This content reflects work done as part of the Indigenous Perspectives in School Librarianship (IPSL) grant funded by IMLS (RE-246303-OLS-20). Actual assignments may vary.

Module 1: Introduction to Curation

According to the National School Library Standards curation is “the act of making meaning for oneself and others by collection, organizing, and sharing resources of personal relevance.” When we curate the library collection, we do much more than purchase books. In fact, the library’s collection consists of much more than books – it is also the websites we put into resource guides, the databases we subscribe to, the finding aides we create, etc. To make good collection development and curation decisions, we must we analyze the needs of our community, make evidence-based decisions, advocate for funding, and advocate for equitable access. In this week, we’ll set the stage for what curation is and can be by identifying what the curation process looks like and why we do it, and interviewing a librarian about their collection development policies and procedures.

Module Objectives

Identify physical, social, virtual, economic, geographic, and intellectual barriers to flexible, open access to library resources and services.

Think

  • Hughes-Hassell, S. (2020). Part I: Theoretical foundations. In Collection management for youth: Equity, inclusion, and learning (2nd edition; pp. 3-48). Chicago, IL: ALA Editions.
  • Library Bill of Rights
  • Code of Ethics
  • Freedom to Read Statement
  • American Association of School Librarians. (2018). Curate. In National school library standards for learners, school librarians, and school libraries (pp. 93-102). Chicago, IL: ALA Editions.
  • Sheneman, L. (2022, Apr 15). Collection development matters: with Becky Calzada and Liz Philippi. The Librarian Influencers Podcast. Retrieved from Podcast | Librarian Influencer (laurasheneman.com)

Create

Interview a school librarian (this can be the librarian in your building, a school librarian colleague, your mentor, etc.) and ask them the following questions.

  • Describe your collection development process in general including physical materials, electronic materials, and/or curated guides. How do you decide what should be in the library?
  • How do you make sure the library collection overall is of high quality and learner centered?
  • How does the budget play a role in your decision making? What is your role in determining the library’s budget? How do you allocate library funds? Who else is involved in making decisions about how library funds will be spent?
  • How does diversity, equity, and inclusion play a role in your collection development decision making?
  • How do local tribal values and/or school district values play a role in your curation decisions?
  • How does the availability of materials in other libraries (other schools, public library, etc.) play a role in your decision making?
  • Do you use open educational resources (OER)? If so, how do you decide which ones to use? How do you share them with students (e.g., put in catalog, on web guide, in collaborative lessons)?
  • How do you determine what materials to weed or remove from the collection?
  • Do you catalog and process your materials yourself or use services of a vendor? What do you see as the pros and cons to each approach?
  • How do you involve the school community (learners, parents, teachers, etc.) in the curation process?
  • How do you promote the library collection to your school community?
  • Have you ever had to handle a book challenge (formally or informally)? What was that process like? How was it resolved?
  • Can I have a copy of the school or district’s collection development policies and procedures, including the process for reconsideration of materials? (You’ll need this information for future assignments; so if the librarian doesn’t have it or doesn’t know where it can be found, consider contacting your district library supervisor or curriculum director.)

Share

In the #1intro channel, share a summary of your interview with a school librarian and then respond to at least two of your classmates’ posts. (Note: Be sure to protect the identity of the library you interviewed by using referring to them as the school librarian or the curator or using a pseudonym.) Address the following:

  • What barriers exist (physical, social, virtual, economic, geographic, intellectual) to access in their library?
  • What model of collection development do they fall into based on the models presented in Chapter 3 of the text?
  • Based on the information in Chapter 4, what collection behaviors do they exhibit (Table 4.1)?
  • How do the readings in this module and the interview set the stage for your own learning?

Grow

Share your takeaway from the module as well as any challenges you have experienced this week.