“A good reference source is one that serves to answer questions and a bad reference is one that fails to answer questions” - Riedling
Introduction
(Kearney, Christine. March 14th, 2012)
I read the description of this course when I was selecting this class for the term and it immediately made me think of the Encyclopedia Britannica. As a child, I remember the commercials so candidly. The advertising was so persuasive (for a 10 year old child). I believed that if I had access to these books, all of my questions would be answered. Doing school projects would be a breeze! All I needed to do, was convince my parents to buy them. Eventually they did buy them and I remember browsing through them. Thinking of topics that I wondered about and looked them up. I learned to use these encyclopedias so efficiently. I used them for every project I could.
I knew that there was more to reference materials but I had never stopped to think about them all. There was more to “reference materials” besides the wonderful, all knowing Encyclopedia Britannica. There are almanacs, atlases, dictionaries, etc. All of which some of us use on a weekly or monthly basis. I knew of the sources but for some reason I did not connect them all to be reference sources.
Theme 1: Definitions
This section looked closer at Riedling’s definitions of various terms related to reference materials. In the text Riedling clarified terms I already knew the definition of but did not know or remember the terms, since we do not use them on the field. We use language that students are able to understand better. It was interesting relearning the formal terminology.
Riedling's definition of the term "digital divide" really grabbed my attention. They are referring to the availability of the internet and/or digital resources. I don't always feel like this divide is as clear as they have defined it.
I found it interesting how Reidling's definition of reference sources varies from each other. In addition, the definition of Guide to Reference Sources from the American Library Association states how no definition for "reference work" is entirely satisfactory for the Guide to Reference Sources's purpose because of the implications of the web/digital media.
The important thing to remember in our practice is that we need to teach students to be 21st century learners. This outlines the skills, dispositions, and responsibilities of students to be truly information literate in today’s society. They need to be able to inquire, think critically, draw conclusions, share information, make informed decisions and apply knowledge to new situations. This is incredibly critical for students to master now. Especially at a time where the information is abundant but not curated.
Theme 2: The Reference Process and Information skills
I feel like teachers are always using the information skills and reference process in their practice on a daily basis. I know that I like to guide students to find answers to their questions. I haven’t had a chance to really dive deep into the inquiry process. My experience with kindergarteners and grade one students had reduced the inquiry process to a very basic level. I am excited to have learned the various inquiry process models. They provide more thorough steps to follow which will inevitably scaffold students to follow their inquiries more closely and completely.
Below are three different models teachers can use to guide students through the inquiry process: Information seeking model by Carol Kuhlthau, The Big 6 ("Super 3" for younger students- adapted model with a three step process: plan, do, review) by Michael Eisenberg and Robert Berkowitz and the Research process by Barbara Stripling and Judy Pitts.
I don’t think any of these models are better than the other. Students will be more successful if they know the inquiry process of any of the models above. Teachers could choose a model and outline the steps for students. Give them a way to follow the model and record their findings.
Theme 3: Building a reference collection for your school library
I like how Riedling provides an outline for evaluating reference material. It is a very informed way to set standards for our resources. I think the content scope and cost of reference material is a challenging part of evaluating resources. Teacher Librarians already struggle to update their reference sections as they become outdated so quickly. As a result they have to purchase new, updated versions which use more money from an already restricting budget. In addition, patrons are turning to digital copies of reference resources as they are kept updated, and are always readily available. In turn, their demands help preserve the budget a little more.
Other Teacher Librarians have told me that they have eliminated their encyclopedias from their School Library Learning Commons. The reason being that students are not taught how to use print copies of encyclopedias when digital versions of the same material are available. It would seem wasteful to spend budget money on resources that are not going to be used.
All of this makes me wonder whether we should still be teaching students how to use the encyclopedias or completely move away from print versions to digital ones?
Theme 4: Print and/or electronic reference Materials
I find our digital resources are exemplary but not so easy to access. Teachers are not aware of these sources until I show them. I try to use these resources during collaborative time. This gives me a chance to show teachers how to use them and why they are so valuable.
Based on our reading, the availability of electronic references is having an impact on research at every educational level. Our job is to teach students how to find the best information. If we don’t allow access to many internet sites that are used by students in their own time then how can we have meaningful discussions with them about authority, relevancy, currency, etc?
Conclusion
It has been exciting learning and going beyond the Encyclopedia Britannica. I look forward to working with students on various inquiry models and teaching them how to follow the steps diligently. I am grateful to have such a rich digital and physical collection where students can access what they want, whenever they want. I have a lot of modeling and demonstrating to do so teachers and students are convinced to use our digital sources over non curated sources!
Citation
Riedling, A. & Houston, C. (2019). Reference Skills for the School Librarian: Tools and Tips (4th ed.). Pg. 3-121, 137-140.
1988 Encyclopedia Britannica. "At Home" TV Commercial. Originally aired on April 8th, 1988 on CBN. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hi8Ae5gY_vk. Retrived January 29th, 2023.
1992 Encyclopedia Britannica Commercial. Aired on WPIX Channel 11. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Hxwin9XFbnQ. Retrieved January 28th, 2023.
Lynch, Matthew. April 5th, 2018. What does a 21st century learner look like?. The Edvocate. https://www.theedadvocate.org/what-does-a-21st-century-learner-look-like/. Retrieved January 29th, 2023.
Kearney, Christine. March 14th, 2012. New York. https://www.csmonitor.com/Business/Latest-News-Wires/2012/0314/Encyclopaedia-Britannica-After-244-years-in-print-only-digital-copies-sold. Retrieved January 29th, 2023.
