2016 17 BIS LMC Annual Report

2017 BIS Library Media Centre Annual Report June, 2017

The Year in Numbers: 39,052 Items in the BIS Media Centre 33,582 Items circulated this year 3,406 Books checked out for summer 2,305 eBooks checked out this year 347 Primary lessons taught 129 Secondary lessons taught 93 One-on-one meetings with G11 students about their Extended Essay research 77 Families participated in Summer Reading checkout 64 Individual meetings with G9 students about their Personal Project research 17 Tuesday: Tech & Treat sessions 6 New skylights 5 Books gifted from our Amazon wishlist 4 Rounds of Hänsel & Gretel voting 3 Parent TechByte information sessions 2 Visits from other school librarians 1 Student intern on Boys/Girls Day

Collaboration Classes Taught by Librarians PRIMARY GRADES

SECONDARY GRADES

483 423 376 347 267

104

129

59

52

2012-13

89

2013-14

2014-15

2015-16

2016-17

Collaborative Highlights A goal this year was to be involved in a greater percentage of secondary classes, and this goal was met. Although the graph above indicates a drop in the number of primary classes, this change was due to the decrease in primary homeroom classes rather than a drop in teaching by library staff. With the increase in secondary lessons, the overall distribution was in line with our long term goals. The greatest collaboration between the Media Centre and secondary classes was through the Science, PSHE, and Design departments. Some of the highlights of the year include:

Grade 6 Research Skills Mr. Ille met early with the library staff to coordinate research lessons for the Grade 6 Wood and Tree Posters. For safety reasons his design classes were split, allowing half the students to use tools in the lab, while the other students reviewed note-taking skills and citing sources with EasyBib in the Media Centre. Additionally, students were introduced to social bookmarking via Diigo. At the conclusion of the research project, Mr. Ille marked the posters for content, while Mrs. Rogers reviewed the notes and posters, evaluating the research skills used in Criterion A. The ability of grade 6 students to paraphrase concisely, cite sources correctly, and use notes taken for the final product were noted in a separate spreadsheet and tracked throughout the course of the year.

Later in the year, grade 6 students returned to the Media Centre with Mr. Knicely to build upon their research skills, learning about the history and current uses of microscopes as well as how the ability to accurately measure longitude was developed. Again, student skills were marked and tracked by the librarians who were happy to note a modest improvement in skills.

BIS Library Media Centre Annual Report 2016-2017

2

Notetaking Skills Students’ ability to take note in their own words and use these notes later for presentations, written reports, or other media demonstrations has been noted by both teachers and the librarians as an area of weakness in the research process. Together with the teachers, the librarians focused on this step in the process as a target for the year. Explicit note-taking lessons were taught to grades 3, 4, 5, 6, 8, and 10, built around classroom content to build authenticity.

Students in grades 3-6 used the Independent Investigative Method notefact sheets to learn how to write individual, brief notes in their own words. After gathering information, these notefact sheets are colorcoded by category and then cut apart. Students organize their notes by category, arranging them in a logical order, before gluing them onto new pages - one for each category. This kinesthetic method allows students to physically sort and synthesize their information, helping them to eliminate the irrelevant and create an outline.

Grade 10 students practiced condensing the most important information from an article by fitting it onto smaller and smaller note paper. Students were also introduced to the Cornell method of note-taking, a style that organizes information into columns of keywords/ questions and concise notes. Students should revisit their notes within 24 hours to write a brief summary at the bottom. This note-taking method can easily be used for revision and test preparation.

Book Trailers Grade 5 students combined reading lessons, information literacy, and media literacy by making Book Trailers for their favorite books. In the Media Centre, students learned where to find royaltyfree images as well as why and how to cite them. The students then used their classroom lessons to hook the listener and sell their books. View their book trailers at https://tinyurl.com/ For their Exhibition G5Trailers project, the Women’s Rights Extended Essay & Personal Project group looked into gender inequality.

As grade 9 and 11 students began the research One of the actions phase of their Personal Projects and Extended they took was to Essays, they set up appointments with Ms. Walk examine the girls and Mrs. Rogers. The librarians checked to be and women sure that each student had a plan in place for represented in citing their sources (EasyBib) and had the literature, turning necessary resources they needed, including around books on passwords to the subscription databases. This this shelf that process resulted in a total of 157 meetings lacked strong held, 7 new books ordered, and hundreds of female characters. questions answered.

BIS Library Media Centre Annual Report 2016-2017

3

International School Library Month

Rollout of Library Minion Program Book Character Dress-Up Day EL Library Bag Decorating Fugitive Fiction Book Fair

D E T N A W ction!

e Fi Fugitiv

PING RE ESCA ENTRE! A S K O BO IA C HE MED F R OM T ook ?

b fugitive ser t Found a ep! Bring the in e k to win a rs t o It’s you brary to enter to the li

R EWA R D

BIS Library Media Centre Annual Report 2016-2017

4

Circulation Stats Falling Numbers The overall drop in circulation numbers was not a surprise with the drop in enrollment. However, the decrease in items per person was higher than anticipated. Safety is the most likely factor for the drop. When school resumed, the BIS Media Centre was still under construction and students had to wait two weeks before they could reenter the library and begin checking out books.

Once the Media Centre was open for business, there was a change in staffing that resulted in the Book Bus ceasing its daily runs down the EL hallway. Without a morning clerk, there was no one left to run the bus while the librarians taught classes, covered the circulation desk, and handled the clerical duties. EL and Grade One students no longer had new books delivered to them daily, as they have the past two years, and the service was missed. Volunteers were sought for this position, and we are now working to connect with a student seeking a CAS project to take on this responsibility for next year.

51.5 45.9

51.3

48.5

(Average per person)

44.4

33.1

BIS Library Media Centre Annual Report 2016-2017

5

BIS Top Ten Picture Books

Circulations

Title

Author

35 - Don’t Let the Pigeon Drive the Bus! by Mo Willems 24 - 365 Penguins by Jean-Luc Frontal 22 - I Broke My Trunk! by Mo Willems 20 - Dino-Soccer by Lisa Wheeler 20 - I Will Surprise My Friend! by Mo Willems 20 - I’m a Frog! by Mo Willems 19 - I am Invited to a Party! by Mo Willems 19 - My New Friend is So Fun! by Mo Willems 18 - Listen to My Trumpet! by Mo Willems 17 - Are You Ready to Play Outside? by Mo Willems

Primary Fiction

Circulations

Title

Author

47 - Guinea Dog by Patrick Jennings 39 - Diary of a Wimpy Kid: the Long Haul by Jeff Kinney 33 - War that Saved My Life by Kimberly Brubaker Bradley 28 - Crenshaw by Katherine Applegate 24 - Diary of a Wimpy Kid: Greg Heffley’s Journal by Jeff Kinney 24 - A Handful of Stars by Cynthia Lord 23 - Diary of a Wimpy Kid: Hard Luck by Jeff Kinney 23 - Diary of a Wimpy Kid: Old School by Jeff Kinney 23 - Tom Gates: Super Good Skills (almost) by Liz Pichon 22 - Stink and the Attack of the Slime Mold by Megan McDonald

Secondary Fiction

Circulations

Title

Author

18 - The Hunger Games by Suzanne Collins 13 - The Lightning Thief by Rick Riordan 11 - The Sea of Monsters by Rick Riordan 11 - Charlie Joe Jackson’s Guide to Not Reading by Tom Greenwald 10 - The City of Ember by Jeanne DuPrau 10 - Hatchet by Gary Paulsen 10 - Once by Morris Gleitzman 9 - After by Morris Gleitzman 9 - To Kill A Mockingbird by Lee Harper 9 - Miss Peregrine’s Home for Peculiar Children by Ransom Riggs

BIS Library Media Centre Annual Report 2016-2017

6

eBooks vs. Print

eBook Top 10

Circulations

Title

Author

54 - The River: Hatchet Series by Gary Paulsen 35 - Old School: Diary of a Wimpy Kid series by Jeff Kinney 20 - The Long Haul: Diary of a Wimpy Kid series by Jeff Kinney 18 - City of Bones: Shadowhunters by Cassandra Clare 17 - Emperor Pickletine Rides the Bus by Tom Angleberger 16 - World of David Walliams by David Walliams 16 - Tales of a 4th Grade Nothing by Judy Blume 15 - We Were Liars by E. Lockhart 12 - Harry Potter & the Half-Blood Prince by J.K. Rowling 12 - The Book Whisperer by Donalyn Miller

BIS Library Media Centre Annual Report 2016-2017

7

Library Minions After a two-year hiatus, the library helper program was revived this school year.

Interested students in grades 4 and 5 applied and attended two days of training before being selected. Those who persevered were immediately given their first task: select a name for their group.

After several suggestions and much debate, “Minions� was the winning choice for our blue-apron clad bunch.

The Library Minions volunteered in the Media Centre during one morning recess each week. Duties included caring for their own section of books, making deliveries to classrooms in all three buildings, general tidying, and scanning returned books.

Ten students were selected in the autumn, and after another round of applications second semester, our crew expanded to 13.

Minion help proved invaluable!

BIS Library Media Centre Annual Report 2016-2017

8

Hänsel & Gretel For the third year in a row, BIS students in grades 3-6 participated in the Hänsel & Gretel Reader’s Choice Award selection.

Started by three librarians at international schools in Germany, 12 books are selected annually for students to read and vote for their favorites.

received a response. This group was so large that the “Lunch Bunch” had to borrow a classroom to providing dining space for everyone.

Working toward our goal of promoting a love of reading through book clubs, the librarians hosted a series of “Lunch Bunch” sessions.

Students who had read the book of the week were invited to bring their lunch to the library where discussions were held about the selected book and how it compared to the others in the competition.

Voters at BIS chose Guinea Dog by Patrick Jennings as their number one pick, while the overall winner in Germany was Jinx by Sage Blackwood.

One group was so moved by the not-happilyever after ending of Handful of Stars by Cynthia Lord that they wrote to her…. and

BIS Library Media Centre Annual Report 2016-2017

9

Tuesday Technology & Treats Mrs. Rogers & Ms. Walk alternated hosting a new staff PD option every Tuesday of first semester. During their morning recess staff was invited to feast on homemade pastries while advancing their information technology skills in 15minute mini-lessons.

Topics Covered: • Destiny, the library catalog, beginning and advanced levels • iCal for scheduling the Media Centre • OverDrive and other eBooks • EasyBib - beginning and advanced use • Online Subscription Databases: Britannica, BrainPop, NewsBank • Note-taking: IIM, Cornell, and EasyBib • Website evaluation or the 5 W’s • Magazine subscriptions - print & online • Social Bookmarking (Diigo) • EquityMaps (hosted by guest speaker A. Moore) • Collaboration ideas Attendance averaged 10 attendees each week, and word of mouth advertising often influenced other staff members to seek follow up lessons with the librarians. Primary and secondary staff were equally represented each week and one special session was held to highlight Media Centre resources available for Admin staff.

Slideshows and handouts from each session were posted on the Staff Portal, and polls later revealed that an average of 8 staff members used this option to learn more each week.

BIS Library Media Centre Annual Report 2016-2017

10

Student Survey Results The LMC survey was shared with students in grades 3-12 in March. Of those polled, 249 students

PYP

MYP

DP

Do you use the BIS online resources from home? YES NO OCCASIONALLY

Rate the noise level in the Media Centre.

Too Loud Just Right Too Quiet

How frequently do you read for pleasure?

Everyday 1-2/week 1-2/month Few Times/Year Rarely

When you do research, which resources do you use most?

Wikipedia Books Google School databases Public library/university databases All of the above

BIS Library Media Centre Annual Report 2016-2017

11

Goals The mission of the BIS Library Media Centre is to promote a love of reading, inspire lifelong learning, and develop the abilities to effectively locate, evaluate, and use information.

Progress Toward Existing Goals

Goals for 2017-18

Promote a Love of Reading

Promote a Love of Reading

•

•

•

•

Resume student book clubs • H&G lunch bunch Initiate BIS Reads campaign • While not a One Book:One School program, two staff book clubs formed this year. Casey Ranson hosted discussions on The Book Whisperer by Donalyn Miller, while Kelli Holm facilitated talks about Turning International by Catherine Transfer. Both were attended by a combination of primary and secondary teachers and staff.

Host two book fairs - one English, one German/English • English book fair in October; German fair in February

Inspire Life-long learning • •

Begin student library helper program • Library Minions Technology Tuesdays for staff and parents • 17 weeks of real-time tools

Develop the abilities to effectively locate, evaluate, and use information • • •

•

This year’s focus: use of information • Note-taking lessons with grades 3-10; marked and tracked G6 notes in Design and Science Review Academic Honesty Policy • This task was postponed due to the work of the Strategic Planning; now a priority for 2017-18 Ensure Media Centre orientation for all grades/subjects, including mid-year entries • Orientations were held for grades EL-10; Some grades were seen multiple times and mid-year entry still a problem Work with subject and grade level leaders to create and disseminate better scaffolding of information fluency skills • Cindy led Research Process Model Committee which defined the essential steps and began to outline the teaching, learning skills, and evaluation at each grade level

BIS Library Media Centre Annual Report 2016-2017

• • •

Increase conversations about books among and between students, staff, and parents Expand/continue BIS Reads faculty reading club Include bi-weekly book reviews in Newsflash and/or grade level blogs Recruit volunteer to resume BIS Book Bus

Inspire Life-long learning • • •

Expand library helper program to secondary Continue Tuesday Tech & Treats Host author Patrick Jennings

Develop the abilities to effectively locate, evaluate, and use information • • • •

Implement BIS Research Process Model across the grades Develop student abilities to identify information need and locate appropriate materials Collaborate with each grade/subject on a minimum of one unit Review Academic Honesty Policy

12