Gold Rush
Elementary School
Parker, Colorado
Douglas County School District
Highly Effective Schools Through Libraries
Standard 4: Management
Standard 4: Management
Component A: Collection Development Alignment Plan and Professional Support
Gold Rush library collection development is a challenging and continuous process. The collection is uploaded regularly for analysis. I scrutinize the collection through TitleWise Analysis to monitor and target areas for improvement. I utilize the Destiny 23.0 Software to run reports and monitor resource usage. With this data, I have created and implemented a five year collection alignment plan that guides the collection improvements and tracks needed areas for potential updates.
Standard 4: Management
Component A: Collection Development
Professional Support
The District Library Media staff offer support and direction. They share curated resource lists of various subjects that align with curriculum and support school goals. I meet with Tracie King, Director of Library Programming, for feedback and guidance on my GRE Collection Alignment Plan. In addition, I frequently take advantage of the Titlewave Content Curation Services to assist with specific subject curation. I follow the district policies and procedures which align with best practices.
Component A: Collection Development
SEL and Diversity
Another important aspect in the management of our collection is addressing priority areas for procurement, such as resources that offer diverse viewpoints, authentic authors, varied cultures, and social emotional learning. Twenty Two percent of the collection supports an environment that values and promotes diversity. While 26% of the collection supports social emotional learning. Development in these areas is an ongoing priority.
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Component A: Collection Dev
Student input
Along with my collection alignment plan, student and staff input is extremely important. I maintain an ongoing and very popular suggestion box. Last year, several students requested newer scary chapter books. I was happy to accommodate their suggestions by purchasing nine fresh scary novels, which I displayed with a sign reading “As You Requested.” Featuring newly purchased requests also reassures students that their opinions matter. I remain attentive to student preferences, often inviting feedback just before I create a purchasing list.
In addition, I conduct detailed student surveys and use every bit of the data. Student responses help me understand how library lessons were received and what engages them the most. For example, fifth-grade students gave high ratings to a lesson about Tricky Vic, the con man who tried to sell the Eiffel Tower twice! I used that feedback to purchase additional exciting biographies and created new lessons around those books. I also added a set of nonfiction titles about various heists, which have become very popular. Through surveys, I encourage students to share the subjects they want to explore, the books they love, and any suggestions they may have. Responding to student input helps build a collection that truly reflects what our students want in their library.
I have attempted staff surveys, but the response has been lukewarm at best. I find that one-on-one conversations—where I ask staff members how the library can better support them—are far more productive. For example, a conversation with a first-grade teacher helped me better understand what was needed, or more specifically, what was missing, for an animal research unit. She provided a list of animals and requested lower-level readers on those topics. I was able to create a resource list and purchase books that filled the gaps the first-grade team had been struggling to work around. This not only strengthened the collection but also better met the needs of our first-grade students. The list has continued to make it easier for me to deliver exactly what the team needs in subsequent years.
Lastly, I make it clear that I genuinely want staff feedback and suggestions to improve both our collection and our library.
Component A: Collection Dev
Staff Community Input
Component A: Collection Development
Students response
The students and staff find the collection appealing and inviting as evidenced by our high circulation rate each year. GRE has been recognized again this year for having the highest circulation rate in the district. I work hard to create a collection that meets the needs, interests, and varied reading levels of the students in our school. My goal is to create a balanced and inclusive library collection. Our collection analysis indicates that the collection is balanced with 48% fiction and 52% nonfiction. It is a constant process to stay balanced, fresh, and keep up with the specific needs of our school community. .
Component A: Collection Development
Benchmark Reading Program
The GRE collection aligns with our curriculum and our school goals in conjunction with the Benchmark Reading Program. The carefully procured Benchmark resources are identified with a blue spine label and the digital Benchmark resources are easily accessible through SORA. This identification makes finding these books effortless for both staff and students.
Component B: Weeding
Policy Access
Weeding is a crucial component for a fit library. I complete ongoing weeding that follows district policy and criteria for the deselection of materials. All policies on weeding and the recycling of weeded materials are linked on the DLMC website. This makes it very easy to access and stay current on all procedures and district policies.
Component B: Weeding
Method and Process
I use the Titlewave Aged-sensitivity report, usage data from the Destiny software, and the GRE Collection Development Plan to guide my weeding process as directed by the District Library Media Center. Our district follows the CREW (Continuous Review, Evaluation, and Weeding) method as described in the article CREW: A Weeding Manual For Modern Libraries revised and updated by Jeanette Larson (2012)* which is accessed digitally.
In addition, the DLMC staff offer assistance and support at each school for big weeding projects upon request.
*Larson, Jeanette. CREW: A Weeding Manual for Modern Libraries. Revised ed., Texas State Library and Archives Commission, 2021.
Component B: Weeding
Weeding and Recycling
The DCSD sustainability department and the DLMC work closely with Dream Books Co to recycle weeded materials. Every school receives one large book recycling pickup a year. In addition, the district warehouse offers smaller pickups of discarded books upon request.
With encouragement from Tracie King, I have convinced my administration to host a Dreams Books Recycle bin at our school. By doing this in conjunction with 14 other cooperating schools, our district is able to use the funds from these bins to provide free recycling for the entire school district! As a bonus, the GRE community can recycle books and DVDs in the school’s Dream Books bin as well.
Component B: Weeding
Community Education
Educating the staff and community about the need for weeding to maintain a balanced, accurate, and appealing library is an ongoing process. This process can be very challenging when people see huge boxes of books and mistakenly think they are being “trashed for no reason”. I teach the students about this necessary process during library classes each year. It is also necessary to utilize social media and school communication to explain the necessity of weeding to the school community and to celebrate the ongoing achievement of our well used library. This education has eliminated the original response of “raid the boxes and save the books”. I still get questions from parents and students about the process and its importance but the message is positively received. The use of our Dream Books recycle bin and its popularity is another good indicator of the community’s understanding of the importance of weeding resources in the library .
Educating Administration
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School Community
Standard 4: Management
Component C: Policies and Procedures
As previously stated, all policies and procedures are followed for weeding and for the general operations of the GRE library. I stay current with all DLMC professional development opportunities and with the monthly DLMC newsletters. I have attended trainings on Inclusive Libraries I & II, Cataloging, Destiny Reports, Inventory, Digital Resources, Weeding, and sessions such as How Engaging in the Horror Genre Sparks Bravery. These classes, among many others, help me build a library collection that both meets and anticipates the needs of the staff and students.
While keeping up with the district’s policies and procedures can be tedious, understanding the parameters and processes makes the work of weeding and collection development more manageable. The steps involved in collection development may sometimes feel interminable, but it is ultimately rewarding when the GRE collection fully supports the needs of our school community.
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