LIBE 467 Assignment #1: Evaluations and Recommendations

Part 1: Evaluating a Resource

It was evident in looking through the library resources at Kidston Elementary, that there was not a very large Reference Section. In fact, there is a single section, in the teacher resource room, that houses all of the Reference Materials that we have in the school. None of these resources are openly available to our student population.

Below are images of the collection we have available to our staff. I was torn in selecting my resource to evaluate, as I thought diving into the VHS collection would be fun. 

       

Dictionaries and Atlases

   

    DVD and, yes, VHS Collection

            

In the end, the atlases became my focus, as many of them had recently been used or are currently in use in classrooms. Our team of Grade 6/7 teachers, have class sets of these atlases, that were used during a Geography unit, and to study the United Nations, Government, and various complex global issues. Ironically, the most popular atlas in each class, was the 1989 edition of Nelson Intermediate Atlas. The teaching staff commented that it was used primarily to teach the use of an index, and it was easy to navigate. Using the key or legend, to teach the use of symbols, was also a key point. But, when it came to the study of global issues, it was evident that the maps and information in this resource was clearly out of date!

                                                                                            

  

The second book in our atlas collection, the 7th edition of the Canadian Oxford School Atlas, is not used as frequently. While it is a newer version, albeit still 1998 and 20 years old, the staff felt it was not as easy to navigate, and the maps are a little more complex. 

In the end, what made the biggest impact on me, was the fact that we are using resources from 1989, and 1998, and attempting to teach current topics, using these outdated resources. A search through our non-fiction section found that our most current and up to date atlas was from 2001, called An Atlas of the World. After just a quick glance, it was evident that this resource too, was out of date and not current enough for use with our students. 

The most current atlas in our library, a 2001 edition!

In looking at the standards for atlases, there is a correlation between Achieving Information Literacy: Standards for School Library Programs in Canada, and Riedlings Reference Skills for the School Librarian: Tools and Tips. Both suggest that reference atlases should be at most, five years old. In fact, Riedling suggests that "A five-year-old atlas is considered historical" because "Our geographic world is changing rapidly" (Page 80). 

An Evaluation of the atlas collection at Kidston Elementary:

	Not Meeting	Meeting	Exceeding
Purpose	Little or no connections to the curriculum, accessible for one user	Most of the material supports curriculum standards for some grades 2-7, searchable with guidance, accessible for more than one user (e.g. if print – have more than one copy)	Fits needs of  intended audience (many Gr. 2-7 curricular connections) snapshot of a country, data and maps of country, accessible for many students to use at once, easily searchable
Publisher	Neither respected nor  well known reputation	Good reputation	Well respected, reputation well known for quality geographic materials, credible authors and editor
Currency	More than 5 years old	0-5 years old, not updated yearly, majority of material is current	Includes changes in today’s world, updated every year, current content, provides date of latest update or most current edition
Format	Print only,  vocabulary difficult, poorly organized, appropriate for a limited audience only	Audience friendly for several grades, easy to read, layout clear Grades 4-7 primarily	Grade 2-7 audience friendly, easy to read, pictures, clear site/book layout, strong organization of web design/book, flexibility
Content	Little information,  limited access, not user friendly (Primary grades), maps/scales/indexes not clear	Comprehensive, easy-to-use educational resource (for grades 4-7)	24/7 information access, scale is appropriate for Grades 2-7, maps are clear, colourful and informative, comprehensive and user friendly index, table of contents

It is very clear, that while our atlases are from reputable publishers (Scholastic, Nelson, and Oxford), the collection is out of date, historical, and can only really service our intermediate population. Our teachers would prefer these resources not be discarded, as they still provide samples of indexing, and how to read maps, but, newer and more current atlases and maps are needed in our collection. Preferably online sources, that can be frequently updated, and hold their "currency" for a longer period of time. 

When looking at these reference books in terms of relevancy, currency, curricular connections, efficient use of library space, and purpose we can determine whether or not it a useful part of the collection.  As Riedling states, an atlas is "...simply a volume of maps. Atlases can provide, at a nominal cost, maps of the whole world." (Page 80).  Because an atlas gives geographical answers and knowledge of the world around us it is a resource that is needed in the library collection. In a survey of our staff, a conclusion was that an atlas is needed for elementary curricular areas such as social studies-human and physical environment and language arts-reading different materials for a purpose. But if this resource was web-based or engaging for a wider range of grade levels, how might the use change? I think of the students in our Grade 1 and 2 classes, that chase Flat Stanley around the world throughout the year. What skills and knowledge could those students access, if we had a current and more up to date selection, that was grade level appropriate. 

Part 2: Replacing a Resource

So now the task of finding a resource or multiple resources, that can replace the outdated collection that we currently have in our library. I'm always of the mindset, that I would first like to look at the free options, and once those sources are exhausted, find out what other teacher-librarians have been using with their students. Luckily I was able to contact a couple of my colleagues, and they offered some support in the area of atlases, and online resources they have used with students at their schools. As well, I came across a "Top 10 World Atlases" site, that gave me some further ideas. While I am not sold on the idea of adding print copies to our collection, given the fluid nature that goes along with our geographic world, I do like that there are resources available for all grade levels. 

We do not yet have the technology at our school, to offer this option to all of our divisions on a regular basis. We are currently looking at ways to expand the availability. The majority of the technology is used in our intermediate grades, so I need to be aware of this when selecting the resources that I will offer as a potential replacement. 

World Atlas: https://www.worldatlas.com/

This site is not a paid site, so it contains advertisements. While at times the layout, including these ads, can be a little cluttered, the site itself offers and extensive look into world geography. There are full colour maps, statistics, and facts about all of the countries in across the World. It has a very interactive feel, and offers simple "fast facts" as well as many more detailed options about continents, countries, and cities. A useful resource for students in the intermediate grades.  

Atlapedia: http://www.atlapedia.com/

This is another free site, that contains advertisements. I do, however, like that layout, as it offers a cleaner look, and access to an index of both maps and countries in the world. Each country has a large list of detailed facts, and I particularly drawn to the Modern History section. Students can access political maps, facts, statistics, and a wide range of information about each country. 

Canadian Atlas online: 

http://www.canadiangeographic.com/atlas/intro.aspx?lang=En

This resource is available in both English and French. The "Glossary of terms" section would have been helpful for our Grade 5/6 students, when they were working on a French Culture research project. Having access to maps that allow the student to see where many groups such as the French Acadians lived, would have been a beneficial tool. While there isn't as much available in terms of the physical maps, there is some good vocabulary and links to the Canadian culture. 

Owl and Mouse Online Atlas: 

http://www.yourchildlearns.com/online-atlas.htm

This is a resource that I feel could be used with younger grades. While it also has advertisements, it does offer a simpler look, and some general information about each country. There is less content to search through, and larger visuals that may appeal to a younger audience. 

Top Ten World Atlases: https://wiki.ezvid.com/best-world-atlases

The video below, outlines ten possible options for replacements atlases. Keeping in mind, that an atlas can be considered outdated or historical once it is 5 years old, many of the ten options would not be a cost effective replacement. However, there is one atlas I would consider as a replacement, in the from of a class set, that could help support both our primary and intermediate students. Although, I would want to have one of the sites listed above, to help further support our students in grades 4-7.  

Lonely Planet Amazing World Atlas 1st Ed.: Bringing the World to Life

This atlas would be great for students in both the primary and intermediate grades. It has a unique and fun layout, that is not as formal as many of the atlases we typically see in the classroom. While it does not include information about all countries, it does incorporate some interesting topics such as sports and pop culture. For me, this resource would be in the meeting to exceeding in all of the five of the categories used to evaluate our current resources. The only issue would be five years down the road, when the currency would start working towards not meeting. I think, in conjunction with some of the online resources above, it could be a cost effective way of having some print resources, as well as online options. 

Cost: $22.51 for a hardcover copy, and as low as $6.50 for a used copy on Amazon

          $12.60 for a Kindle version

In conclusion, the search for an atlas resource that will be worth the purchase, has been difficult to find. Spending money on something that will essentially become outdated in five years, makes me want to focus on a selection of online alternatives, that work for both the staff and students. I feel this would be a discussion to have at a staff meeting, to understand the wants and needs at each grade level, in order to spend our money with a purpose. What I do know, is we need an alternative to the 1980's and 1990's resources that we currently have available! 

Resources:  

Asselin, M., Branch, J., & Oberg, D. (2003). Achieving information literacy: Standards for School Library Programs in Canada. Ottawa: Canadian School Library Association.

Atlapedia.com,. (2019). Atlapedia® Online. Retrieved 3 February 2019, from http://www.atlapedia.com/

Map, W. (2019). World Atlas / World Map / Atlas of the World Including Geography Facts and Flags - Worldatlas.com - WorldAtlas.com. Worldatlas.com. Retrieved 3 February 2019, from http://www.worldatlas.com/aatlas/world.htm

Online Atlas - maps of all the countries of every continent and region. (2016). Retrieved from http://www.yourchildlearns.com/online-atlas.htm

Planet, L. (2016). Amazing World Atlas: Bringing the World to Life (Lonely Planet Kids). Footscray, A: Baker & Taylor.

Riedling, Ann. (2013). Reference Skills for the School Librarian: Tools and Tips, 3rd Edition. ABC-CLIO. Kindle Edition.

The Canadian Atlas Online – Home. (2019). Retrieved from http://www.canadiangeographic.com/atlas/intro.aspx?lang=En

Top 10 World Atlases of 2019 | Video Review. (2019). Retrieved from https://wiki.ezvid.com/best-world-atlases