Jennifer Cauley, Librarian L Jill MacKellar, Library Assistant

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DUBAI AMERICAN ACADEMY

2013-2014ANNUAL REPORT

Seco

ndar

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Serving the students, staff, and families of

DAA’s Middle School and High School

The Annual Report is an survey of the work done by the library during the 2013-2014 school year.

INDEX

Missions Statement p. 2

Program Development: 2013-2014 Library Initiatives p. 3

Library Instruction & Use of Space p. 5

Statistics

Circulation p. 6

Digital Resources p. 7

Equipment p. 10

Collection Analysis by Classification p. 11

Collection Analysis of Age Sensitive Holdings p. 12

Collection Development

2013-2014 Collection Development Plan p. 13

Longterm Collection Development Plan overview p. 14

2014-2015 Collection Development Plan p. 15

Moving Forward: Library Goals for 2014-2015 academic year p. 16

Promotions & Special Events

Author Visit p. 19

Displays p. 19

Mission StatementThe following are essential to a library program that supports the development of literacy,

information literacy, teaching and learning.

•Supporting the educational goals as outlined by the school’s mission statement and curriculum.•To provide an environment that allows students and staff to work effectively and comfortably.•Developing and sustaining in students the enjoyment of reading and pursuing knowledge for

personal growth.• To support students in learning and using skills necessary for locating information and evaluating

it critically and competently, regardless of format.•To help students use information accurately, creatively, and ethically through education and by

example.•To support teachers by providing resources and lessons tailored to their classroom’s needs.•To support the development of enquiry-based teaching and project-based learning.•To provide access local and global resources to support the school community’s needs.

1. Increase Classroom/Library collaboration

I needed to promote myself and the library as an easy to use resource and partner for teachers creating an enquiry based unit. As I had been working with the History, Social Studies, Drama, and English departments to update the collection, I focused on classroom/library collaboration with those

departments. Discussing needed resources led naturally to being included in planning for units in the 2013-2014 school year. Middle School Social Studies and English departments wanted students to be better prepared for High School, and the High School History, Psychology, and English departments were trying to better prepare 9th-10th grade students for the IB program. Two day to two week research projects took advantage of library instruction or the library space. Teachers have already started making plans and organizing resources to expand the use of the librarian support or instruction into the 2014-2015 school year.

While successful this year, forwarding the image of the library as a teaching partner will always be a permanent goal.

2. Help students meet the library and teacher expectations of being efficient and independent library users

Students use Google because it’s “easier” than locating information in the library or our databases. Teaching students the importance of appropriate research, giving them enough opportunities to practice, and teaching basic library skills to students who did not come from our elementary school was important in helping students become more efficient library users. Research projects of varying length allowed for integrated library skills instruction within classroom learning. As the year went on students were much better at locating the needed materials, running their own database searches, creating better search terms, asking better questions, and better able to articulate their needs and project goals. This allowed Jill and I to devote more time to helping students with deeper searches as opposed to walking them through their initial inquiries.

3. Improve upon the quality of student research

Middle School Social Studies and English departments wanted students to be better prepared for High School, and the High School History and English departments were trying to better prepare 9th-10th grade students for the IB program. Two day to two week research projects took advantage of library instruction or the library space. The use of databases

and library holdings was pushed heavily in every grade level. Higher expectations and increased opportunities to use research skills made a difference in ability to locate and dig deeper for the information that best fit their needs. As the year went on it was noted by teachers and library staff that 7th-10th grade students were becoming more confident and efficient in their research. The success of the our collaborations and the evidence of student improvement has led to plans for increased library use next year.

4. Further develop the library’s digital holdings

Once the BYOD program was rolled out to the entire upper school, the library began to focus on building it’s digital holdings. Databases with off campus access were a necessity and the demand for e-books now matched student ability to access.

Databases - There was quite a bit of experimenting with databases this school year. We picked up subscriptions that would support IB projects as well as the non IB and middle school curriculum. Some databases were great fits and will allow us to drop other subscriptions, and two just didn’t meet our needs as I had hoped.

e-Books - Follett e-books were purchased based on price and the fact that students’ current library logins could be used to access the e-books as well. While the bulk of e-books students would like are not available to libraries outside of North America, I had no trouble finding quality e-books to support the curriculum as well as leisure reading. These books are available year round and cannot be “lost”. An added benefit to e-books is that we do not have to pay shipping charges and they are available for checkout within a week of purchase.

Middle School Genre Project - Grades 6-8 participate in the genre project so I knew there would e-books purchased for the project would be used. The e-books allowed the library meet student need without outgrowing our physical space.

Library Initiatives for the 2013-2014 School Year

Students liked the easy access and began reading e-books outside of the assigned project.

Social Studies & History - The history section was part of the 2012-2013 collection review. The curriculum and needed purchases matched well with available e-books so a portion of needed materials were purchased in digital format. There was great feedback from seniors who used the e-books over the summer to work on their extended essays and were very useful for several research projects.

High Interest Low Level books - It’s very difficult to find books that appeal to older students but meet the lower reading level of some of our ELL or SEN students. Several excellent publishers of Hi/Low books have started providing e-Books. This allowed us to support a range of reading needs for leisure reading, the genre project, and classroom work. The MS ELL and Learning Support teachers found these to be useful resources and were popular with the students.

5. Increase use of library databasesDatabase subscriptions were streamlined so that resources

complimented each other, as opposed to duplicated services, and best supported the curriculum and classroom instruction. Databases that required campus only access were cut, allowing teachers and students access to all subscriptions from any location throughout the year. (This is especially useful for students working on their Extended Essay during the summer months. Teacher’s pushed the use of databases this year and I provided in depth instruction at the start of the year and then 10 minute visits at the start of research to recommend specific databases and resources for the project.

Unique database sessions has increased significantly this year.

6. Increase independent readingAs workload increases the time for leisure reading

decreases. We worked this year to market and feature a variety of books that appealed to different interests and reading levels. Some displays were simply fun books to flip through while taking a break in the library. The hope was that by exposing students to fiction and non-fiction books that something would capture their interests and bring and get them to read for fun, even if it was just while sitting in the library.

7. To better support the Arabic and Islamic Studies staff

The Arabic staff worked with me to identify and order materials and continue to build on our current resources. While everyone was generally pleased with the purchases it has

become clear that getting them to use the materials is a different story. I need to identify different ways to work with the staff to help them take better advantage of our resources.

8. Create a Digital Recording RoomStudents use the hallways, library corners, the prayer

room, and even my office to record assignments or oral exams. It has become abundantly clear that students and teachers need a dedicated area to record. The idea was that the stationary store room could be taken back by the library and used as a Digital Recording Room. The room would start off with the absolute basics (painted green screen, desk and ethernet connection, USB microphone) and then be built up each year. I had different discussions with administrators on where supplies could be shifted in order to get this room back. Luckily several upper school needs came together and the current curriculum office will become the upper school conference room and digital recording room. This will require a shift in library furniture and shelving but will definitely be worth it.

9. Professional Development for better understanding of IB in general and Extended Essay specifically

The library staff needed a better understanding of the IB program and the Extended Essay process. This year I attended an IB workshop for librarians and participated in Extended Essay workshop to be certified as an EE advisor. Jill and I also went through every 2012 EE to see the type of research being done, see how the examiners were marking the papers, and look for common problems that our students made. All of this was extremely helpful in building our understanding of the IB program and the EE process. It has had a huge affect how we

6,721 16,190

Use of the Library Space

Librarian InstructionA big push this year, for the library and other departments, was to improve student research. To this end I would

go into classrooms to review and teach how to use library resources for research. These lessons would be specifically tailored to work with the research project the students were getting ready for. Since most teams had decided not to let students checkout books they scheduled research time in the library. This allowed the teacher and library staff to work with individual students and check in on progress during the research phase. Afterwards I would go into the classroom for 5-10 minutes to make resource and database suggestions, or send the same as a google doc to be posted to EdModo. This type of research instruction seemed to work well for the teachers and students. I also noticed an increase in the number of students who would come in on their own to work on the project. Students have become more confident in the research process and are now working much more accurately and efficiently. Grade 6 students did seem to struggle with the research process this year, which is probably a mix of meeting increased assignment and grade level expectations as well the fact that many of the students new to the school did not meet the DAA Libraries’ expectations of a sixth grader’s research skills. In addition to this there is still a need to create more detailed research skills lessons for grade six to help build on what they’ve learned in elementary school and learn better and deeper research.

Librarian instruction & Classes in the library: 138 classes

While the library was used for research classes, we also had students working independently, SL or HL students working while the teacher instructed the other half in the classroom, flooded classrooms, hosting exams, etc. We were a very busy place this year. We averaged around 1,500 independent users a week. The increased use of the library does mean that we are bursting at the seems on days when classes are working in the library. However, we have never had to turn away students, but we are feeling the need for more work space and group study room. I know that currently the library cannot get back one of it’s teaching rooms, but there is definitely a demand for library instruction in the library. This would allow me to set up for classes in advance and no class time would be lost to having to move from the classroom to the library. This would also make room in the library for students and teachers working on their own.

An average of 1,500 independent users each week

Statistics

0

1500

3000

4500

6000

HS MS Faculty/Staff Parents In Library Use

2012-2013 2013-2014

Circulation

While there has been a drop off in circulation among High School students and staff, there has been an increase in teachers not allowing classes to check out books for certain research projects. Since this was done in an effort to ensure that all students had access to materials, e-Books for these units were added to the collection (whenever possible) to allow all students access to materials from home.

Top 20The Most Popular Checkouts during the 2013-2014 School Year

1.The Hunger Games by Suzanne Collins

2.Hoot by Carl Hiasson

3.Catching Fire by Suzanne Collins

4.Stranded by Jeff Probst

5.Wildfire Rune by Dee Garretson

6.An Abundnce of Katherines by John Green

7.The Raft by S.A. Bodeen

8.Grayson by Lynne Cox

9.The Selection by Kiera Cass

10.Divergent by Veronica Roth

11.Graceling by Kristin Cashore

12.Mockingjay by Suzanne Collins

13.Someone Named Eva by Joan M. Wolf

14.Facing up: A Remarkable Journey to the Summit of Mt.

Everest by Bear Grylls

15.The Mostly True Adventures of Homer P. Figg by W.R.

Philbrick

16.Prom and Prejudice by Elizabeth Eulberg

17.A Spy in the House by Y.S. Lee

18.TTFN by Lauren Myracle

19.Unwind by Neal Shusterman

20.The Body at the Tower by Y.S. Lee

0

150

300

450

600

HS MS Faculty/Staff Parents

2012-2013 2013-2014

Digital Resources

The e-Book collection was started in 2012 with a focus on supporting the secondary school curriculum as an easy way to promote e-Books to students and staff. While middle school students prefer physical books for the Genre Project or leisure reading, e-Book purchases made for specific research projects and units of study have been very successful. I had some very good feedback from students who used them for their Extended Essay research and additional purchases were made with that in mind.

e-Books

e-Books Circulations

A bulletin board in the Middle School English hallway was used to promote e-Books for the Genre project. Book lists, inclusion in research lessons, online walkthroughs, and a professional development session were all provided to help familiarize teachers and families with our e-Book collection and how to access it. The e-Books have been well received and have higher circulation numbers during the holidays as these books can be checked out all year long.

0

4250

8500

12750

17000

2012-2013 2013-2014

Database Statistics

DatabasesPreviously our database subscriptions saw very little use and not only needed to be promoted as a teaching and

learning resources but needed to be reviewed based on:•Accessible on and off campus•Accessible outside of the UAE for staff and students working on projects during holidays•“Searchability” - database navigation should be relatively intuitive•Overlapping services•Meet curricular/teaching/learning needs of the school

Any subscription that was locked to the school’s IP address and therefore inaccessible off campus was cut. Databases were then reviewed for their search requirements, ease of navigation, and curricular fit. We had subscriptions that provided great resources but were very difficult to navigate or search. These were cut and replacements picked up that matched the quality of material provided but better fit the needs of our staff and students. Subscriptions were also reviewed for overlapping content and services. These databases were narrowed to down to best fit for the school based curriculum and user needs for both Middle and High Schools.

Databases were pushed heavily through the History, Psychology, HS and MS English, and Social Studies departments. There was at least one database tutorial taught by the librarian in each class in preparation for the first research project of the year. As the school year went on, teachers asked for a five to ten minute database and resource recommendation/overview session and would then move the class to the library for research and one-on-one time with the teacher and library staff. The constant exposure to resources and support as well as increased teacher expectations resulted in students who were much more efficient in identifying and assessing material.

Britannica Databases Searches

2012-2013 2013-2014

HS 1,224 9,051

MS 691 13,680

ES 382 18,381

Britannica is an excellent database for Grades 3--9 and a useful “pre-search” source for 10th-12th Grade students. I believe these numbers show that the students coming in to the Middle School from our Elementary School have the experience, skills, and confidence to do grade level appropriate database research. Middle School students seem to be taking advantage of the databases and using the ones we recommend as the most useful for them. The numbers for High School didn’t see the same dramatic increase, but I believe our other database statistics show that they are selecting age and subject appropriate research sources.

Note: The numbers for the Britannica Database user statistics are separate because Britannica counts the number of searches run instead of unique sessions.

Unique Sessions

DAA Online Databases 2013-2014

Databases can be found on the library catalog's Home page

Database Name URL User

Name

Password

Encyclopedias / Dictionaries

: Britannica Online http://school.eb.com/ dubaiam bolse

: Funk & Wagnalls New World Encyclopedia An EBSCOhost Research Database

http://search.ebscohost.com/ dubai leopards

General / All Subjects

:Chelsea House Biographies http://online.infobaselearning.com/ dubaiaa digital

: EBSCOhost Student Research Center Click EBSCOhost Research Databases for: : Advanced Placement Source : Middle Search Plus : Mas Ultra (all subjects MS/HS) : Newspaper Search : Primary Search (Elementary)

http://search.ebscohost.com/ dubai leopards

: Gale Student Resources in Context: Gale Opposing Viewpoints in Context (pro/con) http://infotrac.galegroup.com/itweb/daa leopards

English Literature

: Bloom's Literature http://online.infobaselearning.com/ dubaiaa digital

: Literature Resource Center http://infotrac.galegroup.com/itweb/daa leopards

: Novelist (advice on novels, etc.) http://search.ebscohost.com/ dubai leopards

History / Social Studies

: Active History http://www.activehistory.co.uk/ dubai34 leopards

: Biography for Beginners (ES/MS) http://www.factcite.com/ daa dubai

: Modern World History: Chelsea House Biographies http://online.infobaselearning.com/ dubaiaa digital

: Gale World History in Context http://infotrac.galegroup.com/itweb/daa leopards

: Lincoln Library of American History (ES/MS) http://www.factcite.com/ daa dubai

: Maps As History http://www.the-map-as-history.com/ dubai leopards

: Modern World History http://online.infobaselearning.com/ dubaiaa digital

Music

: NAXOS Music Library http://www.naxosmusiclibrary.com/ DAAmm DAAmm

Psychology

: Health Reference Center http://online.infobaselearning.com/ dubaiaa digital

: Psychology & Behavioral Sciences Collection http://search.ebscohost.com/ dubai leopards

Science & Health

: Health Reference Center: Science Online

http://online.infobaselearning.com/ dubaiaa digital

: Health Source: Science Reference Center

http://search.ebscohost.com/ dubai leopards

Bibliography Tools

: APA Citation Guide http://tinyurl.com/oxrlhyz

: MLA Citation Guide http://tinyurl.com/opzowxh

: EXTENDED ESSAY MLA Guide http://tinyurl.com/pt3pwus

EquipmentThe library started the 2013-2014 school year with 8 student use desktops and 21 laptops. Within the first month

2 desktops were taken out and given to teachers and another desktop was taken during the second semester to replace a teacher computer that had died. Library laptops were used as replacement computers while a teacher’s school laptop was out for repairs, for teacher’s whose school computer could not access the grade book, substitute teacher use, MAPS and High School exams, visiting speakers, College Nights, Middle School Math units, as well as simply a needed device when a student’s computer had been forgotten or was out for repairs.

The Library circulates laptops for IT, and the way they had been previously cataloged was not allowing us to keep track of individual machines and our inventories didn’t match up with IT’s. Because of teacher and student demand we had to manually record laptop circulations (with pen and paper) until we could re-catalog everything. (Unfortunately that information was not saved so our laptop circulation numbers run from October 2013-June 2014.) We never did get to a point where there were no substitutes or students in need of a laptop, so I had to pick a week and send people away. New catalog records were created and each laptop’s ID numbers were recorded in the library database and a shared Google Doc to better track long term teacher checkouts and items out for repair. While there was a definite increase in student and school demand for laptops this year, but due to cataloging issues laptop circulations were not accurately recorded. I believe the numbers for the past two years should be much higher.

2012-2013 2013-2014

Number of Student Use Desktops

8 4

Laptop Circulations* 497 1,228

* Because of the way the laptops were originally cataloged and circulated I do not believe these numbers to be completely accurate. However, I

do feel there was a definite increase in demand for laptops.

3%6%

5%

1%

5%

1%3%

1%

13%

1%5%

6% 4% 0%5%

1%6%

1%

33%

Fiction 000 Generalities300 Social Sciences 200 Religion500 Natural Sciences & Mathmatics 400 Language600 Technology 700 The Arts800 Literature and Rhetoric 100 Philosophy & Psychology900 Geography & History ArabicForeign Language IB/SAT PrepReference e-BooksGraphic Novels Audio VisualProfessional

Collection Analysis by Classification

Collection Analysis of Age Sensitive Holdings

Systems Data/ Computer ProgramsPolitical Science

Social Problems & ServicesEducation

Commerce, Communications, & TransportationAstronomy & Allied Sciences

Life Sciences/BiologyMeidcal Sciences/MedicineGeography, Maps, Atlases

0 25 50 75 100

Percentage of Collection Beyond Age Range

While the significantly aged portions of the collection are actually just a small fraction our holdings, they still need to be reviewed for accuracy, circulation, style, and fit for the curriculum and library users. In reality we will probably have to remove all of the Systems Data/ Computer Programs books because they are no longer reflective of current technology and programming, and Math and Science books (these are mostly old textbooks). A good portion of the Geography section in question are guide books, but some of the outdated maps and atlases would be useful for a particular GR 9 project, so they might stay in the collection or be given to the HS History department.

%% % % %

Collection Development

Holdings Students Value

25,780Individual Records

25.56Items per student

$793,307.73 Estimated value of the print collection

26,949Circulating Items

20-25IB recommended number of items per student

$8,837.29 Estimated value of the e-Book collection

11 yearsAverage age of the collection

Collection Development PlanThe Collection Development Plan for the 2012-13 - 2013-14 school years was rather broad. After speaking with

the previous librarian regarding collection weaknesses and needs, I decided a two year focus on upgrading the FICTION section and database subscriptions would be needed until moving on to a more standard longterm development plan.

Order books to complete or update series in the collection.Order current, popular, and quality fiction books for leisure reading.Update the fiction collection to match the requirements of the Middle School Genre Project, the number of

participating students, and their reading levels.Remove records of items that were marked as lost over 12 months ago from the catalog to avoid user confusion

and ensure that replacement copies were purchased.Remove age level and grade level inappropriate books purchased as Low Level readers for the Middle School

ELL students.Order quality High Interest/Low Level books that meet the needs of our 6-12 grade students while being

appropriate and appealing to their age level.Review of Graphic Novel collection and removal of titles that are not appropriate for our student body or host

country.Add e-Books to the collection.Review lost book records and order items based on usefulness and popularity.Weed collection of damaged, outdated, and unused books (no circulations in 3-5 years)Plan out and begin yearly MS/HS curriculum/collection reviews to ensure we have enough current resources to

support teaching and learning.Order books to support Extended Essay, Internal Assessment, etc. research as needed and fits the longterm

growth of the collection.Review database subscriptions:•Accessible on and off campus•Accessible outside of the UAE for staff and students working on projects during holidays•“Searchability” - database navigation should be relatively intuitive•Overlapping services•Meet curricular/teaching/learning needs of the school

2014-2019 Library & Collection Development Plan

2014-2015 2015-2016 2016-2017 2017-2018

Subject Review: MS/HS/IB DRAMA MS/HS/IB SCIENCE HS/IB ENGLISHFind more up-to-date and appealing material for FORENSICS to make up for items LOST in 2013 by supervisor.

Subject Review: MS/HS/IB SCIENCE MS/HS/IB Math HS/IB ENGLISH cc

Subject Review: MS/HS/IB MATH MS/HS/IB BUSINESS & ECONOMICS

Subject Review: MS/HS/IB BUSINESS & ECONOMICSHS/IB HISTORYMS SOCIAL STUDIES

Weed Collection with a focus on age and appeal of items - Careful review of 000s, 100s, 500s

Weed Collection - 900s and Fiction A-F

Weed Collection - 700s, 600s, Fiction G-P

Weed Collection - 200s, 300s, 400s, Fiction Q-Z

Maintain Fiction section

Maintain Fiction section

Maintain Fiction section

Maintain Fiction section

Push High/Low books Review High/Low holdings

Review Reference section

Work with IT to create a laptop replacement plan for the library

Review use & needs of SEC Resource Room, make changes accordingly

Find more reliable magazine supplier for international subscriptions. Add digital magazines to the collection

Review Magazine collection, sources, and services.

Review Magazine collection, sources, and services.

Review Magazine collection, sources, and services.

Google Site: Improve the library’s online presence and make services and resources easier to find.

Online presence - maintain and update as needed as per yearly review

Online presence - maintain and update as needed as per yearly review

Online presence - maintain and update as needed as per yearly review

Database review Database review Database review Database review

2014-2015 School YearSubject ReviewMS/HS/IB DRAMAThe Drama Department has been very helpful in communicating their needs and helping me understand their

program and requirements. The collection was built up significantly in the 2013-2014 school year to better support teaching in general and the needs of IB Drama students specifically. This year the orders for the subject will be much smaller.

High School/IB •Asian Theater•Make sure IB research topics are covered•Check with instructor regarding potential teacher resources for the program

Middle School •Classic & Greek Theater, middle school age and skill level appropriate resources•Make sure all theater production components are represented in the collection for student research•Check with instructor regarding potential teacher resources for the program

MS/HS/IB Science•Review the Middle School Science curriculum and Work with teachers to identify areas of the curriculum/

collection that need more support.•Review the High School Science curriculum and Work with teachers to identify areas of the curriculum/collection

that need more support.•Make sure all student research projects have library support through the collection or database subscriptions.•Work with teachers to use library’s e-Books and databases for particular units.

MS/HS/IB EnglishThe needs of the English departments have been a large part of collection development over the past two years.

This school year will focus more on library/classroom integration - information literacy skills in the 6th grade and working with IB teachers on “pre-search” for novel studies.

High School/IB •Extending pre-search activities for novel studies into the first semester and into GR 10-12.•Work with IB English to develop a novel to film unit.

Middle School •Work with department to integrate more research skills into GR. 6

FictionMaintain Fiction Section by ordering leisure reading materials, replace lost and damaged books, and updating

series.

ForensicsA great deal of Forensics resources were lost by the advisor in the 2012-2013 school year. The loss and the

general need for updated material make this a good time to work with current advisors to identify the types of replacements needed (an estimated purchase of 5-10 items).

WeedingThe average age of our resources is 11 years, which in some subjects is significantly out of date. A review of the

collection will be run based on age and then appeal and usefulness of an older item. Out of date items (either in terms of accuracy, suitability for curriculum, student interest) will be removed from the collection. The Library will work with GEMS to see if there are school’s interested in materials that are still accurate but no longer a fit for our collection. Books that are no longer useful will be donated to the ART departments for student projects. An analysis of the library’s age sensitive holdings can be found on p. 14.

EquipmentLaptops are now the only equipment circulated by the library. Since the entire school looks to the Secondary

Library to fill its equipment needs (from teacher replacement computers to laptops for substitutes, visiting speakers, testing, and student use) it’s important that the library has a working collection of laptops. A replacement plan will be developed with the IT coordinator to ensure that the needed equipment is always on hand.

Magazine SubscriptionsThere have been a multitude of problems with our current international magazine supplier. I will look into other

vendors as well as digital magazine services.

Database ReviewAs always, these subscriptions will be reviewed based on service, fit, and price.

Library Initiatives for the 2014-15 School Year1. Hire a second Library Aid

The upper school library is currently understaffed by one full time assistant. Having a third person would allow us to better track down overdue materials, keep up with shelving, manage behavior, assist teachers and students, and allow me more time to work with teachers to create integrated units. I do not have the time I would like to really promote library resources and classes to the staff. Right now Jill and I do a lot of scrambling to make sure the library is meeting the needs of both divisions. There have been weeks when I’m teaching two classes in a block and Jill has to handle checkout for 3 middle school English classes looking for Genre Project books. Having a third staff member would improve the existing library program and help it become even better library.

2. Raise Middle School expectations of GR6 students’ research skills and build upon those of new students

The DAA Elementary School curriculum and library programs teach basic information literacy skills and by the time our 5th grade students move up to GR 6, they are able to use a variety of print resources as well as age and skill appropriate databases. However the research expectations for the students are lower than their actually abilities. Students aren’t really required to research properly until the middle of GR 7 due to a variety of reasons. Also, there is generally a skill gap between students who have come from the DAA Elementary School and those who are new to the school. The Elementary Library program has a strong focus on information literacy skills and research, especially in grades 3-5. There is a significant difference in basic library skills when comparing the two groups, with DAA students being the more efficient and and independent users. I would like to focus on Middle School Social Studies and find ways to insert library instruction/use into existing units and projects, especially in GR 6. This would allow students new to DAA to learn the skills they need and provide all students with the information literacy skills sets they need to be successful in high school.

3. Promote High/Low booksPreviously this aspect of the collection was filled with age

inappropriate materials. Quality High/Low books that are not part of multi book reading program are much more readily available. The library now has a nice collection of these books that appeal to both Middle School and High School students or

support classroom instruction. These books need to be promoted among the teachers, especially SEN and ELL, so that teachers have a better idea of how the library can support the learning needs of their students.

4. Create Laptop replacement planAs mentioned on p. 17, the school has come to rely heavily

on the laptops that the library circulates for IT. It is important that the library and IT are able to continue to meet this expectation and resource demand.

5. Promote Digital MagazinesSince the DAA Libraries are have a difficult time with the

current international subscription supplier, I will be looking into digital magazines specifically for the upper school, but also keeping the Elementary and Primary school students, parents, and teachers in mind as well. Several magazine subscriptions have been picked up through Zinio. These magazines will be promoted heavily to teachers and the student body.

6. Create Google Site for the libraryFor years the library catalog’s Home page has acted as the

way for the libraries to share information with users. It is clunky, not quickly navigated, and not really a good way to promote resources or disseminate information. I tried out several free website builders but the HTML 5 update doesn’t support iframes, which is how I would have embedded these sites into the catalog. After talking it over with the IT director, I’ve decided to create a Google Site for the library and link it to the library catalog. While Google Sites isn’t very user friendly, it is under school control, will not show company branding, and most importantly it’s easy to transfer access to a new librarian.

7. Increase use of library resources among High School students

The library and High School staff are working well to integrate library instruction, information literacy skills, and library resources into classroom teaching. I would like to expand this in the English department, work more with Drama to help prepare those students when they start their own research projects, and work with the Science department more to promote the use of our databases. As always, I would really

like to see more high school students using the library for leisure reading, but I realize that their work load does restrict this to an extent.

8. Lower number of overdue booksMiddle School students are generally the worst about

returning their books on time, but it’s always difficult to get back books after a research project, no matter what division the student is in. Next school year the library is not going to allow students to checkout resources (including laptops unless it’s vital to classroom learning) until all overdue books are returned. This will mean that we have books back in time for the next round of genre project reports, research projects, etc. Having a third person working in the library would also be helpful. This would allow two people to got to home rooms or advisory classes to collect books while the third person stays in the library.

9. Professional DevelopmentI would like to get Jill, and hopefully the second Library

Aid, into a local Destiny training class. I found this very helpful when I attended a few years ago and the training would help them understand the system better, feel more confident, and also give them a chance to ask questions.

10. Increase Classroom/Library collaboration

This past school year was great when it came to getting into the classrooms and supporting classroom instruction. The History department has already asked me to come in again for the same units as last year and asked for library displays and support for two new units. I would like to keep up the momentum, work more English and start working with the Drama and Science departments as needed.

11. Replace unsafe shelving, add additional book drops, and update furniture

The previous librarian had told me that all of the library’s shelving had been replaced, but I’ve noted that there is a section of the Non Fiction area that still has the old wooden shelving system. Theses shelves are cheaply made and cannot support the weight of the books and are starting to warp and splinter. This section must be replaced.

The library also had a wonderful display unit that was inexplicably taken apart and removed during the 2013 summer. We were able to find some of the pieces, but it looks terrible and is easily knocked down. I have looked for replacement pieces but everything I’ve found takes up too much space. I have found some extra metal display shelves in storage and I think I can have two display units made (one replacement and one for the HS side) using the extra metal shelves.

I would like to purchase three more book drops and place them on each floor of the Middle and High schools. I’ve noticed that Middle School students are much more likely to return books if I go around to collect them or place a book cart in one of the hallways. I think this will also be a big help in lowering the number of overdue books we have. I would also like to look into to wrapping the books drops in a graphic to make them more noticeable.

12. Get back the library’s desktop computers for patron use

The library started the 2013-2014 school year with 8 student use desktop computers. Within the first month 2 desktops were taken to be given to offices and later on another 2 were taken as replacement computers for teacher’s whose laptops could not be repaired. Since the BYOD program means that the library doesn’t need to have a large amount of desktops, getting back up to our original eight will help with research activities, class checkouts, and for students who don’t have their own laptop and can’t check one out (because we’re out or they have overdue items) but need to use a computer for a test, activity, or assignment.

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SPECIAL EVENTS

Senior Angela Awada’s contributions to the Fashion board were an eye catching hit.

Holiday Decorations made with damaged books

Promoting the IB Art Exhibition

Week Without Walls country displays

Author VisitThis year we had the most successful author visit ever for the

secondary library. Author Marcus Alexander was chosen for the appeal of his books and his dynamic presentations and workshops. The entire Middle School participated in Marcus’s booktalk and students applied to attend on of two writing workshops. The demand for the workshop ended up being more than we could handle and unfortunately had to turn students away. Marcus sold over 200 books between the Middle School and Elementary School presentations. He actually volunteered to come in on his last free day in Dubai to finish signing books for students.

New Display WindowThere was a window in the library storage area that looked out into a high school hallway. The window was covered in yellow paper and seemed to be just wasted wall space. I had shelves installed on the library side of the window and now it works as additional display and notice space. We’ve gotten a lot of compliments from students and staff. Unfortunately it also gives a great view into the storage area so we’ll be putting up blinds or a curtain behind the shelves next year.

Great First LinesOne of our welcome back boards this year was titled “Pickup

Artists: Great First Lines in Literature”. We stapled up quotes and displayed the matching books. Since I had collected more quotes than I needed for the display and then accidentally double printed everything, I ended up laminating the extra quotes and placing them around the library. Every once in a while you would see a student or teacher wandering around and reading all of the quotes. I would like to do a more permanent quote display in the future.

Drop Everything And Read

This bulletin board could also be called “The Library Has Used Up DAA’s Yearly Allotment Of Staples”. The board looked great, but used way too many staples, took almost three hours to put up, and started a running joke with some of the 9th graders. On the upside, this was a very successful promotion. Almost all of the books highlighted were checked out and it was a great way to show off our new books.

TOP 10At the end of each month

I run a report to find out what our most popular books where. Jill and I then update our TOP 10 display. A sheet with a synopsis of each book and a picture of it is put together and the book itself pulled if it’s in the library. The book is then placed in front of its information sheet so that students have a nice description of the book (the old labeling system obscured the summary on the book) and easy access to the book if they decide to give it a try. These summary sheets also encourage students to place a hold on the book if it is currently checked out. This worked quite well and we will continue with the program for the foreseeable future.

Middle School students participate in a workshop with visiting author Marcus Alexander

Library QuizzesI made two quiz boards this year that students and staff seemed to really enjoy. The first one was the “Is It Tupac or Shakespeare?” quiz. The answer key was written upside down and placed near the Middle School circulation desk. Students read a line and had to guess who wrote it. It was a lot more challenging than anyone expected and students were really surprised when they guessed Shakespeare and the line

turned out to be a Tupac lyric.The second quiz was based on the Pickup Artists board. It was a

multiple choice quiz called “The English Teacher Challenge”. This time we added a Google Doc and QR code people could access the quiz and get their answers right away. I also asked the English teachers to participate and we posted their scores next to the board. Not a lot of people used the Google Doc, but we still had a lot of students stop and take the quiz while standing there. We also had requests for more interactive displays like this. I’m glad the quizzes were so well received.

Blind Date With A BookThis was the second year for our February Blind Date With A Book activity. This year we had a chalkboard style promotion that actually took a lot of time to put together. It took a few days to create the graphics for printing and almost two hours to hand draw the chalk bulletin board. I made “Rate Your Date” bookmarks that were slipped into each blind date book. These books were then wrapped up and and brief description was pasted onto the wrapping. Some books received high ratings from multiple students and we then posted the average

rating on the book wrap as well. As usually it was very popular and we were able to get more boys to participate as well. A lot of high school students expressed an interest but stated that their current work load didn’t allow for too much free time. Next year I look for some shorter stories or books that are simply fun to flip through and see if that works for the high school students.

School TVsWe took advantage of the TVs around the school and in the

library to promote books, hold quizzes, and make general announcements. This turned out to be a great way to promote our author visit and we will definitely continue to use this resource.

Promoting School Activities Through Literature

We generally promote school activities, like plays, athletics, Extended Essay support, etc. through smaller book displays on top of the shelves or on the shelving unit by the foyer windows. This idea was really developed by Jill and she has done a great job with it. The drama production displays are the ones that really catch the students’ eye. It’s not that they are fabulous (I did make a sparkly yellow brick road for the Wizard of Al Quoz that was pretty cool) but that students involved in the production are seeing support for their play. The drama students, high school and middle school, have always been surprised and pleased with our displays. While these displays don’t move as many books as our other ones do, we’ll continue doing this to support the students and the school.

Handmade BookmarksUnlike the Elementary

Library, the Secondary Library has never supplied bookmarks to students. Last year I had so many students ask for them that I bought a few from our supplier to hand out as needed. Jill likes to make cards so she started making bookmarks using leftovers from her projects. She started out just bringing in three or four, and then started making a few more to match our displays, and now there is so much demand for her bookmarks that we’ve actually bought some paper supplies. Students, yes, mainly girls, always want to see the new bookmarks that go with each month’s bulletin board or shelf top theme. The popularity of complimentary bookmarks in the upper school surprises me, but it’s been a great for Jill to use her creativity and be more involved in developing promotional themes and ideas. Next year I’m going to see if I can get some art students to design one or two bookmarks for the library.