AASL Key Concept Interview: Curate
School Librarian Interview on AASL Foundation “Curate”
The third interview I conducted
was with my Mrs. Beth Kelly, a high school librarian within the Aiken County
Public School District (ACPSD). She chose to reflect on the American
Association of School Librarians (AASL) Framework foundational key competency
“curate.” According to the AASL framework, “curate” is defined as “mak[ing]
meaning for oneself and others by collecting, organizing, and sharing resources
of personal relevance” (AASL, 2018).
Mrs. Kelly chose this foundational standard because this is often viewed
as an “under rated talent” that school librarians should have in their tool box
(B. Kelly, via personal communication, November 7, 2021).
When asked to provide examples
of curating, Mrs. Kelly discussed how the English IV teachers asked her to help
them revamp their research unit last year. ACPSD was on a hybrid schedule for
most of the year last year. This meant that student came to school for two days
a week and were virtual for three. Half of the student population came on Monday
and Tuesday, while the other students came on Wednesday and Thursday. Because of
this schedule, English IV teachers wanted a curated list of resources for
students to use for their research paper because they did not have the amount
of time they normally have in class to allot to students finding their own
sources. Mrs. Kelly then talked to the teachers about what kinds of resources they
wanted for the project. Afterward getting familiar with the assignment
expectations, she found books in the collection, online articles, ebooks, and
videos for students. Every resource was handpicked with the research paper
guidelines in mind. Though students were all pulling from the same select group
of resources, Mrs. Kelly found options that would allow students to use the
sources for a wide variety of topics. Mrs. Kelly said that the English teachers
said the resources were perfect, and that they may do something like this for
future units as well (B. Kelly, via personal communication, November 7, 2021).
Mrs. Kelly also discussed
another event where she had to use curation when administration asked her to
create a list of technology resources for teachers to use to help aid instruction.
Last year, ACPSD became a 1:1 district, meaning every child was assigned their
own device. Because technology is a new addition to the district, Mrs. Kelly found
a plethora of digital resources to help teachers during instruction and to help
them with every day tasks. For example, she found resources to help teachers with
grading and classroom management. She also found resources to help make classes
more engaging. These resources were introduced to teachers as a toolbox for
them to use throughout the year. When finding resources, Mrs. Kelly started by
finding digital resources and then finding credible sources that evaluated them
(B. Kelly, via personal communication, November 7, 2021).
In both of these situations, I
think it’s important to note that Mrs. Kelly took it upon herself to ensure
that she was finding a wide range of materials for the task she was given. This
is important because it shows how Mrs. Kelly was trying to think of every way
she could best serve her patrons to ensure that they were introduced to many
different options. I love this intentionality and plan to use it when I use
curation in my future profession.
In
terms of resources, Mrs. Kelly turns to her collection, SC Discus, Titlewave,
and other reputable evaluation sources when finding resources for curations.
She also starts the process by trying to nail down the problem at hand before
she tries to find ways to answer it. Once she solidifies her question, she says
it makes it easier for her to then decide which form of resources she need to
turn to (B. Kelly, via personal communication, November 7, 2021).
As far as collaboration goes,
she says it depends on the situation. However, she does try to collaborate with
teachers as much as she can. For example, she started the English IV resource
list by meeting with the English IV team to discuss exactly what they were
hoping students would receive. After having a clear picture of the situation at
hand, she was then able to curate a list of resources. Then, she met with the
team again so that she could present her curated list of resources. From there,
the team of English IV teachers gave her feedback. By having this line of
communication, it was the best way possible for the students to receive the
best resources possible for their task at hand (B. Kelly, via personal
communication, November 7, 2021).
In
fact, Mrs. Kelly said the biggest challenge she faces with curating is lack of
communication between her and the person needing the resources. She said sometimes
teachers will be expecting something very specific that they have in their head,
but that they do not always convey their exact needs. Mrs. Kelly also said that
this is why collaboration and communication is so important because it’s the
best way to make sure everyone is on the same page (B. Kelly, via personal
communication, November 7, 2021).
Overall,
I am glad she mentioned this because I can definitely see how important
communication must be when curating. We are not mind readers, so it’s important
for there to be a space where the teacher librarian and teacher can discuss the
needs and then meet up again to evaluate what has been selected. This also makes
me think it has to be important for teachers to give the school librarian time
as well. Proper curation should not be expected with a quick turn around time
if it is to be done correctly. There should be time to discuss the needed resources
and then time to also evaluate what has been found to ensure that students are
receiving the best possible selection of resources.
Resources:
American Association of School Librarians. (2018). AASL
standards framework for learners. Retrieved
from https://standards.aasl.org/wp-content/uploads/2017/11/AASL-Standards-Framework-for-Learners-pamphlet.pdf
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