Critical Literacy in Accessing Internet Reference Resources

 

“The one real goal of education is to leave a person asking questions.” 

Max Beerbohm

What is critical literacy?

    Critical literacy is an aspect of critical thinking. "Critical literacy involves looking beyond the literal meaning of a text to determine what is present and what is missing, in order to analyse and evaluate the text’s complete meaning and the author’s intent. Critically literate students understand that meaning is not found in texts in isolation." (Province of Ontario, 2024).  In order for students to be critically literate they need to consider points of view, context, the background of the author, and gaps in the text. (summarized from Province of Ontario, 2024).

    Students who are critically literate can analyse media messages and figure out motives and underlying messages. They should be able to spot biases and have ideas as to whose perspectives have been left out.  As teacher-librarians we have opportunities to engage in critical discussions of texts. "Such discussions empower students to understand the impact on members of society that was intended by the text’s creators. Language and communication are never neutral: they are used to inform, entertain, persuade, and manipulate.” (Province of Ontario, 2024).

    In Achieving Information Literacy, it says, “The major learning outcome for the school library program is to develop students who are information literate.” (Asselin, 2006). 

How can I introduce critical literacy in my library learning commons?

    Introducing critical literacy with students can be done many ways. Picture books and current events are accessible and easy to build into lessons where critical thinking can be the focus of the discussion. 

A great book to use with students

    There are many online lessons that have been created to teach critical thinking for students viewing internet sources. 

    Project Real has a series of online lessons for teachers. The lessons were created by young people, social media experts and teachers in the UK. The lessons are best for older students in grades 6 and up. Fake News, Fake Photos, Fake People, Fake Stories, Fake Videos, and Keeping It Real are the titles of their lessons. 

    Keep It Real Online is produced by the government of New Zealand.  The messages in the videos are strong but delivered with humour. I especially like how the message is directed to the parent who then turns to their child to discuss the issue. They are a terrific springboard for discussions about internet safety. Keep It Real Online: Grooming, Keep It Real Online: Bullying, Keep It Real Online: Pornography are a couple of great examples. They also have brief online messages about Unsolicited Pics, and Pressuring for Pics, Blackmail, and Toxic Online Gaming. 

    The Control F Program by CIVIX is a Canadian 7 hour, 4 part program that is available to teachers free with registration. It focuses on 'lateral reading' strategies: verifying the source, investigating the source, checking the claim, and tracing the information.

    The Pacific Northwest Tree Octopus is one of my favourite lessons to do with young students. Over the years, it has taken a life of its own, as people have added online 'images' and videos. 

    I like to follow up with a game of "Fake or Real Photo?," using images found online. Meet the Really Big Bunnies is a CBC news article about a farmer with Flemish Giant Rabbits. Students love my story when I told a student that the photos of the bunnies were fake. I was wrong, of course. 

    National Geographic Kids has a game-show called  Real or Fake? They ask kids to separate fact from fiction. I have challenged students to create a series of their own game questions which they need to cite. It works well presented as a Canva or PowerPoint presentation. 

    CBC Kids has Fact or Fake- Can you tell the difference online?. This site has videos, games and news articles suitable for younger students. I like that is has Canadian examples and the videos are a mix of animation and live action. 

Why is teaching Critical Literacy important?

    In Achieving Information Literacy, it says, “If each school library were to have a teacher-librarian who taught children and youth the skills necessary to be effective users of information in all its forms, a powerful mechanism would be in place for enabling Canadian children and youth to be literate citizens, lifelong learners, and contributing adults in a learning society.”  (Asselin, 2006).  Everyone likes to be right. Teaching students critical literacy skills is a fun and empowering way to help them on their journey to being literate citizens. With the increased use of AI in image production, writing, sound production and pretty much everything, it will be more important than ever to make sure our students are able to critically think about what they see and read. 

    In Citizenship in the Age of Data: The Critical Role of Libraries for Digital Literacy the authors state, "In a word, libraries are resilient. Their resilience provides both a beacon and a refuge in the digital age. As technologies evolve so do public libraries. They continue to empower and educate our communities, modelling what it means to be a digital citizen. Libraries and librarians must embrace their critical role in the digital, democratic transformation. Policymakers need to see libraries as part of their solutions for creating a digitally-informed public, recognizing librarians’ expertise in data management and curation, and the community trust that libraries foster." (O'Connor, Sobol, Wong, 2023). Although this article describes the importance of public libraries in the role of informing citizens, similar connections can be make for school libraries. As teachers, and Teacher-librarians we have the enormous responsibility to teach students information literacy skills in a time when our students are being bombarded by unlimited amounts of information.  We have many opportunities to do this in teaching most subject areas, including as a subject area of its own. 

Grade 12 Assessment Rubric BC Curriculum

    Our BC Curriculum includes teaching critical literacy, through English Language Arts, Social Studies, Applied Design, Skills and Technology (ADST), as well as in teaching the Core Competencies. 

    I can't help but feel like Jean Piaget could glimpse into the future when he wrote, “The principal goal of education in the schools should be creating men and women who are capable of doing new things, not simply repeating what other generations have done; men and women who are creative, inventive, and discoverers, who can be critical and verify, and not accept, everything they are offered.” (Piaget, 1952). 

Works Cited

Asselin, M., et al. Achieving Information Literacy: Standards for School Library Programs in Canada. The Canadian School Library Association, 2006.

“Building Student Success: BC’s Curriculum.” Edited by BC Ministry of Education, BC’s Curriculum, BC Ministry of Education, Oct. 2023, curriculum.gov.bc.ca/.

O’Connor, Fiona, Sobol, Barbara, Wong, Wendy. The Critical Role of Libraries for Digital Literacy. Toronto Star, December 30, 2023. (accessed March 29, 2024).

Ontario Ministry of Education. “Curriculum and Resources.” Curriculum and Resources: Discover What Students Are Learning, Province of Ontario, Oct. 2023, www.dcp.edu.gov.on.ca/en/.

Piaget, Jean. The Origins of Intelligence in Children, International Universities Press. University of Michigan,  1952.

Riedling, A. M., & Houston, C. Reference Skills for the School Librarian: Tools and Tips. 4th ed., Libraries Unlimited, 2019.

Webliography

The critical role of libraries for digital literacy (thestar.com)

[PDF] Creating Critical Literacy Skills For Young Learners At Primary School | Semantic Scholar

Curriculum | Building Student Success - B.C. Curriculum (gov.bc.ca)

Lessons | Project Real

CTRL-F: Find the Facts — Digital Media Literacy

Save The Pacific Northwest Tree Octopus (zapatopi.net)

Meet the really big bunnies that call a Nova Scotia farm home | CBC News

Real or Fake? (nationalgeographic.com)

Five Ways to Spot a Fake (turnitin.com)

Fact or fake — can you tell the difference online? | Quizzes | CBC Kids

Real or Fake photo Game - Play the Game - Take the Quiz! (fakeaphoto.com)

The critical role of libraries for digital literacy (thestar.com)

 

Province of Ontario. Curriculum and Resources: Program Planning. (accessed March 29, 2024).

Improving Our Library Reference Services

 "Bad libraries build collections, good libraries build services, 

great libraries build communities." 

R. David Lankes

    Our library learning commons has lots of room to improve our collection, services and sense of community. Building 'a community of learners' is only possible if our library offers strong services to both students and teachers. Improving our reference collection and services will be an important step in strengthening our school learning community.

The Reference Process

    "For school librarians, reference services are more than just information skills or activities; these services represent significant and meaningful engagement in a profoundly human activity, ministering to one of the most basic needs of humans-the desire to gain knowledge." (Reidling and Houston, 2019). When I started this journey in becoming a teacher-librarian, I didn't fully understand the depth of the role. The reference process involves a student who needs information, a question, a search for information, an answer, and an evaluation.

    Starting out, I was not following up to evaluate if the information was meeting the needs of the student (or teacher). Reference Skills for the School Librarian states "The purpose of reference services is to align information to flow efficiently from reference sources to those who need it." (Reidling and Houston, 2019). In meeting the informational needs of my students, I need to assess that the resources are an appropriate match; reliable, current, at a level the student can understand, and that the information answers the question. The reference process is only possible if the librarian has a deep knowledge of the collection, and is effectively teaching how to locate, evaluate and use information. (Reidling and Houston, 2019). My greatest challenge so far is listening. It sounds trite but when students ask for help I have a library full of students and I am trying to check in and check out books as well as manage student behaviours. I really want to find out what the student needs to tell me, but there are often interruptions. How can I improve upon this? I have made a Reference Interview Checklist for myself and have invited students to return to the library when it is not so busy so I can fully attend to their needs.  

Reference Interview Process
1. Open the interview (a need for information) Discover what the student really needs, and keep them informed of the process by: listening, interviewing, searching, and answering
2. Negotiate the question Look beyond the surface question. Ask process questions. Why is the question being asked? What is the subject of the question? What problem needs solving? What does the student already know? What is missing?
3. Search for information Develop a problem-solving strategy with the student. Where might the best information lie? What sources are most likely to be insightful, reliable, current? Identify and locate resources.
4. Communicate the information so the student has an answer, or response Information is sorted, and organized. Are different, additional resources required? Does the student understand the information? Has the student learned 'how to learn?'
5. Close the interview with an evaluation Has the need been met? Is the reference process complete?

Summarized from Reference Skills for the School Librarian by Riedling and Houston (p. 4,5, 90-93, 2019).

Analysis of our Reference Sources

    Our library Reference Section is located at the back of the library and would be better used if it was located in a more visible area. In my temporary role, I don't feel comfortable moving the section. The shelves are of medium height and accessible by all students. Included in this section are an assortment of atlases and encyclopedias, history books, animal books, dictionaries, thesaurus, art books and pop-up books. There are many duplicates of books and the publication dates, worn covers and faded spine labels reveal that the section is in great need of revitalization. Our reference section does not contain any bibliographies. Our library has many biographies and almanacs shelved in the non-fiction sections in the library, but not in the reference section. There is a collection of fiction books that would normally be published as novels but are published as large 'picture books' in the reference section as well. 

Why Our Selection and Services Need to be Improved

    The crowded shelves and disorganized nature of our Reference Section make it difficult to find information. The outdated resources are not helpful in meeting student learning needs, and actually make finding accurate resources more timely. This year there has been great demand for non-fiction resources used in report writing for classes from grades 2-7. The grades 2 and 3s requested arctic animal books, and books for Black History Month. The grades 4s have requested Indigenous books and books about the moon, and space. The grade 5-7s have researched governance, simple machines & energy and motion, and countries around the world. Most all of the resources that proved useful to students were non-fiction books shelved by Dewey and online resources. The Reference Section has been accessed to use dictionaries, space books, ancient Egypt (for a report about Egypt) and ancient Greek books (personal learning). The pop-up books are popular with younger students during their library visits but are not viewed for informational needs, however many of them are non-fiction books. 

    It is my opinion that our reference section in the library is not meeting our school's learning needs, although many of our non-fiction books are. The non-fiction books are newer, more accurate, easier to carry (smaller size) and can be borrowed and taken from the library, where the reference resources cannot. Digital reference resources can be accessed in the computer lab or when students have access to laptops or ipads. Currently we have one student accessible desktop computer for searching the catalogue, that can also be used to search for other resources. Our computer lab connects to the library so having more computers in the library has not been a problem. 

    How do our reference services measure up? I have strived to meet student and teacher's resource needs through reference interviews. As I mentioned, the resource section did not provide that information needed, but the non-fiction books almost always did. Digital reference resources were very helpful in meeting learner needs, especially for Black History month, country reports, and passion projects. 

Step by Step Plan 

    Improving our reference resources and services is up to me, and I am well under way in my Step by Step Plan.  The ongoing changes have been communicated to students during weekly library visits, and to teachers during 'Library Updates' at staff meetings and through biweekly email updates. 

Improving the Reference Resources Step by Step Plan	Completion Date
1. Remove duplicates, remove MUSTIE books	Completed Feb. 2024 (will be continuous)
2. Make and affix new spine labels to reference materials	Ongoing, will be completed April 30, 2024
3. Make spine labels and ‘stickers’ for pop-up books	Completed March 2024
4. Shelve non-reference materials in Fiction section (discard MUSTIE books, or store some in library office)	Will be completed April 30, 2024
5. Purchase new reference materials (Consideration List is well established)	Ongoing, will be completed May 30, 2024
6. Formalize Reference Interview process, with form	Completed March 2024
7. Procedure for documenting use of print reference resources	Ongoing, currently a log book, looking for ideas…
8. Acquire and set up second library desk top computer	April 5, 2024, computer acquired, wiring complete
9. Acquire 2 library ipads for accessing digital resources (I have requested 2 older ipads for library. I have been told I will get them when the new ipads arrive)	May 15, 2024
10. Create ‘labels’ for student planners with user name and passwords for BC Digital Classroom and Can-Core (given to teachers as well when demonstrated sites and login at December staff meeting)	Completed December 2023
11. Create digital resource list for students and teachers	April 5, 2024
12. Remove old couch, replace with two tables	Completed February 2024

The Refreshing Begins: Removing Duplicates and Weeding the MUSTIE Books

Duplicate Reference Resources

  

 Removing outdated duplicate books was quick and rewarding. Teachers gratefully took most of them after a staff meeting. I discarded  books without covers, with badly damaged covers, or books that were really outdated and were not of interest to our students. Some books I removed because the entire book was text and had no images. The remaining books have been getting new spine labels and stickers (if needed). 

Reference book without jacket cover

    

This books was discarded for having no images

    The 2004 encyclopedia set has been removed from the office shelf. I wrapped individual volumes in black paper and have put the books at the ends of shelves so that the shelved books don't get damaged when they are being pulled. The ends of the shelves are inset behind trim from the sliding bulletin boards and the books were getting thrashed. 

2004 World Book Encyclopedia set

Black paper wrapped encyclopedia book end

    The log book in the reference section works for tracking the use of reference materials for older students but not younger ones.  If I had a cordless wand for checking in books I was thinking I could just scan the books. I will check with other Teacher Librarians to see what they are doing and in the meantime, I just jot notes down when I see resources being used. I was thinking about trying to use old 'check out' cards in some way because I have boxes of them in the library office. 

    I moved our vast collection of art books to the bottom shelf of the reference resources shelving unit. The books are very large and heavy and the shelf they were on was sagging. Having these large, heavy volumes lower makes them easier to pull out onto the floor to view. 

    I have been adding new print resources to the Reference Section and have a robust Consideration List. The new picture dictionaries will be most useful to students if they can sign them out, but the new atlas, flag book, and topic specific encyclopedias can be shelved in the reference section. 

    Mixing some new high interest books in with the older resources in the reference section will help revitalize the section. My secret 'weapons:' 

Digital Reference Resources

  

 How do I transform our reference shelves into a 21st Century Learning environment? "The cost of maintaining current volumes of encyclopedias and almanacs is high, and most states now share the costs of providing these resources electronically. Without a doubt, the future of information services in the 21st Century school libraries will be predominantly delivered electronically and involve the school librarian in guiding students in locating and using these materials independently rather than directing them to a location on the library shelf." (Riedling and Houston, 2019). The following digital resources may be helpful to students and teachers in their pursuit of information for curricular and pleasure learning. I have been adding to the list as I learn of new resources that do not require paid subscriptions. The links are bookmarked on our Student Library Computer (soon to be computers). I will also make a sign with some additional information about the sites that will stand near the computers. I will (continue to) promote the digital resources with classes and teachers throughout the year and explore some paid subscriptions like Live It Earth (with a free trial).

Reference Resources (username and password required)

Can-Core BC

Focused Educational Resources

District of North Vancouver Library

Reference Resources

Atlapedia

BBC Earth

Canadian Space Agency

Canadian Encyclopedia

Canadian Geographic

CPAWS (Canadian Parks and Wilderness)

Encyclopedia Britannica

Fact Monster

Government of Canada Maps

Google Earth

Lonely Planet

Merriam-Webster Dictionary and Thesaurus

Collins Thesaurus

Fiction Reading Resources

Reading Rockets (author interviews)

Storyline Online

Fable Cottage

General Resources for Kids

CBeebies (BBC Kids)

CBC Kids

Promoting the Reference Resources

    

Salmon books and display

    When I started 'weeding' and refreshing the Reference Section in our library, I committed myself to promoting the resources. Bringing 'new life' to reference books at the back of the library meant setting up displays in highly visible locations and adding 'exploratory' or interactive features to the display. I started by setting up a salmon display using some of the large 'coffee table' books in addition to non-fiction, fiction and Indigenous books about salmon. I included salmon cards, and a salmon matching game in the display. The display was successful and the salmon books were highly circulated. When students asked to borrow the reference books it was a teaching opportunity. I pointed out the yellow R sticker and explained that Reference books stayed in the library for everyone to use. 

Atlas and flag book display

     I set up a display of geographical atlases (some new, some older, some for children, some for everyone). Near the display I put a basket of flag books, and language books. Once again, the displays featured both Reference Resources and non-fiction books. Occasionally, I was able to put out an ipad set to Google Earth in the display. The flag books were very popular and I decided to purchase a new one to add to the collection. Once again, promoting the books was successful. The non-reference materials were circulated frequently, and the reference materials became talking points with students.

Two of the new reference resources

    Part of promoting the reference resources will be encouraging students to explore and use some of the digital resources available. Having another computer set up in the library will enable this because the one computer we do have is used to search the library catalogue. My next steps will include setting up more interactive displays with 'maker' type activities with supporting print and digital resources all together in highly visible areas. I have a Maker Cart of activities all ready to set up and will rotate the hands on materials through displays in the coming months. 

Building a 'community of learners' is about connecting people and information. Expanding and promoting our reference resource collection, and improving our library services will provide the essentials for our community to grow and thrive together. 

Works Cited

AASL Empowering Learners: Guidelines for School Library Media Programs. American Association of School Librarians, 2017.

Asselin, M., et al. Achieving Information Literacy: Standards for School Library Programs in Canada. The Canadian School Library Association, 2006


Riedling, A. & Houston, C. (2019). Reference skills for the school librarian: Tools and tips, (Fourth Edition). Linworth.

Best Quotes About Libraries Librarians and Library and Information Science (librarianshipstudies.com)

Webliography

Can-Core BC

Focused Educational Resources

District of North Vancouver Library

Atlapedia

BBC Earth

Canadian Space Agency

Canadian Encyclopedia

Canadian Geographic

CPAWS (Canadian Parks and Wilderness)

Encyclopedia Britannica

Fact Monster

Government of Canada Maps

Google Earth

Lonely Planet

Merriam-Webster Dictionary and Thesaurus

Collins Thesaurus

Reading Rockets (author interviews)

Storyline Online

Fable Cottage

CBeebies (BBC Kids)

CBC Kids

 

Weeding and Selecting Our Library Learning Commons

 “Because in a library, just as in a garden, taking out unwanted items makes those left behind stand out.”                        Ian Chant

Part 1: What is the de-selection plan?

    In The Collection Program in Schools by Marcia Mardis, it says, "Weeding the collection has many benefits including the creation of more space, ensuring accurate materials, avoiding the cost of maintaining unwanted items, obtaining and keeping a reputation as a source of reliable information, and saving time in locating items." (Mardis, 2021).    

    However, it is Baumbach and Miller's definition of weeding in Less is More: A Practical Guide to Weeding School Library Collections that speaks to me. They define weeding as, "Selection in reverse. It is de-selection. Weeding is the act of re-evaluating items in the collection and removing any that are inaccurate, out of date, misleading, inappropriate, unused, in poor condition or otherwise harmful to students."  (Baumbach and Miller, 2006).

They go on to make suggestions on how to start:

• Begin with areas of curriculum change;

• Begin with areas of current interest;

• Begin with areas of the collection that get heavy use;

• Begin with areas in which you have interest and expertise;

• Begin at the beginning (Baumbach and Miller, 2006).

    I have developed a weeding plan that both 'begins at the beginning' and 'begins with an area of current interest.'  I have decided to evaluate the Dewey organized resources starting at 000 through the 399s. Not only does this subsection include the bulk of books about governance and human rights which was my area of focus in Assignment 2, but it allows me to start weeding ‘at the beginning.’ I have been weeding books on an ongoing endeavour as books have been circulating through the library all year. Books that have fallen apart beyond repair, were water damaged or comically outdated have been discarded.

    The rationale for why this area needs to be improved upon is that it is a widely varied subsection of the library. In our library, this subsection is the most diverse in topics within a small physical area. It contains some of the most frequently signed out books (Guinness Book World Records) and some of the least used books (government, folklore). It also contains outdated books on religion and philosophy which no longer reflect our diverse school community. There are three full shelves of 398.2 Fairy Tale/Folklore books that are very old and many of them have multiple copies. The only books that have been signed out from this section have been Greek Mythology, unicorn themed, and dragon themed books.

    The most obvious ways student learning has been impacted by the outdated nature of this section are the limited variety of current, age-appropriate resources on Canadian government, the lack of current resources about religions and cultures that are part of our school community and the washed out, crowded folklore section which is unfriendly to access.

    In teaching governance to several classes, most recently the grade 5s, I have used two print resources with the classes. Many of the other resources, although the book jackets were colourful and new looking, the contents were not written at an age-appropriate level, and there were no images, charts or photos to help illustrate the concepts.

    At our school we have a rapidly growing immigrant and refugee population. We are one of two schools in our district that has space for new students. Ramadan, Eid, Diwali, and Nowruz are celebrations that are not represented well in our library. Before spring break, every book on these topics was signed out. It became apparent that one book on Ramadan was simply not representative. Although this is not the focus of this assignment, I have reached out to other teacher-librarians about some recommendations.  The Meaning of Nowruz by Anahita Tamaddon (2020), paperback for $20, and Happy Nowruz: Cooking with Children to Celebrate Persian New Year (2015), paperback for $40, were two books that were most recommended. Ramadan Kareem by M.O. Yuksel (2024) hard cover for $25, and Looking for the Eid Moon by Sahtinay Abaza (2024), hardcover for $25 were two books that were recommended to me from the manager of the Edgemont Kidsbooks. All of these books are written by authentic sources and with the exception of Happy Nowruz, the books are recently published. I am adding them to my consideration list, and may purchase them (probably not Happy Nowruz because it is quite expensive) this year. The remaining titles total $70, without a discount or tax applied. 

    As for the 398.2 books, the cover jackets are very faded, many of the spine labels are unreadable, and the section is so crowed, students have difficulty pulling books out. Essentially, this section is unfriendly and unattractive to library users.

Eastview Library Weeding Plan

The weeding will take place the week before Spring Break so I can work on this assignment (with accurate data) during the break

The Teacher Librarian (me) and two teachers that have collaborated with me in the teaching of governance, and 1 support staff (Education Assistant) will be involved in the decisions

The timeline for improvement will be March 11- May 15 to provide time for weeding, decision making, purchasing new resources, and having paperwork completed before year end deadlines

I will communicate the changes to staff during our June staff meeting and to the returning TL at the end of June when she comes to ‘transition’ back to work

Policies, Procedures, and Practices That Will Inform My Work

By Jennifer LaGarde (2013) www.librarygirl.net

    I love acronyms so CREW, MUSTIE, and FRESH are first and foremost in my mind (and on my bulletin board in the library office) when I think of weeding the library. To be honest, the lengthy documents are overwhelming for me. I find the ‘handbook’ and brochure length documents more helpful. North Dakota State Library website has very helpful articles, videos and documents for weeding libraries. They have shared a generic library weeding policy adapted from CREW that I have based my policy on.

Image by BCPSLIS: Collection Maintenance Weeding and Library Inventory

Canadian School Libraries Adapted from CREW: A Weeding Manual for Modern Libraries

The following documents have guided me in my library deselection decisions:

Weeding Guidelines and De-selection Criteria by SD #35 Langley School District Teacher Librarians and Library Technicians (2017).

Weeding the School Library: The Counterpart to Selection by The California Department of Education, (no date).

Just Weed It! Library Girl's Tips for Keeping Your Collection...FRESH. Jennifer Lagarde (accessed March 22, 2024).

The CREW Method; Expanded Guidelines for Collection Evaluation and Weeding for Small and Medium-Sized Public Libraries, Texas State Library, (1995).

    North Dakota State Library's website Collection Development and Maintenance has a link to a generic library weeding policy that is adapted from the recommendations by the Texas State Library and Archives Commission in the 2008 publication CREW: a Weeding Manual for Modern Libraries, revised and updated by Jeanette Larson (accessed March 22, 2024).

Getting to it!

    With my favourite music playing in the background, and a rag for dusting shelves, I started going through the library books one by one. It didn't take long to make a pile of resources that I recommend for de-selection from our library. I made De-selection Book Slips adapted from those used by the North Dakota State State Library to identify why books were being de-selected. Not only, did I clean and tidy shelves as I worked, I found a book that had an inaccurate spine label, puzzle pieces, and a dead mouse. 

De-selection Book Slip           Date: Misleading, inaccurate, misrepresenting Ugly, irreparably worn, water damaged Superseded by newer edition, duplicates Trivial, inappropriate level or interest Irrelevant to community Elsewhere (in classrooms, online) Not authoritative Too many books on this topic

    This weeding assignment is organized into two parts: government books from all sections of the library, and Dewey 000-399. I am going to address the government books first, then the books in Dewey order until 399. 

Fiction, non-fiction, and 
Indigenous Governance Books

    I pulled all books related to governance including non-fiction, fiction, graphic novels, and Indigenous resources. The two most useful books in teaching are Who's In Charge: How Governments Make the World Go Round by DK, and The President of the Jungle by Andre Rodrigues. The books about prime ministers, although older, are still accurate historically and have informative photos. All of the Indigenous books are fairly new and accurate. Weeding the Indigenous resources has been an ongoing process for me since I started at the school so only authentic sources remain on the shelves, while also expanding the collection myself.

Books That Include  Indigenous Governance

    

     I have recommended de-selecting: Parliament: Canada's Democracy and How it Works by Maureen McTeer (1995), and Parliamentary Alphabet A-Z by Library of Parliament (2007). 

    The Parliament: Canada's Democracy and How it Works book is both in the library and in my personal collection, however, I have never actually used the book in my teaching. It has a beautiful cover and looks promising but contains page after page of black and white text (much like actual government documents). It is not reader friendly to me as a teacher, nor students, which is why both my copy and the library copy of the book look brand new. They have never been used! Using the MUSTIE checklist, it is considered 'Trivial' as it does not meet the reading level or reading interest of students. 

    The Parliamentary Alphabet A-Z book is a free book that is given to teachers from the BC Legislature. It is not useful or attractive to students. The pages have baby-ish images that do not connect to the parliamentary vocabulary and the book only lists the words and does not offer a definition or meaning. For example, Hansard is a parliamentary word that should be introduced to students, and on the H page there is a cartoon of hippo and the word Hansard and nothing else. It is no surprise that neither book has been signed out in over 10 years. Using the MUSTIE checklist, it is also considered 'Trivial' as it does not meet the reading level or reading interest of readers. 

 

     I considered weeding Our Great Prime Ministers, only because the title is biased. Who gets to say which prime ministers were great, or not? I have a hard time imagining that our Indigenous community members think that Sir John A. MacDonald's policies towards Indigenous peoples (or minority immigrant peoples of the time) were fair or ethical. However, the book is written from a neutral perspective so I have kept it for now. The book contains many archived photos that draw interest and are quite informative. The title of the book is a great discussion point with students. There are no audio or dvds in our library related to governance, and the only teacher resource is the Democracy in a Box kit which is new from CIVIX (2023). 

    

Incorrect spine label

As for weeding the Dewey organized non-fiction from 000-399, I used MUSTIE and FRESH guidelines to guide my choices. I found a math book All About Patttern  by Irene Yates that was mislabelled, so I put an accurate spine label on the book and shelved it in its home. Get Growing, and Money were two books that I de-selected for being 'Misleading' as they were so outdated that the information was not longer relevant or accurate. Neither book had been checked out in over 20 years! 

  The most challenging part of the deselection process occurred when I started looking at the 398. 2 Fairy Tales and Folklore section. It was easy to weed duplicates of books or books in poor condition due to excess age and use. The harder decisions were based on authenticity and relevance. 

    The following books have been pulled because they are duplicates or 'Superseded' according to MUSTIE: Three Cups of Tea, a novel by Greg Mortenson (2009), The Mermaid’s Muse by David Bouchard (1999), The Kids Book of Canadian Immigration by Deborah Hodge (2006), Babuska’s Mother Goose by Pat Polacco (2000), Anna Banana: 101 Jump Rope Rhymes by Joanna Cole (1989), Beatrix Potter’s Nursery Rhyme Book by Beatrix Potter (1989), Listen to the Wind  a picture book by Greg Mortenson (2009). These books are being stored in the library office for the time being. 

  

    As I mentioned earlier the Greek Mythology books are popular. The Children’s Book of Mythical Beasts by Dorling Kindersley (2020), is badly damaged and beyond repair. I have removed it according to MUSTIE for being 'Ugly.' A newer hardcopy edition can be purchased for approximately $ 25.

    

     I have recommended that the following books be weeded because they are 'Misleading' and non-authoritative largely because the authors are not authentic from the countries of which the story is from, or the images 'don't sit right' with me. I feel like parts of the book could be perceived as racist or misrepresentative, and my decision is backed by the fact that not one of the books has been checked out in the last 15 years. I would also consider de-selecting them on the 'Ugly' principle as the book jackets are worn, and faded.

The de-selected books are:  

The Blue Raven by Ted Harrison (1989)

The Honey Hunters by Francesa Martin (1992) 

Why the Tides Ebb and Flow by Joan Chase Bowden (1979) 

How the Ostrich got a Long Neck By Verna AArdema (1995)

Who’s in Rabbit’s House by Verna AArdema (1977) 

The Seven Chinese Brothers by Margaret Mahy (1992)

What’s So Funny, Ketu? By Verna AArdema (1982)

Part 2: What Next?

    Earlier this year I collaborated with a teacher (actually a few teachers) in the teaching of Social Studies: Canadian Issues and Governance.  The grade 5 Big Idea, 'Canadian Institutions and government reflect the challenges of our regional diversity' delves into the levels of government (First Peoples, federal, provincial, municipal), and their main functions and funding. The resources that I would recommend to enrich the teaching and learning of this curriculum include new resources on teaching Indigenous Governance, and some current titles on politics and democracy. I have also found some new online resources that could also be helpful in teaching governance as well. 

    I really liked the idea of 'book slips' to communicate why books were being weeded and it worked well for me. With that in mind I significantly simplified my two page original Selection Criteria Rubric into book slips that fit three to a page. Although the slip is simple, and meant to convey basic information to me (as a reminder), teachers and administration as to why the book has been purchased, a deep evaluation of the selected books has been based on suggestions from Focused: Apply the Selection Criteria,  Learning Resource Selection Model, and Canadian School Libraries Collection Diversity Toolkit.  

Selection Book Slip         Date: Title: ___________________Year__________ Author: _______________________________ Publisher / ISBN: _______________________ Cost: ___________ Supplier ______________ Curricular Connections: __________________ _____________________________________ Content (emotional & intellectually accessible, students can relate, currency) ______________________________________ Design (easy to locate information, organized layout, visually pleasing) ______________________________________ Perspectives/Bias?  _____________________ User need/demand (who made request, for what purpose?) ______________________________________

Notes:

    Simon Rose is an Indigenous author who has published several books on Indigenous governance. I recommend two of his newer books, First Nations, Metis, and Inuit Governance by Beech Street Books (2020) and Indigenous Life in Canada: Governance by also by Beech Street Books (2018). Both books have a table of contents and an index. In the introduction of both books he thanks all the elders and Indigenous community members that he consulted with in writing the books. As an author he seeks for accuracy and authenticity.  The books are written for grades 4-7 students and include current photos, and graphics. Both hard cover books can be purchased for approximately $35 (including tax and shipping).

 The book Politics and Government for Beginners is written by various authors and published by Usborne Books (2018). A hard cover can be purchased for approximately $20.The book has a table of contents and an index. The pages feature a variety of formats including infographics, speech and  thought bubbles, and coloured text boxes.  Scenarios are written in kid friendly language and from different perspectives. Some of the discussions are actually quite funny, but accurate. My first thought is that sections of this book could easily be adapted into role plays for students to teach government concepts to each other.

    

    Although written from an American perspective, Democracy for Dinosuars by Laurie Krasny Brown (2022), is a worthwhile addition for teaching governance to students. It is written for 6-8 year old children but is relatable to older students and adults. This non-fiction guide encourages readers to be engaged in the world and shows how democracy works and why it's important to participate.  It explores principles in a democratic society: freedom, fairness, the rule of law, equality, and respect for free speech. One of the scenarios in the book explores how students can advocate for keeping their school library open. A hardcover can be purchased for around $26, a softcover for $ 13.

    

    Several classes in our school study exceptional women, and Black Excellence. The Bold and Brave: Ten Heroes Who Won Women the Right to Vote by Kirsten Gillibrand (2018) is a useful resource to learn about governance and democracy. It is written from a female,  American perspective but focusses on human rights and democracy. A hardcover can be purchased for under $20.

   

    Another book that I recommend is The Politics Book: Big Ideas Simply Explained. It is written by many authors and published by Dorling Kindersley (DK). It is written for older students and adults but is very creatively written and laid out so the information on the pages is very accessible to all reading levels. Clear explanations, famous quotes, cartoons, timelines and charts help cover the history of politics around the world. A hardcover book can be purchased for under $35.

    I have recommended that our school purchase Kayak, a children's Canadian History Magazine. Our school district used to have access to it through our older, more robust BC Digital Classroom subscription through Focused Resources. Four issues are published a year, and a one year print subscription is $15. I am not sure why I have access but I seem to be able to view the entirety of past issues online for free. Rights and Freedoms, Black History Month, and Canadian Women Activists are a few of the previous issue titles.

    Some newly 'discovered' online resources about governance are Children First Canada, Discover Canada: How Canadians Govern Themselves, and Women in Parliament: 100 Years in Canada. 

    Children First Canada is a charitable organization that involves youth in shaping their place in Canadian issues. One of their mottos is 'Not for youth, with out youth.' In other words, involve youth in decisions that effect them. The website includes links to videos about National Child Day, Child's Rights Resources for teachers, and a Toolkit for Indigenous Youth in Canada. 

    Published by the Government of Canada, Discover Canada: How Canadians Govern Themselves is part of an online, or print document that is given to new immigrant families to help them become Canadian Citizens. It is online (or print) book with a table of contents, and index. It covers pretty much everything a student is expected to learn about Canadian governance in a jargon free, way.  It is available in many languages and can be read, or listened to in an audio format. 

    The Library of Parliament, Hill Notes, features a web article titled Women in the Parliament of Canada: 100 Years of Representation written by Clare Annett and Dominique Montpetit (2021).  The article explores the history of Canadian women in politics. It includes timelines, and graphs. All the names and elections are hyperlinked to additional resources. The article is also available in French. 

    The approximate cost of purchasing all the new recommended 'governance' resources is $173. Both Iron Dog and Kidsbooks offer school library discounts and there are no shipping fees. Both vendors can pretty much get any books for me but it does take 1-3 weeks. The only resources that they would not be able to get for our school would be Kayak, and possibly the two books published by Beech Street. I believe that purchasing these books will improve the currency and help meet the curricular needs of our school library. I absolutely have the money remaining in my budget (based on last year's numbers) to purchase these books, the Ramadan and Nowruz books, and the travel guides (mentioned in my first assignment).  

Here We Are!

    The books for de-selection will be placed in a 'holding area' in my office for a while. Eventually they will meet their 'end' with the removal of all school and school district identification (wide black permanent marker), and a satisfying DISCARD stamp in the front and back cover. Some of the books may be picked up by teachers, and the others will either be recycled by removing the covers, and putting them deep in the school blue bin, or dropping them off at the book recycling centre. 

    I have found through my time in the library that students 'know what they want.' They like to learn from books and request mostly non-fiction books that teach them specific skills. Students have requested First Aid books, Sign Language books, photography books, books on animal care, picture dictionaries (to learn Spanish, French, and Korean), books about cultures-all of these requests were for pleasure reading, not because they were assigned to learn about the concepts from their teachers. I have deep respect for the intellect of my students. I am confident that the weeding recommendations and selection recommendations meet my student's interests and personal learning needs. I know that they will prefer resources that contain a variety of literacy expressions (bold headings, graphics, photos, comics, colourful page blocking, etc) to plain black text on white paper.  

    Most of our students are drawn to graphic novels (741.5 is the most highly circulated subsection of our library) which makes me confident that The Politics Book, and Politics for Beginners, and Kayak Magazine will be of interest to students. Many of our girls that have immigrated recently are very interested in books about powerful women. Books about Malala (we have many) and female activists like Greta Thunbuerg are popular so I think that Bold and Brave will draw recreational readers, as well as interest when students write research assignments. I have checked our school library catalogue in Follett to make sure that these titles are not already in our collection, which they are not. I am not sourcing digital books at this time because our school district is in the process of looking at purchasing bulk subscriptions to digital books that can be shared across all schools and we have been asked to put purchasing of digital resources on 'pause.'

 In the meantime, the non-fiction 000-399 section of the library looks amazing, until the information hungry students return after spring break and lovingly mess it up in their search for knowledge. I look forward to it!

References & Works Cited

Baumbach, D. J., & Miller, L. L. (2006). Less is more: A practical guide to weeding school library collections. Chicago, IL: American Library Association.

British Columbia Building Student Success - B.C. Curriculum (gov.bc.ca)

Chant, Ian. The Art of Weeding | Collection Management | Library Journal June 23, 2015. 

Dorling, Kindersley. Who's In Charge: How Governments Make the World Go Round. Dorling Kindersley, New York, 2010.

LaGarde, Jennifer. Keeping Your Library Collection Smelling F.R.E.S.H! (librarygirl.net) October 1, 2013.

Mardis, M. A. (2016). The Collection Program in Schools: Concepts and Practices. (6th ed.). Santa Barbara, CA: Libraries Unlimited.

McTeer, Maureen. Parliament: Canada's Democracy and How it Works. 1995.

Rohrmoser, Chris. . Parliamentary Alphabet A-Z. 2007. Library of Parliament, Ottawa, 2007.

Rodrigues, Andre. The President of the Jungle. Nancy Paulsen Books Penguin Random House, New York. 2018

Canadian School Libraries, Introducing the CSL Collection Diversity Toolkit – Canadian School Libraries October 30, 2021 (accessed March 23, 2024).

Focused Resources, Focused Education - Selecting Learning Resources for the Classroom (mytrainingbc.ca), Vancouver, British Columbia, 2022.

Webliography

Equity-informed Weeding – Canadian School Libraries

A Simple Guide to Weeding your Library - Backstage Library Works (bslw.com)

Demystifying the Library: Weeding | Central Michigan University (cmich.edu)

Five Weeding Tips to Help Your Library’s Collection Bloom | Gale Blog: Library & Educator News | K12, Academic & Public

Weeding - Collection Development and Maintenance - LibGuides at North Dakota State Library

ld.php (libguides.com)

The Art of Weeding | Collection Management | Library Journal

Keeping Your Library Collection Smelling F.R.E.S.H! (librarygirl.net)

Who We Are - Children First Canada

Discover Canada - How Canadians Govern Themselves - Canada.ca

Women in the Parliament of Canada: 100 Years of Representation - HillNotes

Canada's History - Youth - Canada's History (canadashistory.ca)

  

     Incognito Weeding: Here is a 'two birds, with one stone' trick... I had a complete encyclopedia set from 2004 in the library office that needed to be discarded. I wrapped the volumes in black paper and placed them at the ends of the book shelves that have 'gliders,' or counter weighted boards that pull down. The books on the shelves were getting damaged because the shelves were inset deeper than the front. With the 'book blocks,' the library books can be removed and shelved without damage. 

The best of all reasons to weed school library bookshelves...