Libraries 101

Liz Eckert
Paralowie R-12 School
liz.eckert717@schools.sa.edu.au
http://lizeckert.weebly.com/
@TL_Liz
 WHY?
What is at the
heart of your
library

Why do you do what you do?

 Acronyms
• TL = Teacher Librarian
• SSO = School Support Officer (also known
as ESO / LSO / Library Assistant)
• LMS = Library Management System

For ease of presentation I have used Library to

encompass the different variations in the names
of library spaces.

Slide notes have been produced as

additional slides to allow a pdf of this
presentation to be saved
 Learners and learning

Clients

Students Teachers/SSOs
 Learners and learning
(SLIDE NOTES A)
• Know who your target audiences are and
what they like to read
• For Example:
• Students
age range of students Years: R-6/7, R-12,
7/8-12
Picture Books to support teaching areas
(don’t ignore them for secondary students)
Manga/Graphic Novels (sometimes these
are your hooks to reading)
Magazines
What areas are of interest to your students
CBCA book week books
 Learners and learning
(SLIDE NOTES B)
• Staff (Teacher Reference)
 gaps in collection
 age of collection and does it represent
current curriculum needs (ie no Bands and
Strands / SACSA / Statements and Profiles)
Other professional reading
Checkpoint
 What is it like for a new staff member
or student walking in to your library?

 What do they see or have happen to

them that supports them to be the
best educator, or the best learner they
can be?

 What would your parents / caregivers

think of your library?
 Checkpoint (SLIDE NOTES)
• Table discussion
• What is at the heart of
what you do?
• How do you show it?
• What “Why?” questions do
you have to ask?
• What “Wonderfuls” do you
need to sell?
 Documentation & Planning
Vital!
• Everyone on the same page. Checkpoints
for doing what is important.
• Consistency!!
• Reduces stress levels. Can say “Not yet.”
• Policy documents based on your education
system documents & guidelines: Fire
fighting versus fire prevention
• Shared with stakeholders – library team,
staff, students, leadership and council
• Meetings / Online Planning & tracking
• Handover
“A goal is a dream with a timeline”
“Failing to plan is planning to fail”
 Documentation & Planning
Vital! (SLIDE NOTES A)
• Everyone on the same page. Checkpoints for
doing what is important.
• Consistency!!
• Reduces stress levels. Can say “Not yet.”
• Policy documents based on your education
system documents & guidelines – helps Fire
fighting versus fire prevention (Doesn’t mean that
firefighting isn’t important, just keeps things in
perspective) Gives guidelines for what if
something happens (eg book challenges with
concerns about content- text or images)
• Policy documents and guidelines should be
accessible and understandable to all school
community members (if requested)
• Includes Collection Management Policies
(Selection, Challenged Books, Deselection
(weeding/removal) guides to which
subcollection books will do to)
 Documentation & Planning
Vital! (SLIDE NOTES B)
• Shared with stakeholders – library team,
staff, students (within core framework)
leaderships, governing council (or
equivalent)
• Meetings / Online Planning & tracking –
sharing online somehow with your
school community
• Handover (may not always be possible
but policies and guidelines of
procedures should be easily
accessible)
 Plan & Document
The Big Stuff
• Mission / Vision

• Goals – Year, Term

• Reports / reflection – Year, Term

• Roles

• Go digital!
 Plan & Document
The Big Stuff (SLIDE NOTES)
• Mission / Vision - Link this to your school’s site
improvement plan

• Goals – Year, Term

• Reports / reflection – Year, Term, School

Magazine article (? If your school produces
one), newsletters

• Roles - SSO tasks & TL tasks - SLASA has TL role

Statement & are working on role statements
for SSOs and Teacher in the Library

• Go digital! – ask about options within

consideration of local settings
 Plan & Document
The Routine Stuff
• Goals
– Regular
• Communication
– In team, with staff, students and community
• Information management
– Processing & responsibilities
• Routines
– Weekly, term, yearly etc.
 Plan & Document
The Routine Stuff (SLIDE NOTES)
• Have regular goals
• eg
• Daily – have a clear returns trolley at the end of each day (all re-shelving completed)
• Weekly – shelves in one section checked to make sure they are in order (eg Lexile books are on the
right shelf) ; Fortnightly (or at occurance set by your site) – overdue lists issued to students ; newsletter
article written
• Information Management
• Processing will be addressed later in the presentation
• – responsibilities
• – item criteria
• – standards
• - local decisions
• - stocktaking policy / process
• - budget management
• Routines
• LMS set ups – due dates for books (depend on your school), change of
class/year levels
• Stocktaking
• Events for the year – Book / Science / Numeracy / Refugee / Reconciliation
Weeks and other local settings
 Checkpoint
What documentation do you keep?
What is it about?
The big stuff?
The routine stuff?
Roles and responsibilities?

Who is it for?

What documentation do you need?

 Checkpoint
(SLIDE NOTES)
• Table sharing - Group brainstorming & suggestions

• Main Documentation ideas:

• Invoices
• Budget
• Policy
• Review of policy
• Overdues
• Books paid &/or marked Lost
• Collection Review Policy (deselection / weeding)
• Classifications / Ratings guides
• Dead links removal
 Basic Aims of Library
To provide
Staff
•current, relevant and high
quality resources and information
(resourcing the curriculum)

•flexible and easily accessible services

(providing access to information)

•a physical and/or virtual learning

environment
 RESOURCING THE CURRICULUM
What?

• Print
• Non-Print
• Audio Visual
• Digital
• Virtual/ Web-based
 RESOURCING THE CURRICULUM
What? (SLIDE NOTES A)
• Print
– Must earn their place – Cull (consider the age of book
as a guideline/popularity/borrowing history)
– Curriculum materials – changes to curriculum eg
science, HASS
• Non-Print
– Must earn their place - Big Books/ journals /
Databases?
– tools to use?
– Videos /DVDs/CDs in Kits and TR – separate storage
or with book that it came with?
Which will allow easiest/most access to materials?
– “AV” equipment (external DVD/CD drives?)
 RESOURCING THE CURRICULUM
What? (SLIDE NOTES B)
• Audio Visual
– Main options if not doing own recording / DVD only
 EnhanceTV
 TV4Education
 Clickview
• Digital
– Access / Tools
– Licences?
• Virtual/ Web-based
– 24/7 access ….. To what? – catalogue,
blogs, library webpage?
– Curation / ongoing
 RESOURCING THE CURRICULUM
Where from?
• Print
• Curriculum / Non-Print / Digital
• Virtual / Web-based
• Recommendations
 RESOURCING THE CURRICULUM
Where from? (SLIDE NOTES A)
• Print
– Specialist local booksellers - Pegi Williams/ St
Georges /
– Other shops – eg Dymocks, Big W, Kmart (can
be a source of cheaper popular books eg
Andy Griffiths books, Guinness World Records
etc)
– On-line – Wheelers, Overdrive (ebooks)
– Subscription – Lamont/ ASO/ Scholastic
– ? Online ordering from websites like
Fishpond/Book Depository/Booktopia –
depends on local setting
 RESOURCING THE CURRICULUM
Where from? (SLIDE NOTES B)
• Curriculum eg Literacy / Non-Print / Digital
– Publishers
– Organise catalogues (one in, one out)
– Who manages licences? This is a question for the local
site level – some may have subject areas managing,
some have library staff managing
• Virtual / Web-based
– List servs, social media
– Curation ongoing
• Recommendations
– Suggestions – students & staff requests, slips,
hub groups, surfing,
– online elists eg slasanet & oztl_net
 Checkpoint
 How are you managing the changing balance
between print / digital/ virtual?

 How are you resourcing the changing curriculum?

 What are you doing about 24/7 access to

information?

 Who are your best resource providers?

 How do you manage the culling process?

 What do you do with deletes?

 Checkpoint
• Table sharing (SLIDE NOTES)
• Virtual – consider AR augmented reality /
VR virtual reality / apps

• Other resource providers? Share and add

to notes later
 PROVIDING ACCESS TO
INFORMATION
• Acquisition / Processing decisions /
Cataloguing / Classification
• Labelling and signposting
• Timetabling / Opening hours
• Circulation
• Budgeting
• Stock control – overdues >
stocktaking
 PROVIDING ACCESS TO
INFORMATION (SLIDE NOTES)
• Acquisition / Processing decisions / Cataloguing /
Classification = The process from acquisition to
being shelf ready?
• Labelling and signposting
• Timetabling / Opening hours - depends on school
site – timetabling will be different for primary,
secondary and combined schools. Opening
hours will also reflect local setting. Eg from my
experience
• Circulation
• Budgeting (consider approx. % for print /
non-print / electronic materials / consumables –
processing / texts & readers)
• Stock control – overdues > stocktaking
 You’ve bought it. Now what?
Ask yourself…
• Why was it bought?
• Who did I buy it for?
• How will it be used?
• What /How will users look for it?
• What do I need to do so that they
can access it independently?
• What will I need to do to limit
resources for some users?
Find ways to make it accessible for
users or throw it in the bin!
 Processing decisions
Decisions are made at many stages
 Curriculum decisions
 Teacher librarian decisions
 Other Leadership decisions

 Resource organization processes

 Trained SSO
 Agreed processes supported by
documentation

 Resource organization routines

 Volunteers, including students
 Supported by documentation and
examples
 Processing decisions
(SLIDE NOTES)
Decisions are made at many stages
• Decisions are made at many stages can have a long
term effect
• not easily undone

• Curriculum decisions
• – Teacher librarian decisions
• Resource organization processes
• - Trained SSO
• – Agreed processes supported by
documentation
• Resource organization routines
• – Volunteers, including students
• – Supported by documentation and
examples
 Processing decisions
Flow chart / Cards
1. Collate new 7. Modify catalogue record
materials (PRC/Lexile/Accelerated
2. Add Reading etc as required)
purchase 7a. Copy catalogue if
details needed
3. Stamp 8. Not On SCIS – Hand
4. Barcode catalogue
5. SCIS search 9. Spine labels
6. Up load SCIS 10. Cover
data. Loan 10a Non –book
to In Process materials
6a. Add 11. Check
purchase
details.
 Processing decisions
Flow chart / Cards (SLIDE NOTES A)
• Some of these steps will depend
1. Collate new materials
2. Add purchase details
3. Stamp
4. Barcode
5. SCIS search (if not on SCIS see Step 8)
6. Upload SCIS data.
• 6a. Add purchase details to LMS.
7 Modify catalogue record
 Check and add PRC* (and other local system needs
eg Lexile / Accelerated Reading )
 TL to add additional subject headings
• 7a Copy catalogue – if wanted for separate copy in
catalogue records (sometimes needed for different
editions of resources or different subcollections eg
general shelves & text book version) Sometimes
magazines can be done this way for additional years
 Processing decisions
Flow chart / Cards (SLIDE NOTES B)
8 Not On SCIS – Hand catalogue o
9 End process – Spine labels
10 End process – Cover - contact or plastic?
Depends on your local setting
• 9a End process – Non –book materials
• 10 Check - sometimes mistakes are made
 Processing decisions
1. Collation of new resources
(TL & SSO)
• Urgency?
• For whom?
• Packaging?
– Do any processing decisions need to be made
• Un-solicited materials
– Selection policy?
• Then – get it on the system
 Processing decisions
1. Collation of new resources
(TL & SSO) (SLIDE NOTES)
• Urgency?
• For whom??
• Packaging eg Kit or separate items? Do
any processing decisions need to be
made
• Un-solicited materials – keep ? How Many
copies? Selection policy?
• Then – get it on the system quickly!
 Processing decisions T/L
7 Modify catalogue record
Consistency is the key - Its all about
systems!

•Use standard Cataloguing and

Classification systems
•The Call Number must tell users where
to locate the item
• Every user should be able to locate
an item directly from an OPAC search!

Document all criteria, processes,

changes and decisions in the manual
with examples or signature records
 Processing decisions T/L
7 Modify catalogue record
(SLIDE NOTES)
• Consistency is the key - Its all about
systems!
• Use standard Cataloguing and
Classification systems (eg SCIS/Dewey)
but tailor them to your users’ needs
• The Call Number must tell users where to
locate the item
• Every user should be able to locate an
item directly from an OPAC search!
• Document all criteria, processes,
changes and decisions in the manual
(Readily IDENTIFIABLE) with examples or
signature records
 Processing decisions T/L
7 Modify catalogue record
Call Numbers and Subject headings
• Before you open the record ask yourself “Where will
they think this is?”
• Too long? Suitable? Preferred?
• There are inconsistencies with SCIS
• Children's books often cover more than
one aspect of a topic – use preferred
numbers . Document!
• The Genrification debate
• Check your own data base,
Authority files, SCIS OPAC
• Document decisions in your manual
 Processing decisions T/L
7 Modify catalogue record
(SLIDE NOTES )
Call Numbers and Subject headings
• Call Numbers and Subject headings
• Before you open the record ask yourself “Where will they think this is?”
• Too long? Suitable? Eg NZ821?, Global warming? Reading materials
• Preferred? Teachers like to shelf browse
• There are inconsistencies with SCIS
• Children's books often cover more than one aspect of a
topic – use preferred numbers . Document!
• The Genrification debate –
 Dewey is the master of genre… and supports use of other libraries ;
 consider your local setting – what would your community want?
Ask/survey them
 Signage/labelling to locate items?
• Check your own data base, Authority files, SCIS OPAC
• Document decisions - In Dewey or manual
 Processing decisions T/L
7 Modify catalogue record
Subject headings
• Before you open the record ask yourself “What will
they ask for?”
• Not how users would look?
– Add extra broader or narrower to fit context
– Delete
– Too complex? Shorten or Modify
– Rarely create!
• Check Authority files, SCIS OPAC
and your own data base
• Manage Authority files - Routines
• Document - In manual
 Processing decisions T/L
7 Modify catalogue record
Subject headings (SLIDE NOTES)
• Before you open the record ask yourself “What will they ask for?”
• Not how users would look? Eg Marine.
 Add extra broader or narrower to fit context eg Transport.
 Delete - Hairy McClary - New Zealand Poetry, (may not need to do this; can be
hard if you or teachers want this detail later eg they want NZ poetry for
a text comparison task or Multicultural Week display)
 Too complex? Shorten or Modify - Ancient Egypt
 Rarely create! - Child protection, Novelty books
• Check Authority files, SCIS OPAC and your own
data base
• Manage Authority files - Routines (check spelling
on any added headings – eg series)
• Document - In manual
 Processing decisions T/L
7 Modify catalogue record
Notes and contents
• Enable the use of non
standard headings for key
word searches
• Topics from contents?
• List of titles in set of pictures

Document (Criteria sheets)

 Processing decisions T/L
7 Modify catalogue record
(SLIDE NOTES)
• Notes and contents
• Enable the use of non
standard headings for key
word searches (cars v
automobiles, sea horses / seahorses)
• Topics from contents?
Contents include:…..Festivals – Chinese
New Year
• List of titles in set of pictures
eg Melbourne Cup
• Document (Criteria sheets)
 Processing decisions T/L
8 Hand Cataloguing
Options:
Trove website
https://trove.nla.gov.au/
Cataloguing In Publication
data
Wait 2-3 weeks and it may
appear on SCIS
Contact SCIS to catalogue
 Processing decisions T/L
8 Hand Cataloguing
(SLIDE NOTES)
8 Not On SCIS – Hand catalogue
 Trove website https://trove.nla.gov.au/
is useful for general headings (may
need to check against SCIS headings or
what is in your LMS)
 You may want to wait for a couple of
weeks and it may appear on SCIS
 Use CIP (Cataloguing In Publication)
details often found on the back of the
title page to create subject headings
 Contact SCIS for cataloguing item if you
have no background experience in
cataloguing – they do allow this but
they will need access to the material.
 CIP Data Example

https://www.biblio.com/book-collecting/basics/how-to-identify-first-editions/
 Processing decisions – T/L
11 Check
• Mistakes happen!
• Shelve, promote, loan??
 Processing decisions – T/L
11 Check
(SLIDE NOTES)
• Mistakes happen!
• Shelve, promote, loan?? What’s
your next step in allowing
access to materials?
• Do you:
New Books display (not for loan
during this?)
Reserve Books
Straight to requester
 Checkpoint
What processes do you have in
place to make sure that resources
are
accessible to your users,
 but consistently catalogued and
processed?
 Circulation
Decisions
• Restricted items? Only items which could not or
should not be used by users should be restricted.
• Who do you loan to? Loan limits?
– Staff - personal , bulk, year ,
– Students textbooks, general collection
materials
– parents?
• How can users be independent borrowers
– Set up simple systems, cues and signals
– The roster!
– Self checkout?
 Circulation
• Decisions
(SLIDE NTOES)
• Restricted items? Only items which could not or should not be
used by users should be restricted.
 Depends on local setting R-12 schools may have sub-
collections to restrict items to appropriate age/maturity eg
JNR F/NF, Middle School F/NF, Senior F/NF, 15+ labelling
 Overides possible with parental written permission?
• Can be done by
– location – eg TR /AF
– Call Number – PF / SPF
– Restriction category
• Who do you loan to? Loan limits?
– Staff - personal , bulk, year
• How can users be independent borrowers
– Set up simple systems, cues and signals (sounds)
– The rooster!
– Self checkout – is this an option for your setting?
 Checkpoint
 What processes do you have in
place to make sure that resources
Can be restricted to some users if
necessary but available to other users,
Can be borrowed independently by all
users?
 How do you manage staff loans
including bulk loans and year
loans, in a timely way?

 What alerts do you have set up for

holds, boxes, etc?
 Stock control
• Overdues
– Accessibility issue
– Often - Routines
– Staff??????
• Stocktaking
– Cyclic - Little and often – Plan!
– KISS
• Deal with problems
• Deal with deletes
– Send – South Pacific School Aid
 Stock control
(SLIDE NOTES A)
• Overdues
 Accessibility issue
 Often – Routines
 How often do you issue overdue notes?
 How do you issue them - set up for email or hardcopy?
 Questions to ask about why
 Transient population?
 Modifications to borrowing (don’t restrict entirely – they won’t become
readers if you do)
 Require readers to stay at school/kept in classroom (primary setting)
 Work with local school setting and considerations
 Allow a teacher to borrow but keep book at school (secondary
parent example)
 No books at home?
 Can’t care for books
 Stock control
• Overdues (SLIDE NOTES B)
 Do you need additional copies? (eg Captain Underpants, Diary of a
Wimpy Kid series)
 Staff?????? – often the worst for overdues – term/yearly recall of items or
at least issuing of items out lists
• Stocktaking
– Cyclic - Little and often – Plan! KISS
– Never close . Does your LMS allow open stocktake (while library
is open and operating) or do you need to close the library to
do stocktake?
– Sub collection stocktakes?
– Check your LMS manuals or ask for help with hub groups
/elists/helpdesk of your LMS provider
– Department says it should be done yearly (how practical?)
– may consider splitting so done on a regular cycle eg
• Secondary - general access materials done Year 1 of cycle
Texts and TR done Year 2 of cycle
• Primary – general access – Picture Books / F / NF done Year 1 & all
other resources done Year 2 of cycle
• R – 12 School 3 year cycle?
 Stock control
• Deal with problems (SLIDE NOTES C)
– Replace if necessary
– Delete records
• Deal with deletes
– Scribe though/ Delete stamp
– Send – South Pacific School Aid
 Checkpoint
 How do you manage overdues
in a timely way?
 How do you manage cyclical
stocktaking in a non –intrusive
way?
 What do you do with deletes?
 Labelling and signposting
It’s your Suburbs, streets and house numbers
of resources
• Continuous!
• Must support accurate
volunteer shelving
• Supports independent location
of resources
• Use pictograms for younger
students
• Starts with clear item labels
 Labelling and signposting
(SLIDE NOTES)
• Analogy: Suburbs, streets and house
numbers
• Continuous!
• Must support accurate volunteer
shelving (students and parents or relief
teachers) you may not have ready
access to these at your site
• Supports independent location of
resources
• Use pictograms for younger students
• Starts with clear item labels
Checkpoint
How does your signposting
and labelling support
students and staff to be
independent users at
Item level?
Shelf level?
 area level?
 Timetabling / Opening hours

• Who has access?

• When?
• Can staff book spaces?
• What can they do?
• Getting parents in?
 Timetabling / Opening hours
(SLIDE NOTES)
• How do you allow access to the space (and
collect data on your usage of the space)
 Promotion of Library & Services
Promote, Promote, Promote!!!
How can you promote your services to your
community?
• Displays • Emails to staff with
• Newsletters updates of resources
• National Simultaneous • Competitions
Storytime • PRC
• Students Need School • Book Week
Libraries campaign • Book Talks
• School Reading • Book Clubs
Awards
• Safe Space
• Reading Lunches
• Clubs
 Promotion of Library & Services
(SLIDE NOTES)
Promote, Promote, Promote!!!
•If you don’t promote & highlight your
services and resources, you won’t be valued
as a resource and you may disappear from
the school (it has happened in
some schools)

•Table discussion
Checkpoint
What do you do to
maximize access for staff
and students without
compromising the learning
program and stock
control?
 Volunteers

• Who?
– Parents ?
– Students ?
• Training
• What can they do?
• Systems to support
– Shelving trolley
– Labelling
• Recognition?
 Volunteers
(SLIDE NOTES)
• Who?
– Parents ? - DCSI clearance
– Students ?
• Training
• What can they do?
• Systems to support
– Shelving trolley
– System cards
– Labelling
• Recognition/Acknowledgement
of their activities?
Checkpoint
How do you utilize parent
volunteers and student
volunteers without
compromising standards?

How do you acknowledge

them?
 Digital resources
• Catalogue?
• Intranet?
• Website?
• Online Catalogue access
• Access to video materials
– (Consider privacy issues)
A Final Checkpoint
What will you do more of?

What will you promote to

others?

What will you do less of?

What will you change or

stop?

When will you do this?

Some resources:
https://www.alia.org.au/nss
https://trove.nla.gov.au/
http://www.slasa.asn.au/home.html
http://www.asla.org.au/
https://www.cbca.org.au/cbca-book-week
http://www.premiersreadingchallenge.sa.edu.au/prc/pages/
home
eLists:
slasanet: slasa@slasa.asn.au (to join)
https://oztlnet.com/
Acknowledgement:
This PowerPoint was based on a presentation
by Nola Uzzell