Mid Year Reflection, SY1718

Mid Year Report and Reflection

The Library program starts with beautiful responsive spaces and continues with what happens in those spaces. Each reporting cycle we have an opportunity to review and reflect upon how students and faculty connect to and engage with the library, its faculty and through them the resources. A recent request from Institutional Advancement for updated numbers, including volumes, databases, Chromebooks for checkout, e-books, and circulation, brought us to a different point of reflection this year. Are these the metrics that accurately reflect our goals, the library mission and the larger mission of the school? After some discussion and research (of course) Brooke Strachan shared this article: Hand, Dorcas. "Using Metrics to Illustrate Impact." School Library Connection, January 2018. In a very timely way, Dorcas Hand deftly addresses the questions we are teasing out through this process. While the former numbers show that the resources are being used or that we have them, this mission based concept answers through metrics, “what am I doing that is going to impact students the most today?” This includes direct service, direct and individualized instruction, collaborating with teachers, encouraging and supporting independent reading, providing technology for borrowing, open space and time for study, reflection, safe spaces and more. As a department we have spent the first semester looking at inquiry, search and research, project based learning, working collaboratively when we can (or in a solo effort) to move the discussion further down the line in terms of student centered learning and how we support it. We are hoping that this Mid-Year report will reflect that the program is dynamic and that there is an intellectual curiosity among the librarians to ensure our work is impactful and our metrics are meaningful. We are always a work in progress. If you would like to see samples and snapshots of the work with students please have a look at the document, Mid Year Reflection, SY1718 and chat with any of the librarians if you have questions. Thank you, The Librarians.