Annual report us library 14 15

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International School of Luxembourg Upper School Library

Annual Report 2014­2015

Total Library Checkouts:

2013-2014: 8,830 items (52% Fiction)

2014-2015: 8,961 items (64% Fiction)

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International School of Luxembourg Upper School Library

Annual Report 2014/2015

Contents

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1. Introduction ...……………………………………………………………….. 5 2. Mission Statement ..………………………………………………………… 5 3. Policy Development …………………………………………………….. 7 4. Circulation Statistics ………………………………………………………… 9 5. Collection Development ……………………………………………………. 11 6. The Upper School Library Wiki …………..……………………………….. 13 7. Information Fluency skills ………………………………………………….. 15 8. Staffing & Professional Development …………………………………….. 17 9. Textbook Management …………………………………………………….. 19 10. Library Facilities …………………………………………………………….. 21 11. Library Events ………..………………………………………………………23 12. Looking outward ……………………………………………………………. 29 13. Plans for 2015­2016 …………………………………………………………31 14. Conclusion …………………………………………………………………... 33

Appendix 1 : Collection Development Guidelines & Challenged Materials Procedure.…………..…………….…. 35 Appendix 2 : Usage Report Questiaschool ………………………………... 41 Appendix 3 : Usage Report Noodle Tools …………………………………. 43

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1. Introduction

The annual ISL Upper School Library report is becoming a tradition.

The Library uses the annual report to reflect on goal achievements, and to look at alignment to long term goals.

In this report you will find an overview of all that has happened in and around the Library, illustrated wherever possible, with statistics on the use of the Library resources.

Achievements and challenges are lined out together to provide a clear view of goals and space for reflection.

Your comments, suggestions, and questions are very welcome. Please email me at mvanengelen@islux.lu​ or come in for a chat.

Marion van Engelen, Upper School Librarian

2. Mission Statement ­ to be reviewed

The following are essential to the development of literacy, teaching, learning and culture and are core school Library services.

● Supporting and enhancing educational goals as outlined in the school’s mission and curriculum. ● Developing and sustaining in children the habit and enjoyment of reading and learning, and the use of Libraries throughout their lives. ● Offering opportunities for experiences in creating and using information for knowledge, understanding, imagination and enjoyment. ● Supporting all students in acquiring meta­literacy skills to become information fluent. ● Providing access to local, regional, national and global resources and opportunities that expose learners to diverse ideas, experiences and opinions. ● Organising activities that encourage cultural and social awareness and sensitivity. ● Promoting reading and the School Library resources and services to the whole school community and beyond. ● Promoting ethical use of information and intellectual property through education and being an example of the value of academic honesty.

­­­­­­­­­­­­­­­­­­­­­­­­­­­­­­­­­­­­­­­­­­­­­­­­­­­­­­­­­­­­­­­­­­­­­­­­­­­­­­­­­­­­­­­­­­­­­­­­­­­­­­­­­­­­­­­ Note This document is completely produced in Google Docs, including all the images and tables.

A link is available on the Library wiki at http://amazinglibrary.wikispaces.com

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3. Policy Development ­ to be reviewed

This chapter is the same as last year, because the development of a Library policy and handbook needs to be addressed.

Currently there is no official collection development policy, nor a procedure for challenged materials or a handbook for the Upper School Library. A draft of these documents is again attached to this report as an appendix for review and authorisation. See Appendix 1.

The Staff Handbook and the Parent Handbook both contain information for our users about the Library services.

A brand new circulation desk

Student comment: ​ “Looks like a real Library now!”

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4. Circulation Statistics

What the research says: • Vocabulary is best developed through real encounters with the words in context, over time, and in small doses • Acquiring a word requires acquiring all of its subtle and complex qualities­hard to teach with direct instruction • ​ Time spent teaching vocabulary lists better spent doing free voluntary reading—more likely to result in word acquisition

What we can do: • Eliminate or reduce vocabulary lists and tests • Provide in­context vocabulary through the reading of paragraphs • Evaluate the level of vocabulary we expect students to attain; set priorities, determine what matters • Vary the vocabulary input between additional readings and other avenues— use short excerpts to introduce new words • ​ Provide more free reading time and greater access to books​ .

Krashen, Stephen. “The Power of Reading : Insights from the Research”. Observations and Reflections from BEHS Staff.

September 2014. Web. <http://marvin.ibeu.org.br/ibeudigital/images/d/d9/The­Power­of­Reading.pdf>

Data extracted from Destiny Library Manager, ISL’s library management system.

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Data extracted from Destiny Library Manager, ISL’s library management system.

Total number of Library materials checked out in Upper School

8,961

September 2014 ­ June 2015:

(64% fiction) September 2013 ­ June 2014:

​ 8,830 (51.8% fiction)

September 2012 ­ May 2013:

​ 7,616 (45% fiction)

​ 10,232 (41% fiction)

September 2011­ May 2012: September 2010 ­ May 2011:

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12,300 (39% fiction)

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5. Collection Development

5.1. Physical items The numbers below can be understood in the light of access to information and reading in print and online.

A trend continues in diversification of types of resources. More online resources are available, and fewer printed materials.

A lot of ‘weeding’ has been done, in order to increase the general appeal of the printed collection and to keep it up­to­date and relevant (see tables “Age of Library Materials”).

No. of volumes in Upper School Library ­ June 2015

Total

No of titles 22,705

No of copies 23,708

No. of volumes in Upper School Library ­ June 2014

Total

No of titles 22,760*

No of copies 24,390*

No. of volumes in Upper School Library ­ June 2013

Total

No of titles 22,572

No of copies 24,358

Items added to Upper School Library Collection

Total Items

Items added in 2014­2015 701

Items added in 2013­2014 835

Items added in 2012­2013 1088

Items added in 2011­2012 2166

Bringing the collection into the 21st Century: date of publication comparison

Age of Library Materials in 2012 Average age: 2001

Age of Library Materials in 2015 Average age: 2002

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5.2. Magazines

See Library Wiki for titles and links to online versions. A review of titles has been done to identify relevant titles, for staff and students.

5.3. Online Databases and Tools

Access to online databases is essential for our school to function in the st​ 21​ Century learning environment. The Library has invested in several subscriptions to online databases. The cost looks high, but when taking into account the number of books that would have to be bought to offer the same relevant, up­to­date information, it is very good value for money.

It is important to make sure that the students and staff know how to access the databases and that proper instruction is given not only in the use of the databases, but also in the evaluation and use of online information from other online sources.

The Upper School Library Wiki shows a comprehensive overview of all online resources the Library subscribes to.

Main databases and online tools subscriptions

Resource Name Cost per year Usage report USD 2000

3,620 items downloaded (Lower School AND Upper School).

GBP 800 Access to 25 online databases plus all (no usage reports) their print resources (15 miles of it).

USD 2,000

4,256 searches conducted. See App 2.

€1,348

All IB students submit their Extended Essays and ToK essays to Turnitin

€ 260

3,745 sessions. See Appendix 3

€323

All students can have an account.

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6. The Upper School Library Wiki http://amazinglibrary.wikispaces.com

The Upper School Library Wiki is the main tool of library communication in the Upper School. It contains a wealth of information about reading promotion, research tools, IB Diploma, and Library events in our school. The Wiki is updated weekly.

Number of visitors to the Upper School Library Wiki in 2014­2015

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7. Information literacy skills

Information literacy at ISL has been under review. The Librarian and the Director of Studies have made a start with the development of a horizontal and vertical information literacy curriculum across Grade 6­10.

The Librarian has been involved in several research projects across most grades, to help with access to resources, information seeking strategies and citation and referencing. In the IB Diploma the Librarian has ‘pushed in’ wherever needed and taught specific skills in the classrooms, on demand.

The Library Wiki and specific research tools such as Noodletools and Easybib were used regularly, however a structured approach to the education in the use of these is recommended as part of a school­wide information literacy curriculum.

The Library wants to profile itself as the central resource centre of the school, and an active engagement of the Librarian, collaborating with teachers on teaching information fluency skills, is important.

Research in Action

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8. Staffing & Professional Development

Sabine Fiedler (Circulation Coordinator) and Marion van Engelen (Upper School Librarian)

This year the Library again benefited from a very successful Parent Volunteer Team. We would like to thank Richard Lawrence, Catalina Villar, Carmen Bartolome and Beate Stenger for their weekly reliable and cheerful presence, and of course the tireless shelving and shelf reading they have done over the year.

Professional Development 2014­2015

The Librarian presented a workshop at the annual ELMLE Conference in Warsaw, Poland, on the importance of information literacy in Middle School. The workshop was repeated at the Teachers Teaching Teachers (TTT) event at ISL. A short visit to Paris was conducted to debrief the collaboration on the shared visit of Taylor Mali to these schools, coordinated by ISL. The Circulation Coordinator attended the annual Follett Destiny workshop in Vienna.

Date Event Venue September 2014 ECIS 7th Triennial School Waterloo (Brussels) Librarians Conference January 2015 ELMLE Middle School Warsaw Conference April 2015 Follett workshop Vienna May 2015 Visit to ASP and Lycee Paris Americain

Pre­conference Visit to Auschwitz

Workshop by our Librarian!

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Library Display

Guess your teacher’s favourite book when they were young!

Panda Awards 2015

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9. Textbook Management

The Plan The Library has initiated a move towards cataloguing all textbooks in use at ISL Upper School and has made lots of progress for the following reasons: ­ to help enable an inventory of all textbooks in use in the school. ­ to create a practical and traceable way to check out textbooks to students and staff ­ to help teachers with overviews of what is in stock, which textbooks are actually used, lost books, etc. ­ to help HoDs order textbooks, whether it is extra copies or new titles. ­ to help HoDs with the administration of charging for lost and damaged books.

Whose budget?

The IT Department carried the cost of purchasing the Module and will pay for the annual license fee.

Technology and textbooks ISL Upper School textbook management takes place through the module ​ Textbook Manager of Follett Library Resources. This module uses the same patron database as the module Library Manager, but is otherwise a completely separate system.

The following services are now available: ­ online textbook circulation to students. This can be done by the Librarians, but also by the teachers in their classrooms. ­ online inventory of all textbooks, by department. ­ storage of textbooks, either in the Library textbook room, or in teachers’ rooms and storage spaces.

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10. Library Facilities

During the year the Library has been prepared for the start of 1­to­1 in Middle School. New furniture and display equipment has been added too.

Better!

​

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11. Library Events

Niall de Burca - Storyteller, September 2014

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11. Library Events ­ continued

Taylor Mali - Poet & Teacher, March 2015

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11. Library Events ­ continued

Alex Scarrow - Author, April 2015

©​ ISL

Upper School Library

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11. Library Events ­ continued

Grade 6 Read Around The World, Jan-June 2015

All Grade 6 students read their way ‘around the world’ with their reading passports, where they collected stamps for reading books in different genres. The most interesting journeys were chosen and this culminated in a pizza party for the best travellers / readers (with many thanks to Mr Jack for allowing his room again to be thrashed as the party venue).

©​ ISL Upper School Library

The Voice in the Library

Live singing performances by the members of Cascade activity “The Voice”. A collaboration with James Libbey.

©​ ISL Upper School Library

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11. Library Events ­ continued

Meet & Greet our New Library Materials

Meet & Greet Library Parties are a lovely way to connect with colleagues, promote newly arrived materials, and make sure that new resources do not disappear unseen on the library shelves. The Meet & Greet parties were combined with the PD Bookclub Meetings, where teachers discussed books they had read and ICT promotion.

©​ ISL Upper School Library

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12. Looking outward

Collaboration and communication with other Librarians in our community and throughout the region and the world is vital for any international school. It is also important for Librarians to be able to network and communicate with other Librarians, as it is a peculiarity of our job that we do not have many colleague Librarians in the school to use as sounding boards and connect with about our jobs.

The Library is a member of the School Library Association UK (SLA).

The Librarian is an active member of the ECIS Librarians Forum, and a member of the IB Librarians VLE.

This year ISL has successfully collaborated with the Librarians from St. George’s International School, on the author visit of Alex Scarrow.

ISL coordinated the successful European tour of Taylor Mali, a collaboration between ISL, American School Paris and the Lycée Americain of Paris.

Contacts were made with the Librarian of the International School of Antwerp to look at starting a Benelux International School Librarians network.

After the ECIS Librarians Conference, the Librarians of the Shanghai American School in China spent a day at ISL to share experiences.

The available PD has made it possible, apart from providing education and sharing professional knowledge, to facilitate connections with other international school Librarians in Europe and around the world.

A classroom full of Librarian at the ECIS Triennial Librarians Conference 2014

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13. Plans for 2015­2016

The reality of 1­to­1​ :​ it’s here in Middle School!

As discussed last year, the Library has increased the working spaces to accommodate group work with laptops, increased the number of charging points, and now the teaching area is more flexible than before.

Library as the hub of technology

The Library aims to be a playground for developments in information technology, with information available in formats suitable for a modern learning environment.

Wherever possible, magazine subscriptions are available in print as well as online, or even better, as an app. iPads are now available in the Library to access magazine apps and e­books.

The iPads can also be used to search the online library catalogue, and to access apps related to reading and research, like BBC News, Easybib, Turnitin and DestinyQuest.

E­books

The development of the e­book collection is a very stimulating challenge for the Upper School Library, to effectively promote reading in different formats to our students and the rest of the ISL community, especially in the light of the 1­to­1 program. Currently two e­book platforms are available, where students, staff and parents can download e­books and read them on their personal devices.

Information Literacy ­ a vertical and horizontal program

Hopefully next year we can make a start with the continued implementation of a vertical and horizontal curriculum for information literacy. Information fluency skills will be taught across disciplines, projects and grade levels, leading to students who are ready to start the IB Diploma with the necessary tools to conduct academic research and writing. The Librarian is in close collaboration on this with the Director of Curriculum and the IB Coordinator. The involvement of the ICT Facilitators will be much appreciated too.

Active Reading

As part of the Cascade in Middle School, Active Reading sessions were part of the Middle School timetable. To reach all students at the same time, the Librarian regularly produced video’s with news about the Library. These videos were called Ms Marion’s TV and were also broadcast on the school’s tv­screens. In the classrooms small starter activities were held.

Last but not least:

Textbook Management

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This topic was mentioned already under a separate heading. It is important that a procedure for textbook administration in the Upper School is discussed, agreed on, and implemented, based on the experiences so far. Textbook Manager has proven to be an excellent tool so far, and after consultation with all parties involved a longer­term strategy for textbook management can be developed. Some issues to be considered: ­ Numbers and titles​ of textbooks needed for each grade level → planning. ­ Registration of newly arrived textbooks​ (Business Office? Departments? Barcoding?). ­ Administration of lost/damaged textbooks​ . Forms need to be clearly designed and procedures implemented. Option: all information on textbook circulation is available online, so form signing at end of school year becomes obsolete. ­ Space​ : the Library textbook room is not big enough to accommodate all textbooks in use, but the software is flexible enough to allow different “Locations”. ­ Circulation of textbooks​ : centrally from Library vs empowering teachers to check out textbooks from their classroom. Technologically the latter is easy, with just a few extra barcode scanners needed.

Two student workers took care of checking in and barcoding the new Science textbooks...

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14. Conclusion

I am happy to reflect on the Upper School Library achievements this year at ISL. The re­design and the addition of extra space ­ combined with the one BIG rule for all our users: RESPECT ­ have made the Library a popular place to be. Students are engaged in a variety of activities, ranging from curling up on the sofas to read, doing the Library jigsaw, playing chess, finishing homework, doing group work in the study rooms, to playing board games and watching videos on the computers. This is exactly the ‘hub’ that the Library should be in the school community.

Everyone (well most people…) understand that the Library can be used for any activity, as long as it is done with respect for others in the same space. I am proud of our students for learning how to put this into practice.

The Library plays an important role assisting students with the Extended Essays and the Internal Assessments. Apart from training sessions for the students in research, citation and referencing it is important to embed this learning in the subjects..

Important challenges for the future are: * the continued vertical and horizontal development of the information literacy curriculum; * the role of the Library as a central resource in the school; * continued collaboration in supporting the IB Diploma Program; * the Library’s role in the development of the 1­to­1 program, and connected with all this, a focus on Library collection development to support (exploration of online resources, including audiovisual materials, and e­books).

The Library is a community space and can only function with the support of all at ISL. I would like thank everyone for the collaborations we had, for caring, listening, sharing, following up on our recommendations, and using the Library.

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Appendix 1: Collection Development Guidelines & Challenged Materials Procedure

International School of Luxembourg Upper School Library

Collection Development Guidelines

I. Objectives

The primary objective of the school library is to implement, enrich and support the educational program of the school, in accordance with the school’s Philosophy & Objectives. In the area of materials selection, the library provides a wide range of materials on all levels, with consideration for diversity of appeal and different points of view. These materials include those found in the virtual library, i.e. via Internet and other online resources. Therefore, the library: ● Provides materials that will enrich and support the curriculum, taking into consideration the varied interests, abilities, learning needs, learning styles and maturity levels of the students served. ● Provides materials for teachers, students and parents that will encourage growth in knowledge, and that will help to develop literary, cultural and aesthetic appreciation and ethical standards. ● Provides materials which reflect the ideas and beliefs of religious, social, political, historical, and ethnic groups and their contribution to the local, national and world heritages and cultures, thereby enabling students to develop intellectual integrity in forming judgments. ● Provides a variety of electronic formats as well as print materials to support student learning needs. These electronic formats include resources found on the Internet and other online networks. ● Places principle above personal opinion and reason above prejudice in selection of materials of the highest quality in order to ensure a comprehensive collection appropriate for the users of the library instructional technology center.

The secondary objective, not less important, is to create life long readers and instill a love of reading in the whole school community. The Library aims to satisfy the reading needs of this community. Therefore the Library provides a wide range of fiction and non­fiction, of interest to students at all age and interest levels, teachers and parents.

II. Authority and Responsibility

The Director of the school is legally responsible for all matters relating to the operation of ISL.

The responsibility for the selection of instructional materials is delegated to the professionally trained Library personnel employed by the school.

III. Criteria for Evaluation and Selection of Library Materials

● Educational significance ● Contribution the subject matter makes to the curriculum and to the interests of the students ● Favorable reviews found in standard selection sources ● Favorable recommendations based on preview and examination of materials by professional personnel ● Reputation and significance of the author, producer and publisher

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Validity, currency, and appropriateness of material Contribution the material makes to breadth of representative viewpoints on controversial issues High degree of potential user appeal High artistic quality and/or literary style Quality and variety of format Value commensurate with cost and/or need Timeliness or permanence

Controversial subjects The material should be consonant with the purposes of the library, meet general criteria of quality, and relate to school program needs. Judgment should be based on the total effect of the material and not on the presence of words and phrases, or other visual and aural instances which in themselves might be objectionable.

The school believes that students’ discussion of issues which generate opposing points of view shall be considered a normal part of the learning process in every area of the school program. The depth of the discussion shall be determined by the maturity of the students.

Teachers shall refer students to resources reflecting all points of view. Discussions, including contributions made by the teacher or resource person, shall be maintained on an objective, factual basis. Stress shall be placed on learning how to make judgements based on facts.

Gifts Gifts should be evaluated by applying the same criteria used for selection of purchased materials.

Professional materials These materials need to reflect research and trends in education, as well as meet general selection criteria.

IV. Selection tools

The following sources are available to assist the librarian in the selection process; however, selection is not limited to the use of these tools.

● Professional library journals, such as School Library Journal, The School Librarian, and Good Book Guide, as well as a variety of online professional librarians’ resources, e.g. www.lovereading4kids.org​ and ​ www.fantasticfiction.co.uk​ . ● Follett Titlewave (www.titlewave.com) ● Browns Books online catalog ● Amazon Online Bookstore

V. Weeding

Weeding takes place so that the collection remains current and useful to the unique clientele it is meant to serve. The American Library Association recommends that 3% ­ 5% of the collection (print and non­print) be weeded annually.

Criteria for weeding are: 1. worn­out volumes: * dirty, brittle, yellow pages; missing pages; tattered covers; etc. * badly bound volumes: soft, pulpy paper and/or shoddy binding * badly printed works

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* books of antiquated appearance which might discourage use * audio­visual materials with missing or broken pieces 2. superfluous or duplicate volumes: * unneeded duplicate titles * older editions * highly specialised books (when the library holds more general or up­to­date volumes on the same subject) * books on subjects of little interest to the school community * books which no longer relate to the curriculum (if specialised) 3. Poor content: * information is dated * information is inaccurate * stereotypes are present * book is poorly written 4. Weeding According to Use * Nonfiction: Book has not been checked out within last 10 years * Fiction: Book has not been checked out within last 5 years (classics excluded)

VI. Challenged Materials

If objections are made to a selection, the principles of the freedom to read and professional responsibility of the staff should be defended.

If a complaint is made, the procedures are as follows: a. Complainant needs to fill in Form A b. Inform the Librarian c. Upon receipt of written Form A, a Materials Evaluation Committee shall be formed, consisting of: ­ The Librarian ­ A Classroom Teacher familiar with the subject challenged ­ the Upper School Principal of the School No material shall be removed from use until the Materials Evaluation Committee has made its final decision.

Within 30 days the Materials Evaluation Committee Shall: a. Examine challenged material in relation to the collection development guidelines. b. Check general acceptance of the materials by reading reviews c. Weigh values and faults and form opinion based on the materials as a whole d. Meet and discuss and prepare a report to the Library Council (form B) e. File a copy of the report with the administration office

The patron may appeal the decision of the Materials Evaluation Committee to the School Leadership Team within 30 days of the date of the Materials Evaluation Committee’s decision.

Within 30 days of the receipt of the appeal the School Leadership Team shall: a. examine the findings of the Materials Evaluation Committee b. weigh values and faults and form opinions based on the materials as a whole c. meet to discuss and prepare a report of the decision to the patron, If a grievance persists, an appeal to the School Board may be made. The decision of the School Board is final.

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Form A ­ REQUEST FOR RECONSIDERATION OF WORK (Attach extra pages if needed to complete statements) Author, compose, producer, artist, etc ________________________________________ Title___________________________________________________________________ Publisher (if known)_______________________________________________________ Request initiated by ______________________________________________________ Telephone __________________ Address ____________________________________ Complainant represents: himself Organisation (Name) ______________________________________________________ other group (Identify)______________________________________________________

1. To what in the work do you object? Please be specific, cite exact parts: _______________________________________________________________________ ___ ____________________________________________________________________ _____ _________________________________________________________________ 2. What of value is there in this work? _________________________________________ _______________________________________________________________________ _______________________________________________________________________

3. What do you feel might be the result of reading, viewing, or listening to this work? _______________________________________________________________________ _______________________________________________________________________ _______________________________________________________________________

4. For what age group would you recommend this work? _______________________

5. Did you read, view, or listen to the entire work? _______________________________ If no, what pages or section did you read? _________________________________

6. Are you aware of the judgment of this work by critics?__________________________ 7. Are you aware of the teacher’s purpose in using this work?_______________________ 8. What do you believe is the theme of purpose of this work?_______________________ 9. What would you prefer the school do about this work? _____Do not assign or recommend it to my child. _____Withdraw it from all students. _____Send it back to the proper department grade level for re­evaluation.

10. In its place, what work of equal value would you recommend that would convey as valuable of picture and perspective of a society or set of values? _______________________________________________________________________

Signature of Complainant ______________________________ Date _______________

Form B MATERIALS EVALUATION COMMITTEE REPORT (Attach extra pages if needed to complete statements)

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Physical description of challenged material: (author, title, publisher, copyright, producer, etc.)___________________________________________________________________ ______________________________________________________________________

Justification for inclusion of material (include theme and purpose) ______________________________________________________________________ ______________________________________________________________________ ______________________________________________________________________ ______________________________________________________________________

Critics judgment of materials: (If possible include copies of reviews indicating the source)________________________________________________________________ ______________________________________________________________________ ______________________________________________________________________ ______________________________________________________________________

Materials Evaluation Committee’s decision and comments: (include statements from majority and minority positions) ______________________________________________________________________ ______________________________________________________________________ ______________________________________________________________________ ______________________________________________________________________

Signatures of Committee Members

______________________________

______________________________

______________________________

______________________________

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Appendix 2 ­ Questiaschool Activity Summary Report (August 2014­June 2015)

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Appendix 3 ­ Noodletools Usage Report (August 2014 ­ June 2015)