Shared Foundation: Curate

  

Photo by Elizabeth L. Jenkins 

    Ms. Laura Haverkamp and I both attended SCASL in the Spring of 2020. She was a high school English teacher for 3 years before she obtained her MLIS degree. Currently, she is in her 22nd year of librarianship at Dreher High School. Ms. Haverkamp is pursuing her Ph.D. at the University of South Carolina and is excited to be moving to the academic level of teaching.

    Ms. Haverkamp was gracious in sharing how she uses the shared foundation of curate in her library program.

Questions: 

1. What are some examples of the ways in which you are implementing these competencies in your library program? I spend a fair amount of time teaching students how to access the DISCUS databases. Specifically, I try to guide them into choosing the right database from the list so that they find the most applicable articles and information. For instance, if the students are researching literary criticism, I am sure to show them the Bloom's and the Literature databases. If their topic is controversial, I show them the Opposing Viewpoints. I want to be sure they know that there is a wide range of topics in these databases and that selecting the right database provides better results. 

2. What are some of the resources in your library program that you are using to implement these competencies? We use Destiny and DISCUS to show students how to search for and locate appropriate resources is an ongoing goal. Even students who have had this instruction need a refresher every year. 

3. Do any of the competencies that you are implementing include collaboration with classroom teachers? If so, please provide examples. I do an extensive collaboration with the teachers of AP Seminar and AP Research to ensure that students understand the research process so that they know how and where to access high-quality sources for academic research. Working with the teachers we go over narrowing a topic, Boolean search terms, accessing and selecting databases from DISCUS, and documenting sources in APA, MLA, and other formats.

4. What are some of the challenges that you face when trying to implement these competencies? One of the major challenges is lack of class time for both the teaches and librarians whose job duties have mushroomed in the past few years. Add in testing pressure in many of the class subject areas and student resistance to academic research guidelines- they think they can Google everything and lack a healthy skepticism which makes teaching sources and research a challenge. 

5. Are there any other comments that you would like to make regarding the Shared Foundation/ Competencies and Domains that we have discussed today? We have several teaches in the school who are consistent collaborators- but we need to improve outreach to others and not rest on our laurels to grow more and better information seekers at Dreher. 

Reflection: While interviewing Ms. Haverkamp, it quickly became apparent that not only does she love her job, but that she also cares deeply for her students and wants them to be successful lifelong learners. Curating information is not a task that comes naturally to many students, and to overcome this and help the students, she helps students to hone these skills and gives them tools to become successful in curating information. By showing students multiple resources, whether it be due to controversial topics, choosing appropriate databases, citation resources, or even how to use BOOLEAN search terms, she is giving them the ability to learn at a greater depth each year they are at Dreher and is helping them to be college-ready when they graduate.