Bronwen Parsons Library and Information Services Manager parsons.bronwen.c@edumail.vic.au Belmont High School 2009

1. Bronwen Parsons Library and Information Services Manager parsons.bronwen.c@edumail.vic.gov.au Belmont High School 2009

2. Literacy, individual school curriculum and ICT focus policies, processes • Mission statement • Where we started • Collection Management • How to evaluate • Collection size • A Multimodal collection • Weeding • Budgeting • Marketing • Performance and Development and VIT registration

3. Library mission statement (BHS:2006) • The library is a flexible learning space with a multimodal collection which resources the current curriculum at Belmont High School, and is accessed through a dynamic learning management system. • Co-operative teaching and learning based on POLT will occur in an environment which fosters friendship, discovery and a love of reading.

4. Where we started • Reviews • Physical environment; Technology and systems; Administration; Resourcing the curriculum • Gave the current team a focus • SWOT analysis (strengths, weaknesses (internal), opportunities, threats (external) • Analysis • Statistics – door counter; Library system statistics; teacher requests; student book requests, budget reviews • Reports – Programmed budget reports; School Council reports; Parent reports; Newsletter reports • Surveys – student opinion, staff opinion; library staff – ePotential survey

5. First things first: an immediate impactExplain the action to staff and students and follow through with the re-education • Changed opening hours and the ambience of the library • No Vertical File • Focus on newspaper indexes • Introduced student programs • Videos • Put everything on the one subject together under the Dewey classification • Bring all AV resources back into the library – some faculties had their own collections listed in the library catalogue but not held by us • Physical changes – • Rationale: to create a space which would accommodate a multimodal collection and flexible learning

15. Collection Management – B.H.S. style • The collection – • Developed a policy • Developed a BHS Cataloguing Style Guide • Threw out – the vertical file, books; texts • Bought/ replaced selected fiction e.g. Classics and outdated books on topics known to be taught e.g. Robots and Inventions • Re- catalogued: all fiction and developed a Fiction subject headings list

16. Collection management priorities were Fiction, AV then Non-Fiction • AV – pictures, kits, slides, audio tapes, CD’s • Video on demand • Student I.D. cards – are now a must carry item • A door counter • Maximise space - VCE room and Newspaper room conversion • Enhance our community links – The creation of the Geelong Italian Language Resource Centre • Create an Historical and student archive room

21. Reference collection • Placement – Over the windows! • Size – 2 large reference stands – full of encyclopaedias all bar the current World Book (3 sets) were old, Atlas – some still in miles and a range of books that appeared to be there because of their cost rather than their content – Not for loan! • Now one World Book in hard copy – the last hard copy one we will purchase • Language dictionaries, some music resources • Now 4 shelves only – will go all together probably next year and be interfiled on the non-fiction shelves

24. Entire Collection of Multimedia, Fiction, Non-Fiction and Teacher Reference Note: Excludes: Special collections, Reference, Class Sets and Magazines (27% of the entire collection) 11% 12% 34% 16%

25. Collection size • Learning for the future (1992) for my school of 1,146 students = 17250 items • We have 23847 items - but putting individual AV programs; equipment etc. onto the borrowing system inflates the actual figure • Now we have a dynamic collection of fiction – current – up to date covers: promote. We have decided to have a fixed size area for fiction – and that we will weed vigorously and purchased wisely to try and meet this aim

26. Fiction collection 7% 13% 42% 22%

34. Multimedia collection 8% 11% 50% 16%

40. Multimedia collections • Issues to consider in your Collection Development policy and your purchasing and production of these materials • Copyright • Digital rights management • Development – purchase, use, disposal • Maintenance • Weeding • Format changes

41. Evaluation of resources • Discussion • Pre-use • Observation – Shelving - what is read but not borrowed • Magazines – ad hoc purchase now • Book boxes – discussion with staff – evaluation after use – add with AV additions on VOD • Does the current resource use reflect the needs of the curriculum?

42. Evaluation of resources • SCIS subject headings online – updates for paper copy • http://www1.curriculkum.edu.au/scis/productinfo/supplists.htm • Statistics use – under-used resources; 100 most popular books; book published after a chosen date i.e. 10 years old = insurance listings • Reports from your system • Requests – staff and student • Bequests • Fiction subject headings • Accession dates – stock take results – what if anything has gone missing = popular?

43. Non Fiction Collection 14% 23% 13% 13%

44. Weeding • CREW • Continuous; Review; Evaluation; Weeding (Segal, 1980) • MUSTY • Misleading; Ugly; Supersede; Trivial; Your collection has no use for this item (Freeman, 1991) • What to do with weeded items – see if items can be sent O/S to developing countries through churches and Service clubs; have a book sale – give away some, sell some; recycle. Network with other school libraries – perhaps they could utilise some of your materials = different curriculum needs

45. Purchasing • Where from? • Local booksellers – new and second-hand – develop a good relationship with your book sellers, set accounts with all the big booksellers or buy on holidays and be repaid by your school. • Clouston Hall Booksellers, Canberra – catalogue and regular sales in Melbourne • Cheap books • Book Fair - Sydney • How are choices made? • review journals, recommendations, requests

46. Budgeting • Budgeting – Forward planning – make the library indispensible when it comes to accountability for school resources. • Use statistics to support $ next year. • Split $ for resources with faculties and programs. • Put in a request for a special budget for a new program – Parents group; wider community and use statistics to reflect success. • Ask for a Teacher Reference budget and link it to the Professional reading component of V.I.T. registrations.