Guest Collections Curator

Learning the Library and More

Created by Ashley Brockman, Fall 2013, Palos Verdes High School

Class: Any class or specialty club.

Given the nature of the assignment this lesson is best suited for singleton classes or for high-interest specialty clubs or organizations. (i.e. Womens Studies, Theory of Good Life, Musical Theater, Art History AP, GSA, Spanish Honors Society, Studio Art AP, etc.) This lesson can, however, be adapted for all classes if the end project is a virtual display rather than physical. Appropriate for any grade level.

Unit: This lesson an accompanying activities is not inherently tied to any one unit of study. It is something if a culminating
activity of a course of study or unit as students do need at least a foundational understanding of their subject matter from which to work off of. While students do have to have a working knowledge of the content, this lesson is dual purposed in that it teaches library research and informational literacy skills as well subject-matter content, and thereby this can work easily as a mid-term assignment a moment of reflection and publication and place from which to move forward.

Overview / Purpose: This is a class activity designed to give students ownership of the library, to acquire and exercise their research skills, specifically, but limited to, locating materials in the actual library, and building knowledge in their field of study or focus. A class (or a club) will come in and, acting as guest curators to the library create a temporary exhibit (or display) utilizing the librarys materials relevant to that subject matter. Additionally, students will create a multimedia account of, and reflection of their researching and curating process. Background: Origin of the lesson: While pulling books for the Hispanic Heritage display this fall I started thinking: this is a total learning experience, and in ways that straight forward research assignments never seem to cover. So much goes in to how one searches and what one searches when going about creating a topical display deliberating over what is included and why, discovering how and why different sources are cataloged the way they are (sometimes sources that seem so similar are shelved completely differently, etc.) that I decided that I would start inviting teachers (mostly of singleton classes or advisors for specialty clubs) to bring their kids in to guest curate displays, or exhibitions at different points throughout the school year. Goals: In doing so, the intended goals are multifold: Students exercise their existing knowledge and gain new knowledge of their given subject-matter; Students gain, practice and hone research skills, Students think critically and justify their choices; students gain a sense of ownership of their library (both through a greater familiarity with the resources and their organization, as well as from having been a real part of creating a display), which hopefully will lead to more frequent and more efficient utilization of the librarys varied resources. Students relevant prior knowledge / background experience: In most cases students will already have gone through library orientation and have had a least some exposure to the OPAC, DDC, databases, search engine strategies, and citations. Objective: Students will: Navigate the librarys collection, efficiently locating materials relevant to their search both by browsing the shelves and by using the OPAC. Students will: Use advanced or power search practices, employing truncation and Boolean searches to: save time, cast a wide net for comprehensive searching, maximize efficiency Students will: Utilize book indexes to: a.) locate relevant content, b.) evaluate the relevance and value of a source in relation to their purposes Students will: Create their own inclusion criteria, evidencing critical thinking and discernment

Standards: CCLS:
1.1.a Identify topics, broaden or narrow a topic, and develop ideas to direct the focus of an inquiry. 1.2.a Generate research questions based on interests, observations, information, stories, and issues, or on an assigned topic. 1.2.c Finalize the research question or hypothesis by conducting preliminary research. 1.3.a Use a variety of search engines and licensed and free databases to locate appropriate information. 1.3.d Search for information using advanced search skills (e.g., Boolean operators, truncation). 1.3.e Search for information by using both controlled vocabulary (e.g., subject headings, descriptors) and natural language. 1.3.k Use a variety of print, media, and online resources to locate information, inc. encyclopedias & other reference materials. 2.2.e Use systematic strategies and technology tools to organize and record information (e.g., annotated bibliographies) 2.3.c Understand that some areas of investigation have inadequate existing material and require a change in plan, change in topic, or original research.

Duration: Timeline is flexible given teacher and student needs. The initial lesson and activity will take one class period. Constructing the physical display will take up to half of another period, which will most likely happen two or three class periods after the first day in the library to give students time to locate and select both print and physical materials. [Based on black schedule] Materials: Materials will vary given librarys and schools resources. For the initial direct instruction, modeling and guided practice, a SMART BOARD and interactive smart response tools would be ideal, but a projector and screen with a laptop, ipad or document camera will work as well. As would an overhead project. Computers and internet to access the librarys OPAC, website and databases. Resources: Destiny ILS, collection of photographs of past library displays, PowerPoint (or app equivalent) of librarian-created DDC training game) Anticipatory Set: A.) Students take a few minutes to browse through the different display areas in the library and to study the displays what are included what is excluded, etc. Students can also browse through digital photo album of past displays on the Pictures page of the librarys website. Students take notes (mental or written) on the displays what is effective, eye-catching, confusing, helpful, what is missing, etc. B.) In small groups students create 3-2-1s to teach me the core content on their class. 3: Three significant names or concepts or movements essential or significant to their field of study 2: Two inquiry questions either guiding them through their studies in this coursework, or arising from their work in the class 1: One thing that years from now, they should still remember, and know about the content of this class the thing that all adult human beings should understand about this field of study. Students will/share present their selections (depending on resource availability in a spectrum of means, ranging form poster paper, to Extreme Collaboration through students own smart devices and a SMART Board). Results of group work will facilitate a brief discussion of the essence of the class and what outsiders (like me, and like the general population of high school students) need to and should know. C.) Return to the gallery walk of past displays: share out what worked, what didnt, and why. Connect back to groups content from B.

Direct Instruction: Librarian reviews Destiny and search engine basics: Boolean searches, truncation, fixed vocabulary, variant search terms, Dewey Decimal System, library floor plan, indexes, and database access. This will be a combination of quick lecture with the support of a PowerPoint and embedded video. Librarian and teacher briefly introduce the assignment, covering what it is to curate, as well as the intended purpose behind the activity and the target standards. Modeling Librarian will model a Power search and variant search terms: i.e. using the topic of Hispanic
Heritage Month, librarian will search the OPAC using a variety of terms utilizing the Boolean options; Librarian will pre-pull one book and: - go through the index to evaluate the relevance of the book - evaluate the appearance of the book

Librarian will use the current library display and/or photos of previous ones to model the creation of inclusion criteria: i.e. does a high interest YA novel about Chicano characters and written by a Latino
author, about gang violence belong in the Hispanic Heritage Month display. Why or Why not?

Guided Practice: Day 1: Based off the content collected in the anticipatory set, student will guide representatives to come to the front and: A: brainstorm variant search terms B: conduct an initial power search to cast a wide net C: conduct a cursory and partial evaluation of the results D: anticipate potential pitfalls in establishing the inclusion criteria F: cite a source Students select an executive curator to make final decisions and to oversee a cohesive theme Follow-up Day: Based off the content collected in the anticipatory set, student will guide representatives to come to the front and: A: determine which databases are best suited for the subject matter B: evaluate free web sites and other potential digital resources C: cite a source Independent Practice and Assessment: See attached assignment Assessment of the content, Weebly, and written reflections will be done by the teacher, based on a teacher created rubric. Aesthetics and effectiveness will be assessed by random cross-section of faculty and library patrons through a Survey Monkey survey they access thorough a posted QR code. Works Cite and Bibliographies will be corrected by the librarian based on the MLA Manual. Accommodations: Teacher librarian will prompt students as needed and /or provide directions one step at a time. Directions and modeling examples will be given in oral and print format. All other accommodations will follow the individual IEPs or 504 plans.

Guest Curate
Task: Building off your knowledge of your subject matter, mine the librarys print, digital, and multimedia resources to curate a display fro public viewing in the library to: A.) share the subject matter with the larger student population on campus (hopefully building interest), B.) highlight contents of the librarys collection that may otherwise go underutilized.
To curate is to select, organize, and look after the items in (a collection or exhibition); it is both an act of collecting and selection as well as excluding. To curate is to have a vision and to execute it and present for the public.

Getting Started: Keep in mind your audience and your purpose. An effective display is engaging and draws audiences it. It may be interactive, it may ask questions, it may even answer questions. It my have a very clear sequence in which it should be viewed, or it may be grouped in clusters absent of any hierarchical order. A library display should be comprehensive but also purposefully edited every choice behind what is and is not included should be thoughtful, conscious, and informed. The culminating project is twofold: 1.) A collective whole-class physical display, and 2.) A personal digital exhibition, as well as a reflection and documentation of your process. When building your exhibitions, be sure to meet the minimum requirements outlined below. For the Public: At minimum, your display must include the following:
Title cards / identifying signage / staff picks comment cards 3 or more nonfiction books 3 or more reference books 3 or more fiction books 2 or more QR codes or equivalent (or hyperlinks if virtual display only) to relevant and reliable websites, videos, audio files, etc. 4 or more relevant physical objects/artifacts 2 or full-text articles from one or more academic databases (these can be printed out and available, or included in another way, i.e. QR code, Aurasma, etc. (this would be in addition to the required 2 required QR codes)) Display must be cohesive thematically and aesthetically. Take into consideration negative space, texture, size, color, genre, and variance when planning it out. A display is evaluated on content (perspective and thoroughness), and its ability to connect with and engage its audience.

Behind the Scenes: Perspective: In a write-up, frame the context and perspective from which you built your exhibition. What were your paths of inquiry, what were your goals and intended purpose?
Min. 150 words.

Process: A.) In a write-up or youtube video, explain your process of building your exhibition. What was your criteria for inclusion, what was your criteria fro exclusion (appearance, publication year, content, bias, relevance, etc.)? What concerns arose during the process that perhaps you had not anticipated? Did the B.) Using Screencastomatic, ShowMe, or an equivalent, document your search process. This could be you using the OPAC and selecting, refining, and adjusting your search terms; it could be the process of searching indexes, browsing the shelves, etc.
Min. 250 words.

Weeding: Clarify and explain your criteria for inclusion and exclusion. (i.e. breadth vs. depth, bias, etc,) Min. 200 words. Reflection: Reflect on the entire experience. What did you learn about your content, what did you learn about your library? What did you learn about your researching skills? Min. 200 words. References: Works Cited: Create an MLA Annotated Works Cited for all resources included in your exhibition. Annotations explain briefly why each item was included Annotated Bibliography: Create an MLA Annotated Bibliography for a minimum of 25 resources (including all the items included in your exhibition). Annotate at least five sources you chose not to include (reasons should vary and demonstrate some of your more discerning choices). Presentation: Present all of this on a Weebly site. (Keep in mind the layout and aesthetics of the site you build should reflect the subject matter you are curating.)
Visit http://www.getty.edu/art/exhibitions/gods_heroes/ for a model.