In our library we have the
complete set of 2004 World Book Encyclopedias.
This set is in excellent condition because it has been barely touched by
students for the past 14 years. The World
Book Encyclopedias were once a great source of information, however now
this set does not fit the current clientele at our school.
Purpose
The purpose of having a complete
set of World Book Encyclopedias was
to allow students to have access to a large amount of information easily and in
one section. When these books were bought the clientele at our school was very
different. In 2004 we were a K-7 school with late French Immersion. This meant
that we had students at our school that would be at the right reading level and
have the need to use these books for research project. Now our school is a K-5
school, this means that the majority of our students are not at a reading level
where they are able to read these large volumes. Students in grade 4 and 5 who
may be able to read these texts may also feel intimidated by the size of these
texts and may find it hard to find the information that they need. We are lucky
because our district provides us access to World
Book Kids Online, which is an Internet database. Here students are able to
read up to date information at a reading level that is appropriate for their
grade.
Currency
According to our district weeding
guidelines it is suggested that books in the 000 of the Dewy Decimal system
should be weeded every 3-10 years. (S.D. #35, 2017) This means that the World Book Encyclopedias are past their
currency date as they are 14 years old.
Relevancy
Most of the information in these
texts is still relevant today. They provide information on many topics from A-Z
with great detail. However, some information may be out dated, specifically
when referencing technology.
Curricular Connections
There would be many curricular
connections if this text were at a different reading level. These texts are a
vast source of information however to a grade 2 student studying plants they
would not be able to read the information provided. The information and
vocabulary in these texts often goes beyond what a grade 2 student would be
able to comprehend.
Use of Space
This reference resource is large
in both size and weight as it uses an entire shelf to hold all 22 volumes. Our
library has a large non-fiction section where students would be able to find
age appropriate texts that have the same information in it as the World Book Encyclopedias. The space that these texts takes up could be
better used to display more relevant and useful texts that our students would
enjoy.
The rubric that I have created to
evaluate this text is adapted from the Toronto Public Library’s Selection Criteria.
This rubric is based on a 4-point scale and the highlighted portions are what
pertain to the reference material.
World Book Encyclopedias: Library
Reference Selection Criteria
4. Exceeding
|
3. Fully Meeting
|
2. Meeting
|
1. Approaching
|
|
Relevance to users:
|
K-12 students will
find the material interesting.
|
Most grades in a K-5
school will find the material interesting.
|
Only a few grades in a K-5 school will find the
material interesting
|
The material will
not interest any students in a K-5 school.
|
Suitability of
subject, style and reading level for the intended audience:
|
K-12 students will
be able to read or find information through text and pictures in the
material.
|
Most grades in a K-5
school will be able to read or find information through text and pictures in
the material.
|
Only a few grades in
a K-5 school will be able to read or find information in the material.
|
Only a few or no students in a K-5 school would be able
to read the material.
|
Demand for material:
|
This is a highly
sought after resource from various grades and teachers.
|
Students and
teachers use the materials regularly.
|
Teachers mainly use
this material.
|
Nobody accesses the material.
|
New Material
As mentioned before our district
provides access to World Book Online. This is a great source because it reaches
students at various reading levels and can be used for curricular connections
from K-12. Since we already have access to this online version I would suggest
buying the book A World of Information
by Richard Platt. This is a reference text that has two large pages dedicated
to one topic. One side is text information that is nicely presented in language
grade 4/5’s would be able to read on their own. The other page is dedicated to
a pictures or diagram that relates to the information page. One negative about
this book is that it covers only 30 topics compared to the World Book Encyclopedia, which covers hundreds. However these 30 topics are
highly relevant to K-5 students, such as the Earth’s atmosphere, cloud
classification and bicycles. The cost is also very reasonable as it is $18.08
on Amazon or $26.41 at Chapters. I believe that having access to both a text
and online source will sufficiently replace the 2004 World Book Encyclopedias.
A World of
Information: Library Reference Selection Criteria
4. Exceeding
|
3. Fully Meeting
|
2. Meeting
|
1. Approaching
|
|
Relevance to users:
|
K-12 students will find the material interesting.
|
Most grades in a K-5
school will find the material interesting.
|
Only a few grades in
a K-5 school will find the material interesting
|
The material will
not interest any students in a K-5 school.
|
Suitability of
subject, style and reading level for the intended audience:
|
K-12 students will be able to read or find information
through text and pictures in the material.
|
Most grades in a K-5
school will be able to read or find information through text and pictures in
the material.
|
Only a few grades in
a K-5 school will be able to read or find information in the material.
|
Only a few or no
students in a K-5 school would be able to read the material.
|
Demand for material:
|
This is a highly sought after resource from various
grades and teachers.
|
Students and
teachers use the materials regularly.
|
Teachers mainly use
this material.
|
Nobody accesses the
material.
|
Looking at the 2004 World
Book Encyclopedias compared to A
World of Information and World Book
Online, I believe that we should weed the 2004 World Book Encyclopedias
for their more relevant and accessible counterparts.
References
Brown, James, and Richard Platt. A
world of information. Candlewick Studio, 2017.
“Materials Selection Policy : Library
Policies & Terms of Use.” Toronto Public Library,
www.torontopubliclibrary.ca/terms-of-use/library-policies/materials-selection-policy.jsp.
The World Book encyclopedia of people
and places. World Book, 2004.
world book online
Weeding Guidelines and De-Selection
Criteria. Langley School District #35, 2017.
“World Book Online Reference Center |
Online Reference Book| Online Encyclopedia.” World Book,
www.worldbookonline.com/kids/home.
That is an interesting aspect that you highlighted: the change from a K-7, FI school to K-5. That definitely bears thinking about when re-evaluating a library collection. I'm betting you've been busy in the fiction sections too! It sounds like you found a much more useable resource that will have a high appeal and complement the online encyclopedia well.
ReplyDeleteI'll admit I chuckled to myself at your comment that the set of encyclopedias is in great condition because it's been barely touched! Admittedly I have found several resources just like this in my library. I've been a bit astounded when I find a book that appears to be in brand new condition only to open it and discover it was published in the 90s. The shift from K-7 into a K-5 school is an important change as well that definitely informs the library collection. I've been struggling with the same challenge that the majority of our reference materials are well beyond the reading level of my students. I'm also impressed that your district has its own published weeding guidelines! My district doesn't have anything like this, or at least if it does I haven't yet discovered it. I'm sure having a district publication on this topic makes it much easier to justify your decisions behind getting rid of things! The new resource you found looks great. I'm trying to build my own reference collection around resources that are not only useful to Gr. 4-5 students doing research, but also materials that are simply enjoyable for students to flip through and highly visual. I may have to add this to my own collection!
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