School librarians have a key role to play in creating an informed citizenry — one that finds common ground in shared facts.
I. SCHOOL LIBRARIANS ARE RESPONSIBLE FOR SELECTING CREDIBLE INFORMATION SOURCES FOR THEIR PRINT AND DIGITAL LIBRARY COLLECTIONS.
It is important for librarians to clearly understand the difference between selecting information sources that are credible (a key step in the collection development process) and selecting information sources that express only certain views (censorship).
When developing a nonfiction collection, credibility is the most important criteria to consider (along with price, relevance etc.). School librarians do not have the time to thoroughly research each item they select for their collection. However, school librarians do have time to consider i) whether materials have bibliographies, ii) whether materials look reliable, iii) whether materials were published by a reputable publisher, iv) whether materials were favorably reviewed by X, Y or Z, etc.
II. SCHOOL LIBRARIANS NEED TO PUT EFFORT INTO DEVELOPING DIGITAL LIBRARY COLLECTIONS AND SHARING THESE DIGITAL LIBRARY COLLECTIONS IN A WAY THAT IS EASILY ACCESSIBLE.
School libraries are competing with Google. To be useful, digital library collections need to consist of sources that are credible and support schools’ curriculums. It is also important for school librarians to share digital library collections in a way that makes it easy to search and browse for credible sources.
III. SCHOOL LIBRARIANS SHOULD BE COLLABORATING WITH CLASSROOM TEACHERS TO EFFECTIVELY TEACH RESEARCH SKILLS.
In addition to selecting credible materials for their library collections, school librarians and teachers and are responsible for teaching students research skills — including how to distinguish fact from fiction.
The Common Core Standards are the current set of teaching standards guiding K-12 education in 42 out of 50 U.S. states. These standards spell out what schools are required to teach students. Specifically, schools are required to teach students to conduct research projects, draw on several sources to answer questions, gather relevant information from multiple print and digital sources, assess the credibility of each source, draw evidence from texts to support analysis, reflection and research. According to these standards, K-12 students are to be taught to assess the credibility of sources when undertaking research from first thru twelfth grade. By the time students graduate from college, assessing the credibility of sources should be second nature.
School librarians and teachers are still working on implementing the Common Core Standards effectively. It could be helpful for school librarians and teachers to collaborate to share approaches that are working, exchange lesson plans, and develop best practices. We also need trained, full-time school librarians in every school and school schedules that enable school librarians to collaborate with classroom teachers.
(3) |
Comments (7)
I have taught in 3 elementary schools, and in each one, I had to convince everyone that I was a valuable member of the team and that I could help them with their projects and teaching students research skills. Administrators have no expectation that teachers do these types of projects or that teachers utilize the library and librarian to build research skills. I have told administrators "these things are what librarians are supposed to do." Teachers also have no expectation that librarians are there to collaborate with them.
I have no problem going into a school and inserting myself, but there is also a need to help change the mindsets of administrators and teachers. Too often, I have watched librarians go into a library and basically hide out in an effort to get out of the classroom because there are no external expectations.
Yes, exactly! I have taught at three elementary schools as well and each time had to start from scratch reaching out to classroom teachers to try to collaborate to teach research skills. It takes a few years to build working relationships with classroom teachers to teach these skills. I agree that some librarians (older librarians in particular) do not try. Some librarians have not stayed up-to-date on how to best teach research skills as sources have changed from print to digital. Other librarians have tired of the effort required to explain their role to principals and teachers.
How can school librarians explain the important role we play in teaching research skills to principals and teachers? How can school librarians stay up-to-date in the best methods for teaching research skills as sources change from print to digital?
Hi Amy,
Great post! I agree with your approach and just wanted to build on your third point. I think it needs to be very clear that the collaboration needs to include teachers of ALL SUBJECTS. I worry that robust research skills instruction can be too often limited to particular subjects and not addressed at all in others. To meet your goal of "by the time students graduate from college, assessing the credibility of sources should be second nature," I would argue that students need to be accustomed to (and comfortable with) 'distinguishing fact from fiction' and using their information/media literacy skills in ALL subjects.
Yes, I agree. It's clear from recent events that citizens need to be able to identify credible sources of information on a variety of topics: science (e.g. COVID-19), social studies (e.g. elections) etc.
I worked as an elementary school librarian. Students were conducting research on a variety of subjects: animals (1st grade), diseases (4th grade), explorers (5th grade) etc. I attempted to build relationships with classroom teachers to help teach research skills in all subjects. With each research project, I was available to teach students to find sources and evaluate those sources.
Hi Amy:
Thanks for joining our conversation. What approaches and best practices have worked well for you in the past?
II. SCHOOL LIBRARIANS NEED TO PUT EFFORT INTO DEVELOPING DIGITAL LIBRARY COLLECTIONS AND SHARING THESE DIGITAL LIBRARY COLLECTIONS IN A WAY THAT IS EASILY ACCESSIBLE.
One approach for K-12 school librarians to use to share digital information sources is to create LibGuides.
As a MLS grad student, I created a LibGuide for 2nd thru 5th graders to share our public library's digital collection in an easily accessible manner. The LibGuide highlighted sources 2nd thru 5th grade teachers and students could use for classroom research projects and quick tips for using these sources. It included digital dictionaries, encyclopedias, almanacs, books, magazines & newspapers, websites, maps and atlases. The LibGuide also included quick tips: When should I use an encyclopedia article? How should I assess whether a website is providing credible information?
The goal with the LibGuide was to share the library's digital materials in an easily accessible manner. I wanted teachers instructing students to head to the LibGuide when doing research. I wanted students naturally heading to the library's website when doing research -- rather than searching Google -- knowing they'd find credible information and research tips at the library.
Ultimately, when students graduate, we want them as citizens heading to library websites, knowing that they will find credible and easily accessible information at the library.
III. SCHOOL LIBRARIANS SHOULD BE COLLABORATING WITH CLASSROOM TEACHERS TO EFFECTIVELY TEACH RESEARCH SKILLS.
I think it is vitally important for school librarians to write, adopt and implement teaching standards. These teaching standards need to spell out that school librarians are responsible for teaching research skills (as well as motivating students to read). I would also like to see the Common Core Standards modified to explicitly state that research skills be taught primarily by trained school librarians.
When I became a school librarian, my state had not adopted school library standards and my district had no school library curriculum. Without standards and a curriculum, it was harder for me to convince teachers and principals that it is important to teach students research skills. Classroom teachers were too busy getting through the Common Core math and reading curriculum to collaborate with me to teach research skills. I had principals not value research skills instruction largely, I believe, because research skills instruction was not mandated.
In 2019, I helped write school library curriculum for our district. I focused on writing our district's standards for teaching research skills to elementary school students. Unfortunately, I was not able to work on implementing the curriculum.
School librarians, has your state or district adopted school library standards? Does your district have a school library curriculum that spells out which research skills you teach each year?