To Read or Not to Read: That is the Question School Libraries and Achievement with a focus on readin

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To Read or Not to Read That is the
Question!School Libraries and Achievement
(with a focus on reading)

• Dr Ross J Todd
• Associate Professor
• Director of Research CISSL
• Rutgers, the State University of New Jersey
• rtodd_at_scils.rutgers.edu
• cissl.scils.rutgers.edu
• www.scils.rutgers.edu/rtodd

Center for International Scholarship on School
Libraries
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Libraries 3 Fundamental Beliefs

• Information makes a DIFFERENCE to people
• Making a difference does not happen by chance
  Personal intervention of a skilled librarian is
  key INTERVENTION
• Libraries contribute to the social good believe
  that all people can engage with information,
  develop new understandings, make decisions and
  solve problems TRANSFORMATION
• DIFFERENCE, INTERVENTION, TRANSFORMATION

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• The Heartbeat of any Library
• Information Scaffolds
• Reading and writing
• Speaking and listening
• Viewing and visualising
• ? Connecting with information
• ? Interacting with information
• ? Utilising information
• ? NEW KNOWLEDGE, NEW UNDERSTANDINGS

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The Information Society

• there has been an alarming increase in the
  number of things I know nothing about
• Attributed to Winnie the Pooh

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The Reading-to-Understanding Challenge
Now I am really confused!
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The Reading-to-Understanding Challenge
No Wonder I am lost!
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The Reading-to-Understanding Challenge
A knowledge society? Such insight!!!
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The Reading-to-Understanding Challenge
Food for the Mind?
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Effective School Libraries and Reading

• Higher achievement in standardized reading scores
• Higher levels of reading, literacy development,
  comprehension, vocabulary development, and
  language skills
• Higher levels of motivation to read, reading
  enjoyment, sustained reading

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Contributing Factors

• Large quantity of books
• Frequency of book borrowing
• Access to a wide range of books at home
• Access to books through public information
  agencies
• Strong correlation between the size of the
  collection available and the amount the students
  reported reading
• Professionally trained librarians with knowledge
  of reading literacy
• Support of the principals and teachers
• Availability of support staff who can free the
  librarians from routine tasks to undertake their
  reading development programs

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Contributing Factors

• Explicit attention to reading literacy programs
  and explicit attention from a librarian or other
  helper can get students interested in books
• Access to networked information technology
  services within and beyond the school library
• Students read more when they have a quiet,
  comfortable place to read
• (Krashen) free voluntary reading has a positive
  impact on reading comprehension, vocabulary,
  spelling ability, grammar usage and writing style

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• How do effective school libraries help kids?
• How do effective school libraries help kids with
  their reading?
• 13,123 students tell us!
• http//www.oelma.org/studentlearning.htm

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• www.oelma.org/studentlearning.htm
• www.cissl.scils.rutgers.edu

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Student Learning through Ohio School Libraries

• Key question How do school libraries help
  students?
• Provide statewide data on best practices in
  school libraries
• Encourage continuous improvement in school
  library services
• Get school communities talking about the value of
  effective school libraries

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Student Learning Through Ohio School Libraries

• Funded by State Library of Ohio (80,000)
• 39 effective school libraries chosen
• Students from Grades 3 12 completed survey
• Web-based data collection Data collected from
  28th April to early June 2003
• 13,123 valid student responses
• 879 faculty responses

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Getting The Data

• 2 InstrumentsImpacts on Learning Survey
  (Students)
• Perceptions of Learning Impacts (Faculty)
• Students asked to rate 48 statements about how
  the school library helps them
• ???? most helpful (you think you got a
  great amount of help)
• ??? quite helpful (you think you got a good
  amount of help)
• ?? some help (the help you got was OK, so
  so)
• ? a little help (you think you got just
  a bit of help)
• If you do not know an answer, or if something
  does not apply to you, click the box "Does not
  apply".
• Write a small story about one instance of help
  they got from the school library

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STORY Critical Incident

• Now, remember one time when the school library
  really helped you. Write about the help that you
  got, and what you were able to do because of it.
• 10,315 Stories

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7 Sets of help

• How helpful the school library is with getting
  information you need
• How helpful the school library is with using the
  information to complete your school work (l.L.
  skills)
• How helpful the school library is with your
  school work in general (knowledge building,
  knowledge outcomes)
• How helpful the school library is with using
  computers in the library, at school, and at home
• How helpful the school library is to you with
  your general reading interests
• How helpful the school library is to you when you
  are not at school (independent learning)
• General school aspects Academic Achievement

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Sample Characteristics

• Boys 48.0
• Girls 51.1
• Ages 7 20
• Grades 3 5 17
• Grades 6 9 45
• Grades 10 12 38
• White 78.5, African-American 5
• Urban/Suburban 81, Rural 10

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Comparison of Mean Scores
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School Library as Dynamic Agent of Learning

• Providing access to information resources,
  including through technology
• Providing access to multiple viewpoints
• Engaging students in an active process of
  building their own understanding and knowledge.
  Learning to learn
• Instructional intervention Classes in
  information skills and creating knowledge, and
  developing technical skills
• INFORMATION PLACE, but also as a KNOWLEDGE SPACE

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Reading Scores
Reading Interests Perceptions of Help
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Mean Reading Scores by Grade
Helps are strongest in the elementary school,
with a decrease shown in mean scores as students
progress through schooling.
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Wider Reading Interests
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Wider Reading Interests

• SPORTS including football, basketball, baseball
  and skateboarding (1194 responses in Top 50)
• HISTORICAL / CIVIC / WORLD EVENTS including
  war, World War 2, Holocaust, current events,
  news, politics, civil war, famous people (1020
  responses in Top 50)
• ANIMALS including dogs, cats and horses (886
  responses in Top 50)
• SOCIAL ISSUES / LIFE CONCERNS including social
  studies, health, careers, drugs, colleges, jobs
  and sex (538 responses in Top 50)
• COMPUTERS including Internet (230 responses in
  Top 50)

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Reading Grade-by-grade Differences

• The grade analysis shows sports ranking high in
  every grade (highest in all grades except Grades
  3 and 4, where it was the second highest in
  both).
• Animals ranks high in the elementary school and
  declines in interest as grade level increases.
• A general interest in history in the lower grades
  gives way to a specific interest in current
  events and government in Grade 12.
• Focus on career choices emerges in Year 12
  (colleges) and life concern issues (drugs).

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Reading Gender DifferencesGirls consider
libraries more helpful in terms of general
reading interests
Group Statistics
t-test for Equality of Means
The significance level is 0.05
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Reading Gender Differences
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Reading Ethnic Patterns
The scores of African-Americans are significantly
higher than Whites and students in Other group.
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Reading Geographical Region

• The scores of schools in Small City are
  significantly higher than other type of schools

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Students Voices

• 1414 I needed a book to read because I finished
  all the ones I had at home. When I asked the
  librarian, she showed me a good book in the genre
  I had asked about, so Im into it now and really
  like them. (Responsiveness to expressed need)
• 6301 I have never really used the sources of the
  school library and I hardly ever go to it. I use
  the public or university library. However, the
  school library does have lots of good stories,
  particularly the recent ones you see in the
  bookshops, and that usually gets me into fiction
  I want to read (Availability of latest
  releases)
• 6933 I like to read any of the new fiction that
  comes in, especially the history stories. The
  librarian knows about that and gets the latest
  books for me and always lets me know when some
  has arrived (Personalized, targeted, proactive
  service)

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Students Voices

• 2981 The library helped me when I was bored and
  really needed a good book to read. I had been
  going to the public library every once in a
  while, but really needed something everyday. I
  came down to the library and found lots of good
  new books. From that day on I kept coming down to
  the library. It made me want to read all of the
  new books in the library. I made a booklist and
  in a few short weeks I had read every one of the
  books on my list. Coming down to the library made
  me more aware of the good books available at the
  library and made me wish I had visited the
  library more often and at the beginning of the
  year. Also, I was given the opportunity to become
  a library aide. This made me very excited and
  anxious to be involved with the library.
  (currency relevance connecting with the
  library opens other doors)
• 1752 When I couldn't find a cool book that I
  would be interested in, the librarian helped me
  find a science fiction book. I now read a lot
  more science fiction and my mommy is proud! She
  gets into this reading thing (identifying
  interests, developing self-esteem)

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Students Voices

• 5145 Researching my invention project I got an
  A. That got me a bit curious about inventions
  and I got into some of the science fiction with
  the help of the librarian. Every time she sees
  me she tells me of the latest book to read and
  that is cool. I have my own personal bookstore
  adviser!!!!!! (Using curriculum as link to
  reading enjoyment and enrichment)
• 600 I was a bad horrible reader the library
  the librarian and helpers made that happen for my
  report. I thought it would never happen but it
  did. Now I read all kinds of books and I even
  read chapter books. I got a second report done
  I were so amazed. it was a miracle. l thank you
  for helping me !!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
  !!!!!!!!!! (Showing academic success can be
  achieved through improving reading)
• 5133 I used to not read very well and after I
  used the library for research and information
  about homework I was reading more and more from
  the information and that had helped me become a
  better reader! now I can read a lot better then I
  was in the beginning of the school year and
  understand better in class! I would not be here
  without the library (Personal empowerment)

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Students Voices

• 6943 My great love is EVERY sport. You might say
  I am obsessed about them. But that clever
  librarian got me into reading sports stories, and
  even some biographies about great sportsmen. You
  dont realize it I reckon, but the more you read
  the better you get at it. She knew that but I
  guess the library has helped me realize that for
  myself (Knowing your students)
• 2345 I had to read seven books for the English
  Festival, but I couldn't recognize some of the
  themes in the stories. When I asked the librarian
  for help she showed me what you have to do in
  order to recognize themes better. I used that
  knowledge to do better at the English Festival
  and get more enjoyment out of reading by
  understanding what is in front of me. (Knowing
  the dynamics of improving reading)
• 6666 Im from a family of um lets see 1 child
  and mostly my parents never gave me the time and
  place to make me enjoy to read and the librarian
  helped me get to read more and I really really
  enjoy to read now, thank you, you make every kid
  feel better about reading (Understand the lives
  of your students)

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Students Voices

• 785 I love to read. The library introduced me to
  a new series of books. It was a series of
  unfortunate events. After I read those, in my
  writing I wasn't afraid to extend beyond the
  limits and write creative, farfetched stories
  (Making links from reading to writing)
• 945 Once recent time that I can think of that
  the school library has helped me was when I
  needed to find my science vocabulary terms and
  write them properly. It also helped me when I
  needed to find a world encyclopedia of trade
  embargo's of world war 2 for my Social Studies
  class. (Improved reading, improved searching)
• 6215 I needed to do a lot of research and get a
  lot of help for my senior thesis project this
  year. I got a lot of help from the library and
  the writing intervention workshop. I was able to
  make my project a success because writing clearly
  and logically is very hard, and the good
  resources and writing techniques helped
  (Intervention matters)

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Bibliotherapy?

• Q65 The school library has helped me when I have
  a personal concern or issue

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Students Voices

• 2503 My girlfriend was in a bit of trouble with
  her parents, so we came into the library and
  researched about the issue and found ways she
  could talk to them without them yelling at her
• 2185 I once thought that I had a venereal
  disease and I was terrified. I went to the school
  library and looked up some info on them and this
  finally helped me discuss the situation with my
  parents
• 2378 Because of the school library, I was able
  to research the African Hindu Tribes of my native
  country. This proved extremely helpful in my
  search for self acceptance. I have searched many
  months through books of all sorts never stumbling
  upon anything remotely near what I needed. Even
  the tour I took to the museum and the Epcot
  center couldnt clearly explain in full detail
  what it felt like to be a true African. I would
  have never felt in place without this necessary
  information.

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Some Negative Responses

• 8465 The library is not here to be my
  psychologist, and the last thing I need is a
  librarian being my analyst. Its here to provide
  me with all the materials I need for my school
  work which it does well
• 2982 I rely on my guidance counselor for help
  with "personal issues." I rely on my PARENTS, who
  taught me to read when I was 5. I rely on my
  TEACHERS to teach me how to take notes and
  encourage participation in discussion. I rely on
  myself to formulate opinions and be confident.
  the library is SIMPLY a place to gather
  information.
• 3018 I don't go to the library in order to make
  long-lasting friendships or for my emotional
  problems. And to be honest, I would probably look
  at someone like they needed help with their
  emotional issues if they asked me what was wrong.
• 3019 The library should be a place where no one
  bothers you and not tries to act like Dr. Phil
  trying to solve your personal messes

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KEY ISSUES

• Developing an inclusive community boys and
  girls
• Demands of curriculum No time to read
• Playing psychologist? Moral high ground?
• Personality issues Enforced choice
• Perceive reading enjoyment to be the role of the
  public library Seamless environments?
• Library systems and rules what do they convey
  about what is important?

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KEY QUESTIONS

• While elementary school libraries provide higher
  levels of perceived helpfulness in terms of
  reading interests, this is not so in the high
  schools. Does this matter?
• Is the investment in reading literacy in the
  higher grades worth the effort in terms of
  perceived cost benefits?
• Is reading literacy an important dimension of the
  service of high school libraries?
• Should high school libraries focus on curriculum
  initiatives and leave the reading literacy
  initiatives to the public libraries and the
  bookshops?
• How can school librarians be better prepared to
  foster inclusive reading literacy development?

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MAKING A DIFFERENCE

• The Library has helped me with everything. My
  friends and I learn so much in the library. I
  never knew reading could be fun! Also, the
  librarians are so nice. They've helped me with so
  much like finding books, how to use a almanac, a
  dictionary, and how to read the spines of a book.
  I thank the library for teaching me more things
  about reading. When I first came to XX I never
  liked reading, but because of the XX Library I
  love reading! Thanks again! (Grade 4)

Developing knowledge and understanding. Reading
is a passport to knowledge