Theme 2: Managing and Evaluating Reference Services

In this theme we covered a variety of topics such as the reference interview (Lesson 5), managing the collection (Lesson 6), and evaluating reference services (Lesson 7). I feel that there is so much here that we could dig into it could be a course in itself. However, for the purpose of this blog, I am going to focus on just a few key points. 

The area that I really want to address is cooperative program planning as discussed in Lesson 5. In my experience as a student, the notion of teachers collaborating with the Teacher-Librarian simply didn't exist. The library was a place to check out books for pleasure reading, and was also the home of the computer lab if we needed to conduct some research online. It seems that the author of our text may also view the library as a place for students to work rather than for teachers to collaborate as there is very little mention of this topic in our text. 

I had the pleasure of working one block at a library that was just transitioning into a Learning Commons in Merritt Secondary School. There I was witness to a young enthusiastic Teacher-Librarian who was quite keen to implement all of the best ideas that I am now learning in the Diploma Program. I remember watching her co-teach a research unit with a Chemistry teacher and thinking, from the teacher's perspective, how neat it would be to have a research expert on my side for that kind of unit. Then I was baffled that she was marking all of the student bibliographies - wasn't marking the teacher's job? I had so much to learn. 

It is through my experience in courses such as this that I am learning the importance of working together - and how much better teaching and learning can be if each individual brings their own expertise. In fact, reference services will be enhanced overall if we work together. 

This video, on how the International Space Station would not have been possible without collaboration, demonstrates in part the power of synergy. Synergy is the idea that our sum is greater than our individual parts. I believe that when we collaborate in the classroom, Learning Commons, or elsewhere we have a synergistic effect where the result is greater than what could have been accomplished alone. 

So, now that I am fully on board with collaboration how can I go about getting started in a meaningful way? I have "collaborated" before and it ended up being extremely time consuming for both parties with very little extra benefit. Thankfully, our instructor has introduced us to Haycock's Collaborative Planning Process:

• Objectives
• Content
• Sequence
• Methodology
• Activities
• Evaluation

While many of these stages will have sub-sections - each of these stages need to be covered. I appreciated that we were pointed towards these stages as it gives those of us with little cooperative planning experience a place to get started. 

References

Haycock, Ken. "Collaboration: Critical success factors for student learning" School Libraries Worldwide 13.1 (2007): 25-35

Nguyen, Tien. "The incredible collaboration behind the International Space Station." TEDEd. Sept. 2015. Web. January 31, 2018. https://ed.ted.com/lessons/the-incredible-collaboration-behind-the-international-space-station-tien-nguyen#watch

"Collaboration" Image: Murphy, Sean. "Michael Schrage on Innovation, Collaboration, Tools and Incentives." SK Murphy Inc. June 2009. Web. Feb 6, 2018. https://www.skmurphy.com/blog/2009/06/28/michael-schrage-on-innovation-collaboration-tools-and-incentives/

"We are Librarians" Image: Pathak, Santosh. "Reference Services in Libraries." March 2016. Web. Feb 6, 2018. https://www.slideshare.net/santoshpathak58173/reference-services-in-libraries