by Christina Stoll, MLS

In 2008, MLS saw the completion of several member group core reference lists covering Youth and Adult Reference, Elementary through High School, and print and electronic sources. 

This article highlights the work from each of the committees that developed these reference resources which are all available on the MLS web site at
http://www.mls.lib.il.us/consulting/reference.asp.

The core references lists include:

• MLS Recommended Resources List for Adult Reference Collections
• MLS Core Electronic Resources List for Public Libraries Serving Grades K-12
• MLS Youth Services Recommended Reference Sources
• MLS School Library Grade K-8 Recommended Reference Resources
• MLS High School Recommended Reference Resources
• MLS High School Core Reference Wiki

Metropolitan Library System (MLS) Adult Reference Recommended Resources List, 7th Edition 2008 http://www.mls.lib.il.us/consulting/adult_core.asp

Committee Members

• Bonnie Reid, Reference and Information Services Coordinator, Downers Grove Public Library
• Fidencio Marbella, Adult Services Manager, Melrose Park Public Library
• Joseph Mullarkey, Collection Management Librarian, Moraine Valley Community College
• Kate Niehoff, Adult Services Manager, Forest Park Public Library

Project Description:

Work on revising the Adult Reference Recommended Resources List started with an initial meeting in November 2007 with work being competed in April 2008. Committee members were given the task of revising the list, which had not been updated in several years.  Several of the sources were obsolete, out of date or no longer in print. 

The Adult Reference Recommended Resource list covers reference books and on-line resources, divided into twenty-four categories.  The five committee members were each assigned categories to revise based on affordability, availability in print or online and ease of use.  For each category, out-of-date resources were deleted, new ones added, and prices updated on those resources which were kept on the list. 

The committee recommends that the list should be used as a starting point and then adapted to each library’s needs, depending upon their users.  The committee realizes that not every library will be able to afford or will have a need for all of the items listed, thus see the list as only “recommendations”.

Comments or suggestions for future additions to the Adult Reference Recommended Resource can be made on the MLS Reference Wiki at http://mlsreference.wetpaint.com/.

Metropolitan Library System (MLS) Core Electronics Resources List for Public Libraries Serving Grades K-12, Created 8/2008

http://www.mls.lib.il.us/consulting/CoreElectronicResourcesListforPublicLibrariesServingGradesK-12.pdf

Committee Members:

• Lindsey Kraft, Forest Park Library, Youth Services Librarian
• Sarah Schroeder, Oak Lawn Library, Youth Services Librarian
• Sharon Dudeck, Tinley Park Library, Youth Services Manager. 

Project Description:

Work on the Core Electronics Resources List for Youth Services began in Spring of 2008 with completion in December 2008. 

The committee tested, evaluated, and shared information on a variety of both subscription databases and free but reliable and reputable web sites for their usefulness in youth services departments. 

The initial list was gradually whittled it down to a list organized by Dewey subject area, and a rating systems was applied using  "highly recommended," "recommended," "good," or "free resource." 

All of the free resources were web sites that the committee members felt provided solid, useful information, we’re user friendly mainly by children in the appropriate age range, and had staying power, meaning they were from well known organizations that weren’t likely to vanish at time soon.

 

MLS Youth Services Recommended Reference Sources, Updated 1/2008
http://www.mls.lib.il.us/consulting/youth_services_core_2008.pdf

Committee Members:

• Alice Krzak, Director of Youth Services, Lisle Library District,
• Mary Adamowski, Head of Youth Services, Orland Park Public Library,
• Meb Ingold, Children's Services Director, LaGrange Park Public Library
• Sheri Daun-Bedford, Head of the Children's Department, Woodridge Public Library

Project Description:

The official start of the Youth Services Recommended Reference Sources project goes back to 1994, when the then Youth Services Consultant Lois Schultz, first appointed a committee to create a list of recommended reference sources to help Youth Services librarians evaluate and develop effective reference collections for youth. 

This resource has been updated since its initial conception by a committee from the current Youth Services Advisory Group (http://www.mls.lib.il.us/members/ys_advisory.asp). 

Creation of the list began with the original committee members bringing their top five favorite reference sources to the first meeting.  From this initial list, decisions were made as to what should be included in the list, and in some cases additional titles were added

With each revision, the committee members look at their community’s needs, those often dictated by the school district curriculum or special interest groups.  Every title is researched for updates, and then the entire list is evaluated based on what is too old or no longer relevant, with newer items that have been published since the last update being added.

While primarily containing print resources, this list is still very relevant, and when the larger MLS Reference Advisory Committee (http://www.mls.lib.il.us/members/reference_advisory.asp) talked about combining all of the lists into one, several members of the group, both public and school librarians agreed that each of the lists fill a specific need for its serving population.  A combined list may not specifically address the specialized needs of Youth Services, so the separate lists are being maintained for now

A spring 2009 workshop to promote this list is being planned in conjunction with the Electronic Youth Services core list. Check the MLS CE Calendar (http://www.librarylearning.info/?LibSys=MLS) for more information.

 

MLS School Library Grade K-8 Recommended Reference Resources & Subscription Database Addendum, Revised 11/2008

http://www.mls.lib.il.us/consulting/MLSElementaryCoreList_2008_11.pdf

Metropolitan Library System (MLS) Core Reference List for School Libraries Serving Grades K-8

Committee Members:

• Alice Krzak, Director of Youth Services, Lisle Library District
• Ingrid Niinemae, Library Media Specialist, S. E. Gross Middle School
• Judith Bauman, Library Resource Center Director, Tate Woods School
• Victoria Maxwell, Library Media Director, St. Isaac Jogues School

Project Description:

Revision of the School Library Grade K-8 Recommended Reference Resources took about a year to complete, beginning with the committee reviewing the 1997 document, looking at categories as well as individual titles.  The list was divided up among the committee members according to Dewey numbers and each member was asked to use their own and public library collections, recommended reference lists and publisher websites to bring titles to the group for review and discussion.

The committee perused each book or set to get a hands-on impression of quality and usefulness in a K–8 environment.  Committee members would often recommend titles outside of their assigned Dewey sections.  An addendum of online subscription databases, which included titles that were used and recommended by committee members, was also developed.

Having a detailed recommended list can be beneficial in that it can be invaluable for building new collections, adding titles to an existing collection, or as an evaluation tool. Print materials offer resources that can be more accessible or more in-depth than online resources; they can also be more appropriate for certain student learning styles. 

Most helpful to the review process was having a committee member who, as a youth services director at a public library, had extensive experience collaborating with school librarians.  Her large reference collection was a great resource for the project as were her insights into what worked for school assignments.

 

Metropolitan Library System (MLS) High School Recommended Reference Resources, Updated 9/2008

http://www.mls.lib.il.us/consulting/HighSchoolRecommendedReferenceSourcesList091008.pdf
Wiki - http://mlshsresources.wetpaint.com/?t=anon

Committee Members:

• Alicia Duell, Librarian, Riverside Brookfield High School
• Jane Harper, Library Media Specialist, Homewood-Flossmoor High School
• Mari Smith, Librarian, J. Sterling Morton East High School

Project Description:

The committee members, all members of the larger MLS School Advisory Group, volunteered to work on updating the list starting in January 2008 and work continued through September 2008. 

The High School Recommended Reference Resources list had not been updated since 1998. Obviously, reference sources have changed quite a bit in ten years!  Many of the 1998 resources were out of print or in the less commonly used CD-ROM format.  In addition, the 1998 list did not have electronic sources, such as subscription databases and web sites.  This list needed to be updated to reflect the changing face of reference resources and services.  The committee had other considerations such as the 1998 list being in two parts: a core list recommending subject areas for which high school libraries should have at least one reference source, and a supplemental list which recommended specific titles in each area.  The group knew they wanted a core list that recommended subject areas, but they weren’t sure about a list of specific titles for the following reasons:

• The changing nature of reference publishing – titles go in and out of print frequently.
• Recommended lists of titles are often outdated quickly, sometimes as soon as they are published.
• No two high schools are alike – all have individual budgets, curricula, and student populations.  That makes it difficult to do a “one size fits all” list of titles.
• Subscription databases complicate list making -- a comprehensive subscription database can provide coverage in many areas.
• Individual school library media specialists, with their extensive training, expertise and knowledge of collection development, know the reference sources that will work best for their school population, curriculum, and budget, are in a better position to choose individual titles than an outside recommender.

Regardless of these concerns, the committee was mindful of the fact that many people, particularly new librarians, would appreciate a list of specific titles in addition to a core list of subject areas. Thus instead of a “static” list, the group created a wiki so that high school librarians throughout the state could add specific reference titles within the recommended core areas.  In addition, librarians could begin or add to threaded discussions.  The committee presented the updated list and wiki at the 2008 ISLMA conference and will repeat their presentation at a future MLS workshop later in 2009.

Questions about this article or any of the resources mentioned can be emailed to the MLS Consultants at consultants@mls.lib.il.us.

Published January 7, 2009 in vol. 3, iss. 1 [View]