ETL 501 Commentary #7

Providing information for staff and students.

Librarians need to think about how they offer their services to staff - as emails, on blogs, staff memos, noticeboards, informal staff encounters, straight to wikis...          An then when they find something to share how will they share it. My guess is more often than not in the future it will be electronically. Librarians need to be aware of staff's curriculum and PD needs.

I am really warming to wikis. I still consider myself an infant in using this technology but I can understand Joyce Valenza's enthusiasm for it. I can’t see the importance in rolling around on the floor laughing about wikis though, but  I do agree with her other points, especially the ease of links, uploading ability and how you don’t need html knowledge to build one. The fact that they are collaborative and organic is super stuff. I think the potential is probably endless.

The reference interview

Discover from the client what information they want, how much and pitched at what level.

Information Services and Resource creation

 As T/Ls we ne need to 

·        Provide access to information (traditional and online)

·        Provide an inviting space to be (comfortable/clean/no nasty dragon lady types)

·        Provide friendly, non judgemental hands-on help when students can’t find stuff

·        Provide reading materials for enjoyment (mags/fiction/graphic novels etc

·        Provide for people with special needs (quiet nooks/ earphones/ visual aids or whatever...

I really like the School Community Profile Template set up by the national library of New Zealand. It takes into consideration everyone who uses the school library. It makes me think how can we cater more for our population of ESL students from refugee backgrounds. Should we be looking at more African literature, more books on African and Asian nations in the non fiction shelves? The junior school library caters for reluctant readers really well. The librarian seems to have made this one of her key concerns and surfing and football books proliferate.  As for digital devices, this point is not really addressed locally. I think we need to catch up with the digital natives.

Posters in the library are good but often become as unseen as wallpaper. Mnemonics are helpful though and something like the PLUS model as a poster could have prime position on a display board. At the junior school library the staff have put laminated cards directing students on how to use the online encyclopaedia. But most kids ignore this too. I think it needs constant reinforcing. Maybe a small template card with “Keywords”, steps to use the catalogue and steps to use the on line encyclopaedia could be useful...