Derain's La Tasse de the (painting v.1935)

My profile is illustrated by a reproduction of the above painting from the Centre Georges Pompidou, Paris.

Final Reflection for Libe 467 – Information Services (or My version of success …)

This course - Libe 467 – Information Services – is my first online learning experience. During this course I made the transition from desktop to laptop including updated software; my 7-year-old IMAC with its original version of Internet Explorer could not even ‘talk’ to www.vista.ubc.ca/webct! (By the way, I am in love with my new MacBook)

When I last checked (yesterday) there were 1200-plus messages posted to our discussion forum, and 60-plus blogs to follow. Talk about overwhelming! I was relieved when a classmate, Wayne H, who I know to be very tech-savvy, wrote in his posting about databases and e-sources that he also found the online experience (especially searching) to be overwhelming. “The day of seeking answers has not ended; only the process has changed.” (Riedling, p. 101) My process has changed big time!

In addition to adapting to new technology, I’m learning a new language – Info-ese, I call it. Add gray literature and deep web to my list of new / expanding vocabulary.

“The important component is that the student learns from the experience … Success should be measured in terms of the acquisition of information skills that are learned during the process.” (Henri and Lee)

This has been a learning experience!

To the discussion postings, I tried to contribute in a critical, creative, comprehensive, and consultative way. I add ‘consultative’ because I tried to read every message related to my posting(s). I tried to practise ‘active listening’ and to learn from my classmates in the same way I would in a traditional classroom setting.

To my blog postings I tried to bring a certain academic rigor to each reflection by interweaving course / text readings and scholarly articles with each posting. I also considered the personal by sharing my own observations and those of classmates, gleaned from online discussions.

I am right now in the final stages of collaboration with two classmates on our final assignment for this course; to use the CBAM (A Model of the People Development Process) as a means to support / extend a colleague’s reference practice. If I apply this model to my own experience in this course, I can see that I have advanced in my stage(s) of concern from the Awareness or Information Stages to the Personal Stage. I could perhaps make a case for the Management Stage. Of course where I aspire to be is at the upper Stages of Concern – focused on the results and impact of the activity. I think this is the realm or stage of concern that Ross Todd was contemplating when he wrote:
“The hallmark of a school library in the 21st century is not its collections, its systems, its technology, its staffing, its buildings, but its actions and evidences that show that it makes a real difference to student learning, that it contributes in tangible and significant ways to the development of human understanding, meaning making and constructing knowledge.” (Todd, 2003)

Bibliography

Riedling, Ann. Reference Skills for the School Library Media Specialist ... Worthington, Ohio: Linworth Books, 2005.

Todd, Ross J. (2003, August). "School Libraries & Evidence: Seize the Day, Begin the Future.” Library Media Connection, 22(1). Retrieved October 2008, from Professional Development Collection database

Wikipedia - like photography to fine art ?

Like other classmate – colleagues (such as Viviana M), I too have found this debate about citizen-built encyclopedias engaging and interesting. As Sarah P. recently commented, it’s not easy to add anything new or additional to 70-plus thoughtful postings, but I will nonetheless give it a try.

First, I can’t help thinking about parallels in art history. I am thinking about a favourite photographer Alfred Stieglitz and about his photograph “The Steerage” taken in 1907. At the time, photography was not widely accepted as a true art form; certainly not recognized among the canonical works. Stieglitz was one of the photographers who helped propel photography into the realm of fine art. With “The Steerage” in particular, Stieglitz was one of the first to anticipate photography as the democratic art of the 20th century. Photography would be an art form about the people, and by the people.

One hundred years later, I think Wikipedia might well be described as the encyclopedia about the people, by the people. And this citizen-built encyclopedia is perhaps suspect in the same way the democratic art of photography was near the time of its inception. In 2007, Chris Harris wrote: “…if anyone can contribute information, the articles must be inaccurate, they say.” Harris goes on to point out that “… Wikipedia is, in fact, reasonably accurate …”

Second, like Maloya L., I really appreciated Harris’ analogy about the “… the venerable OED [beginning] life as a wiki. Well, sort of.” Harris adds. A critical difference I think between the OED and Wikipedia is that submissions to the OED project had to be signed, including name and address. This is how it was discovered that the man, Dr. W.C. Minor, who had submitted more than 10,000 definitions was actually an inmate at an asylum for the criminally insane. Thus the title of the book that tells the story of the making of the OED – “The Professor and the Madman” (A good read, by the way)

Paula Berinstein in her 2008 article comparing Wikipedia and Britannica asks “Why not sign articles?” I note that the letters page in our local daily newspaper “The Daily Courier” states: “We welcome your letters to the editor. Please provide your name, address and telephone number for confirmation purposes.” When I ask the Managing Editor, Tom Wilson (my husband) to comment on that criteria he says it’s about accountability and to also make any bias transparent. Paula Berinstein and Tom Wilson agree, (in Berinstein’s words), “…it is good to own your text. So the best practice is to sign it.”

Finally, I agree with the many classmate-colleagues who pointed out that this “wildly popular” citizen-built encyclopedia is an obvious and wonderful opportunity to teach students how to evaluate credibility and reliability of various sources; an essential skill in processing information and information literacy. For example, a related lesson is included in the grade six social studies text “Global Citizens / Citoyens du monde” in chapter three under the heading “How to find reliable information / Les medias et L’information”.

Without discussing / debating the issue of citizen-built sources, Riedling simply includes Wikipedia in chapter 6 Dictionaries and Encyclopedias declaring: "Don't overlook ... free sources!" (Reidling, p. 61 and p. 66)

I had no trouble finding sources to agree with Berinstein, Harris and Riedling. For example, Goldsborough writes: "The overall quality of Wikipedia's content is surprisingly good, and its comprehensiveness is unsurpassed in encyclopedias today, online or print, with nearly 2 million articles in English." (Goldsborough, 2007) This was certainly my conclusion when I "googled" Paris and among the first links (second, I think) was an article in Wikipedia (http://en.wikipedia.org) I found it current and comprehensive, and I was delighted when it included a list of movies set in Paris! I immediately rushed out and rented the DVD "Paris, je t'aime" Not a good decision with homework to do, but a pleasure, albeit a guilty one!

Bibliography

Berinstein, P. (2006). “Wikipedia and Britannica: The Kid's All Right (And So's the Old Man)” Searcher 14(3), 16-26.

Goldsborough, R. (2007, October). “New developments in web searching.” Teacher Librarian, 35(1), 50-50. Retrieved November 16, 2008, from Academic Search Complete database.

Harris, C. (2007). “Can we make peace with Wikipedia?” School Library Journal, 53(6), 26.

Riedling, Ann. Reference Skills for the School Library Media Specialist ... Worthington, Ohio: Linworth Books, 2005.

Winchester, Simon. The Professor and the Madman … New York, NY: Harper Perennial, 1999.

On the question of questions or the reference interview

"Madame, could you say what a good book for me would be?" I did not realize that recommending good leisure reading might be considered a research / reference request. Riedling calls this a "Reader's Advisory" In my practice as the T-L responsible for the FI program, this is the most common question.

I agree with Riedling's premise that the T-L's primary role is an "interviewer", but I would also add facilitator. Both sources highlighted in our course notes - Riedling and Katz - identify ready reference and research questions. Katz extends reference questions to also include direction and specific search questions. This terminology is new to me, and I can't help but think it will be prove to be helpful especially when collaborating with teachers and even parents. Riedling's chapter 9 titled "The Reference Interview" does not really contemplate this essential component of the T-Ls practice - cooperative / collaborative program planning and teaching.

Our course notes state that Riedling's section on questioning techniques should be considered redundant in most planned research activities; explaining that these questions are in the first or enquiry stage of research - ideally completed before students come to the library. In my limited experience, this has often not been the case.

"[Conversation] talk [and listening] is the very basis of a reference interview ..." (Riedling, p. 95) Amy Pattee, an assistant professor of Library and Information Science proposes: "... the incorporation of a strategy used by teachers to encourage directed reading of nonfiction texts - the K-W-L Method - into the children's reference interview to address what researchers have called the 'special' needs of young people. ... The "What Do I Know" question can lead to a conversation that would help the child develop questions to guide his or her research. ... Additionally, the use of the K-W-L within a reference context represents a form of scaffolding. ... By causing the librarian initially to focus initially on the prior experience and expertise of the child, the K-W-L guided reference interview allows children to take "ownership" of their questions and the reference process." The sample dialogues (to exemplify a process of question formation) in this article seem very realistic / authentic to me. More so than the exercise (for elementary school) proposed by Riedling (p. 112) where students are asked to developed questions for an area of interest because as Pattee points out: "When assigned to find information on a topic, children rarely generate their own questions to guide research." (Pattee, 2008)

Pattee, Riedling, and the instructors of our course, Henri and Lee, all highlight the student's perception of or satisfaction level with his/her interaction with the T-L as being critically important. Riedling writes: "... the basics of reference services and questioning remain unchanged. The reference interview still involves human relations, communications, and interaction with the student." (Riedling, p. 97) I agree!

Bibliography

Pattee, A. S. (2008). "What do you Know? Applying the K-W-L Model to the Reference Transaction with Children." Children and Libraries 6 (1): 30-39.

Riedling, Ann. Reference Skills for the School Library Media Specialist ... Worthington, Ohio: Linworth Books, 2005.

Most needed: librarians skilled in all components (of an exemplary library program)

I can totally relate to this statement: "Information technologies offer new tools, opportunities, and challenges that those of us who did not grow up with technology may find confusing or frightening" from a 2004 article titled "Lessons School Librarians Teach Others." (Johnson, 2004) I am concerned that I might be one of the "Bad News Girls" referred to in the provocative article by the same name (Reference Librarian, 2005, Vol. 44 Issue 91/92) summarized by classmate Colleen M. and so well critiqued by classmate Julie R. who writes: " I disagree with Maxwell's ideas that the digital age has stalled in the elementary library simply because of the TL's [females in their mid-40s] unwillingness to let go of the old fashioned print resource approach. Many TL's I know use both forms of reference resource, print and internet. Which one they use depends are the age of the group of students they are teaching, how many students are in the class and if the computers in the lab are available for use. In many schools the computer lab is a functioning classroom and is used for prep., therefore on days the TL works, the lab might not be available. I think we have to look at the bigger picture, TL's have a lot on their plate. They must run an efficient library that meets the demands of the teachers, students and parents; they must work collabrately with other teachers of all different grades; and that is just to name a few. So to say that female teachers in their mid 40's are to blame for the lack of electronic resources in the library is not right and we as females should take issue with this!"

These readings have challenged me to reflect about my own preferences, biases, and limitations. I like the way Maria C. in one posting described the library as a landscape, that she regrets is being altered by budgets and technology. (This coming from a girl who actually prefers e-sources!) Maria's analogy about landscape makes me think of the motto from real estate - location, location, location! And, that leads me to think - context, context, context! The context for teachers, including and perhaps especially for T-Ls, and students is the information age. And, as Doug Johnson so eloquently puts it: "The professional mission of the school library media specialist remains constant even as it constantly evolves, as contradictory as that may sound ... as a professional, the SLMS remains committed to making sure that students in our charge are effective, ethical, and safe users of information and ideas that can help them solve real problems and answer genuine questions." (Johnson, 2004)

Bibliography

Johnson, Doug. (2004, December). "Lessons School Librarians Teach Others.” American Libraries, 35(11. Retrieved October 2008, from Academic Search Premier database.

Most wanted: reference materials in all formats

I don't think there's anyone in my online learning community who would disagree with the assertion that: "One of the most important tasks of a school library media specialist is to help students and teachers find the best materials available - in all formats - to support teaching and learning. (Riedling, p.16) The new edition of Riedling's text includes updated technology discussions, relevant Web sites, and online resources with a Webliography at the end of each chapter. Classmate Richard R. nicely sums up the idea of a multi-media collection in his posting titled "e-ponderings" where he talks about a "balanced collection" needing to include both print and electronic resources.

It is abundantly clear from our online course discussion postings that having a balanced, let alone comprehensive collection, with the best materials available - in all formats - is a daunting task; some might even say, a losing battle. Many classmates have cited lack of funding as a primary concern. Reference materials (print and online) are expensive and not all school libraries receive sufficient (an understatement!) funding. When we were asked to evaluate our reference section and post our findings, one classmate titled her submission "What reference section?" When we discussed online databases, a number of classmates reported that their district / school did not support them. Even in my own district, apparently a leader in our ,province in terms of supporting libraries, classmate Maria C. worries about "empty shelves", and my T-L partner Sherrie F. wonders if, because of prohibitive costs and the need for currency in reference materials, reference sources might eventually be all digital.

As I've reported via discussion postings, our school library is currently in the enviable position of having an adequate budget that can provide the best in print and electronic reference sources. (According to the survey in A.I.L., our library would be rated as exemplary or approaching exemplary in most areas, including reference)

However essential the collection (section of the library which houses the print materials) and sources (print and databases), any discussion of reference is of course incomplete without considering services. In an article titled "What's Still Wrong with Reference?" David Isaacson accuses the library profession of not understanding the service part of the equation. "We still cling to the idea that our mission is to provide a wide array of sources when our real mission ought to be educating users to distinguish between their information wants and needs." He also goes on to refer to "... fearful even indolent [librarians] unwilling or unable to take advantage of technology." (Isaacson, 2007) Which brings me to my next point ... (Please go to next posting)

Bibliography

Isaacson, David. (2007, November). "What's Still Wrong with Reference.” Library Journal, 132(19). Retrieved October 2008, from Academic Search Premier database.

Riedling, Ann. Reference Skills for the School Library Media Specialist ... Worthington, Ohio: Linworth Books, 2005.

Do you see the need to promote an ‘Information Skills Framework’ in your school? If so, how might you accomplish this?

In a word, yes!

This is the information age; defined by the Oxford Canadian Dictionary as “the current historical period, characterized by the capacity to store, retrieve, and transmit large volumes of information using computer technology.” (Barber, p. 723)

In the 2007 edition of his book Influence: The Psychology of Persuasion, university professor and author, Robert B. Cialdini PH.D. writes that: “… with further developments in telecommunications and computer technology, access to staggering amounts of information is falling within the reach of individual citizens.” (Cialdini, p. 277)

“In the technological, global society of today, information literacy cannot be overlooked. The essential philosophy surrounding school reference service is the encouragement of lifelong learning – or information literacy … The abilities to access, comprehend, use, and evaluate information have become the skills people must develop in order to function in our current world.” (Riedling, p.6)

In an article from 2004 titled “Lessons School Librarians Teach Others” Doug Johnson points out that: “Increasingly, students are using the Internet to meet personal needs as well as to research school assignments that ask them to solve genuine problems … We teach our Library users to be able to evaluate information for themselves.” (Johnson, 2004)

So, how do I go about this essential teaching / learning? Being relatively new to education with a still emerging T-L practice, I’m frankly just beginning to figure this out.

To date, I’ve consulted and implemented elements from two different frameworks - Library Information Skills Survival Guide developed / published by School District 35 – Langley (Perkins et al) and the Information Technology K to 7 Integrated Resource Package (BC Ministry of Education, 1996)

While searching for articles to expand my reading for LIBE 467, I located a 2006 article for Library Media Connection titled “Your Library Goes Virtual: Promoting Reading and Supporting Research” The author, Audrey Church, states that: “We must meet students virtually, providing sources and services at the point of need …” (Church, 2006) Church offers a number of concrete / practical suggestions about how to use your library web page to offer general information literacy skills instruction. Her article is chock-o-block with web sites that provide step-by-step instruction for elementary students about effective searching on the web and evaluating sources, for example. Church’s article also offers many examples of best practices by classroom teachers and T-Ls.

Bibliography

Barber, Katherine. Ed. The Canadian Oxford Dictionary. Don Mills, ON: Oxford University Press, 1998.

Church, Audrey. (2006, November/December). "Your Library Goes Virtual: Promoting Reading and Supporting Research.” Library Media Connection, 35(11. Retrieved October 2008, from Academic Search Premier database.

Cialdini, Robert B. Influence: The Psychology of Persuasion. Revised ed. New York, NY: Collins, 2005.

Johnson, Doug. (2004, December). "Lessons School Librarians Teach Others.” American Libraries, 35(11. Retrieved October 2008, from Academic Search Premier database.

Riedling, Ann. Reference Skills for the School Library Media Specialist ... Worthington, Ohio: Linworth Books, 2005.