collections and I’ve been noticing a rise in community engagement and excitement surrounding these new collections. This movement is nation-wide, and even international, and I believe it will continue to grow until LoTs are a staple in every major library. Let me know if your library has a LoT or is thinking about adding one!


Summary:

Beginning with a comprehensive history of the Library of Things movement and moving into case studies of LoTs in both public and academic libraries, Audio Recorders to Zucchini Seeds provides an engaging and complete overview of the movement as it has grown, how it looks today across the U.S.A, and what it could become as it continues to grow. The Library of Things movement has its roots in Curriculum Material Centers, offering real classroom materials for training and use by teachers-in-training, Tool Libraries, and other specialized collections, such as those with toys & games or multimedia collections. Today, many of these materials and objects are still a significant part of LoTs, but the possibilities of what can be included are both “diverse and limitless” (pg. 22). In Part II, we are presented with six case studies from public libraries with LoTs focused on everything from, bicycles to seeds, which people borrow, plant, and replace with new seeds grown in their plants during the next season. Part III focuses on academic libraries- providing us with seven case studies of LoTs with gaming consoles, video equipment, scopes, curriculum materials, technology and more. Although I haven’t read the end of the book (yet!), I know from the introduction that the last couple chapters focus on a special library in Alaska and an offering of best practices for libraries to consider and adopt when building their own Library of Things!


Evaluation:

Well written and extensively researched, Audio Recorders to Zucchini Seeds provides the most in depth discussion of the Library of Things movement that I could find online or in print. The introduction and history given in this book are comprehensive and clear. I especially appreciated the analysis of social movements, including the community sharing economy, that have supported LoTs and allowed these to move from specialized, unique collections to being more of the norm and expectation at many libraries across the U.S.A. The editors’ inclusion of case studies as the major content of this book brings in critical real-world experiences- successes and challenges. While I had only heard of LoTs at public libraries, the section on academic libraries opened my eyes to even greater possibilities for this type of collections as spanning across library types. Someday soon, LoTs could even exist in school libraries, supported the success of both students and school libraries. Overall, this book was well-written, engaging and incredibly informative. I would definitely recommend checking it out and at least reading the introduction, which provides an overview of each section. Let me know what you think!

College Success: High School Librarians Make the Difference

Beilock, John

Smalley, T. N. (2004). College Success: High School Librarians Make the Difference. Journal of Academic Librarianship, 30(3), 193–198. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.acalib.2004.02.008

Summary:

           Published in the Journal of Academic Libraries, April of 2004, Topsy N. Smalley wrote a professional article about a conceptual research study of community college students who outperformed others when taking a required Information Research class. What was discovered was that students who attended high schools with libraries and library media specialists (also known as school librarians or teacher librarians) performed better than students from high schools without libraries and library media specialists.

Evaluation:

            Smalley’s findings that there was a significant difference between students from high schools with libraries as opposed to those who came from schools without librarians, was apropos. Having solved how the students came to do well led to the suggestion that academic librarians must reach out to high schools and articulate the information literacy skills and strategies that students will need to succeed in postsecondary schools and work.