Alex Lawhon

Reflection for Standard 5.1 Collections

Candidates evaluate and select print, non-print, and digital resources using professional selection tools and
evaluation criteria to develop and manage a quality collection designed to meet the diverse curricular, personal,
and professional needs of students, teachers, and administrators. Candidates organize school library collections
according to current library cataloging and classification principles and standards.
Artifact Description
ISTC 615, Keys to a Successful Selection Policy Presentation:
During the course Collection Development, this presentation was developed in order to analyze the
selection policies of the Harford County Public School (HCPS) libraries. The presentation gives information on
who is responsible for materials chosen, best practices for developing a collection, building a diverse collection
without hindering intellectual freedoms, and integrating technology and the Universal Design for Learning.
Specifics on the HCPS evaluation and deselection procedures are also included.
ISTC 653, Midterm and Final Exams:
These exams represent my ability to organize library collections according to cataloging and
classification principles. They demonstrate how I am able to create machine-readable cataloging (MARC)
records and to classify information by Sears Subject Headings and Anglo-American Cataloguing Rules.
ISTC 615 and ISTC 651, Collection Evaluations:
These collection evaluations are reviews of print, non-print, and digital resources created by myself.
Their purpose is to critique a variety of materials using the professional selection tools as well as evaluation
criteria from the Harford County and the American Library Association (ALA) to form a quality school library
collection. The evaluations also take into account the materials’ connections to the school curriculum.
Relevance
These artifacts are relevant to AASL Standard 5.1 and demonstrate that I can use professional selection
tools and evaluation criteria to acquire and manage a quality collection. The analysis of the HCPS selection
policies and procedures exhibit my knowledge of the county’s evaluation criteria, which will enable me to
manage the K-12 collection to meet diverse needs of the students, teachers, and administrators.
According to Bishop (2013), the only way to develop an effective collection is to create it based on
knowledge of the collection’s users. By implementing the use of formal and informal surveys of teachers,
students, and administration and also using two evaluation resources as recommended by HCPS, I have been
able to cultivate a collection that meets the learning needs and interests within my classroom. I will also be able
to improve future collections by applying the procedures for deselection as outlined by Harford County.
The midterm and final exams taken for Organization of Knowledge provide examples of my abilities to
create catalog records that will help manage and organize the school’s collection. After being given examples of
materials that would be included in a collection, I was able to classify them and create MARC records to
include in the online public access catalog (OPAC) for patrons. This will enable the collection to become more
accessible to patrons and allow them to easily find the information they need.
Finally, multiple artifacts are examples of material evaluations done during ISTC 615 and 651. These
artifacts are applicable to standard 5.1 because professional tools and criteria were used to assess and to select
appropriate print, non-print, and digital materials for a K-12 library. Reputable sources such as HornBook,
Booklist Online, and School Library Journal were used to evaluate a variety of materials.
The criteria used to evaluate these materials is based on the ALA’s School Library Selection Criteria.
Some of the measures used to analyze the materials worth in the school library collection include their
relevance to the curriculum, currency, whether or not the content is accessible to the intended audience, cost,
authority, and authenticity.
Analysis
This standard is crucial to the development of an effective collection. My collection evaluations model
that I am able to appraise a variety of library materials to serve a diverse learning community. I applied the
professional standards found within the American Library Association’s selection criteria, and I utilized
professional selection tools for these assignments.
I will continue to uphold these professional standards for future material evaluations for the school
library. Currently, as a classroom teacher, I use these criteria to determine the value of content in my own
lessons and curriculum content. I apply my skills to select quality resources to use during lessons that will
engage students and meet their diverse learning needs.
I continue to utilize a variety of selection tools, like School Library Journal and the We Need Diverse
Books website, to review resources in order to provide a collection that meets the needs of all learners. In the
future, I will continue to apply professional standards and to utilize trustworthy resources to add print and
digital material to the library that substantiates diverse perspectives and experiences. Being able to have a
relevant reading and information collection in the library will lead to the growth and development of all
students within the school setting.
After carefully evaluating materials for the collection, it is important that those materials are accessible
to all. Being able to create MARC records and input them into the OPAC is a skill that I continue to look
forward to utilizing. As program administrator, it will be my responsibility to manage not only the content of
the collection, but its organization. Being able to correctly classify and catalog library materials will enable the
materials to be utilized to meet the diverse curricular, personal, and professional needs of students, teachers, and
administrators. I will continue to use current library cataloging and classification principles and standards to
achieve this goal.
 References
Bishop, K. (2013). The collection program in schools: Concepts and practices (5th ed.). Santa Barbara, CA:
ABC-CLIO, LLC.