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| Image credit: Cuke Archives |
Introduction:
Geographical sources are considered an integral component of any school library collection. They provide information about places such as historical data, location, weather, topography, name places, etc. Riedling defines Geography as “an interdisciplinary science. (This) subject encompasses an interdisciplinary perspective that allows the observation and analysis of anything distributed in earth space and the development of solutions to problems based on such analysis.” (Riedling, 2019). Thanks to the internet, our world has quickly become a global society giving us access to a lot more information than we use to have at our fingertips, this has also given our students the opportunity to explore places beyond their immediate community, making geographical sources a necessity. As Teacher Librarians we “will find that there are as many reasons for consulting geographic resources as there are students in the school.” (Riedling, 2019). Although the internet has made it easier to access online geographical sources, it is still important to house print sources in our Learning Commons.
The following report will evaluate the Historical Atlas of British Columbia and the Pacific Northwest by Derek Hayes.
Community Context:
Prior to beginning the evaluation, it is important to mention the audience this source is intended for. Laity View Elementary is located on the traditional territory of the Katzie First Nation and Kwantlen First Nation (Maple Ridge, BC). It is a K-7 dual-track school with a school population of 619 students from various nationalities. Laity View is considered the 2nd largest school in our district due to the fact that it runs both a French Immersion and an English Immersion program. Considering the size of our school and the additional funding from the French Immersion program, our school has approximately $6500 allocated to our Library Learning Commons for the current school year. A portion of these funds will be used towards replacing a few of our outdated reference sources with other works which will align better with our current B.C. Curriculum Learning outcomes, especially the section on Indigenous Histories in our region. Moreover, the new sources will also contribute towards achieving one of our school’s long-term goals of integrating First Nation perspectives into our lessons.
Our Library Learning Commons houses a rather small section of reference materials situated in a corner under one of our front windows. The sources range from a newly acquired Atlas of the World (2019) to our Atlas de Merveilles (1979). Most of our online references are found on the district website under the “Students” tab.
Reference section at Laity View Elementary
Image credit: Karla Vernon
Part 1: Evaluation of a Significant Reference Resource
The source I have decided to evaluate for this assignment is the Historical Atlas of British Columbia and the Pacific Northwest, by Derek Hayes. Looking critically at this source will shed some light on the state of our reference section and will answer some important questions regarding relevancy, currency, curriculum connections, and whether or not the source merits a place in our Library Learning Commons.
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| Image credit Karla Vernon |
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| Image Credit Karla Vernon |
Carol Singer states that “selecting the highest-quality appropriate reference materials for a collection is one of the most important functions of managing a reference collection…almost all books of reference possess defects as well as merits; it is difficult indeed to find one that is perfect…as the curriculum changes, the academic library must respond by adding new reference materials that will meet these new needs.” (Singer, C. 2012 p.45). Keeping this in mind, I decided to begin my evaluation by applying the MUSTIE technique mentioned by Riedling and Houston in Reference Skills for the School Librarian: Tools and Tips.
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| MUSTIE chart created by K. Vernon |
The next step in my evaluation process was to take a closer look at the resource. Riedling and Houston state that “by using appropriate evaluation tools and criteria, the school librarian is better able to judge whether a particular source meets the needs of the student population.” (Riedling & Houston, 2019 p.23). Thus, after carefully reviewing the various rubrics found in Standards for School Library Programs in Canada and the criteria set by Riedling, I have created a rubric which includes the following categories:
1) Accessibility: whereabouts is the resource located? Can it be accessed by all learners? is the content age appropriate? Is the reading level appropriate for the intended audience? Does the resource meet the diverse learning needs of our school community?
2) Accuracy: are the maps drawn to scale such that accurate comparisons may be distinguished between a verbal scale and a representative scale? Is the map legend easy to read? Is the content accurate? Is the geographical information up to date?
3) Authority: is the resource published by a reputable publisher? Is the resource published by an unknown or smaller publishing company? If so, are there other works from the same publisher that can be checked out? Any reviews?
4) Currency: is the geographical information up to date? If used as a historical resource, is the information too obsolete or inaccurate?
5) Format: does the page layout make it easier for the reader to find information? Are the illustrations and maps clear, appropriate, and functional for the intended audience? Does the layout take into consideration the various learning needs of students?
6) Curricular connection: is the resource connected to the current learning outcomes, big ideas, curricular competencies, and content covered in the BC curriculum? Does the resource support the rationale and pedagogy of the BC curriculum?
7) Objectivity: is the content presented in an objective/unbiased way? Is there any content that has been excluded, changed to paint a different picture, emphasized or deemphasized?
8) Indexing: does the resource provide an easy-to-follow index? Does the index provide references to maps showing features such as latitude/longitude/grid information? Is the index in alphabetical order?
9) MUSTIE score: how well does the resource score on the MUSTIE scale?
Evaluation Rubric: Historical Atlas of British Columbia and the Pacific Northwest, by Derek Hayes
Accessibility: Emerging 1 out of 3
Although the resource is available on loan for a week by anyone who wishes to sign it out, it is very difficult to find without the help of the teacher-librarian. You have to physically take students to the section to find it. Furthermore, due to the layout of the Atlas, not every learner will be able to use it independently.
Accuracy: Emerging 0 out of 3
Even though this is a historical atlas, and some information is correct, it is considered outdated as it is written from a colonialist perspective, there is no mention of First Nations’ perspectives throughout the resource. There is no scale to show whether the maps have been drawn to scale, the legend is also missing or hard to find.
Authority: Developing 1 out of 3
This resource was published by Cavendish Books Vancouver, a small local publisher (this is a plus). However, I had trouble finding a lot of reviews or other reputable work published by them.
Currency: Emerging 0 out of 3
The atlas was published in 1999 and revised in 2000. Even though it is a historical atlas, it is still outdated, also some information is obsolete as current sources have incorporated First Nations’ perspectives into their content, aligning it to the current BC Curriculum learning outcomes and core competencies. (See figure 3 and 4)
Format: Emerging 0 out of 3
The layout makes it very difficult for our intended audience to find the information they seek without the assistance of the teacher librarian or classroom teacher. The maps are also very small and hard to read. The visual layout is also confusing, making it hard to meet the diverse learning needs of all our students.
Curricular connection: Emerging 0 out of 3
Not only does this resource focus on Colonization and Exploration, themes that are covered in high school (see figure 3), but it also does not consider the consequences experienced through colonization by the various First Nations bands living in that region prior to the Explorers coming to what is now called British Columbia (see figure 4).
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| Figure 3: BC Curriculum grade 8 Social Studies |
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| Figure 4: BC Curriculum Grade 3 Social Studies |
Objectivity: Emerging 0 out of 3
This resource is lacking cultural and indigenous perspectives. Some of the information is very biased and does not align with the new curricular and Content competencies making it inaccurate for adept learning.
Indexing: Developing 1 out of 3
There are two indexes at the back of the atlas. The content index is in alphabetical order, making it easier to find information, only if you know exactly what you are looking for. However, with the help of the teacher librarian or any other adult, the student would be able to find what they are looking for. The map index, however, is not in alphabetical order but rather in a numerical sequence. This makes it hard because you would have to leaf through the whole Atlas, find the map you are looking for, look at the number in the bottom left-hand corner and then find the information in the index. There are way too many steps for the audience this resource is intended for.
MUSTIE score: Emerging 0 out of 3
After applying the MUSTIE weeding technique, the resource rated 6 out of 6, which means it needs to be weeded and replaced by something else.
TOTAL SCORE: 3/27
PART 2: Evaluation and Review of a Potential Replacement Resource
In today’s fast-changing world, teacher librarians are faced with the dilemma of having to choose the resource format that will make the most sense for their school community. Some reference sections have seen a decrease in printed format, our Learning Commons being part of that trend. However, we need to keep in mind that “librarians have an obligation to select and support access to all content on all subjects that meet, as closely as possible, the needs of ALL persons in the school community the library serves.” (Mardis, M. 2016, p239). Furthermore, the CASL states that “the school library provides access to information in all formats, at all levels, and to all members of the learning community. As the quantity of information escalates, the number and variety of information formats expand…the school library plays an important role as a gateway to all information resources. An effective school library provides intellectual and physical access to a wide array of materials and services to meet learning needs, both within and beyond the school.” (Asselin, M. et al, 2006). Keeping this in mind, I have decided on the printed source that I think would be a good addition to our reference section.
The replacement resource is the Indigenous Peoples Atlas of Canada (4 volumes)
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| Image credit: Amazon Canada |
Evaluation Rubric: Indigenous Peoples Atlas of Canada
Accessibility: Extending 3 out of 3
The printed version comes in both printed format and online through the publisher’s website. What I like the most about it, is that you can access the information without having to pay a subscription which is excellent when it comes to keeping budget in mind. Having a pdf version will also give us the opportunity to use “read-text” features with some of our diverse learners.
Accuracy: Extending 3 out of 3
The atlas was printed in 2018, and being only 5 years old, the information is still rather accurate. The maps have been drawn to scale and have a colour-coded legend, making it easier for our students to follow.
Authority: Extending 3 out of 3
This atlas was created by the Royal Canadian Geographical Society, published by Canadian Geographic, and funded by the Government of Canada in partnership with Canada’s National Indigenous Organizations. All involved in the creation of this source are reputable and well-known organizations.
Currency: Extending 3 out of 3
The Atlas was published in 2018, according to Riedling “because the world is changing so rapidly, it is of utmost importance that the school library provides up-to-date geographical information. A world atlas that is five years old or more portrays enough obsolete information to be considered only for historical purposes.” (Riedling & Houston, 2019) Since this will be considered a historical atlas, we do not need to worry about the fact that it is now 5 years old.
Format: Proficient 2 out of 3
The layout is very user-friendly. It is also more appealing and can support diverse learning needs (bigger font, if using the online version you can use a read-text feature for struggling readers, etc). The illustrations and maps are also current, colourful, easy to read, functional, and appropriate for most of the intended audience (upper intermediate can use this source independently, whereas the younger audience would need the help of the TL or classroom teacher.)
Curricular Connection: Extending 3 out of 3
The source supports the current BC curricular learning outcomes, big ideas, and content learning standards.
Objectivity: Extending 3 out of 3
The source provides students with an Indigenous perspective on the history of Canada. It is well-aligned with the current provincial curriculum.
Indexing: Extending 3 out of 3
The resource has an easy-to-follow index (it is in alphabetical order). It is very easy to read, and it even provides some images of important words. The volume containing all the maps displays a simple index with map number as well as page number to make it easier for students to find what they are looking for.
MUSTIE Score: Extending 3 out of 3
The source scores 0/6 in the MUSTIE scale. This makes it a good resource to have on our shelves in our Learning Commons.
TOTAL SCORE: 26/27
Conclusion
After careful evaluation of both resources, I highly recommend purchasing the Indigenous Peoples of Canada Set for our Learning Commons at Laity View Elementary. By taking a closer look at the score, you can see that the resource is very user-friendly, and can be accessed both online (the Canadian Geographic website has a link to a PDF version of the set) and by using the print version at the Learning Commons. Furthermore, a good advantage of this source is that it also comes in French (Atlas des peuples autochtones du Canada), this is a key component when purchasing this resource as both our French Immersion Program and English Immersion Program can use it. The current price for the set on Amazon Canada is $94.84, you can also purchase it at both Chapters and Good Minds for $99.99. Furthermore, I would recommend it mostly for intermediate students because of the complexity of the content. However, that is not to say that primary students will not get the opportunity to look at the pictures and maps and read them with the aid of an adult. Although it would certainly be more costly to buy both language sets, it would still be worth the purchase given that the resource would be very useful to continue to achieve our school goal of integrating First Nations Ways of Knowing into the curriculum. Finally, it is of the greatest importance to start replacing some of the existing reference sources in our learning commons, not only because a lot of it is outdated and does not fully support the current BC Curriculum outcomes, but also because having a printed source would help us meet the needs of those students who cannot use online resources. Our school district has been focusing on developing an online reference section for everyone to use, so these printed works will help us continue to provide a variety of multimodal formats to our school community.
References:
• Asselin, M., Branch, J., & Oberg, D., (Eds). Achieving information literacy: Standards for school library programs in Canada. Ottawa, ON: Canadian School Library Association & The Association for Teacher-Librarianship in Canada.
• British Columbia: A New Historical Atlas: Hayes, Derek: 9781771622110: Books - Amazon.ca. (2023). Amazon.ca. https://www.amazon.ca/British-Columbia-New-Historical-Atlas/dp/1771622113
• Building Student Success - B.C. Curriculum. (n.d.). Curriculum.gov.bc.ca. https://curriculum.gov.bc.ca/curriculum/social-studies/3/core
• Canada, atlas des peuples autochtones du. (2018). La Commission de vérité et réconciliation. Atlasdespeuplesautochtonesducanada.ca. https://atlasdespeuplesautochtonesducanada.ca/section/la-commission-de-verite-et-reconciliation/
• Canadian, R., Canadian Geographic Enterprises, & Indigenous Resources Collection. (2018). Canadian Geographic Indigenous Peoples Atlas of Canada. Kids Can Press.
• Hayes, D. (1999). Historical Atlas of British Columbia and the Pacific Northwest. Cavendish Books Inc.
• Indigenous Peoples Atlas of Canada. (2018). Indigenouspeoplesatlasofcanada.ca; IPAC. https://indigenouspeoplesatlasofcanada.ca/
• Riedling, A. & Houston, C. (2019). Reference Skills for the School Librarian: tools and tips. Libraries Unlimited.
• School District 42 - Maple Ridge & Pitt Meadows. (n.d.). Maple Ridge - Pitt Meadows School District 42. https://www.sd42.ca/
• Singer, C. A. (2012). Fundamentals of Managing Reference Collections. American Library Association.
• Wikipedia Contributors. (2019, February 9). Indigenous Peoples Atlas of Canada. Wikipedia; Wikimedia Foundation. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Indigenous_Peoples_Atlas_of_Canada
• Weeding Library Collections. (2009, May 4). OLC Small Libraries. https://olcsmalllibraries.wordpress.com/2009/05/04/weeding-library-collections/
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