OBJECTIVE 13

Comprehensive and Collaborative Strategic Planning and Assessment

ARTIFACT: Informal Survey & Collection Evaluation

REFLECTION:

 

Fundamental to any administrative program is the constant evaluation and assessment of what works and what needs improvement. The library media specialist must consistently evaluate her collection in order to meet the changing needs of the diverse population and educational trends that affect the school curriculum. As part of the McDaniel College Media program I was required to informally evaluate the entire collection of a middle school media center. The Informal Survey is primarily a qualitative tool that allows for an objective examination of the physical media program. This survey is based on MSDE standards and focuses on a number of areas including aesthetics, furniture arrangement, and quality of the print resources. Using this tool, I was able to determine specifically that the computer non-fiction books needed to be updated (most were older than 2000) and that the subject areas on the shelves needed to labeled for easier access. The Collection Evaluation involved a quantitative examination of a specific area within the collection. Physically identifying the quality of the materials, and recording the age and visual appeal of the materials allows the media specialist to zero in on items that should be weeded or replaced. By compiling this information and using statistical information such as average cost of books per student, it is then possible to calculate replacement costs. In the collection addressed, the excel spreadsheet analyzed the average copyright date (after we examined a sample size of 200 books) and the cost of replacement in order to raise the copyright date to a more acceptable and current level. All of this information, both quantitative and qualitative, will assist the media specialist when analyzing and assessing the data and making decisions on which to base plans and policies for improvement. When approaching the administration for funding and support, this statistical information will reinforce and support the media specialist's requests. But, most importantly, all of this information will allow the media specialist to meet the needs of the community.

 

 

© 2004 McDaniel College and Stephanie Greene
McDaniel College