LIBE 463 - Assignment #3 - Selection & Weeding Report

   

In with the new!

Out with the old...

   















Area of Focus & Rationale:

Area of Focus: Grade 3 Animal Research & Writing

Curriculum Links: Science & Language Arts

For this report, the focus will be improving a subset of our non-fiction collection, with a specific focus on the Zoological Sciences section of Dewey (590-599). While we have a very expansive collection, many of our titles are outdated, worn, and many lack relevant information. Mardis outlines some benefits of weeding as, “The creation of more space, ensuring accurate materials, avoiding the cost of maintaining unwanted items, obtaining and keeping a reputation as a source of reliable information, and saving time in locating items” (2016). Each year, our Grade 3 students produce a research related project, with a focus on an animal of their choice. In terms of the statement by Mardis, we feel we are lacking in the area of being a reliable source of information. Students often find it difficult to research information on their animal of choice (limited variety in the collection), and many of the current resources are inaccurate or above the reading level of the student. As well, our shelves are so full, that students can be overwhelmed in their search. We welcome the creation of space and an updated collection that includes items that will engage students at all reading levels.

As well, this is an area of high interest for the entire school population.These items in the collection are circulating frequently, and therefore often become damaged and must be repaired on a regular basis. Some of the items will be explored in Part 2, when we recommend items for weeding. Ultimately, our goal is to create a collection of resources that can be accessed by both our teachers and students, for use in project based learning and general learning enjoyment in the area of animals.


Step-By-Step Plan of Action

For this portion of the project, we will be using the CREW method (Continuous Review, Evaluation & Weeding) with a focus on the MUSTIE weeding strategy to evaluate individual resources (Mardis, 2016). We will also refer to the School District 22 Policy for weeding and discarding materials as follows:

Materials should be discarded for the following reasons:

a) they contain outdated or inaccurate information;

b) they depict negative role stereotypes;

c) they are no longer useful for curricular support or recreational reading;

d) they have not circulated for a number of years; or

e) they are in poor physical condition.

• After weeding, all withdrawn materials should be removed from the collection and disposed of in an appropriate manner. 

 For our specific collection, we will use the following steps in our plan of action:

Weeding Process: 

• Collection Analysis will be completed using a report from Insignia. This report allows us to analyze and assess our current collection closely in terms of data. (Current collection in Zoological Sciences include 901 titles, with an average age of 1988. Many books date back as early as the 1970's).

• Titles with a date prior to the year 2000 will be closely analyzed using the MUSTIE method, with a primary focus on physical condition, relevancy, and the overall needs of our school community. Titles post 2000, will be evaluated further at the discretion of the TL and library clerk.  

• Staff members will have an opportunity to re-evaluate items that have been marked for weeding. Any materials that are worn beyond repair or deemed inappropriate/irrelevant will not be part of this process. Titles that may be duplicate copies of a relevant text or resources that we may have "on the fence" will be available for a second round of review.  

• Any items marked to discarded will:

1. Have the barcodes deleted from the Insignia system
2. Be offered to staff (duplicate copies, topics of interest, etc...)
3. Be donated to a partner school in the district (duplicate copies in good shape)
4. Be recycled

Community Involvement: 

• The Teacher-Librarian and Library Clerk will be responsible for the planning and implementing of the weeding process. 

• The Grade 3 teachers will be involved in initially reviewing the items selected for discarding and the selection of new resources for the collection. Any other staff members that are interested in reviewing the items, will also have an opportunity. 

• Students in Grades 1, 2 (thinking ahead to subsequent years) and 3 will be surveyed to identify specific animals of interest. This may also be done with the entire student population, as this is a high interest portion of the non-fiction collection.

Weeding Timeline: 

This will involve an initial analysis of the collection, physical examination of the individual items, staff and student consultation, discarding items, and an on-going selection and acquisition process. This process was discussed with the teachers at a recent staff meeting, along with examples of books to be weeded (and the reasoning). This allowed for a Q&A session and input before engaging in the process. 

Specific guidelines for the timeline will be:

• Collection Analysis: 1-2 days (Collaboration between TL and Library Clerk)

• Physical Examination of Resources: 1-2 weeks (based on size of the collection). This may be less if the library can be closed for circulation blocks. 

• Staff and Student Consultation: 1-2 weeks - this will be in the form of a survey and some    verbal discussion/e-mail contact with the staff. Teachers will also have an opportunity to review the items selected for weeding. Further follow-up in terms of the selection process may be done in subsequent years. 

• Discarding items: 2 weeks - items will have barcodes deleted and first offered to staff and students as per the process in the previous section. Remaining items will then be separated for donation and recycling. 

• Selection and Acquisition Process: this will be an on-going process throughout the school year, and subsequent years. This will be done closely with staff input and in relation to the library budget. We will also be searching for credible and relevant online resources and any resources we may have in the community that will support student learning in this area. 

Communicating Change: 

Regular communication with the Grade 3 teachers will take place throughout the process. The initial communication with the staff, will take place at a staff meeting. This will outline the weeding process, timeline, and the areas of involvement for teachers, students, and community members. Once the weeding process is complete and surveys collected, we will purchase/compile any new resources and introduce these items to teachers and students during regular circulation blocks, with follow up for staff at subsequent staff meetings. 

Physical resources will be put in our "New Books" display, while online resources will be shared at staff meetings and in collaboration with teachers, providing lessons in classrooms. 

Resources Recommended for Weeding:

Below I have included resources that we have recommended for weeding. In some cases I have included a series of books, all of which would be considered for discarding. All resources were examined using the MUSTIE method to determine whether or not they should remain in the collection. 

Title - Bill Nye The Science Guy: Mammals

Call # - 599 MAM (VID)

Author: Bill Nye (Disney)

Year: 1996

Title - Bill Nye The Science Guy: Birds

Call # - 599 BIR (VID)

Author: Bill Nye (Disney)

 Year: 1996

M.U.S.T.I.E: U/S/E

• Cover is worn, tattered and faded
• Newer version available in DVD format
• Can be found for use online
• School no longer has access to VHS format
• Last circulation over 10 years ago
• Many different informational videos online that could be used as an alternate resource 

Title - The Wolves

Call # - 599.74 MCC

Author: Jana McConoughey

Year: 1983

M.U.S.T.I.E: U/S/E

• Book looks aged, faded and torn cover, many pages have been taped 
• Students have drawn on some of the pages
• Photos look dated and some are inappropriate for a student in grade 3
• Too much text to sort through and lack of visual context clues for a grade 3 student
• Very few circulations in last 5 years 
• Recently added two new resources for wolves, much more appropriate for the grade level

Title - Spiders

Call # - 595.44 MOR

Author: Dean Morries

Year: 1977

M.U.S.T.I.E: U/S/E

• Book is faded lacks appeal, many pages are ripped and some information is missing 
• Photos are dated and some are inappropriate for a student in grade 3
• Text is large and easy to read (other than missing parts), but much of the vocabulary is difficult and beyond the grade 3 level
• Last circulated 7 years ago
• Many more resources for spiders are available for all reading levels
• This book is not needed for our student population

Title - Chicken Aren't the Only Ones

Call # - 591.3 HEL

Author: Ruth Heller

Year: 1981

M.U.S.T.I.E: U/S/E

• Hardcover book that appears in good shape on the outside, but the binding is falling apart
• Has pages missing and some pages have been drawn on
• Duplicate copy, so one may be discarded. While this is not used for our grade 3 students, this is a resource often used by our Kindergarten teachers
• Could be used by a classroom teacher for pictures or use in poetry as the text is written in this format

Title - The Playful Dolphins

Call # - 599 BRI

Author: Linda McCarter Bridge

Year: 1976

M.U.S.T.I.E: U/S/E/I

• Book is faded and generally lacks appeal, many pictures are faded to the point they can not been viewed clearly
• Text is large and easy to read, but the primary focus of the book is related to dolphins in captivity. This information is not relevant nor appropriate content for our students 
• Last circulated 9 years ago
• We have a selection of current resources for dolphins, available for all reading levels as well as an online database that includes dolphins

Title - The Wild Ponies

Call # - 599 GRO

Author: Donna K. Grosvenor

Year: 1975

M.U.S.T.I.E: U/S/E/I

• Book is falling apart, 3 pages are missing and pictures have been drawn on 
• Remaining photos are dated 
• Text is small, faded and hard to read
• Much of the vocabulary is difficult and beyond the grade 3 level
• Last circulated 12 years ago
• We have a vast collection of resources for horses in a wide range of levels
• This topic has a large collection of online resources and videos that can be shared with a class

Titles - How Animals Hide

             Lion Cubs: Growing Up in the Wild 

             Pandas

Call # - 591.5 MCC/599 NAT/599.74 GRO

Author: Robert M.McLung

               National Geographic Society

                                                                        Donna K. Grosvenor

                                                            Year: 1973/1972/1973

This is a series of books that we have in our library. All copies are early 1970's and many contain irrelevant and outdated information. The majority are falling apart at the seams. The book How Animals Hide was actually fixed and bound upside down and backwards.

 M.U.S.T.I.E: U/S/E/I

• Books are falling apart, pages are missing or drawn on.
• Photos are faded and outdated 
• Some vocabulary is difficult and beyond the grade 3 level
• None of these resources have been circulated in the past 5 years
• We have a vast collection of resources, some newer versions of National Geographic, available at a variety of reading levels
• These items have a large collection of online resources and videos that can be used with a class

Titles - Zoo Babies Series: Alberta the Gorilla Sasha the Cheetah/Sydney the Koala

Call # - 599.88 IRV/599.74 IRV/599.2 IRV

Author: Georgeanne Irvine

Year: 1982

This is a series of books that outline the life of an animal in a zoo. All of them are early 1980's and many contain irrelevant and outdated information. The majority are still in decent shape on the inside, but do not have much in terms of outward appeal. These resources may be inappropriate as they have information about animals in captivity. 

M.U.S.T.I.E: U/S/E/I

• Books are visually unappealing 
• Photos are faded and outdated 
• None of these resources have been circulated in the past 5 years
• Content is not related to the curriculum
• We have a vast collection of resources for each animal, available at a variety of reading levels
• These items have a large collection of online resources and videos that can be used with a class

Titles - The Beaver/Hippo/Kangaroo

Call # - 591.32 BEA/599.73 HIP/599.2 KAN

Author: Macdonald Educational (Translation: Erica Propper)

Year: 1977

This is a series of books about animals of the world. All of them are late 1970's, but they do tend to have relevant information and text that is easy to read. Unfortunately, the covers are faded and they have been used so much, they are falling apart at the seams and can no longer be fixed (Beaver example in picture). This would be a resource that I would replace with a newer version, if one is available. 

M.U.S.T.I.E: U/E

• Books are visually unappealing (covers)
• None of these resources have been circulated in the past 5 year
• We have a vast collection of resources for each animal in this series
• These items have a large collection of online resources and videos that can be used with a class

Title - Sharks

Call # - 597 MCM

Author: Beverly McMillan/John Musick

Year: 2008

This is an example of a 'newer' book that needs to be replaced. This book is popular, has great information and is regularly circulated. This would be a book that I would look to replace with a new copy as I know it will meet the needs of our students. As you can see in the second picture, this book is coming apart at the seam and every page has been taped just to keep it in the collection. I could barely read the call number as part of the binding has been ripped off the book. 

M.U.S.T.I.E: U (Discard but replace)

• Almost every page has been taped
• Book has been glued and fixed numerous times 
• Circulates weekly
• Excellent resource for an advanced reader

Policies, Procedures & Practices in the Weeding Process

The de-selection and weeding policies that I consulted during this process, were from the two districts I have worked in during my time as a teacher. First, I consulted my past teaching partner in the Greater Victoria School District, as she was previously the TL at our school. She directed me to the following document:

• GVTLA Collection Maintenance

I found this to be an interesting read, as it it modified the MUSTIE method, and uses a 'Y' instead of the 'IE', which represents "Your collection has no use for the item". I decided to use this as a check against the Vernon School District Policy I included above, as this document was last updated in 1988. Both seemed to have a consistent approach to the weeding process. 

I have used the MUSTIE process and the Vernon School District Guidelines to complete our "renovation" project. I think both are clear, easy to share with staff, and work well with our current collection.

Recommended Resources

In the previous report, the collection analysis and physical examination of our resources put our focus on "building, caring for, and renewing and sustaining" our collection so it is up to date and relevant to the community of learners we work with at our school. As we begin our five year plan to transition from a traditional library, to a learning commons, we must make sure we give our students access to a wide range of current and relevant resources. While our 901 non-fiction books in the Zoological Sciences section would give the appearance of a vast collection, the fact that 75% of those books are older than 5 years, shows we need to both weed and select carefully going forward.

When selecting the resources below, using the data collected and the needs our students, our focus was to provide:

•  a variety of resources to meet curriculum needs
•  a wider range of topics for student selection 
•  resources for a wider range of reading levels
•  access to both print and digital resources

1. Amazing Animals: Wolves

- Part of a series of books on animals

- Published in 2020 by Creative Education

- Cost: $19.95 (KnowBuddy Resources bulk purchase)

- Excellent visuals

- Large text, easy to read

- Includes definitions of important vocabulary

- Can be used for a wide range of reading levels

This series would be an excellent addition for our grade 3 students. They have a wide range of visuals, relevant and interesting facts and information that would fit the curriculum needs. This series has a wide range of animals and come in both soft and hardcover editions. Each of the books includes a reference to other titles on a similar topic and websites that the student can use to further their research. 

2. Lions

- A series of books on animals

- Published in 2013 by Creative Education (Seedlings Edition)

- Cost: $5.35 (Amazon: soft cover)

- Excellent visuals

- Larger text, good for students at lower reading levels

- Includes a simple index, definitions of important vocabulary and 

  visuals of each animal that are labeled 

- Has the look of  most non-fiction books, even thought the text is     

   simple

This is another series by Creative Education, but the text is much simpler and works well for a wider range of reading levels. We recently purchased this book for our library and look forward to using them with our grade 3 students next year. These books also include a reference to other books and websites for further research. This series works well with the curriculum in both Science and Language Arts. 

3. National Geographic Kids: Owls

- Part of a leveled series of books

- Published in 2014 by National Geographic

- Cost: $4.19 (Amazon: soft cover)

- Excellent visuals, pages are a bit more 'busy'

- Variety of text sizes, but easy to read with large subject headings

- Definitions of important vocabulary that are accompanied by visuals 

- Can be used for a wide range of reading levels

I selected this series as it comes as a leveled reader. This is the perfect book for a struggling reader as it has great visuals and gives the appearance of any other non-fiction book. This was another recent purchase that we have added to our "Jr. Non-Fiction" section. In only a few weeks it has already been circulated multiple times. The subject headings fit well with the projects our grade 3 students will be completing, making it easy for any student to find the information they need. This book also includes cool facts and a definitions page, using visuals. Excellent curriculum connections and a good resource for a variety of reading levels. 

4. Kids World: Bears

- Part of a series of books on animals

- Published in 2014 by KidsWorld Books

- Cost: $9.99 (Bookland)

- Wide variety of visuals

- Text is smaller and geared towards an advanced reader

- Includes more advanced information and vocabulary 

- Excellent for students looking needing to extend their projects

The first three resources we selected were intended to be used with a wider range of reading levels. Many of the resources we currently have in our animal collection are far too advanced for the average grade 3 student. We have focused on making sure we have a collection that will meet the needs of our primary population as well. This series has great visuals, but the text is geared more towards a student that may be looking to add extensions to their projects. This series includes a lot of fun facts and information about a wide range of bears. Excellent connection to the Science and Language Arts curriculum.  

5. National Geographic Kids: District Web Application

- Cost: Free (District purchase)  

- Easy to access and navigate

This is a resource that has not been utilized by our school. Recently our district made changes to the district site, adding more applications that are available for our staff and students to use. National Geographic Kids is a simple and easy search site, with access to many animals we may not currently have available in our non-fiction collection. As this is a district resource, there is no cost to the library, making this a cost effective way to increase our access to information. Just this year, we implemented a primary technology prep block for each class, to increase student skills when using the web to access information and learning opportunities. This site offers both text and video options, which is a great way for struggling readers to gather information. 

6. World Book Kids

- Cost: Free (District purchase)  

- Easy to access and navigate

- Students enjoy use of technology

Very similar to National Geographic Kids, but with larger print. This site also offers text and video options, and will read the text to the student. When I mentioned this site to our grade 3 teachers, they were very excited at the possibilities for their emerging and developing readers. I find this site to be a little easier to navigate and more visually appealing than the National Geographic site. 

7. Zoobooks

- Accessed through our district portal

- Published copies from 1989 - 2020

- Cost: free (District Resource Center)

- Offers a wide range of articles in PDF format

- Information can be printed for student use

This is an interesting resource that I did not know we had access to in our district. After a little digging I found out we have access to many different online magazines through EBSCOhost. I haven't had as much time to navigate my way through this resource yet, but I did manage to find and print an article on penguins. It would appear as though some information may be at a reading level that is more advanced, but that would be dependent on each individual article. This is another cost effective resource, one that some students can again use as an extension or with the support of their teacher to find more information about their particular animal.


When selecting these materials, we referred to the Vernon School District Policy manual. The following were taken into consideration:

Materials purchased for the school library's media collection should be evaluated by the following criteria:

a) support and be consistent with the general educational goals of the district;
b) support and be consistent with the objectives of specific courses;
c) be relevant to today's world;
d) have aesthetic, literary or social value;
e) be appropriate for the subject area and for the age, emotional development, ability level and
social development of those for whom the materials are selected;
f) be created by competent and qualified authors and producers;
g) be chosen to foster respect for and understanding of the contributions made to our civilization
by minority and ethnic groups;
h) provide a stimulus for creativity;
i) represent differing points of view on controversial subjects with the goal of providing a
balanced collection;
j) have a physical format and appearance suitable for their intended use;
k) be of an acceptable technical quality with adequate documentation;
l) avoid reflecting negative stereotypes.

As this document has not been amended since 1988, we feel the need to take this document, use it as a guide, and create a school based policy going forward. 

Reflection

As I reflect back on the process of all three of our assignments, I again come back to a quote that I have used previously, from Leading Learning: Standards of Practice for School Library Learning Commons in Canada document which states, "Learners have a right to expect good school libraries in every school in Canada. Our school libraries should reflect our common values of equity, diversity, and cultural identity as well as best approaches in the educational and library professions. They should be contextually relevant to student need and success, and built, cared for, measured, renewed and sustained on an ongoing basis by their learning communities. We should position school libraries to lead learning for the future." (pg. 4).

I feel this quote has been a guide for me throughout my learning in this course, and will continue to guide me in the future. It has become apparent that our school has fallen behind when it comes to sustaining our library on an ongoing basis, and therefore the relevancy and ability to provide for all student needs must be addressed. No doubt, the turnover and lack of consistency in the TL position, has lead to some neglect in the area of weeding and selecting new resources. But, as we move forward, it will be important to collaborate with colleagues to build a collection that will support curriculum needs, while also fostering student interest and enjoyment.

Perhaps one of my biggest moments of learning in this course, happened during one of our Google Hangouts. The idea that a shelf that looks "empty" is not a bad thing, but in fact, a way to advocate for change. I, like many others, found myself arguing to keep resources, instead of weed those that were worn, faded, outdated and no longer met the needs of our staff and students. There was always the voice in the back of my head that said "but someone might need that!"

Now, with some clear data, specific guidelines, and a different view, we are starting to implement change. We, as TL's, play a large role to ensure that our community has equitable access to relevant resources that will meet learning needs. Making sure that we maintain our collection through weeding and de-selection, will keep our resources current and our environment visually appealing. Then, we can select and acquire new resources, in various formats, to enhance the collection and address any holes that may exist.

Just today, I had a meeting (6 feet apart) with our library clerk, to discuss how our weeding process is going to this point. Her first observation was how clean the shelves are starting to look, and how much easier it would be for students to find resources they may not have noticed before. In terms of the animal section, the excitement revolves around the acquisition of new resources. Her thoughts brought me back to a couple thoughts by Mardis, that our library should "connect to what is happening in the classroom” and “help students enjoy reading and become lifelong readers for both pleasure and information” (2016).

If we simply connect to those thoughts, this should guide us, so we can provide an environment and selection of resources that meet the needs of all our students, foster the love of reading and acquiring knowledge, and offer the tools our teachers need for instruction at all levels.

A little humour to end the course!

References

Aerts, N., 2017. Collection Maintenance - Gvtlaweb. [online] Sites.google.com. Available at: <https://sites.google.com/site/gvtlaweb/collection-maintenance> [Accessed 5 April 2020].

B.C’s New Curriculum. English Language Arts 3. Retrieved from: https://curriculum.gov.bc.ca/curriculum/english-language-arts/3

B.C’s New Curriculum. Science 3. Retrieved from:

https://curriculum.gov.bc.ca/curriculum/science/3

Insignia (2020). Kidston Elementary Collection  Analysis By Age. 

Insignia (2020). Kidston Elementary Collection Analysis Detail Titles. Insignia, pp.1-22.

Llsop.canadianschoollibraries.ca. (2019). Leading Learning – Standards of Practice for School Library Learning Commons in Canada. [online] Available at: http://llsop.canadianschoollibraries.ca/ [Accessed 24 Feb. 2020]

Mardis, Marcia A. (2016). The collection program in schools: concepts and practices. (6th ed.). Santa Barbara, CA: Libraries Unlimited

School District 22 (Vernon) Library Policies and Procedures.

Scott, C., 2020. Stocktaking And Weeding. [online] SlideServe. Available at: <https://www.slideserve.com/cadee/stocktaking-and-weeding> [Accessed 5 April 2020].