Evaluation Plan to Improve our Reference Collection

The following evaluation plan document will be shared with my administration at my current school as well as with our Wye School Library Learning Commons Leadership Committee.

Background
Wye Elementary School is currently going through a massive transition within Elk Island Public Schools.  Since August 2018, construction has begun for a new school to replace Wye Elementary.  At the March 14, 2019 public board meeting, Elk Island Public Schools (EIPS) approved the new name for Wye Replacement School.  The new name will be Heritage Hills Elementary.  In addition to a new name, EIPS has also decided this new elementary school will be a dual track school consisting of English and French Immersion.  The current occupancy date set for Heritage Hills Elementary is September 2020.  In preparation for the relocation, it is imperative a comprehensive evaluation plan is in place for our entire library collection including the reference collection.  The evaluation plan will include evaluation of our current collection to determine any necessary weeding that needs to take place as well as evaluating acquisitions that are needed to enhance our reference collection.  Our acquisition of French resources will be entirely new as we are not currently a French Immersion school.  We need to ensure our collection is up to date, relevant and meets the needs of all students as we open a new building within the Heritage Hills community. 

Evaluation of Current Collection
Empowering Learners (2009) states the library media program should provide, "a well-developed collection of books, periodicals and non-print materials in a variety of formats that support curricular topics and are suited to inquiry learning and the user's needs and interests" (p. 38).  

Wye Elementary School's current collection of the reference resource section is limited.  We currently have 23 titles in this section.  The majority of this section consists of atlases which when using the Evaluating Reference Resource Checklist would indicate they should all be weeded.  In addition to atlases, Wye School holds 3 different Kingfisher encyclopedias.  These include the animal encyclopedia, history encyclopedia and the geography encyclopedia.  The remainder of the reference resource section includes resources relating to Alberta and Strathcona County history.  Although these resources are old in nature they do provide historical information currently not available any other way.  From this evaluation, we know the atlases will need to be weeded and additional resources should be considered to enhance our collection.  In addition, French materials will need to be explored. 

Plan
According to Riedling (2013), our primary consideration regardless of format for reference materials is providing "easy access to a high-quality collection" (p. 17).  This is the start of a 2 year plan to increase the reference resources available for our students.  

2019-2020 School Year

• During the 2019-2020 school year, staff will be continuously updated on reference collection acquisition and possibilities.  they will be asked to continuously share their thoughts on what they would like to see in the reference collection.  This information will be communicated in our school weekly as well as at staff meetings.  There will also be an ongoing Google sheet available which includes reference material acquisition possibilities with two sheets - one for English materials and one for French materials. 
• Continue to weed collection in preparation for move to new school using Table 2.1:General guidelines for replacing reference materials located within Reference Sills for the School Librarian by Reidling (p. 24, 2013).  If resources do not meet these guidelines or are damaged these resources will be pulled from current collection.  Once item is weeded from collection, in consultation with Library Learning Commons Leadership Committee, it will be determined if resource can be used to support classroom library collections or be completely discarded.  
• Research and collaborate with staff on the best use of the following resources - atlases, dictionaries and thesauruses.  How many should we purchase?  Where should they be housed?  In the Library Learning Commons?  In the book room?  A few copies in each classroom?  Decide on this process and have it written down in our School Wide Literacy Plan so all staff know where these resources will be located once purchased.  
• Ensure constant communication with our district literacy consultants and the second language consultant on resources available to build our reference collection. 
• Meet with literacy lead teacher and library technician at French Immersion schools within our district to see how they have been supporting their reference collection.  
• Once occupancy date has been set, purchase new collection to be shipped to Heritage Hills Elementary.  This includes reviewing the Reference Resources Acquisition sheet. 

2020-2021 School Year

• At the beginning of the 2020 school year, all staff will partake in a library orientation of the new space.  This will either happen during one of our operational days or within the first few days as an after school meeting.  This orientation is to familiarize all staff of the new Library Learning Commons space including the reference collection.  This orientation will also include a tour of the book room where we house additional literacy materials.  
• From here, staff will be asked to join the new Heritage Hills Elementary Library Learning Commons Leadership Committee to include both English and French teachers.  This new committee will use the Leading Learning Framework (2014) to develop a Learning Commons vision for our new space and ensure we are looking at each standard.
• Within the first few weeks of school, all students will partake in a library orientation of the new space.  The will include orientation of our reference collection.
• Throughout the school year, continue to work on collection acquisition to support the new space. 

Considerations

• Although budget needs to be considered, we are in a unique situation as we will have some additional dollars available to support the Learning Commons and reference section for the 2019-2020 school year and additionally for the 2020-2021 school year due to new school funds. 
• Some of the current limitations on building our reference collection is the relocation of Wye Elementary.  The overall vision of the new Heritage Hills Elementary is to have the most up to date materials and resources available.  Purchasing too many resources now already ensures the publication date is later than if we wait another year to buy.  Additionally, purchasing resources now means all stamps and bar codes will have Wye Elementary School rather than Heritage Hills Elementary.  We have not received our 4 digit Alberta School code yet for Heritage Hills Elementary so we are unable to order bar codes.  
• Since Elk Island Public Schools already has many databases available through the Online Reference Centre, no additional database subscriptions will be purchased during the 2019-2020 school year.  During this time, if a recommendation is made then every effort will be made to see if we can at least get a trial offer to test.  Any additional purchases will only be considered for the beginning of the 2020 school year and beyond. 
• It is essential whenever possible to purchase the same resource in both English and French if it meets the needs and criteria.  This is to guarantee equal access to resources for all students within Heritage Hills Elementary.  

Individuals Involved 

Administration - Principal and Assistant Principal 

Teacher Librarian

School Staff

Literacy and Second Language Consultants

French Immersion Lead Literacy Teachers

Library Technician Cohort including District Library Technician

It is imperative that over the next 12 months we continue to update and modernize all aspects of our collection including our reference area to ensure we can adequately meet the needs of our current population as well as the increased number of students who will be attending Heritage Hills Elementary in 2020.  We will continue to research and purchase additional reference materials to meet the needs of our French Immersion students who will also be attending in Fall 2020.  In order to maximize the usage and enhance student learning, proper orientation of the new space, proper way finding and reader's advisory are all factors which need to be considered.  The overall success of our plan will not fully come to fruition until we are in our new space and are able to see our students using the reference materials to enhance their learning.  

References 

AASL.  Empowering Learners: Guidelines for School Library Media Programs.  Chicago:  AASL, 2009.  

EIPS Board Approves Name for Replacement School in Heritage Hills. (2019). Retrieved from https://www.eips.ca/about-us/whats-new/post/eips-board-approves-name-for-replacement-school-in-heritage-hill

Riedling, A., Shake, L., & Houston, C. (2013).  Reference skills for the school librarian(3rd ed.).  Santa Barbara, California: Linworth, an imprint of ABC-CLIO, LLC. 

Standards of Practice for School Library Learning Commons in Canada. (2014). Retrieved from https://apsds.org/wp-content/uploads/Standards-of-Practice-for-SchoolLibrary-Learning-Commons-in-Canada-2014.pdf