First Reference Librarian Observation

I have met with the school librarian who I am observing for my reference librarian observation. I met with the librarian once before, actually, to conduct some of the interview, but time flew and I would like to discuss and observe more with her before blogging about the interview. For this portion of observation, the librarian was collaborating with a history teacher on a unit researching the Industrial Revolution. The students will be in the library for a three step process for this project- the first part to use print resources, the second part to look at computer sources, and then the students will be creating a “movie” using PhotoStory. Each student is required to research and capture a specific portion of the period for their part of the movie. Overall, it was such a pleasure to do the observation. I genuinely felt that I was watching our readings in action. The librarian is highly interactive with her students. She did start the class off with a PowerPoint, but it was very brief, and she kept the students involved by asking a lot of questions, walking through the group, and complementing not just right answers, but also efforts at answering questions. One thing that she did that I thought was really great was that when she asked a question, the students responded not by a simple “Yes” or “No” but with standing up if you agree, holding up certain number of fingers depending on your answer, etc. I feel that it kept the students much more focused and interested. In her discussion portion of the class, she reviewed how to find key words, and how to know what type of information to look for. The students were filling out a Graphic Organizer based on a handout reading. I felt that the librarian was able to go over some basic points to make sure that everyone was “on the same page” without sounding redundant. She asked the students the questions, and utilized a “Thinkerboard” that students put their names onto for responding correctly. She reviewed how a thesaurus is organized and how to find both the information they needed for the report, and also what information was needed for citation and how to find it. I felt this was a good way to cover assessment needs, as some students wanted to look up Alexander Graham Bell under A (yes, this a junior high. Shocking, I know).After the lecture, the students paired up, and worked on the print resources together. Both the librarian and the history teacher circled throughout the class, offering guidance and keeping students on track. I was especially impressed when some boys (in a play to distract) asked her about her love for reading. She responded (briefly) about being read to frequently as a child, and then turned this into a short readers advisory reference moment by asking the boys what they enjoyed reading. This interaction only took a few moments, (not fooled by their tactics!) but now when these teenage boys come into her library, she will be ready with reading that will interest them. I appreciated that she treated them respectfully, but maintained their focus. During wrap-up, she asked students to hold up as many fingers as they had incomplete boxes on their Graphic Organizer (there were a total of 5). There was no admonition or criticism of those that accomplished nothing in the time period. The librarian merely pointed out that they would have a lot of work to complete independently before the next meeting. I felt this was a positive way to put the responsibility of learning in the hands of the students, without being judgmental. Overall, the class felt relaxed, and yet productive and respectful. I felt the students were at ease, and this was a positive learning environment. As the history teacher said, “This ain’t your momma’s library!” The librarian showed multiple reference librarian skills, from teaching to reader’s advisory to a quick password management question after the bell rang. I could see within just that one hour that the reference aspect of a school librarian is a continuous, multi-layered integral part of the job.