Professional Learning: Home
Welcome to the Monroe One School Library System Professional Learning Guide. You can find any of our electronic handouts from past workshops, a calendar of upcoming workshops with links to register, and more.
The next tab over is a discussion board where we can ask questions and communicate with each other in a central location. You must have a LibGuides account in order to participate in the discussion board, so if you do not have one, please contact Liesl Toates to get one set up for you.
Academic OneFile Info
Use Academic OneFile to access Knowledge Quest, the Journal of the American Association of School Librarians, and American Libraries, the Magazine of the American Library Association.
As this resource is provided by NOVELny, you can use the geolocator to log into Academic OneFile. If you are trying to log in at home, you can use your NYS driver's license to gain entry.
Academic OneFile
- Academic OneFile
A comprehensive collection of authoritative periodicals and scholarly journals.
School Libraries Impact Studies & Articles
We all know that school librarians make a huge difference for student achievement and well-being, but sometimes those facts get overlooked. We've collected articles and impact studies so that you have them at your fingertips whenever you need them.
Use the tabs above to navigate to what you need.
- Download your own: 2016 Edition SCHOOL LIBRARIES WORK! A Compendium of Research Supporting the Effectiveness of School LibrariesSchool Libraries Work! seeks to empower librarians, classroom teachers, school and district leaders, policy makers, parents and communities by arming them with the most powerful research-based frameworks, recommendations, and support for school library programs.
- Why school librarians matter: What years of research tell usby Keith Curry Lance and Debra E. Kachel Phi Delta Kappan (The professional journal for educators) March 26, 2018
- Strong School Libraries Build Strong StudentsLamos, S. (2013). Strong school libraries build strong students [Infographic]. Provided by the American Association of School Librarians
- a division of the American Library Association
The Impact of School Libraries on Student Achievement: Exploring the School Library Impact Studies (2010)
Jamie Helgren, LRS Research Fellow, and Keith Curry Lance, consultant at RSL Research and former Director of the Library Research Service, discuss the impact of school libraries on student achievement in this seven part video series, produced by Sean Lamborne, LRS Research Fellow, in November 2010. View the videos below, or on Vimeo at http://vimeo.com/album/1480129.
Statewide school library impact studies have been conducted in many U.S. states. A handful are listed below, starting with New York State.
- The Impact of New York’s School Libraries on Student Achievement and Motivation: Phase ISmall, Ruth V.; Snyder, Jamie; and Parker, Katie. (2009). “The Impact of New York’s School Libraries on Student Achievement and Motivation: Phase I.” American Association of School Librarians.
- The Impact of New York’s School Libraries on Student Achievement and Motivation: Phase II—In-Depth StudySmall, Ruth V., and Snyder, Jamie. (2009). “The Impact of New York’s School Libraries on Student Achievement and Motivation: Phase II—In-Depth Study.” American Association of School Librarians.
- The Impact of New York’s School Libraries on Student Achievement and Motivation: Phase IIISmall, Ruth V.; Shanahan, Kathryn A.; Stasak, Megan. (2010). "The Impact of New York‘s School Libraries on Student Achievement and Motivation: Phase III", School Library Research. American Library Association.
Reports from other States:
- Report of Findings and Recommendations of the New Jersey School Library Survey Phase 1: ONE COMMON GOAL: STUDENT LEARNINGTodd, Dr. R. J., Gordon, Dr. C. A., Lu, Dr. Y.-L. (2010, July). Report of findings and recommendations of the New Jersey school library survey, Rutgers, the State University of New Jersey, School of Communication and Information. Center for International Scholarship in School Libraries (CISSL).
- Change in School Librarian Staffing Linked with Change in CSAP Reading Performance, 2005 to 2011Lance, K., & Hofschire, L. (2012). Change in School Librarian Staffing Linked with Change in CSAP Reading Performance, 2005 to 2011. Denver, CO: Colorado State Library, Library Research Service.
- Fast Facts: Increased Library Staff Links to Higher CSAP ScoresLance, K. C. (2010, November 23). Increased library staff links to higher CSAP scores [Fast Facts]. Retrieved from Library Research Service website
- School Librarians Continue to Help Students Achieve Standards: The Third Colorado Study (2010)Francis, B.H., Lance, K. C., Lietzau, Z. (2010). School librarians continue to help students achieve standards: The third Colorado study (2010). (Closer Look Report). Denver, CO: Colorado State Library, Library Research Service.
- How School Librarians Help Kids Achieve Standards The Second Colorado StudyLance, K. C., Rodney, M. J., & Hamilton-Pennell, C. (2000, April). How school librarians help kids achieve standards: The second Colorado study [Executive summary]. Retrieved from Library Research Service website
Collection Development
Collection Renewal
What a gloriously uplifting term! What it really means?
Weeding.
Whether you've just inherited an old collection, you haven't had the time to look at your catalog, your administrators or school culture doesn't like to get rid of books, or you have difficulty making those difficult decisions yourself, you most likely have a collection that needs to be weeded. It's a struggle that School Librarians face continuously.
Time marches on.
And on,
and on...
And as we purchase new materials, we need to consistently weed out old materials. Therefore, we'll be spending some time writing posts that provide information vital to keeping your collection up to date, easy to navigate, and useful for your students.
Today we're going to start with WHY?
Weeding your school's library collection is vital for a variety of reasons:
- Weeding helps to keep the information in your collection up to date and relevant.
- Students will be better able to find the books they want or need.
- If you don't weed, you will eventually run out of space.
- A clean, weeded library shows that the librarian cares about the collection and the patrons who access it.
Yes, we know you already know all of this. But sometimes it's difficult to put into action, and sometimes it's even more difficult to convey it to others. So here are some articles you can share when you need to convince someone else.
Weeding to Let My Collection Grow by Christine James (Knowledge Quest, 2017)
Weeding without Worry (American Libraries, 2016)
Keeping Your Library Collection Smelling F.R.E.S.H! (The Adventures of Library Girl, Oct 2013)
Most importantly: Before you dive into a full-blown weeding session, make sure you know your school policy on removing library resources from the collection. We hope these resources are helpful to you.
The first tab in this box is about weeding and about how keeping your collection clean can help your students to find quality, up-to-date resources. In this tab we look at two extremely popular weeding methods. Of course, first, you should be aware of your library's collection policy and whether it lists criteria to consider when weeding.
CREW: Texas State Library and Archives Commission, out of Austin, Texas, put together this very widely used weeding manual, (CREW stands for Continuous Review, Evaluation, and Weeding). This manual outlines why, how, when, and how much to weed. It also includes a checklist of weeding factors. Criteria starts on page 15 and asks you to consider (among other things) the needs of your patrons, the usefulness of your items, and the availability of similar items in a digital format.
FRESH: Jennifer LaGarde, a.k.a. Library Girl offers tips for keeping your collection "fresh", and this is specific to school libraries.
(Click the "FRESH" link above for a full post about her method.)
Some weeding resources are linked below for your convenience:
The Art of Weeding | Collection Management (Library Journal, 2015)
Weeding Your School Library Collection (National Library of New Zealand)
Less is More: A Practical Guide to Weeding School Library Collections (Book from ALAstore)
If you have 33 minutes to spare, have a listen to episode 36 of the Dewey Decibel podcast (brought to you by American Libraries). This episode, titled "Spring Cleaning: Weeding Your Collections" covers all different aspects of the weeding process. It even covers weeding intangible items such as ebooks.
For more Dewey Decibel, see: https://soundcloud.com/dewey-decibel-703453552
Library Makerspaces
Having trouble making an argument for having a Makerspace in your library? Check out the articles linked below.
- Why the School Library is the Perfect Place for Maker Educationby Natalie Orenstein
In the very first line of this 2017 article, the author quotes ex-school-librarian, Valerie Jopeck, as saying, "Libraries are all about inquiry," and the rest of the article is dedicated to proving this statement. - School Library Makerspaces: the Bold, the Brace, and the Uninitiatedby Michelle Davis
This article from November 2017, outlines reasons why the school makerspace should be in the library. First and foremost, because the library is already a center of learning and inquiry. - Making Space for New Library Learning: A Makerspace Journeyby Michelle R. Davis
This ebook, written when she was a grad student at the University of Saskatchewan, documents the implementation of a school library makerspace at the elementary level.
She devotes a chapter to why the Makerspace should be positioned within the School Library/Learning Commons. - The PIPELINE: Influence--Real Makerspaces in School Librariesby Stephen Abram
This article is from 2015, but is still relevant today. While he begins the article with a whole-school focus on making, he narrows it down to the library. "The library usually has the space, talent, skills, technology, hours, and collections." He goes on from there to explain why the library is a unique resource for supporting STEAM and Making in schools. - Literature Supporting Makerspacesby Megan Daley
In this article from July 2016, Megan presents information about texts which support the makerspace movement.
Skip past the first two large images and a few paragraphs, to the header, "Why the School Library?" What she talks about here is associated with Australian schools, but not specific to them. Everything she mentions is applicable to New York State schools, and the book list she provides is quite valuable.