Indexes, Abstracts, Periodicals, Biographies, Encyclopedias, dictionaries and almanacs, oh my!
Like Maria, reference materials are arguably the main star of any good library. They are the educational backbone of a school's learning commons and many people believe their presence makes the library. But unlike Maria, they take up an awful lot of space not everyone is their biggest fan. In fact, some people argue that the co-stars (novels, group seating, computers) are actually what turn a boring old black and white movie in a technicolor delight.
But how does a librarian balance the limelight and make all audiences happy? This is the biggest challenge with reference materials. Without a keen eye for talent and purpose, a librarian can get lost in the references they are presented with and recommended to acquire. Riedling (2019) argues that, "in order to create and maintain a school reference collection that meets the information needs of students, effective selection and evaluation of resources by the school librarian is essential." (26)
Following this definition, reference materials are evidently valuable. But in what form? They take up a great deal of space for very little value so many librarians choose to go digital. But a CGI version of Maria could earn gasps of astonishment by many loyal, possibly older library patrons. How could one get rid of the true star? The data! The physical weight and depth of the tomes of knowledge! These fans argue that fact books like Ripley's Believe it Or Not or Guiness Book of World Records could be an engaging access point that, in print, could be a jumping off point for student learning. A classmate, in our discussion of our encyclopedias wrote about her experience with them as a young child and her access to the encyclopedia clearly reinforced her love of learning and likely led to her career as a librarian and a life long journey in academia (GD, Discussion Group 3, Topic 11).Without that physical embodiment of knowledge, she may have ended up remaining the Owl in her school play and where would that have left her? There is no denying the value of touchable content, especially as an entry point to reading and learning at a young age. Perhaps this makes the argument to keep viciously curated set of print references in elementary libraries. But at the high school level...? Is it the answer?
The Von Traps had a lot of room in that old villa to deal with their Maria problem. I bet they had a huge library where tomes of knowledge were just waiting for Liesel, Fredrich, Louisa and the other children to go and explore. That's probably where they kept the puppets. Modern day high school libraries don't have the space. Or the patience. Neither do their patrons. In a very non scientific poll I conducted with my classes, over 90% of students polled indicated that they would prefer to use digital reference sources rather than print options. ((90% responded digital, 3% weren't sure and 7% weren't paying attention so they didn't answer the question).
There is research to back up the idea that digital reference materials can be effective at higher levels of education. This means that while online resources are effective and well worth the transition at a senior level, elementary school libraries should still be considering a more balanced approach to material acquisition. But the research proves that there is value in the trend of high school and university libraries going to a largely digital format. A 2002 survey of reference librarians in public and academic libraries of various sizes in the United States, asked about their experiences with and attitudes towards the use of digital and networked technologies and resources in reference work. A total of 648 responded and, respondents were largely positive and optimistic in their outlook with the rise in digital references (Janes, 2002). Ojobo, Ternenge and Makinde (2020) argue that, "Digital reference resources are therefore powerful teaching and learning tools in university education. They are efficient for activating students, and they provide tools for life-long learning." This is arguably the same theory for high school students, especially as there is more and more online learning opportunities and education evolves into a more hybrid model. High school students need to learn how to research in a digital world and old school print reference materials don't cut it anymore. I asked my school's librarian her thoughts on print versus digital and her answer was very succinct: "Digital. All. The. Way."
Sorry Maria... it looks like you and print Reference Materials are headed for the cutting room floor to be replaced by holograms.
Bye bye Encyclopedia World Book... you made reference materials look so good!
References
Janes, Joseph. Journal of the American Society for Information Science and Technology, vol. 53, no. 7, 20 Mar. 2002, pp. 549–566., https://doi.org/10.1002/(issn)1532-2890.
OJOBO , AGADA ERIC, et al. “Availability and Utilization of Digital Reference Resources by Postgraduate Students in University Libraries in Benue State, Nigeria. .” Library Philosophy and Practice, Winter, 25 Nov. 2020.
LIBE 467 Discussion Group 3, Topic 11: Encyclopedias. Post submitted by GD, Mar 28, 2022
*Show of hands poll taken in 2 blocks of English 10 (20 students) and English 11 (21 students) on March 29, 2022 at Fleetwood Park Sec.
Riedling, Ann Marlow, and Cynthia Houston. Reference Skills for the School Librarian: Tools and Tips. Libraries Unlimited, 2019.
“The Sound of Music.” Wikipedia, Wikimedia Foundation, 15 Feb. 2022, https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_Sound_of_Music.
World Book Encyclopedia Photo - cred. L. MacDougall
Sound of Music Meme created by Imgr Meme Generator.
Hahaha! I loved the thought and metaphor you put into your post, but it now makes me want to watch the three hour movie again! I whole-heartedly agree with your evaluation of digital vs. print material, but I am still going to keep the dictionaries, thesauri, and copy of World Book in my classroom, just because!
ReplyDeleteI also loved the metaphor, very creative! Prior to your post I was thinking the reverse might be true of reference materials, good for older students, not that great for primary. However, I can see your point of view as physical books are the entry point of reading for most young children and therefore, the physical encyclopedia may be a better selection for them over an online one. I also agree that with the internet so accessible, it is probably just as easy for high school students to use electronic sources instead.
ReplyDeleteBarndi, thank you for the Owl reference! Also, you just gave me a great idea of polling my students, too. Your post reminded me how often we assume we know the best for the students, when they might have a different preference. It's great you mentioned the Guinness Record Book. Arguably the most popular reference book in our library, along Ripley's.
ReplyDeleteToday I was starting a mini unit with the grade 1/2 class about research, focusing on collecting "Dash Facts" (based on Adrienne Gear). I usually give them easy NF books (definitely printed material), but today I decided to give them iPads and let them choose an animal from the interactive World Book Student (FocusEd). It was amazing how motivated they all became! They completed twice as much as I had planned for today, navigated with ease between tabs, collected facts from videos and listened to the voice over... it looked like they were in their element. I always try to use physical books for elementary students as resources, because I feel that a couple of years and they won't be seeing books anymore at all... Nevertheless, today's experience convinced me that - however disappointing it is for an old-fashioned Owl like me - sometimes they benefit from using screen, especially the ones who are not very confident readers.