Reference Services is so much more than just having resources in the library. If patrons cannot access the resources either because of where they are located or because they are intellectually inaccessible, or if they are not using them because they don’t meet the patrons needs or because they don’t know about them, then we are not being effective in our role. It is our responsibility to ensure that the materials we have can and are being accessed (Oxley, BC Ministry of Education).
I think it can be easy to become complacent in any role. As teachers we are busy with so many different aspects of our roles, so we get used to doing things a certain way and we get into a routine of using the same resources and/or lessons - especially if we have been in the same role for a while. When this happens in the library, we may be doing a disservice to the community using our space. New staff and students won’t be aware of what is being used, units of study can change or be tweaked, digital resources and databases may be moved or subscription rules changed, and students may have different needs regarding skills that need to be taught.
Intellectual Access in particular struck me as a big issue for libraries at the moment. At a time when budgets are being cut in many schools (Oxley) and schools are having to share digital resources, schools may not have access to the most appropriate databases and resources for their particular students. One way we can help with this is by looking for ways to make these sites more accessible for our students (BC Ministry of Education). With things like online encyclopedias this may include looking at the comprehension level being used or by showing students how to access the audio support or language settings. With other databases, it may mean collating the sections within the resource that are most appropriate for the students. I have even gone as far as creating screencasting where I stop a video and ask questions or explain something further to support my students.
Two particular points that stuck out to me with regards to Intellectual Access were the policies and procedures we have in place and “students’ rights to information in relation to parental or teacher permission or lack thereof”. This points seem especially critical right now when we are seeing a huge increase in book banning occurring. At a time when librarians are pushing to ensure there are more perspectives, accurate information and less bias being disseminated, we are also seeing an increase in people fighting to remove books which address a more balanced historical perspective. Although the focus at the moment is on fiction books, I can see this becoming an issue with reference sites that may include balanced details on issues related to residential schools and the treatment of Native American or African American people in North America, or even on topics such as abortion or LGBTQ+. We need to ensure our policies protect our students and ensure they have access to these resources within our collections. Fortunately for teachers in Canada, it seems you do have the backing of the Supreme Court on your side (Azpiri).
Citations:
Azpiri, John. “Debate Over Book Bans in Classrooms Highlights Limitations of School Trustees' Role”. CBC News British Columbia. CBC, September 29 2022. https://www.cbc.ca/news/canada/british-columbia/school-board-limitations-1.6596950. Accessed 26 Feb. 2023.
British Columbia Ministry of Education. Evaluating, Selecting, and Managing Learning Resources: A Guide. 2002, https://canvas.ubc.ca/courses/115685/files/24511117/download?wrap=1, Accessed 22 Feb. 2023.
Gabbatt, Adam. “A Streak of Extremism’: US Book Bans May Increase in 2023”. The Guardian. December 24 2022. https://www.theguardian.com/us-news/2022/dec/24/us-book-bans-streak-of-extremism. Accessed 26 Feb. 2023.
Oxley, Kristie. (2023). “Lesson 6: Managing the Reference Collection”. In LIBE 467: Information Services 1. UBC. https://canvas.ubc.ca/courses/115685/pages/lesson-6-managing-the-reference-collection?module_item_id=5213154. Accessed February 15 2023.
Oxley, Kristie. (2023). “Lesson 7: Evaluating Reference Services”. In LIBE 467: Information Services 1. UBC. https://canvas.ubc.ca/courses/115685/pages/lesson-7-evaluating-reference-services?module_item_id=5213156. Accessed February 21 2023.
