Contemporary Realistic Fiction

It seems that Contemporary Realistic Fiction (CRF) has always been around, providing readers with opportunities to find out how other people think and live.  Middle School students are interested in the lives of others and how they deal with day-to-day situations in their lives, ordinary or extraordinary.  Good CRF has believable characters, in-depth storylines, emotional highs and lows and above all a feeling of hope that keeps the reader turning the page.  Teacher librarians respect the position CRF holds with Middle School readers and, resources the school library to keep them coming back for more.

I love reading contemporary realistic fiction, and always have.  I grew up in a country town and I loved reading about other people, in other places, doing things that were far more exciting than I was.

My first "real" contemporary realistic fiction book was Homecoming by Cynthia Voight.  I loved reading about Dicey and her siblings who were deserted by their mum in a carpark.  The story wasn't about the mum, but about how courageous Dicey was to look after her siblings, to keep them safe and to get them somewhere where they would be looked after.  At times, Dicey's situation was quite desperate, but they made it.  I was glued to this book, reading and re-reading more than once.

I think contemporary realistic fiction is valuable to the library collection because it allows readers to become someone else for the duration of the book, it allows readers to live experiences, all be it vicariously, from the safety of their own lounge room and it provides opportunities for readers to develop their own identity.  Above all, most are really enjoyable stories that kids will enjoy reading.  

If I am ever asked which genre of books is my favourite, I always say that I love a good story.  Could be fiction, could be non-fiction.

There is a lot of good contemporary realistic fiction available for readers today.  It is the role of the teacher librarian to get those books into their collection and advocate, advocate, advocate and advertise that they are available for borrowing, give students a taste of what the story is about and encourage them to start reading.  Reading for leisure is just as valuable as reading for skill development.  

As I complete ETL402, I have developed a slight attraction to contemporary realistic fiction for students, often called Young Adult Fiction.  May be more than a slight attraction.  I am hooked, having read about 10 current titles in the last 6 weeks.  I will tell you more in my next post.

Looking back....

What a busy few weeks!!
Practical placement, 2 subjects, extra work hours, the death of a friend, a travelling husband and busy teenagers have all made the days and the weeks fly by and sometimes come to a complete stand still.

I thoroughly enjoyed the Library Placement.  I loved everything about it; covering books, labelling spines, shelving books, searching for information resources, scanning bar codes and talking to the students.  Being a teacher librarian is the most unique position to have in the whole school.  You have the opportunity to be in touch with absolutely everybody at some stage.  I think that you need to take those opportunities and run with it. After completing ETL401 I became a firm believer in the teacher librarian being an advocate for the library.  Not just for the books, but for the services as well.  The teacher librarian really needs to put themselves out there....wave their flag!!
During the first couple of days of the placement, I had what some would call an epiphany.  I went home and slept on it before I spoke to my supervising TL - (A lovely lady and CSU graduate!).
The school has an impressive number of databases covering all the subjects available in a P-12 school, they also have a federated search system that draws information from all the databases when you are searching for resources.  But, the teachers don't seem to know that it exists and therefore the students are mostly unaware of their availability.  The library staff have also noticed a downfall in the number of books being borrowed too.  After  thinking on it overnight, I spoke to the TL the next day, asking "How do you let the students know about the resources available in the library?".  I wasn't sure how my question would be received, but the TL responded with "I have tried.  I am not sure what I am going to do next."
Wow!  I was so glad that I had been on the Study Visits to other schools in our area.  I was brimming with ideas of how to get the students into the library and how to show them how to access and use the databases.  Hopefully I will get the chance later in the year to implement some of my ideas.

While I was on my placement, I learned a lot about the use of SCIS, cataloguing and the importance of recording information correctly.  It helped that I am studying ETL505 at the same time, but also that I have completed the subjects on resourcing and use of the library space.  Cataloguing has come along way since the days of handwritten catalogue cards.  The majority of resource information comes from the SCIS database and if it isn't found there, WorldCat is another source.  This semester I am learning about subject headings and describing resources accurately for effective retrieval.
These are things that teacher librarians don't really talk about as a part of their day to day conversation.  They are time consuming jobs, but, at the end of the day, jobs that come with a certain sense of fulfilment.

Back to it....

After a small semester break, I am back into it for the down hill run.....

At the end of last semester, I had the pleasure and privilege to visit some of the library and information services in Brisbane.
There were some highlights and some lowlights, but over all, I was blown away by what is available in our community, for our community, and how a lot of this information is not 'out there'.
When I first began studying Teacher Librarianship, I very quickly understood that one of the most influencing roles the teacher librarian has is being the advocate for the library and all the services it offers.  ADVOCATE! ADVOCATE! I am not sure whether funding or staffing or a combination of both has prevented some of these organisations from really putting their information out to the general public.

The State Library of Queensland is an amazing place.  There is truly something for everyone.  The State Archives were unbelievably interesting and impressive.  The facilities at Brisbane Boys Grammar were state of the art.
What I learned was that it doesn't really matter how hi-tech your library is, how many cataloguing programs you have, how many e-books, i-pads, i-pods or self-serve borrowing machines you have, it is what you do with all of these things and how you bring the community into the library that makes all the difference.  If library users don't know how to use the databases or don't know that the databases are there to be used, they are of no use at all.  If the library is replacing print books with e-book versions, but library users aren't borrowing, it is a waste of money.

Library spaces should be designed with the user in mind, making library spaces conducive to reading, learning, researching, listening and getting involved.

I admire the ladies in the Brisbane Square BCC Library.  They are not only catering to the general borrowing needs of average readers, they cater to their particular clientele that can range from Legal Counsel to someone who lives on the street.  The library is designed for older patrons, patrons with kids, corporate workers and the disabled to name a few.  They offer services for older patrons, patrons with kids, corporate workers and the disabled.  They hold events to suit the local clientele, to get them into the library to participate in positive community experiences.  The library truly can become the hub of the community.

Tomorrow, I am back into some Prac activities where encouraging teenage boys to borrow books and read them is priority 1.  I am ready.

Assessment Item 2 - Part C

Assessment Item 2 – Part C

I have visited the town library, the school library and the University library many times as a reader, a parent, and a teacher and as a student.  I took for granted the books on the shelves, never wondering what a time consuming task it would have been to gather the resources.   I did wonder however who was choosing the books that were on those shelves.

As I planned for a model collection, I was overwhelmed by the responsibilities the teacher librarian has.  It’s not just buying books.  Collection development is a strategic plan with all components relying on each other; concentrating on meeting the needs of the user. 

It is essential schools have a Collection Management Policy, which is written down, stating clear goals and purposes of the library and how those goals will be achieved. (Mitchell, 2014).  A collection management policy is more than a guide to collecting materials.  It compels library leaders and their staff to consider the aims and objectives of the library and all of the related components.  It’s not just about the resources.  The collection management policy not only assists with the development of the resource collection, but also budgeting, challenges, weeding and cancellation of digital and printed subscriptions. (IFLA, 2001).  The needs of library users are changing, therefore changing the needs of the library.

The continual evaluation of the library collection, including weeding, keeps the resources fresh and in circulation.  Information needs to be relevant, up to date and accurate as well as being presented in a user-friendly format; readers do judge a book by its cover. (LaGarde, 2013).  Chen (2010) wrote about the importance of giving users what they want, especially when it involves popular fiction books.  The best way to keep students coming in to use the library, and its resources, is to provide not only books they want to read, but also services they need for learning.  The IFLA trend report highlights the growing need for students to develop information literacy skills such as basic reading and competence with digital tools (IFLA, 2013).  These skills will open opportunities for students as the digital world becomes commonplace in the learning market.

I have previously blogged about the role of the teacher librarian, however, completing a proposal for a library collection further highlighted to me the value and importance of that role; promoting and providing literature and literacy learning for all students, maintaining a physical and virtual presence in the teaching and learning agenda of a school, advocating for students to become effective and ethical users of ideas and for the library program to be fully embedded in teaching. (Kowalski, 2014).

It is true, “A librarian’s ability to find quality texts, like all good magic acts, blends art and science to amaze the audience” (Harris, 2012).

REFERENCES

·      Chen, K. (2010). Give Them What They Want. School Library Journal , 56

 (10), 29-32.

·      Harris, C. (2012). A Librarian's tricks for finding those complex texts cited

            in Common Core. School Library Journal , 12.

·      IFLA. (2001). Guidelines for a Collection Development Policy using the

Conspectus Model. Retrieved May 30, 2014, from International Federation of Library Associations: www.ifla.org/files/assests/acquisition-collection-development/publications/gcdf-en.pdf

·      IFLA. (2013, August). Riding the Waves or Caught in the Tide: Navigating

the Evolving Information Environment. Retrieved May 29, 2014, from IFLA Trend Report: trends.ifla.org/files//trend/assets/insight-from-the-ifla-trend-report_v3.pdf

·      Kowalski, S. (2014). Rethinking the Possiblities @ Your Library.

 Knowledge Quest , 42 (4).

·      LaGarde, J. (2013, October 1). Keeping Your Library Collection Smelling

Fresh. Retrieved May 20, 2014, from The Adventures of Library Girl: www.librarygirl.net/2013/10/keeping_your_library_collection.html

·      Mitchell, P. (2014). Collection Management Policy [ETL503 Module 6

201430WD]. Retrieved May 29, 2014, from CHARLES STURT UNIVERSITY: http//interact.csu.edu/portal/site/ETL503_201430_W_D/page107347c-3a72-453a-8091-13f98fefcf2c

Who chooses the books? How do they know which ones to choose?

I have been to the library many times, in many different capacities.  I didn't ever wonder how the books got onto the shelves, but I did wonder who was choosing the books and how they chose them.  Did the librarian go to Dymocks?  Did they librarian have a massive Lucky Bookclub catalogue to peruse?

Selection Aids help teacher librarians to find out what resources are available for acquisition for the library.  Promotions from suppliers, recommendations from colleagues and users, bibliographic services and reviews are all selection aids.

In some libraries, a representative from a book supplier or book publisher will come to the library with books and catalogues for the teacher librarian to look through and then choose whether they would like to buy any of the books. One advantage of this is that the teacher librarian gets to handle the book and take a good look inside.  It can also be a disadvantage as the representative will be biased toward their own products regardless of their quality.  The same could be said for viewing a publishers catalogue, although you don't get to touch the books.

Recommendations can often be very effective selection aids.  If a resource is recommended, it is often done so with some authority, i.e someone who has used the book recommends it.  Recommendations can also be in the form of advertisements, reviews and personal bias.  Australian Standing Orders provides reliable, quality resources that meet requirements of the Australian Curriculum are used by many schools.  ASO provide a number of books to the school every month for a flat rate.  There are different packages of resources to choose from. My school uses ASO because of the quality of the books and their relevance to the learning curriculum.

Bibliographic services like SCiS can be relied upon for relevant resources and popularity.  There are over 1.5 million resources on SCiS.

Reviews in journals, online reviews and social media are also effective selection aids when it comes to resources.  If users don't rate a resource, they will let the public know.  Social networking and colleague recommendations through discussions groups are also highly effective.

In combination with the library selection policy, this is how the books and other resources are chosen for a library.

Confessions of a would be blogger......

My first confession is that I would like to be a better blogger, but I am not.

My second confession is that I am a little bit passé when it comes to some things in the library....the operative word being SOME things.
Shhhhh!! Don't tell anyone.

There are so many different forms of resources to be considered in a library.  Librarians are challenged by material costs as well as the vast number of publications.  Material costs have increased substantially.
Keeping up to date with the ever expanding media environment is integral to keeping the library alive and in circulation.  Failing to house resources from a wide variety of formats, ignores a wealth of information.
There should be current technology available in the library, not for everybody to use all at once, but enough for students to learn how to work it, learn how to use it to effect and then use those skills to participate, produce and contribute to the learning curriculum.

I love using the Kindle.  I love that it fits in my handbag without my arm breaking.  I love that the screen is backlit so that I can lie in bed with the light off and not disturb anyone.

Here is the part where I am a little bit old fashioned.....

I am a primary school teacher by trade and I think kids need books.  To have a favourite book, to recognise it by its cover, to dog ear the corner to bookmark where they are up to, to lend a book to a friend because they loved it.
I love that you can choose a book from the shelf, look through it, check out the text, the format, the size of the print.  I love that you can go past the books on the shelf and recognise what they are; there's Harry Potter, there's Geronimo Stilton, there's Trixie Belden....what!!!
You can tell if its popular by the condition it is in.  Kids need these skills just as much as they need information literacy skills.  These are precursory skills.  How do you choose a good book?  How do you know it will be any good to read?  How do you know if you will like the story?
Librarygirl.net has blogged that we are not hoarders, we are librarians.  I wish we could be hoarders.  I would hoard all of my favourite stories from when I was a little girl right up to now as an adult.

It is important that any library collection is balanced with a variety of formats to meet the learning needs of users.  If these needs aren't being met, kids won't come to the library and classroom teachers won't collaborate with you because you haven't got the right resources.
A clear statement of goals and objectives of the school library will assist in developing a balanced collection of resources that will appeal to users and meet their learning needs.

The Legend of the Bookstore

As I have been studying and reading journal articles, newspaper articles and literature about the demise of the printed book, I was over the moon to discover that, despite the doom and gloom outlook of economists and book publishing, from my perspective the bookstore is still relevant and still operating today!!!

I have been travelling through the USA with my funny family and while most of the shopping being done is in teenage fashion clothing shops, sports stores and shoe warehouses, we all breathed a collective sigh when we came across the good old, green, Barnes and Noble bookstore.
We weren't in a city, we weren't even in a town. We were driving between New York City and Boston when we found it.  This wasn't a pokey, token bookstore; this was the real deal, bookshelf after bookshelf after bookshelf.

As my husband found a park, the teens and the tween started calling out the books they would be looking for.....Game of Thrones, John Green books, basketball books, kids books and many more suggestions and requests that I can't remember them all.
We all piled into the store, braced ourselves and we all went separate ways.  Teen 1 went off in search of George R.R. Martin, Teen 2 went straight to teen fiction and then on to the magazines and Tween 1 went to the sports books and then to boys Junior Fiction.  My husband mosied over to the biographies and then made his way to the non-fiction "how to make your fortune" books.  Sadly for me, I have a Kindle that was loaded up with lots to read, but I am always browsing the picture books for something fun to read to my kids at school.

This Barnes and Noble store was amazing.  Beautifully presented and well stocked.
"We don't have anything like this in Australia!" Teen 2 marvelled.
Tween 1 wanted to know why the books were so cheap, and Teen 1 was amazed at the variety and selection available.
Admittedly, America's population is much greater than ours, but I did agree with the kids that the variety of books available was amazing.
In the picture book section, there was a "Special Edition" Mother's Day collection of books, not just about mums, but including books that Mum's the world over have read to their children e.g The Very Hungry Caterpillar, Goodnight Moon, Ferdinand the Bull, Madeline, Alexander and the Terrible Horrible No Good Very Bad Day,  The Elephant and the Bad Baby....just to name a few.  The books were hard cover titles and they were all reasonably priced at $15.

Books in Australia are expensive.  It is safe to say that parents are foregoing  buying new books for their kids because of this.  The school library is becoming more and more important as a hub for learning and information.  It is the teacher-librarian's responsibility to promote and provide current literature for every student at their school and promote and provide equitable access to it.

I have written many times before that it is the role of the Teacher Librarian to advocate, advocate, advocate and this is a perfect example of why it is so important.
Let the students, teachers and families know what resources are available in the library.  Show teachers and students how to use the resources from the library effectively.  Demonstrate to the Principal and School Leaders that the library is THE place to be when it comes to information learning, ICT and literacy.