At the onset of this course, we were asked to reflect upon what we already knew when we began the course and what we hoped to learn. When I look back at my initial comments and thoughts, I realize that my ideology of the purpose of the reference section has changed. I have to admit that I had no idea that there was so much “to” the reference section. Pulling it apart and examining it piece by piece has enabled me to get a much greater understanding of the uses and capabilities of an effective and efficient reference section. Although it is cliché, I must say “that you don’t know what you don’t know”, and that certainly applies to where I started a few months back.
The greatest paradigm shift for me has been the use of print versus electronic reference resources. Exploring databases, online geographical resources, Wikipedia and online dictionaries, etc. has widened my perception and definition of what the “reference” section is. Until this course, I envisioned the reference section as a destination: that graveyard in the corner of my library that collects dust. I somehow saw electronic resources as being disjunct and in a category of their own, which is far from the truth. Now I realize that they work in partnership and can supplement one another. While I admit that I still have a bias towards electronic resources, I now understand the value of those that are print, and realize that I need to find ways to include them in my teaching in order for students to understand how to use them. I firmly am against teaching lessons that solely focus on dictionary or encyclopedia skills, however I will do a better job of embedding skill lessons into my teaching themes.
One of the statements in our course notes really stood out for me:
“Managing a school library resource centre or a reference collection does not mean building systems that protect it or limit access to it. In fact, it can mean the exact opposite.”
I think that many school reference sections are run very poorly – mine included, however it is certainly improving! A few weeks ago, I heard one student point at the encyclopedias and ask his friend: “What does the ‘R’ stand for?” The other replied, “It stands for RESTRICTED”. I was horrified. And then I reflected upon my experiences as a child, as a university student, as a teacher. Yes, the word restricted sounded about right. After this realization, I tore off all those R stickers. They have a negative, uninviting and limiting connotation. The first step in improving the reference section is changing the perception of the users. I've changed mine and now it is time to focus on those of my users.
To my peers, thanks for the encouragement, the support, the learning. I have gained much by observing your thoughts and conversations, bouncing my ideas and theories off of you and learning through your experiences. Thanks to Angela and Fran for being such wonderful group members with an incredible amount of insight and knowledge. As this is my last course in the diploma program, I will really miss connecting with colleagues in a learning environment and am so pleased to have met so many professional and interesting people.
All the best! Jody
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