Finding the information you need in the digital age

Theme 3 looked at a variety of reference works, from databases to dictionaries, from encyclopedias to atlases, and how to select reliable and current versions of each of these works in order to build an effective reference collection in your library. When thinking about this topic and reflecting on this course as a whole, I have realized that digital reference resources are more and more prevalent. Even the venerable Encyclopedia Britannica stopped printing encyclopedias six years ago and has completely transitioned to online publications. In light of this evolution of the reference collection, a large part of our role as teacher librarian will be to teach students the skills to navigate large amounts of online information. Riedling (2014, p. 116) states, "there will be an increased need for experts, school librarians with skills in searching, accessing, using, and evaluating information efficiently and effectively. In addition, students will now, more than ever before, need to be taught information literacy skills." Although I may purchase a few print dictionaries, thesauri, and atlases once I become a teacher librarian, in many cases I won't be directly involved in making decisions about which reference resources to buy as they will be digital subscriptions that are selected at the district level. Therefore, most of the work that I do in regards to the reference section will be teaching information literacy skills that enable students to find what they need online.

A to Zoo cover image, image from Amazon.com

I enjoy using both print and digital resources and when I read about "A to Zoo: Subject Access to Children's Picture Books" in Lesson 10, I wanted to see if this book was available to me and in which format. It was not available through the Vancouver School Board libraries, but I found one print copy in my local public library at the Central Branch of the Vancouver Public Library. However, the VPL has only got the supplement to the 7th edition, which was published a decade ago in 2008 and as a supplement, it is a relatively small addition to the main text. I called the VPL and spoke to a children's librarian about this book and she suggested that a more current source of readers advisory on specific topics would be the 75 book lists the VPL Children's Department has published on Bibliocommons. 

Selection of Book lists complied by vpl_childrens

I discovered that they have compiled lists of books on topics such as moving, celebrating diversity, Lunar New Year, and many more. I continued my search for "A to Zoo" and found that The UBC Education Library had the most up-to-date edition as it had the 8th edition, published in 2010, in print and the supplement to the 9th edition, published in 2016, available as an eBook. I was able to access a pdf of the eBook from home and found the convenience of the digital version appealing, as I usually do with online resources.

Learning about the VPL book lists reminded me of my goal of not repeating work that has already been done. There is a sea of information available to us in this digital age and if you have the skills to search for it, you'll often find that someone has curated a list of resources or created lesson plans to go with a new picture book. One of the main benefits of the internet is being able to share our discoveries and I hope to be able to pass on this knowledge to my students.

Works Cited

Kearney, C. (2012, March 14). Encyclopedia Britannica ends print, goes digital. Retrieved April 05, 2018, from https://www.reuters.com/article/net-us-encyclopediabritannica/encyclopedia-britannica-ends-print-goes-digital-idUSBRE82C1FS20120314

Lima, C. W., & Thomas, R. L. (2010). A to Zoo: Subject Access to Children's Picture Books (Children's and Young Adult Literature Reference). Westport, USA: Libraries Unlimited.

Riedling, A. M., Shake, L., & Houston, C. (2013). Reference skills for the school librarian: tools and tips. Santa Barbara: California.