Reflection
Evaluating the collection and creating a curriculum map is beneficial for media specialists to interpret and use data to create and share new knowledge to improve practice in school libraries. This artifact helps me to closely examine each section when creating a book order. In 2013, I evaluated my collection and mapped the 590s. I learned that easy fiction and fiction are my largest sections while philosophy, religion, and language are the smallest sections. Science and technology books definitely need to be updated. Some of the space books still have Pluto classified as a planet. All the sections need updating since the average age is 17 years old. The curriculum map showed grades PreK-2 teach units on animals. When examining the books physically, many of the books are appropriate for grades 1 - 5. Students in all grades actively check out books about animals. They like books about baby animals, animals that eat other animals, and strange looking animals. When the units come up, grade levels will check out 20 - 30 books at a time. Ordering more books would be a necessity due their popularity with students and to fulfill the need of teachers.
A collection evaluation completed yearly can assist the media specialist in keeping the collection current. The Follett Destiny program produces reports for each section: the number of books, the age of the books and the frequency at which each book is circulated. Using the curriculum map helps to ensure you have books to support the curriculum at each grade level and reading level. The weakness of each report is that it must be updated yearly to keep the collection relevant to the current community. When I created these documents, I was in my second year serving as media specialist and it was eye opening. I had a better idea of what was in the collection and it gave me direction on what I need to order to make it better.
Media specialists would benefit from looking at their collection this way. It would aid us in spending our money more efficiently by purchasing titles that will support the curriculum and help our students to grow in knowledge. I learned about different features of my catalog program. Although it can be time consuming, it is beneficial. Evaluating the collection is something I will do regularly to maintain its relevancy to the curriculum and the school community.
A collection evaluation completed yearly can assist the media specialist in keeping the collection current. The Follett Destiny program produces reports for each section: the number of books, the age of the books and the frequency at which each book is circulated. Using the curriculum map helps to ensure you have books to support the curriculum at each grade level and reading level. The weakness of each report is that it must be updated yearly to keep the collection relevant to the current community. When I created these documents, I was in my second year serving as media specialist and it was eye opening. I had a better idea of what was in the collection and it gave me direction on what I need to order to make it better.
Media specialists would benefit from looking at their collection this way. It would aid us in spending our money more efficiently by purchasing titles that will support the curriculum and help our students to grow in knowledge. I learned about different features of my catalog program. Although it can be time consuming, it is beneficial. Evaluating the collection is something I will do regularly to maintain its relevancy to the curriculum and the school community.
This website was designed by Gina Deal. Comments can sent to [email protected].This page was last updated May 2015.
The images on these pages were photographed by Gina Deal unless otherwise cited. Word clouds created at wordle.net or tagxedo.com.
The images on these pages were photographed by Gina Deal unless otherwise cited. Word clouds created at wordle.net or tagxedo.com.