INFOBYTES 2016
Library Annual Report
"...to ensure that KHS students and staff are effective users of ideas and information."
To be a life-long learner, students must know when information is needed, be able to locate, access and use information, as well as, evaluate the information they have found. The final step of this information literacy process, is the ability to use information effectively and ethically. Our students will graduate to institutions of higher learning, enter the workforce or the military. In their lives, information will be crucial for both work and personal needs. Knowing where to find accurate, reliable and credible sources is vital.
Please watch the video below created by independent study students, Chloe Sferra and Colin Craig. This promotional video highlights the KHS library and the services provided for our students and staff:
Please watch the video below created by independent study students, Chloe Sferra and Colin Craig. This promotional video highlights the KHS library and the services provided for our students and staff:
KHS Library Promo
“Not all readers are leaders, but all leaders are readers.” Harry S. Truman
Students at KHS do love to read. Here, Sydney answers the question "What's your favorite book and why?" Caroline Kajder answers the question "How has a book impacted your life?" (Thanks to senior Adam Smith for taping these videos.)
Favorite book
https://youtu.be/OSO19jMK5qQ
Library Usage 2015-2016
Students Say It Best! (See Chart Above)
Throughout the school year, I ask students for feedback about the library. Specifically I ask for comments from students in classes where I have taught information literacy skills in preparation for gathering credible, reliable and accurate resources. This year I asked students to tell me about something they had learned about research that they did not know before. Their answers seemed to center around three main themes:
- How to Use Databases (Some told me they had no idea what a database was; some indicated that they had never used a database! Some were surprised to learn that the information in some databases was specific to certain subjects.)
- Choosing Keywords (Students seemed to find this a most useful skill. They mentioned that if they used the correct keywords they could better locate the best and most useful articles to support their thesis. They were taught to "work smarter, not harder"! As one student so clearly stated, "She (Mrs. Subel) helped our class with search terms and learning what keywords to use to get the most valuable information." That in itself makes the heart of a school librarian swell with pride!) Simultaneously with learning keywords, came the skill of using an Advanced Search and limiters.
- Topic Selection (Choosing a topic is an important information literacy skill. It is a trial and error process. If a topic is too broad, students will be unable to defend their thesis in the given amount of time and/or space. If the topic is too narrow, students will be unable to find enough credible sources to thoroughly argue in defense of their stance.)
Here are some of the comments from the students in answer to items from the lesson evaluation questionnaire:
- Mrs. Subel was very helpful in terms of her instructions and tips. I would have been quite lost on most of the databases and may have put in some of the wrong keywords without her instruction.
- She introduced us to the databases. Before this year, I have never really used databases and now it is all I use. They are a great place for reliable information.
- She helped our class with search terms and learning what keywords to use to get the most valuable information.
- Before Mrs. Subel spoke to our class, I had no idea what a database was. I probably would've ended up using Google or some source that wasn't reliable. She was very helpful and easy to understand.
- Mrs. Subel helped me understand how specific my research topic should be. She also helped me formulate a definitive argument for my research paper.
- Mrs. Subel taught me how to narrow my results with advanced searches and how to quickly and efficiently scan an article to see if I want to use it.
- I learned how to use databases and I will use them for the rest of my high school and college career. (This is life-long learning!)
- The thing that helped me the most from Mrs. Subel was that if you narrow down the search words more, better results come up.
Finally, of all the responses I received from students, only one was different from the rest. Simply put, this one student replied, "I wasn't here!"
INFORMATION LITERACY AND LIFE-LONG LEARNING
We will always have a need for information. Whether it be personal, related to work or higher education; credible information will be crucial to answer our information needs. The chart from Project Information Literacy indicates the difficulties our students encounter when they must use information at the college level.
The information above has been gathered since 2008. The survey included 11,000 students from 57 US colleges and universities.