School Library Websites
Worth the Effort?
Kirchmyer, G. (Webmaster). (2014). SMMHS Media Center Website [Photograph]. Retrieved from http://www.smmhsmediacenter.net
INTRODUCTION
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FACT: 60% of secondary level U.S. school librarians report having a library website (Chu, 2013) FACT: 10% of those have no more than an OPAC (Chu, 2013) FACT: Over 17.7 million students are currently enrolled in post-secondary education and a projected 20.2 million students will be enrolled by 2023 (U.S. Department of Education Institute of Education Sciences National Center for Education Statistics, 2014)
! PROBLEM: Few American students have a familiarity with library resources or a genuine understanding of information literacy (Harris, et al., 2003). Instead they demonstrate: • Difficulty in framing questions for inquiry • Little knowledge of how to use online catalogs and databases • Ineffective use of web search tools • Limited web site evaluation skills
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(But what about the websites?) QUESTIONS: • How are U.S. secondary school librarians utilizing websites • What guidelines are in place to assist in the creation of these sites • How are students and teachers currently using these sites as a resource in their researching endeavors. C OPA HS .org/ M e M d 4). S rary.hc 201 r). ( ttp://lib ome e t s H h a u ebm ed from l#men m . (W r, G Retriev dex.ht e y /in hm h]. Kirc tograp tnmhs lm [Pho /signa c opa
Co [P nte ho .A tog . (W ra ph ebm ]. R as etr ter iev ). ( ed 201 fro 4). m htt EHM p:/ H /tin S W yu e rl.c bs om ite. /kq 7jg 2
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Rox, A. (Webmaster). (2014). OHS Website. [Photograph]. Retrieved from http://https://sites.google.com/site/ ooltewahhighschoollibrary/homepage/kq7jg2x
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PURPOSE OF THIS STUDY: The purpose of this study was to understand how and why school library media specialists were using websites, and how that use affected student achievement.
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+ Students [Photograph]. Retrieved from http://www.gru.edu/ finaid/studenttypes.php !
Kirchmyer, G. (Webmaster). (2014). SMMHS Media Center Website [Photograph]. Retrieved from http://www.smmhsmediacenter.net
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? Success [Graphic]. Retrieved from http://www.collegeparents.org !
Literature Review: r ly, no e v i s s f rk pa o w alls o to w e e c h a t pl i t h in w ger a n k o r l o is no nly w o y r u a r o y ib The l where . e c a 20 09) a pl , t d i d s i (To d i l i ty c ly fin a r f e p e o h t pr 014) w to 2 o , h k s c nt ra e (Ba s t u de l h g c o a e Go on’t t t to d r o s s l e l r ho o hey ’l If sc t , n f a matio cts o infor u d o tures r a p e f e r t a ha um t dents l u u t c s n, i r cur uctio erate r t y t i c l s a n r i n en n lite matio rate d o r i g t o e f t a betwe n n m i n “i r o e o i rs , p at nf 20 03 , co u ent i labor r h , l . e c l o h a a c o o t c r d s app r r is e g, an s a n e H i c ( n o r ” ts ea a pr cialis se d l e a p b s y a r med i inqui d n a ers teach 219) Altho ug h s t u de n scho o ts flo l rese ck to a r the in ch, th the a terne ey do ssign t for n’t us ment e dat requi abase res it s unl (C hu, ess 2 0 1 3) . St u de nt ne eds s when ho uld creat be f i r i ng a s t an to be s ite (i. d for appro e emos ., h i g p r i t a h n ee d te for scho o s) (He h l i sites g h sc r ring nee d ho o l , 2011 s t u de n ) t
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(the big picture)
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Studies tell us ! that students want ! to use the internet, ! but they don’t really know how, so it is the librarian’s ! job to create appropriate, academic sites for them to find information so they ! can successfully use ! that information.
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Conclusion: Through quantitative and quantitative research, it was determined that school library websites are almost non-existent. In order for students to have exposure to the types of information access they will encounter in their years beyond their regular schooling, it is imperative that elementary and secondary school librarians begin creating and teaching the functions and features of library websites.
Bibliography
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Babbie, E. (2013). The practice of social research (13th ed.). Belmont, CA: Wadsworth.
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Barack, L. (2014). Study ties college success to students’ exposure to a high school librarian. School Library Journal. Retrieved from http://tinyurl.com/nmwq2uj Baumbach, D. (2005). The school library media center web page: An opportunity too good to miss. Knowledge Quest, 33(3), 8-12. Retrieved from http://tinyurl.com/lu9n3oc Chu, W. (2013). Library exposure from the prior years: An examination of public high school library websites. The Journal of Academic Librarianship, 39(5), 392-400. doi: 10.1016/j.acalib.2013.03.003 Clyde, L. (2004). School library web sites: 1996-2002. The Electronic Library, 22, 158-167. doi: 10.1108/02640470410533425 Harris, F., Arp, L., & Woodard, B. (2003) Information literacy in school libraries: It takes a community. Reference & User Services Quarterly, 42(3), 215-223. Retrieved from http://tinyurl.com/mdxlsv7 Herring, J. (2011). Web site evaluation: A key role for the school librarian. School Library Monthly, 27(8), 22-23. Retrieved from http://tinyurl.com/o2ptktp Kazanawa, M. (2011). An analysis of children’s web pages in public library web sites in Japan. Public Library Quarterly, 30(4), 270-285. doi: 10.1080/01616846.2011.625587 Padgett, R. (2006). Essential readings condensed for quick review. Education Digest, 71(5), 54-55. Todd, R. (2009). There is knowledge to be gained. School Library Media Activities Monthly, 25(10), 55-58. Retrieved from http://tinyurl.com/kskoxuw Undergraduate enrollment. (2014). U.S. Department of Education Institute of Education Sciences National Center for Education Statistics. Retrieved from http://nces.ed.gov/programs/coe/indicator_cha.asp