S.E.W. What?Selecting, Evaluating & Weeding

the School Library:

A Lively DiscussionPENNSYLVANIA SCHOOL LIBRARY ASSOCIATION CONFERENCE

State College, PAMay 1, 2009

10:45 a.m. – 12:00 p.m.

Mona KerbyCoordinator of the School Library Media Program

McDaniel CollegeWestminster, Maryland

rkerby@mcdaniel.eduhttp://www.monakerby.com

Resources

• Collection Development for the School Library Media Program: A Beginner’s Guide. Chicago: AASL, 2006. ISBN: 0-8389-8375.

• www.monakerby.com -- I’ve made links to articles I’ve written, this Powerpoint, an evolution of previous Ppts on this topic, and a blog called School Library Questions.

Our Purpose

• To learn from all of us—see how the majority of you believe and to see if we can learn from the few who have a different perspective;

• You are busy—in the next 1 hour and 15 minutes, can you provide me insight on how I can truly help you;

• We’re seeking some “Aha” moments. Let me goad you a bit, put you on the defensive as a way to think.

Essential Question

What’s your proof that you havean outstanding collection?

S.E.W. Session Objectives

• Share your responses on survey—size of collection & what sources you’re using;

• Provide selection sources & weeding guidelines;

• Suggest ways for me to help answer our essential question or modify it:

How to do you prove that you have an outstanding collection? Or, what does it look like?Volunteer note-takers?

Who are you?Out of 48 responses—• 14 are elementary librarians• 16 are middle school librarians• 18 are high school librarians

OLD CHART, Outdated?Suggested Percentage of Book Collection per Dewey Classification

K-6 7-12000s Generalities 2-5% 6-8100s Philosophy .5 1-2200s Religion 1-2 1-2300s Social Science 5-10 10-15400s Language .5 2-5500s Science 10 5-10600s Technology 10 5-10700s Fine Arts 5 5-10800s Literature 5 5-10900s History 20 20F Fiction 20 20-25E Easy Fiction 20-25 -

First draft. What else to include? Numbers?

K-6 7-12000s Generalities 2-5% 6-8100s Philosophy .5 1-2200s Religion 1-2 1-2300s Social Science 5-10 10-15400s Language .5 2-5500s Science 10 5-10600s Technology 10 5-10700s Fine Arts 5 5-10800s Literature 5 5-10900s History 20 20F Fiction 20 20-25E Easy Fiction 20-25 -Bios Paperbacks? Graphic? REFPlayaways? Cds? SC

About your collectionsElem. Middle High

Ref. 0.03 0.09 0.11

000s 0.01 0.01 0.01

100s 0.01 0.01 0.02

200s 0.01 0.01 0.02

300s 0.07 0.07 0.12

400s 0.01 0.00 0.01

500s 0.12 0.07 0.07

600s 0.06 0.06 0.08

700s 0.07 0.07 0.07

800s 0.03 0.03 0.10

900s 0.10 0.17 0.18

F 0.29 0.40 0.21

E 0.21 0.09 0.00TOTAL 11,247 15,112 16,100

Quick comparison of % old and new chart

OLD K-6 Elem OLD 7-12 HighRef -- 3 % -- 11 %

000s 2-5% 1 % 6-8 1 %

100s .5 1 1-2 2

200s 1-2 1 1-2 2

300s 5-10 7 10-15 12

400s .5 1 2-5 1

500s 10 12 5-10 7

600s 10 6 5-10 8

700s 5 7 5-10 7

800s 5 3 5-10 10

900s 20 10 20 18

F 20 29 20-25 21

E 20-25 21 - -

Graphic novels

Elem Middle High

TOTAL 56 90 63

How many databases do you have? Is this essential? Available from other source? Thoughts? Should I ask how many databases you need?

Elem Middle High

0 titles1-5 titles 12 10 7

6-10 1 3 5

11-20 2 1 3

More than 21 0 2 3

Total 15 16 18

Would you need the same number of books if you had access to online subscription databases?— What does this tell us? Is there a better way to ask this? What do I need to consider?

Elem Middle High

Yes 15 14 10

No 0 2 8

A Visionary?

“If you were to look at my collection, you may call it unbalanced. I am a believer

that some sections/topics are better accessed via online information, and I

direct patrons to those routes versus the print collection.”

--A Pennsylvania School LibrarianApril 2009

Using ProfessionalSelection Sources

% reading PRINT professional selection sources

90 % are not using multiple sources to select

54% use Booklist

40% use Library Media Connection79 % use School Library Journal15 % VOYA5 Book Links, 3 BCCB, 2 HB, 3 HB Guide, 7 VOYA

4 ALA lists, 4 Titlewave, 4 Teacher-Librarian, 2 SLMAM, 2 Novelist Plus through POWER Library,1 Library Sparks, I don’t use professional journals for book reviews.

Do you find that you are spending less time reading the print version of selection journals, and instead, you are now relying more on reading the online reviews?

Elem Middle High TOTAL %

Yes 7 14 13 56 %

No 8 2 5 44 %

A minor opinion?

“Reading reviews is done at home. Taking a shot in the dark with

Titlewave is time consuming and can't be done except at computer. I like my fuzzy slippers and snuggled

on my couch to read reviews.”

What you said about selection• 92 % don’t formally evaluate new purchases

• 71 % say don’t have enough time for selection and evaluation (elem 1 yes/14 no; middle 6 yes/10 no ; high 7 yes/11 no)

• Importance of collection responsibility—28 say most important; 19 say important; 1 says less important

Another Visionary?

“In the "old" days, it was easier to “know” the collection—before significant technology and our ever-changing roles. I believe collection development is a primary responsibility for

library media/specialists. If not, districts could send curriculum information to an outsourcing source for

selection and acquisitions.”

Comments, continued

• 88 % would be interested in some type of recommended list.• ”I religiously build lists based on reviews and try to keep

abreast of the trends in students' reading and support them.”• “Selection of fiction books relies heavily on cover.”• ”Collection development is not viewed as a priority by

administration who wants to know why librarians have so much free time.”

• I can't give statistics by Dewey because we use the A R program and identify books by AR level.

Comments

• List you are describing sounds similar to the ALA Best of the Best books.

• Don't need a top 100 books of year as Booklist does that as does AASL and we have two workshops at each PSLA conference Books of Note and Best of the Best that provide attendees with best book of previous year.

• I also rely on the PSLA Conference book sessions for good reviews. I attend the Best of the Best books for K-8 and spend time at the book preview exhibit.

• PA librarians have free access to Power Library and to School Library Journal, Booklist, etc.,

NEXTProfessional Selection Sources

Evaluating CollectionWeeding Guidelines

But now, take a quick stretch break.

Booklist

• Journal subscription rate $79.95 /22 issues • Approximately 125 reviews for K-12 readers per

issue• Reviews recommended books and all multimedia• Professional reviewers are on staff

School Library Journal

• Journal subscription rate $124.00 /12 issues• Approximately 300 reviews for preK-12

readers per issue• Reviews books, web sites, multimedia• Reviews can be positive or negative• Volunteer reviewers from around the country

Horn Book Guide

• Subscription rate $50.00 /2 guides yearly• Approximately 2,000 titles in each• Reviews books (no multimedia) of current

appropriate materials for preK-12• Rating system of 1 (outstanding) to 6

(unacceptable)• Professional reviewers and expert editors

Evaluation

• By improving average age• By improving the matches to a professional

retrospective selection source• By increasing curriculum matches• By increasing circulation statistics• By analyzing student interest

Curriculum ChartThird Fourth

Language Arts PoemsNorse MythsMyths & LegendsBiographyAutobiographyFictionNon-fiction

PoemsFolk talesSpeechesKing ArthurNovelShort storyplot/setting

Geography Maps & GlobesRivers of worldAncient VikingsSpanish explorationThirteen colonies

Maps & GlobesLongitude/latitudeRelief mapsMountain Ranges

Created by Judy Ward for Dorchester County School District

Comparing it to Curriculum

Dewey/

Subject

Grade Level

# remaining

after weeding

# of quality titles

# teacher requested

# to meet curriculum

needs

508 Seasons

K, 1

523.4 Planets

2, 5

595.7 Insects

2

Weeding—Briefly

I give suggestions for:• Picture Books• Fiction• Dewey divisions—some sections can be older

than others

Weeding Schedule

YEAR ENDING IN: 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 0

Class Interval

000 5 years √ √

100 5 years √ √

200 5 years √ √

300 3 years √ √ √

A Virginian visionary?

• “I think there needs to be a reassessment of the balance between fiction and nonfiction. Most nonfiction books are expensive and have a limited shelf value. Most students gravitate toward web resources. I’d like to keep a core collection of nonfiction books, a good list of web resources and databases for research, and a larger collection of fiction books to support independent reading -- promoting literacy at its roots.”

--A Virginia school librarian, Fall 2008

Closing Thoughts—My Plan

• Check circulation records of positively reviewed books and notable lists

• Devise a quick evaluation of recent book orders• Consider refining survey, asking only about % of

books by Dewey collection, and post on LM_Net

Your Plan• Establish a state S.E.W. day?• Discuss at district and state level the # of online

sources vs # of book sources• Ask Follett, Mackin, Baker & Taylor to add these

review sources—and perhaps you can make a commitment to only selecting books with 2-3 positive reviews:– Booklist– School Library Journal– Horn Book Guide– Wilson’s Catalogs– Notable Lists or New York Times Best Sellers?

In Closing

Continue pondering our essential question:

What’s your proof that you havean outstanding collection?

Please email me any suggestions atrkerby@mcdaniel.edu

Thank you.

Owney, the Mail-Pouch PoochSaturday morning 11:15