The School Analysis and Curriculum Chart assignment in my Collection Development course was by far the most valuable piece of work I completed during the entire School Library Media program. Being a practicing librarian at Roland Park Country School, I was able to put together valuable information that I could use immediately as I purchased materials for my collection. I began working at RPCS in 1994, so I knew quite a bit about the school, but there was a lot I did not know; it was extremely valuable for me to compile all of the data in one format.
The first step, analyzing the school, the community and the state of the current collection was very enlightening. I had never looked at all of the statistics of our school as a whole and what was of particular interest to me was the information on our school’s diversity. People often think of RPCS as a private school for “rich white girls,” but the data showed that the school does serve girls from many different backgrounds. To me, this information emphasized the importance of having a library collection full of diverse materials. Many of my selection choices are geared toward the interests of girls, but I know I have to be careful not to exclude other topics that balance out the collection.
I was very aware of the fact that I had inherited a collection in desperate need of weeding. I had done quite a bit of it before this assignment, but the statistics I collected made me aware of what areas needed the most attention. I was able to determine what areas needed more updated materials, particularly in nonfiction. From that point forward, I did even more weeding and went out of my way to seek out new materials to replace what was outdated. I am happy to say that one year later, my collection is in much better shape, directly as a result of this assignment.
The curriculum chart that I developed has proven to be invaluable to me and to all of my colleagues in the Lower School. Currently, teachers in all grade levels have curriculum maps for each subject they teach, and the maps are stored in a program called “Pathways" that was specifically developed for our school While the separate maps serve many good purposes, there is no large overview to see the whole Lower School curriculum at a glance. It is a very laborious task to go through each subject in each grade level to see what is being taught. My chart provides an easy-to-read, visually appealing overview of the entire curriculum. The staff was excited to be able to see the information pulled together. The biggest challenge in compiling it was streamlining the topics given to me by each teacher into a consistent format. Some teachers gave me too much detail while others kept their topics more general. It was hard for me to fit everything into a single chart, but the final product turned out to be a decent overview of our program. I gave it out at a faculty meeting, and the teachers seemed thrilled to have it. It enabled them to see connections within and between their grade levels that they may not have noticed before. The chart has become a living document that will be constantly revised as the curriculum changes over the years. I will make it my job to keep it current by going back to the teachers each year for updates.
Using the curriculum chart, I now find it easier to design my lessons and order materials. I wish I had known to do a chart when I first started in my position at RPCS, but I am grateful that it was a requirement of the SLM program.
The first step, analyzing the school, the community and the state of the current collection was very enlightening. I had never looked at all of the statistics of our school as a whole and what was of particular interest to me was the information on our school’s diversity. People often think of RPCS as a private school for “rich white girls,” but the data showed that the school does serve girls from many different backgrounds. To me, this information emphasized the importance of having a library collection full of diverse materials. Many of my selection choices are geared toward the interests of girls, but I know I have to be careful not to exclude other topics that balance out the collection.
I was very aware of the fact that I had inherited a collection in desperate need of weeding. I had done quite a bit of it before this assignment, but the statistics I collected made me aware of what areas needed the most attention. I was able to determine what areas needed more updated materials, particularly in nonfiction. From that point forward, I did even more weeding and went out of my way to seek out new materials to replace what was outdated. I am happy to say that one year later, my collection is in much better shape, directly as a result of this assignment.
The curriculum chart that I developed has proven to be invaluable to me and to all of my colleagues in the Lower School. Currently, teachers in all grade levels have curriculum maps for each subject they teach, and the maps are stored in a program called “Pathways" that was specifically developed for our school While the separate maps serve many good purposes, there is no large overview to see the whole Lower School curriculum at a glance. It is a very laborious task to go through each subject in each grade level to see what is being taught. My chart provides an easy-to-read, visually appealing overview of the entire curriculum. The staff was excited to be able to see the information pulled together. The biggest challenge in compiling it was streamlining the topics given to me by each teacher into a consistent format. Some teachers gave me too much detail while others kept their topics more general. It was hard for me to fit everything into a single chart, but the final product turned out to be a decent overview of our program. I gave it out at a faculty meeting, and the teachers seemed thrilled to have it. It enabled them to see connections within and between their grade levels that they may not have noticed before. The chart has become a living document that will be constantly revised as the curriculum changes over the years. I will make it my job to keep it current by going back to the teachers each year for updates.
Using the curriculum chart, I now find it easier to design my lessons and order materials. I wish I had known to do a chart when I first started in my position at RPCS, but I am grateful that it was a requirement of the SLM program.