OASD K-6 Library 2016-2017
There has been much talk about the changes occurring in response to the elimination of the K-6 Librarian position. As is typical in matters such as this, there are also many misconceptions as well as many strong opinions as to what should happen with library in the absence of a K-6 Librarian. It is our hope that this information can clear up any misconceptions and also provide the facts about plans for the K-6 libraries moving forward.
Below is the plan to date:
1. During the months of June, we will work to do the following:
· Change the classification of all fiction books in the K-6 libraries to organization by genre. Following are the genres we would like to use:
Historical Fiction
Mystery
Action/Adventure
Humor
Animal Fiction
Sports
Realistic Fiction
Graphic novels
Fantasy
Sci Fi
Horror
· Weed out the non-fiction sections but NOT change the classification of non-fiction. To make it easier for K-4 students and teachers, we will limit the call number to 3 digits and use animated spine label stickers to help students find their choice. Otherwise, non-fiction will be left as it is. As students move into 5th grade we may introduce the rest of the Dewey numbers and continue to use animated stickers. **There are currently books in the SHS Library that also use such stickers and they are also used frequently in public libraries. Nina Thwaites will teach any necessary introductory lessons at the beginning of the school year.
· Fontas and Pinnell Guided Reading Levels will be downloaded into our existing book database so teachers and students can look up a book and find its level. This will prevent us from having to do the actual leveling and make it easy for all parties (teachers, students, aides) to find appropriate titles. We also are planning to put colored spine labels on books to indicate a level range:
Red: A-D
Yellow: E-J
Blue: K-M
Green: N-P* Any books higher than level P will be marked with another color to signify books for older readers or those reading well above grade level.
These fiction titles will then be organized first by genre, then alphabetically by author. They will NOT be organized by level. The colored stickers will serve as a guide in choosing a “just right book” along with the methods teachers will teach students in the classroom. In this manner, students still have choice and the ability to browse without being limited to a special “section” of the library.
We are considering then phasing out the leveling stickers as students transition from 4th to 5th grade. (Levels would still be available in the database) This would encourage students to use the methods they have been taught to find their just right book and to use Destiny (the library search engine) to find their books.
· Signage will be included in all libraries to remind students of how to select a just right book. The library aides will be able to make signs and label the non-fiction titles with the animated spine labels and delete the weeded titles in the database.
So, why make these changes?
1. The OASD Board of Directors has included the elimination of the K-6 librarian in the 2016-17 that will be voted on this month. Items in the budget such as this will not be voted on individually. The budget will be voted on in its entirety. Given the fact that it has made it into the budget, it is a pretty safe bet that it will happen. Thus, we have to move forward and be solutions oriented. No one believes that the elimination of a K-6 librarian is an ideal solution, nor does anyone believe that it will have zero impact on student programming. What we can do is work together to make certain it has minimal impact.
2. Research has shown that organizing fiction collections in libraries by genre increases circulation, student independence in finding books to check out, and authentic conversations about books among students (Dunne, 2015). The organization of fiction by genre more closely matches the way in which elementary students search for information (Dunne, 2015). Research also indicates that such organization can serve to motivate reluctant readers as often it is these students who are overwhelmed by libraries and are hesitant to ask for help. Students have also been found to explore certain genres more deeply, recommend genres to their friends, and to explore other books by the same author in a different genre.
3. Organizing fiction by genre will not only make students more independent in selecting books, but it will make it more efficient for teachers and aides, who are not certified librarians, to help students find books or direct them to a specific genre.
4. Students will still be exposed to the Dewey Decimal System when searching for non-fiction titles. In essence, we are going “Dewey-lite and not Dewey-less”.
5. We strive to take a less than ideal situation and make decisions that are best for students. Those decisions will hopefully have students using the library more independently, selecting books that they can read independently, and learning more about genre types. In the end, the goal is to support students in becoming life-long readers and critical thinkers. The ability to navigate a library and find information that is physically housed there is a skill that is needed less and less in the 21st Century. Libraries are adapting to meet the needs of their patrons.
6. Public libraries across the country either have or have considered going “Dewey-less”. They cite the benefits of customer satisfaction, locating and shelving items more easily. In a quote from an article in Public Libraries, an annual customer survey done by the Nevins Memorial Library in Methuen, Massachusetts, it was stated that “75 percent of its customers said they go to the library to ‘browse without a specific title in mind and Dewey organization didn’t meet their needs: it wasn’t friendly, and it wasn’t familiar.’ Complaints from users indicated they wanted the library to be more like a bookstore. Some customers were embarrassed to ask for help because they didn’t know how to use Dewey and felt uncomfortable” (Pendergrass, 2013, p. 16).
7. Most academic college libraries are organized by Library of Congress, not Dewey. Additionally college libraries are now digital as well as physical. To do research, you need to learn how to navigate different search engines online that the library subscribes to such as Proquest, ERIC, etc. in order to do research and access digital content as well as physical content.
We offer these facts, not in an attempt to persuade anyone to think differently about the elimination of the K-6 Librarian, but to provide information so that you can make an informed judgment about the plan moving forward.
If you have additional questions or concerns, please feel free to contact Elena Wilson, Director of Curriculum and Instruction: ; 610-593-8238 x3511
References for Further Reading:
Dumas, E. P. (2005). Give 'em What They Want! Reorganizing Your Fiction Collection by Genre.Library Media Connection,24(2), 20-22.
Dunne, K. (2015). Genrefication of the fiction collection in an elementary school library. http://centralspace.ucmo.edu/handle/123456789/417
Pendergrass, D. J. (2013). Dewey or don't we. Knowledge Quest, 42(2), 56+. Retrieved from http://go.galegroup.com.ezproxy2.library.drexel.edu/ps/i.do?id=GALE%7CA350979670&sid=summon&v=2.1&u=drexel_main&it=r&p=AONE&sw=w&asid=060ae30f0b0f131cc75bf390b93dca17