Summer 2018
Course DetailsInstructor
Dr. Betsy Van der Veer Martens Course Experience In fall 2017, I was invited to participate in an internal project at TCCL, tentatively titled “Kids Read,” that would develop a readers’ advisory program aimed at children. TCCL already has successful form-based readers’ advisory programs for Adults and Teens under the title “Your Next Great Read” (YNGR). This project team was led by Children’s Services Coordinator Laura Raphael who had co-created the original TCCL YNGR with Rebecca Howard. Laura set the basic framework for the project and included other children’s services staff like me to help flesh out the program. While the successful framework for YNGR for adults and for teens was already set, readers’ advisory for children is inherently different. Children are learning to read and developing their own reading identity and interests. Further, they will likely need the support of a parent/caregiver to fill out any survey about their reading interests. These kinds of unique considerations led the team to develop six “Reader Profiles” to help children begin to understand their own reading interests. I was interested in helping the project lead, Laura Raphael, develop the training and foundation for this project. She suggested inquiring about the possibility of working on a literature review on the subject for course credit. This sparked an ongoing conversation with Dr. Martens and Laura Raphael, which resulted in this Directed Project for the summer of 2018. This process also included an in-person meeting with Dr. Martens, Laura Raphael, and me in the summer of 2018. The scope of the work for this project included a literature review about the state of readers’ advisory for children, an outline for creating staff training, and suggestions for next steps. I met with Laura in the late summer of 2018 to summarize my work from the summer and discuss the future of the project. I also created a reading suggestion list for a young reader during a testing phase of the project. At a December Children’s Services meeting, I briefly presented about the reader profile I wrote, alongside other team members. In the late fall of 2018, this project was approved by TCCL for future implementation, titled Your Next Great Read for Kids. Laura developed training for staff to be available in spring 2019. Fall 2019 will be the start of a soft launch phase for the program. I will continue to work with Laura to prepare a presentation for conference or article for publication. The literature review will be a foundation for such publication or presentation: samples and experience after the program has launched will enhance such publication or presentation. ALSC Competencies At the time of this course, I was the Youth Librarian at the Herman and Kate Kaiser Library. I. Commitment to Client Group (I.1-7) II. Reference and User Services (II.1-8) IV. Knowledge, Curation, and Management of Materials (IV.1-10) V. Outreach and Advocacy (V.1-8) VI. Adminstrative and Management Skills (VI.1-3, VI.5) VII. Professionalism and Professional Development (VII.1-10) |
Samples of CourseworkThe bulk of the work for the outline and literature review was completed in the summer of 2018. I searched for books and articles on readers’ advisory for children and read and analyzed these sources. From that analysis I created an annotated bibliography. I created a number of (very messy) mind maps to help organize these thoughts and sources for an outline. From that outline I wrote a literature review. Throughout this process, I stayed in contact via e-mail with Dr. Martens and Laura to give them updates and receive feedback.
Keeping track of ideas from a multitude of sources is a big task. An annotated bibliography helped me cite my sources, store quotes, and draft ideas.
I developed a suggested outline for staff training. This outline includes important ideas from the literature review as well as resources found during regular children's librarian practice.
To supplement the training outline, I curated a list of resources for children's readers' advisory. These resources can help a new or seasoned children's library professional develop their knowledge of current children's literature.
As I revisited this literature review to add to this portfolio, I find that I am proud of the work I have done and also I would like to take it apart and reassemble it in a different way. In the year since I worked on this project, I learned more about how to write a literature review (including this semester in Research and Evaluation Methods) and in this subject area. Now that I am completing this program, I hope to continue work on this project and help develop it to its full potential.
As with many of my courses, this Directed Project highlighted nearly all the categories for ALSC Competencies. This project's focus on the specific needs of children in readers' advisory references the categories of Commitment to Client Group and Reference and User Services. Of particular note are I.5, I.6, I.7, II.7, and II.8:
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Directed Project Description
Independent courses are generally expected to build on knowledge gained in previously completed coursework, and they cannot substitute for a regularly taught class on that topic.
Directed Project Objectives
Create a literature review about the state of children's readers' advisory as a component for a potential TCCL product for Readers' Advisory for children, based on Your Next Great Read.
Independent courses are generally expected to build on knowledge gained in previously completed coursework, and they cannot substitute for a regularly taught class on that topic.
Directed Project Objectives
Create a literature review about the state of children's readers' advisory as a component for a potential TCCL product for Readers' Advisory for children, based on Your Next Great Read.