Where In the World Is...?

Assignment 1: Evaluation and Replacement of a Reference Resource

Our School by the numbers

Population	533 students
Grade	6 to 8
Divisions	20
Teams	5 teams of 4 classes
Teacher-Librarian	0.2 FTE on Friday
Program of Choice	Middle Age Cluster Class (MACC) – 3 classes
Technology	2 computer labs (shared with Tech. Ed. and Digital Literacy exploration cycles) 28 laptops in library - Not BYOD school at this time, dependent on individual teachers

Target of Reference Evaluation:

Geographical sources – countries, culture, customs, facts, geography, people

Dewey sections – Atlases (912); Europe (914); Asia (915); Africa (916); North America (917); South America (918); Other areas (919); Indigenous Peoples (970)

Example would be series in our collection such as: Destination Detectives (2006) and Discovering Cultures (2005), which have already been culled from other libraries in our district.

Curricular connection:

French – cultural links to French speaking countries

Social Studies – Grade 6 (Global Issues and Governance); current events; indigenous perspectives

This section of our library is currently used periodically throughout the year by all the grades at my school. Generally, in the subjects of Social Studies and French. There used to be a large country studies project completed each year by the grade sixes but with the new curriculum, that has changed. The result is that these materials have not been updated as regularly. Running a library report for this section of materials, it shows that the items in our collection in these sections are on average 12 years of age. These books are woefully outdated and the country books no longer contain current and useful information for our students to use in their research. As well, many of our reference atlases are getting old and have been superseded or their information can be found elsewhere.

Weeding Guidelines

I will be using the CREW method and MUSTIE criteria to weed the current books in my collection and follow Riedling’s assessment to evaluate the new materials to come in. In the CREW weeding manual, the 910s section of Dewey follow the suggestion of 3/2/MUSTIE for discarding:

·     latest copyright is more than 3 years ago

·     latest circulation or in-house use was more than 2 years ago

·     MUSTIE 

(Gonzalez, 2014)

This is a bit more stringent than Riedling’s five-year currency limit but this is understandable as the currency of these types of information can change a lot in short periods of time. I would use personal judgement as I evaluate.

Rubrics to Assess In-coming Reference Materials

Accuracy	Authority	Format	Scope
Major facts are correct.	Reputable sources.	Easy to search. Good readability (type, font size).	Adequately cover the materials in field of interest.
Y   /   N	Y   /   N	Y   /   N	Y   /   N

Evaluation of Specialized Databases (adapted from Riedling, 2013)

Publisher	Currency	Indexing	Scale	Format
Reputable publisher.	Less than five years old.	Comprehensive index	Clearly defined and appropriate.	Easy to use. Clear and legible.
Y   /   N	Y   /   N	Y   /   N	Y   /   N	Y   /   N

Evaluation of Geographic Sources (adapted from Riedling, 2013)

Potential Replacements

1) CountryReports Online Database

“Provides over 35 000 pages of online content on the cultures and countries of the world. With unique content from around the world, our members rely on us to keep our database concise and current. K-12 students, kids, libraries, business and tourists appreciate CountryReport’s ability to meet their needs.” (CountryReports, 2019)

Cost: 12-months membership – Elem. ($68); Middle ($74); High School ($82) 

*multi-school discount available

- accessible from home by students; unlimited multi-use at school location

- subscription is online from their webpage

Accuracy	Authority	Format	Scope
Major facts are correct.	Reputable sources.	Ease of searching. Readability (type, font size)	Adequately cover the materials in field of interest.
- From the sample country (Thailand), all facts are supported - Countries are reviewed annually, changes occur as needed throughout the year	- Website states sources as  governments, teachers, native residents, researchers, and international organizations - Editors verify accuracy before adding to their database	- Search bar at top of page is easy to find - Results are listed clearly - Menu on right side of screen lists all major topic relating to the country - Information is related through clear and concise language, visuals, and curated videos	- Ability to compare countries - Maps of country are available to print in various formats (with data, blackline masters) - Teacher resources available - Comprehensive and detailed information about each country

Evaluation of Specialized Databases (adapted from Riedling, 2013)

From https://www.countryreports.org

https://www.countryreports.org

Conclusion: 

·     A cost-effective solution to current country information. 

·     Easy to use and navigate.

·     Allows the student body to co-currently access multimedia information together.

·     Would add to our LLC Collection.

2) Indigenous Peoples Atlas of Canada

(From https://indigenouspeoplesatlasofcanada.ca)

“The Royal Canadian Geographical Society, in partnership with Canada's national Indigenous organizations, has created a groundbreaking four-volume atlas that shares the experiences, perspectives, and histories of First Nations, Inuit and Métis peoples. It's an ambitious and unprecedented project inspired by the Truth and Reconciliation Commission's Calls to Action. Exploring themes of language, demographics, economy, environment and culture, with in-depth coverage of treaties and residential schools, these are stories of Canada's Indigenous Peoples, told in detailed maps and rich narratives.

The volumes contain more than 48 pages of reference maps, content from more than 50 Indigenous writers; hundreds of historical and contemporary photographs and a glossary of Indigenous terms, timelines, map of Indigenous languages, and frequently asked questions. All packaged together in a beautifully designed protective slipcase.” (Indigo Books, 2019)

Cost:$99.99 (but currently on sale for $62.30 at www.amazon.ca)

- each separate volume is labeled as $24.99

Publisher	Currency	Indexing	Scale	Format
Reputable publisher.	Less than five years old.	Comprehensive index	Clearly defined and appropriate.	Easy to use. Clear and legible.
The Royal Canadian Geographical Society	September 2018	- Contains noindexes - Table of Contents in each volume is clear - Impressive and detailed glossary in vol. 1 (Indigenous Canada)	- Scales are clearly denoted on each map  - Legend is explained on a two-page spread at the beginning of the maps section but is not relisted on each page  - Teacher guidance will be needed to help with student comprehension	- Each volume has in-depth information on groups - Well-labeled topic pages - Visual timeline intersects each book, highlighting key events  - Heavy on text but filled with beautiful coloured visuals (historical and contemporary pics, maps) that are very appealing throughout

Evaluation of Geographic Sources (adapted from Riedling, 2013)

Conclusion:

·     Engaging and thoughtfully put together.

·     An important resource for every school library.

·     Relevant to country vision as we continue towards truth and reconciliation.

·     Would add to our LLC Collection.

References

“BC's New Curriculum.” Building Student Success - BC's New Curriculum, 2018, curriculum.gov.bc.ca/curriculum/social-studies/6.

CountryReports. “Countries of the World - CountryReports.” CountryReports: Cultural, Historical, Statistical, Country Information, 1997, www.countryreports.org/.

Follett Destiny. “Collection Statistics - Summary.” Hillcrest Middle School, 2019.

Gonzalez, Carina, and Robin Featherstone. “Infographic Love: Visually Communicating Information & Data.” Librarian Design Share, 2014, librariandesignshare.org/tag/infographics-2/.

Indigo Books & Music, Inc. “Indigenous Peoples Atlas Of Canada.” Indigo.ca, 2018, www.chapters.indigo.ca/en-ca/books/indigenous-peoples-atlas-of-canada/9780986751622-item.html.

Larson, Jeanette. “CREW: a Weeding Manual for Modern Libraries.” Satanta | TSLAC, 2008, www.tsl.texas.gov/ld/pubs/crew/index.html.

Riedling, A., Shake, L., & Houston, C. (2013). Reference skills for the school librarian. Santa Barbara, California: Linworth, an imprint of ABC-CLIO, LLC.

Royal Canadian Geographic Society. “Indigenous Peoples Atlas of Canada.” Indigenous Peoples Atlas of Canada, Canadian Geographic, 2019, indigenouspeoplesatlasofcanada.ca/.