March 2011: The School Library Link to Information Access
Monday, March 7, 2011 at 12:10PM If there is one thing the library has always been about, it’s information access. The difference in the 21st century is that information access covers a whole lot more territory than just books and magazines. 
Today students have to be able to navigate many different types of information systems. This includes being able to find and use books in a library, but also being able to find and use information online, in databases, and more. What is the first stop to to learning how to navigate any information system? That’s right, it’s the school library.
What’s the Big Deal with Dewey?
The Dewey Decimal System is probably the first information system that students learn how to navigate. Learning how to find books using this system has always been taught in school libraries. Although school librarians have expanded their repertoires into teaching other systems as well, they always start with Dewey. The Dewey Decimal System is used in most school libraries and most public libraries in the U.S. It’s also important to learn because once you learn how to navigate the Dewey system, it makes it easier to learn the next one. Because guess what? Dewey is not the only game in town.
Moving on: Library of Congress Classification
Look out graduating seniors, here’s a tip: When you get to college, you won’t see the Dewey Decimal System anymore. Most universities and colleges in the U.S. use a different system: The Library of Congress Classification (LOC) system. LOC call numbers use a combination of letters and numbers, they are arranged by topic, and they are arranged in a logical order. However, the long call numbers look very different from Dewey ones. But because your student has learned how to navigate Dewey for 12 years, he or she will be primed and ready to naturally migrate over to LOC when they get to college.
Just the Beginning
Finding books on a shelf is certainly just the beginning. School librarians now teach students how to access all kinds of information online. Students need to learn about using keywords, using controlled vocabularies, how to use Boolean search terms, as well as how to find and use the best tool for the job. Elementary and middle school students will be using search engines and databases for the rest of their lives, but the trouble is they are all a little bit different from one another. But just like learning to use Dewey, the search engines, Web sites, and databases students learn to use in school will help them to learn new and different ones as they move forward in education. Continue on to page two to read more about how the school library is the link to information access. C
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Where Do You Go? Information Systems for Young Students
Databases
Databases are programs that hold large amounts of information, usually in the form of short articles from magazines, journals, and newspapers. Databases for elementary and middle school students often contain visual aides to help students search for information by topic. Two popular databases for kids are Kids InfoBits and FactMonster.
Online Public Access Catalogs (OPACs)
Also known as an online library catalog, OPACs come in many shapes and formats. Many OPAC systems are now designing visually appealing and easier-to-navigate home pages where students can “point and click” their way to finding the books they want in the library. For example, a popular program used in schools is Destiny (by Follett); its counterpart, DestinyQuest has a visual interface, rather than a textual one, so that even beginning readers can use the program effectively. Many public libraries are now expanding or revising their online catalog systems to include “kid-friendly” options.
Search Engines
Although most search engines are user-friendly, some companies have created ones specifically for use by students. Some include:
Yahoo! Kids http://kids.yahoo.com/
Typical Yahoo! searching with popular links for kids by topic
KidsClick! www.kidsclick.org
A search engine featuring keyword searching, searching by topic, and a unique feature great for connecting online research to books in the school library: searching by Dewey Decimal numbers!
Kidspace www.ipl.org/div/kidspace/
Homework and research-centered links divided by categories; also has keyword searching
Google Search Tools
Google is a user-friendly search engine in itself, but it also has additional search features that are useful for both children and adults. Google Wonder Wheel adds a visual component to searching (see above). Google Timeline allows you to search for material on a topic by date (see left). To use these tools, start a Google search, and then click on the features on the left-side menu.
