Libraries and their collections - initial thoughts from the introduction

‘The Windsor-Essex Catholic District School Board said last month that declining enrollment is forcing them to lay off 39 school librarians and close the libraries. The board is facing a $10-million budget cut next year. It lost 800 students last year and is projecting a similar loss next year.’ (CBC News, 2011).

The biggest issue facing the role of the school library within schools is a lack of understanding about the role of the teacher librarian and the library itself. For many people, a library is a place stacked with books; a place that has diminished relevance in an increasingly digital world. It is worrying, that when faced with budgetary cuts, one school board effectively wiped out what should be considered THE two most relevant and important resources within the school: the library and the qualified teacher librarian who works in it. How or why can this happen?

I have to admit, there are days when I wonder if I can fully embrace the digital change that is occurring in libraries. And when I read about schools such as the Windsor Catholic schools, who removed all of their libraries from their schools, there are days when I sit back and wonder if many of the changes that are happening are a case of throwing out the baby with the bathwater. This is troubling, when as discussed in the introduction to module 1, that there is no systemic research available yet, that provides guidance around whether these sweeping changes are actually of benefit to the school community.

This article ‘What to watch for in 2013’ (Shatzkin, 2013) points out an important fact regarding the transition of print resources to digital.  ‘Immersive Books’, those books that are read from the first page, through the last, have been easily produced in ebook format. “Other than immersive’ books – reference books, picture books, illustrated books are still lagging behind in transitioning to digital format, and could do so for the foreseeable future. In resourcing the school library, and advocating for the types of resources that are acquired for the collection, this is an important understanding to have.

There is much about this process that will ultimately benefit from hindsight. It is an undeniable fact that yes, we now live in the ‘information age’. And yes, most of what people want to find out, they look for on google. And yes, one can download ebooks from the comfort of their own living rooms. Does being digital really mean the death of libraries? I don’t believe so. But I also don’t believe that libraries can only survive by going completely digital. It will be interesting to see research into the book-less, all-digital library in San Antonio, Texas compared with other more hybrid library designs, particularly concerning the reading matter that CAN’T be accessed through this approach.

I cannot agree with a decision to remove all printed books from the school library at this point in time, when many resources have not yet made the successful transition to digital dominance. To do so, right now, restricts students from accessing literature that has not yet been moved into digital format. It restricts student access to a multitude of well-researched and accurate reference material that they can trust and use in conjunction with online research. At this point in time, if the entire library catalogue is digital, it restricts the students from accessing reference books, picture books, illustrated books. These are not just books that students choose to research from, but are books that provide the teacher librarian with the opportunity to foster a love of reading across all genres and areas of information. 

What is reassuring from reading this article and the follow up article, Libraries to return to Windsor Catholic schools (Jeflyn, 2011) are two things. One, the strong reaction from both the parents and students regarding the closing of what they considered an important area of their school. Secondly, was the subsequent back down from the board, to reintroduce libraries back into the schools through a partnership with the local public library system. It is reassuring to see the emphasis put back into book collections and exciting children about reading. It is wonderful so see how collaboration between the school library and local community in creating a resource space valued and used beyond the four walls of the school.  

I believe there is a definite and important place for both digital and print resources in our school libraries at the present time. The challenge for teacher librarians is balancing these two important aspects of the collection, ensuring a professionally managed and well-resourced library that creates and nurtures an information rich learning environment. With this challenge, comes a need for the teacher librarian to be an advocate for the place of the school library, educating and working with the school leadership team and key committees in developing a common understanding for the place of the library with the schools learning environment.  It is too early yet, to be throwing that baby out with the bath water.

References:

Australian School Library Association (ASLA) & Australian Library and Information Association (ALIA),  (2004). Standards of Professional Excellence for teacher librarians.  In Australian School Library Association::ASLA. Retrieved from http://www.asla.org.au/policy/standards.aspx

CBC News (May 12, 2011). Parents don’t want book shut on school libraries. In CBC News Windsor. Retrieved from http://www.cbc.ca/news/canada/windsor/parents-don-t-want-book-shut-on-school-libraries-1.1061505

Idea Logical Blog. (

Jeflyn, P. (Nov 15, 2011). Libraries to return to Windsor Catholic Schools. In CBC News Windsor. Retrieved from http://www.cbc.ca/news/canada/windsor/libraries-to-return-to-windsor-catholic-schools-1.1021028

Shatzkin, M. (Jan 2, 2013). The Shatzkin Files – What to look for in 2013. In The Idea Logical Company.  Retrieved from http://www.idealog.com/blog/what-to-watch-for-in-2013/

The ABC of it: Why Children's Books Matter

Last week, I was fortunate enough to go on holidays with my husband and children to New York City. Amongst various other activities that we crammed into our 2 days and 3 nights, was my desire to visit the New York City Public Library. Having lined up to see Santa at Macy's, gone up the Empire State Building, and with two tired children in tow, I was happy enough for us to walk past, and I get my photo and stand and look at a wonderful building that I see as a monument to the importance that libraries should hold in our society. On our last trip to New York, I had wandered the inside of the building, so I was content this time, just to stand in it's presence and soak it in for a minute or two.

Hubby was the one who spotted the banner advertising a current exhibition "The ABC of it: Why Children's Books Matter".

"Oh" I sighed.

And wonderful man that he is, who knows my love of libraries, of children and children's books, said he would take our girls back to the hotel to rest, while I stayed and looked at the exhibition.

Love that man.

And so in I went. And it was wonderful. The first book on display - a rare copy of the New England Primer (and although I was not supposed to take photos here is one anyway!)

and a copy of 'The Pictured World"

There was a copy of beautifully illustrated copy of Aesop's Fables from 1666. It is the only known copy in existence, as all the others burned in the great fires of London that year.

The exhibition examined very early texts such as William Blake's beautifully illustrated 'Songs of Innocence', Nathaniel Hawthorne's 'Wonder Book for Boys and Girls" (as well as a copy of The Scarlet Letter), accompanied by quotes from Rousseau and John Locke  through to early picture books from the 19th and 20th centuries including the Madeleine, The Snowy Day, Goodnight Moon and Harold and his purple crayon by Crockett Johnson. There was a wonderful display of the Dick and Jane earl readers and Dr Seuss.

and our family favourite 'Ferdinand'.

A tribute was payed to Lewis Carroll and 'Alice in Wonderland' with a letter from Charles Dodgson (Carroll) to Alice Lidell on display. Also prominent was a display on Where the Wild Things Are and the contributions authors such as Sendak and Carle made to both the written word and illustrations.

There was a focus area on multicultural literacy and picture books written throughout the world. Beautifully illustrated Japanese pocket books (I can't remember the author!), a copy of a children's book from early last century on Lenin from Russia, written in Islamic and other texts from across Asia, India, and Europe.

Hans Christian Anderson and the Brother's Grimm were displayed as were The Poky Little Puppy from The Golden Books. There was a wonderful area devoted to controversial / banned  picture books such as 'Pippi Longstockings', Judy Blume's 'Are you there God, it's me Margaret', Anne Frank 'A Diary of a Young Girl', 'The Rabbit's Wedding' by Garth Williams and Twain's 'Huckleberry Finn'.

Not to mention seeing the actual Winne the PooH stuffed toys that the story was written around. Awesome!

I was fortunate enough to join a docent led tour and this was wonderful, to have a librarian share additional and interesting information about the books, although I did enjoy the opportunity to also browse at my leisure.  I wish I had had a pen and paper to record more of what I had seen, or been more willing to 'break the rules' and photograph the exhibit.

Still, it was an amazing opportunity to see and explore this wonderful exhibition and walk through that glorious building.

My next goal is now to visit Toronto before the 14th of March to see the 'And then what happened? Series and Popular Fiction in Children's Literature''at the Toronto Public Library.