School Libraries: Part of a Global Network of Libraries for the “Information Generation”

Ray Doiron, Ph.D.Faculty of Education, UPEIQuebec Library Association

May 10, 2003

Introduction: Questions that have plagued me

When it comes to school libraries, why don’t people get it?

How do people think we can prepare information literate citizens when we have such poor school libraries?

How can we have a learning society without a comprehensive and nation-wide network of libraries accessible to all citizens throughout their entire lives?

Goals of Today’s Session

Explore the current status of school libraries in Canada

Examine the evidence that school libraries make a difference. De-bunk myths about school libraries.

What’s happening to ‘turn the tide’. School libraries as part of a National Network

of Libraries

Session Outline

Cross-Canada Check-up The Canadian School Library Scene What do school libraries do to support literacy? What does the research say? Canada’s Network of Libraries Turning the Tide

National picture

– CMEC - focus national standards, testing and mobility

– Curriculum consortia formed– Focus on core curriculum - math, science.

LA – other areas extra– IT in a big way - Industry Canada,

SchoolNet, CAP ....

National Picture (continued…)

– Family and adult literacy emerge as major social, educational and political issues

– Downsizing - consolidation — municipalities, boards, airlines, gov. Depts.....

– Globalization - Canadian culture/content go head-to-head with U.S & WWW

– The Learning Society … policy goal

Regional interpretations of the National Picture

– New regional curriculum has no role for SL - housing & access

– Move to technicians and volunteers - someone to ‘run’ the place.

– Deterioration/elimination of teacher education for T-L’s– Ministries of Education drop SL consultants– Some educators/T-L’s resist ICT – classroom teachers are

expected to teach information literacy. – Expectation for R-BL, Information Literacy and ICT

competence – The Classroom has become the unit of provisioning.

The School Library picture

– Traditional problems have become magnified and more widespread. Pockets of support and barren regions

– Information literacy slow to be accepted – now it is our turf.– SL community embraces ICT – for management and in new

instructional ways.– Push for ICT - diverted us from our traditional roles of

connecting children to Canadian culture.– Retirements and aging demographic create vacuum. – Deterioration in influence of national/provincial associations.– View of traditional organizations as service providers - not

passion for a cause.

How Serious is The Canadian School Library Scene?

School District evidence University programs for new teachers and

new teacher-librarians. Book sellers, publishers

Examining the School District Evidence

Per capita spending on SL resources

Teacher-librarian cuts – De-professionalizing of

teacher-librarian work. Hiring technicians and

using volunteers.

What’s happening in University Programs?

Down to 3 Diploma Programs in SL 3 others have some activity – remainder are gone. Little evidence that Faculties of Education are

teaching new teachers about the role of the SL, even for resource provisioning.

New training programs expecting information literacy and R-BL when they get to the system, but it is not there.

National Library and Stats Can

Stats Can and National Library Study showed a serious drop in purchasing of Canadian books & materials for school libraries. www.nlc-bnc.ca/9/14/index-e.html

Same report: Children have less access to the collections of materials that are there. Cited: less than 20 hours per week many SL are even opened.

Today’s Information Generation

The first children of the information age. “bathed in bits since birth.” (Tapscott,1998 – Growing up Digital.)

The TV Child was passive but the information generation is active and creative.

Internet is the land of limitless possibilities and opportunities” ( Aphek, Edna. http://www.acm.org/ubiquity/views/e_aphek_3.html

Negroponte – “playing with information” (Being Digital, 1995.)

What does it mean to be Literate today?

Still operate with Reading and Writing Definition Multiple Literacies prevail – oracy, numeracy,

scientific literacy, computer literacy, Web literacy, Visual literacy, media literacy…..

The ‘New” Literacies …. Literacy associated with the use of information and communication technologies.

The Future Isn’t What it Used to Be

Thornburg article: www.tcpd.org From Content to Context Two major skills for learners. From “Earning a Living” to “Learning a Living”

A Paradigm Shift

Just in Case to Just in Time The learning experience of most people

outside the school system has already made this change.

When the rate of change inside the institution is less than the rate of change outside, the end is in sight!

What Do School Library Programs do to Support Literacy?

Access to resources- Canada’s cultural heritage – our national endowment

Access to global resources – bookmarked sites, thematic resources, local community resources, other libraries, & human resources.

Connecting curriculum goals and resources. Support reading programs through school-

wide literacy promotion.

Supporting Literacy (part 2)

Supports cross-curricular programs through science fairs, heritage fair, research projects, guest speakers,

Help students select materials to match level and interest.

Teach children how to use resources for their learning.

Teach students information literacy learning outcomes.

Collaborate with teachers to integrate new ICT and other resources.

Key Point to Remember

A school library is just a place to store materials. However,

A school library with a qualified teacher-librarian is powerful force

for curriculum implementation, for the efficient and effective use of learning resources,

and for students’ achievement of a wide range of learning

outcomes.

Research Supporting School Libraries

Lance studies; Haycock review Todd studies – information literacy Williams & Wavell – study skills, Krashen – power of reading Canadian Researchers - Oberg, Branch, Barronik,

Asselin, Doiron Gniewek – research summary

http://librarypower.phila.k12.pa.us/clemente/gniewek.html

Key Points to Remember about Research

We believe research that confirms what we already believe or want to believe.

We refute, dismiss or ignore research that challenges us to act differently and change what we believe.

The movement to “evidence-based practice.”

Ways to Ignore the Evidence

Beat around the bush. Drag your heels. Run around in circles. Jump on bandwagons. Accept as true, these three myths about

school libraries:

Myths about School Libraries

Myth 1: Libraries are expensive – nice to have if we have the money.

Myth 2: We don’t need books. WWW has everything we need. (Canadian content..)

Myth 3: We don’t need teachers in the school library positions. Technicians and volunteers will do just fine.

Turning the Tide

National Library of Canada initiatives Coalition for Canadian School Libraries Canadian Library Association (CLA) Canadian School Library Association (CSLA) Association for Teacher-Librarianship in

Canada (ATLC) National Standards Document

Turning the Tide (continued…)

Provincial Initiatives:– British Columbia – IT policies– Alberta – Quality Education & School Libraries– Ontario evidence – Info Studies, OSLA, Summit– PEI – BIL, Ministerial Directive

Canada’s Network of Libraries

Major library areas – public, school, academic, special and virtual libraries.

Home libraries – desktop libraries Lifelong Libraries for Lifelong Learning The ‘weakest link’ Building a Library Network.

Building Canada’s Library Network

Beyond library services. Library community, not “library sectors.” Libraries: A national imperative. Libraries as “learning institutions.”

A final thought …

As school libraries go, so go us all.