Encyclopedias: to keep or not to keep, that is the question

The hot topic question for lesson 6 was "What print encyclopedia would I still purchase (in this online age) in a heartbeat?"

My response: When I first read the question for lesson 6 I immediately thought of those single volume "encyclopedias" that fly off the shelves - The Encyclopedia of Immaturity, The Encyclopedia of Witchcraft, The Encyclopedia of.... well anything! Much like the Guinness Book of World Records, this type of encyclopedia still attracts the attention of kids, and many adults. They don't view this type of encyclopedia in the same way as they do a multi-volume set mostly due to the more visually appealing structure of this type of book, and their more user-friendly nature.

I would definitely not purchase a new print copy of the Encyclopedia Brittanica or even World Book, although I myself have such fond memories of browsing these "weighty" volumes. I believe the rapid pace that we receive and use information today makes this type of purchase prohibitive. It will be sad to have to weed these from my library, but I need the shelf space and they are not used AT ALL! Our most current World Book set is 2005 and I would argue that that was probably the last time any of them were seriously looked at as well. I agree, that I can quickly find information in these references but I question their accuracy for many topics my students are currently studying.

One volume encyclopedias can still be an important part of a school library. They offer a chance for kids to browse and "happen upon" interesting information. They are not used in the same way traditional print sets of encyclopedias were used but our students don't use any resources the same way we used them. This type of encyclopedia would not just be a "For Reference Use Only" type of resource. They are found on the "regular" shelves with other non-fiction books and can thus be signed out and read like some of us read fiction. And besides, where else are you going to learn how to "hang a spoon from your nose," "how to really annoy your older sibling," or "how to do a wheelie?" I have the perfect "encyclopedia" for that!

I thought I would post some of my favourite encyclopedias here...


This is such a fun book. I have it in my classroom and often find students grouped around it laughing and then remembering times they did some of the "stuff" in the book. Keep in mind, I teach senior high school students. I think by offering this type of book, we give them permission to still be kids, to laugh and acknowledge that being goofy is sometimes ok. I also tell my students all the time, that for the most part, I don't care what they read, I just want them to read! A book like this gets them reading, sharing, communicating, goals I have for them in all of my English lessons.





There is something about "outer space" and the planets that really attracts the attention of kids and adults. I think it is the sense of mystery, of not really knowing what is out there. As adults we remember creating solar system models and learning about the planets. Someone my age also remembers being in such awe of space shuttle launches and even the tragedies of Challenger and Columbia. Seeing the images in a book like this allows us to imagine and wonder if... if we will ever know more about other planets, will people ever live on other planets, or do they already? The incredible visual elements of a book like this encyclopedia make it so much better in print form as well.






A third favourite encyclopedia I have is The Encyclopedia of Pop Culture. This book is from 1992 so most of the entries don't really qualify as current pop culture, obviously, but they are so fun to browse and to use a teaching tool. I am the Yearbook and Leadership Adviser at my school and we do a lot of advertising. One of our favourite techniques is pop culture advertising. We take current pop culture references and turn them into ads for our book and events. Students turn the ShamWow "guy" into ads for a dance or BBQ, they take Bon Jovi's "Make a Memory" lyrics and turn it into an ad for the Yearbook. The best part is that there are new pop culture references every day. They even take examples from this book, like the Brady Bunch or Pop Rocks, and make some awesome advertisements.

Books vs ebooks

Great article in the Vancouver Sun (originally in the Los Angeles Times)

http://www.latimes.com/news/opinion/commentary/la-oe-barbour-kindles-20110617,0,5490224.story

libraries past - libraries future

The Reference Interview

I was really interested in this week's readings on the reference interview as this is something completely missing in my current school library situation. Teachers bring their classes to the library without telling the TL the purpose, students are sent to "do research" or "work in the library" or (my favourite) "to use the computers" but there is no direction or information provided to the TL. The TL also does not engage the teachers or the students in any form of questioning about why they are in the library. There is almost no interaction until someone can't find something, or they want to sign out a book. (or, usually, when something won't print) There are many reasons for this breakdown in the system, but not wanting to point fingers I am choosing to use this as an opportunity for change next year when I become the TL.

Before thinking a bit about how I would like to make the reference interview work for me in the library I need to comment on a few things discussed by Riedling in chapter 9. I had some concerns about some of her points, some of which were also discussed as unrealistic in the lesson notes. Riedling seems to suggest an individual interview with each student coming to the library, and even if I took only the basic questions and techniques she suggests, each interview could still take anywhere from 5-10 minutes or longer. This is completely unrealistic, especially when in most cases, an entire class of 30 has just entered the library, all wanting help and information at the same time. I think this brings up the importance of the teacher reference interview from our "hot topic" discussion. This is essential in being able to streamline the interview process and provide all of the students with some Frequently Asked Questions-type answers before the TL can conduct some individual interviews.

Riedling also says, "Familiarity of the library collection and conducting an appropriate search for information may be thought of as a reference skill separate from the interview. It is, however, a critical step in the procedure and an important part of the reference interview process. Without knowledge of the library media center collection, the interview cannot continue; the question cannot be answered." (103) My first thought is, "I'm in trouble." As a new TL I know I do not know the collection as well as I want to, and that this will be a learning experience for me. I do not see why the "question cannot be answered" or why the "interview cannot continue?" Is this not an opportunity to demonstrate collaborative learning with a student or staff member? Where is the "let's find out together" mentality that is the best part of learning and teaching? Riedling says further in the section that the "reference interview process relies on the complete skills of the school library media specialist, including expertise with all the library resources available, to provide the most accurate and complete response, and ultimately, information." (103) I see part of my skills as the TL will be my ability and willingness to find and learn what I need to do my job, to work with and help students, and work collaboratively with staff. I guess I feel that Riedling is suggesting a level of expertise that many school librarians do not have in the beginning, and that with the changes in time and money put into school libraries, is no longer as possible as it once was.

Thinking about the reference interview has made me put this process at the top of my "To Do" list for next year. I see this as an area for significant change and growth in the library of my school. I know that I will have to tread lightly as I move to make students and staff more accountable in the use of their library time. I know that I will need simple policies and procedures for "signing out" the library, including a form and discussion with me before classes are brought in, so that I can be prepared and efficient in the help I offer. I also know that there will be resistance - "I don't need your help, I do this project every year." or "It's ok, the kids just need to use the computers." I know that I will need to start slowly and offer simple information at first. One of the things I am currently doing in preparation for next year, is creating a blog for our library that has different pages for each subject area. I am then adding reputable and authoritative links for topics and units each class studies. This is proving easier, of course, with staff who are willing to share. My hope is that others will come on board as they realize the ease of use for themselves and their students. I also hope this will create more collaborative opportunities between the staff and me on future units of study.

Sesame Street: Cookie Monster In The Library

It's ok Cookie Monster - there are more than books in the library today - and some may even have cookies! (not just on the computer either ;o)

Print vs Electronic Resources

I think part of the problem in this debate comes from the win/lose nature of the question - print VERSUS electronic. It suggests that one must be better. It also reminds me of the constant debate I participate in and overhear about Macs vs PCs. It has been my experience that those who are in the PC "camp" refuse to acknowledge Macs as having any worth, whereas, again in my experience, Mac supporters acknowledge PCs but prefer Macs. The same can be said for the print/electronic references debate. I feel that those who think electronic reference materials are superior feel that print references are useless and should not be considered. It seems that proponents of print references feel there is room for both. I realize this is an oversimplified generalization but it puts a bit of perspective on the debate for me.

When I scan lists of advantages and problems of print and electronic resources I can easily see how many points can fit in both columns. So how do we handle this? For me the answer comes in the form of options. I feel sad when I consider a day where print materials are not available. Will this happen in my lifetime? Will it ever happen? I do not know. But I hope that my children will feel the same joy I do in "cracking" open a new book or flipping through an atlas dreaming of places I would like to visit. I had a friend growing up whose step-father worked for Encyclopedia Britannica and sometimes we would get to go to the warehouse with him on a weekend. WOW! I remember being in such awe of all these amazing books. I remember my excitement when he pulled off a one-volume encyclopedia about animals and said I could have it. I still have that book and love to look at it with my girls. We talk about the animals, read the information about their habitats and wonder if we will ever see them "in real life." What will be the future equivalent of this experience? Will we sit around a tablet with the same feelings? Will it hold that same sense of awe?

For me part of the problem comes from the volume of information available in electronic form. A quotation I shared in a previous post, "Searching for information on the internet is like taking a drink from a fire hose" sums it up for me. My concern is that my students don't see this as a problem. They think quantity is good (love that Supersize mentality), and that more information means the research is "easier." They fail to see that this volume leads to so many more issues around authenticity, authority, appropriateness and plagiarism. I do not want to disregard the incredible resource offered us by way of the internet, that would be foolish. What I do want is for my students to understand the information they are searching, evaluate it, use it respectfully, and then evaluate again... hmmm, sounds like a research model to me!

In considering the importance of print and electronic resources what I have decided is most important to me is how I teach kids to use these resources. I want them to understand the value of both and then make an informed choice. I want them to be able to defend their choice with reasonable and accurate arguments. I work in a "Mac school" and am constantly faced with students whose answer to any computer issue is "Macs suck." I ask them what type of computer they have at home and most who do not like the Macs say PC. I then try to get to the root of their frustration - which is usually the speed that they are able to do something (or the inability to "right click" which I can solve easily if they are will to listen). I explain to them that their computer at home is faster, not because it is a PC but because it is one computer, on one line, getting its internet connection. At school we have a server that performs this function for all of our computers. When all three labs and the library are in use, the varying ages of the computers creates a slow down. Patience here, is then a virtue. Those students who are willing and open to listening to my explanation, will not complain so easily the next time they have a computer issue. The same can be said for the print vs electronic debate. If I can show students a variety of ways to gather information and use different sources, and they still prefer electronic, then I think I have done my job. I want to provide resources and tools so that they can make informed choices. I do not want them to choose something because that is what everyone else does, or they think its faster, better, easier.

Print materials are still an important part of our society. We still read newspapers, magazines, books, in print form. We have options today, and some may argue that we should move to electronic versions faster so as not to waste time in the transition. I think that there are still too many variables and problems - internet access, cost, consistency issues, on-line safety, plagiarism, that make it necessary to continue with print and electronic reference materials.

This pretty much says it all...

Some thoughts

One of our first discussions was about the concept of "authority" and how that relates to us in the library. My discussion board contribution was...

"I fight authority, authority always wins"
Sorry, I'm an 80's girl and couldn't resist the John Mellencamp reference but this is how many people view authority, it has a very negative connotation. People most often associate "power" with "authority" but why? Can we be authoritative without power? Or is this just called a "know-it-all"?

Even in our lesson reading, "William A. Katz is one of the best known authorities on reference materials in public and university libraries." We trust authorities, we seek authorities, yet when we are young, like our students, we fight authority. I think one of the challenges for the TL is to be an authority on resources and information that the students can trust. It reminds me of teaching young children that the police are their friends, the librarian is their friend too.

Following our discussion that week, and thinking about our readings and other discussions, I have realized that I am now thinking more about "authority." I have struggled quite a bit over the past few years with helping students to understand the concept of "authority" in relation to their on-line research. Our discussions have really clarified for me, the idea of a Google search as a popularity contest but that students see Google as an authority. They figure that if Google says it's good, it must be good. I have tried specific criteria in my assignments, discussed the plagiarism issues involved in "cutting and pasting", and have required multiple sources for all research. I am starting to wonder if they are just trying to wear me down or if they really don't "get it."

I wonder if it really just doesn't matter to my students, mostly grade 11 and 12, if their information is accurate or authoritative. Even when I point out glaring errors in their information, they seem unfazed. Even getting zero for plagiarizing complete essays from the internet does not seem to be a deterrent. Sure, they think it's interesting when I point out ways to confirm information, or how Wikipedia is information provided, for the most part, by "regular" people like you and me, but they do not seem to take that information and put it into practice.

I want my library and the services I offer to have some authority. I want to be viewed as a reliable source. The question becomes am I just providing information, resources, tools, or am I teaching students how to do this for themselves? In the career paths they choose, will they need the skills I want them to have? Will they need to know how to tell if information on the internet is accurate? I believe they do need to know this so that they can be informed citizens and contributing members of society, but do they, and sometimes even their parents, believe this as well?

This leads to another discussion question we shared in relation to the terms in the glossary of our text. I said...

Since many of the thoughts I had about the glossary terms have already been shared, I decided to mention a phrase that was in the lesson reading that is posing some difficulty for me lately. The phrase is "technically literate". In the reading it is part of one of the "bad news" items about the present state of reference support in school libraries:

"It is still questionable whether students are "technically literate" and other skills such as problem solving/thinking skills may have been neglected."

As I work to prepare my students for real world applications of the skills I am teaching them in English it has become very obvious that they are not as "technically literate" as we think they are - or perhaps their definition and my definition of this phrase are different. Many assume, including the students, that because they can text, use Facebook and play video games that they are more apt at using technology than those of us who went through university without the internet (or even a computer for that matter - yep, TYPED my papers on an electric typewriter!) These same students can type a word in Google and "research" a topic but are they really using this technology to the best of its ability? I have grade 12 students who don't know how to format a document, not even centre a title on a page. I have grade 11 students who claim they know how to use their computer yet they can't download a worksheet that I have provided in pdf form on our class blog.

They are also impatient with the technology and do not understand the difference between their one computer at home and its single connection to the internet, and our school with 3 labs, 12 routers and a server that is trying to keep computers of various ages working. They all blame the Macs, or the schools, but they just really don't understand how it works. Shouldn't "technically literate" include some basic understanding of the function and workings of the technology?

Perhaps part of my problem with the phrase is the word "literate". We use the term "functionally literate" for people who can "fake" their way through the world with limited reading skills. Perhaps our students are "functionally technically literate"?


Because I work with teenagers, I am very familiar with the rolled eyes, "I know everything" look. Many of my students thing that we are "old fashioned" and not "up on what's 'in'". How wrong they are. Convincing students of our authority is part of the issue. I am concerned with my students who appear to be technically literate but who really just know how to use some simple applications or game systems. I am concerned that the rapid pace of technological growth is creating a generation that just likes and wants all of the gadgets, but who doesn't really understand how to use them. I also am concerned that my students don't seem to appreciate the value of resources and tools that are older than 5 to 10 years.

Even though we can get our research materials on-line, we still need to be able to use them as a print resource. Even though we live in a digital age, we still have to be able to communicate effectively and competently. I use my experience as an on-line student with my own students quite regularly. I explain to them that I work in a virtual class room and that it is often difficult to have a "discussion" with people without seeing their expressions or understanding who they are. I find I also have to be an even better researcher and strong student because each of my courses has been set up differently. I have had to learn where to look for assignment criteria and due dates, on-line etiquette for discussions and chats, and acronyms, whew, there are a lot of acronyms! I share with them how fortunate they are to have face to face interactions with their peers and instructors but I think it will take actually experiencing a faceless, on-line world before they will truly acknowledge what I am saying, or my authority.

Looking ahead through a rear-view mirror...

It's grad weekend around here and this year I find myself as the keynote speaker. What do I say to my students that will inspire them to go out into the world and follow their dreams. Are my thoughts and words worthy of this honour? I find myself reflective of my own graduations - there have been 3 so far (and no, I do not count pre-school and grade 7). What was said to me? The fact is, I don't remember. Does this mean that the speeches were forgettable or that I have moved into the autumn of my life where my own wisdom is now so blended with those earlier speeches that I can no longer distinguish the two. (or maybe I'm just old and forgot....) Either way, I'm feeling reflective about education and learning.

What does this have to do with LIBE 467 you ask? Well.... first of all, it explains why my blog entries have been limited (note to self, do not take a course next year at this time - as a grade 12 teacher I am too busy), and it has me feeling reflective about my teacher-librarian learning. What did I know before I started this journey? What do I now know? And what do I still need to learn?

This is my third course towards my TL diploma and I am appreciative of the first two course I took as I think they have given me a strong base on which to build. (LIBE 461 & 463) I learned a lot about creating library policies, marketing the library and creating a positive environment. I also feel very confident in evaluating and weeding a collection. I am not currently the TL in my school but I will be moving into the position in September 2011. The current TL has been here for 20 years and in the last 10 years has self admittedly become the technology support person at our school. He takes care of all of our computers and even trouble-shoots hardware issues in the school, despite the fact that we have 2 paid technology support people in our district. This has meant that our library has basically been neglected. There has been no weeding in at least 6 years and the library is the most unwelcoming place in our school - which explains the almost non-existent circulation. I am excited to "take back" the library, but also concerned about the expectations of our administration of my role as a technology support person. I am very good with computers and computer programs/application. I am not as knowledgeable about the actual workings of servers and routers. I have big plans for the library, but I will have to be creative and work closely with other staff and admin. to make sure our school's needs are met.

So I arrive at LIBE 467-Information Services I. I really like that we are focused on one area of the library, especially the reference section. I recently had a discussion with the current TL and the principal of my school about purchasing an updated set of encyclopedias, in print form. The current TL wanted to make the purchase, the principal thought it was a waste of money, and I felt a bit like Switzerland - I could see both sides of the debate. I am still drawn to those quick reference sources that don't require me to log on to a computer and then conduct a search, but I also know that there are vast sources of information available on-line so could our money be better spent? Part of the issue, after I asked to "table the debate" until I took this course, is that our district no longer pays for any on-line data bases or resources for our school to use. If we want access to these things, we will have to take it out of our own budge. My principal is a technology lover, but also very conscious of the "bottom line" - dollar signs scare him. I am excited that this course is offering me the opportunity to evaluate our reference section and then seek out options and alternatives. I think this will make any proposals I make about reference purchases much easier to defend.

Our current reference section is basically a book museum. There are so many dictionaries and atlases they would probably stack to the ceiling. (which I am going to try as a display!) I am not a hoarder and can't wait to get my hands on these materials - they must go! The current TL is a historian and sees value in all of these, even atlases that still call Russia the USSR! I want to learn about reference options, display of the reference materials in a very user friendly way, and how to promote the use of both print and on-line reference materials. I am concerned that we are doing our students a disservice by not teaching them solid research techniques, which I think they need to know if they choose to go on to post-secondary studies. The research through data bases that we have had to do for this course has reminded me of this. We still need to know how to use print resources even if they comes to us via a computer.

I am also so appreciative of the other students in the class. In both of my previous courses I learned so much from the experience of others. I like seeing the enthusiasm of younger teacher, the idealism of those still looking for that permanent position, and the contagious love of the profession from those of us who are a little more "seasoned." So much of my "ideas" file in my daytimer is from comments made on the discussion boards and I know that it will continue to grow in this class.