If You Build It, Will They Come?

by Susan Gauthier, Betty Brackins and Kristen Manning, January 2021

In the movie Field of Dreams, "If you build it, he will come," is heard by Kevin Costner's character, Ray Kinsella, who listened to his inner voice to build a baseball diamond in an Iowa cornfield. As fans of the movie know, the baseball field brings spectators, which ultimately saves the struggling farm. But, if you build it, whether it's a substantial library collection, a service, or a beautiful library space, how will students respond? And, what if the collection is digital or you are providing service in an online environment? Will they still come?

Building a Digital Collection

Collection development is the process of building the materials to meet the informational needs of the users. East Baton Rouge Parish School System (EBRPSS), the second-largest public school system in Louisiana, serves a diverse population of more than 41,000 students. Library collection development is a top priority in EBRPSS, and multimedia books were embedded in its collection development policies.

EBRPSS decided years ago to gradually purchase nonfiction eBooks to replace reference sections in the school libraries. Initially, these titles were only used during research time, so statistics showed limited use throughout the school year. The district wanted to foster a love of all forms of books in its libraries; therefore, in 2013, the district chose to begin purchasing high-interest fiction and nonfiction eBooks as well. The initial plan was to gradually infuse eBooks into middle and high school libraries since they had access to devices for reading them.

In August 2016, the EBRPSS experienced a catastrophic flood, which left eight school libraries submerged. Within a few weeks, classes resumed at these sites, but the print library collections had yet to return. While the affected schools did receive donations of physical books, it was eBooks that became a major consideration for these collections. Print books were purchased with Federal Emergency Management Agency funds, but the remaining funds were used to create a collection that could be unaffected by weather-related catastrophes: eBooks and audiobooks.

In March 2020, Governor John Bel Edwards signed a proclamation that, among other actions, closed all K-12 public schools statewide three days later as Louisiana sought to slow the spread of COVID-19. Once again, this prompted a need to bolster the digital collection for the district; therefore, one-fourth of the district book budget was allocated to digital content. As a result of these two events, a flood and a pandemic, EBRPSS decided to build a permanent, perpetual digital collection of titles, which meant that the majority of eBooks and digital audiobooks would not need to be repurchased or renewed; however, some resources were only available as limited period subscriptions (e.g, 1-year or 3-years) or with a limit on the total number of checkouts (e.g., 26 checkouts).

The school libraries are now offering more content and curating digital content collections so that students can continue to read and learn without disruption. All school libraries depend on students who utilize their services. But, a one-time use is not enough; for libraries, a long-term relationship with readers is the goal. Building that long and mutually beneficial relationship depends on something more than a popular eBook or service; it requires a connection between the librarian and the student.

Baton Rouge Center for Visual and Performing Arts: Building a Connection at the Elementary Level

The global pandemic has radically changed the look and function of the physical elementary library. For years, librarians have been building interactive spaces that encourage collaboration and hands-on experiences. The modern library space is a repository of endless opportunities to touch, feel, smell, and share. Times have changed, so how will the elementary library evolve? COVID-19 has, in a way, given librarians the perfect opportunity to promote the digital library. The librarian role evolves once more. Librarians have been equipping students with 21st-century skills for quite some time. I genuinely believe we have been training for this unique learning situation.

When meeting with classes on our first day of virtual learning, I shared with the students an introduction to our digital library and steps on how to check out a book. The students were amazed and excited. They once again had ownership of a situation. They could now peruse a collection, open and close books, and check out and return items just like in the physical library at school. Students no longer need to worry about lost books or returning a book on time with the digital collection. Most books have an audio feature, which creates opportunities for reluctant readers to expand their reading. However, digital collections are not without their challenges. The older students have shown more of a desire for physical books, despite having had access to eBooks longer than their younger counterparts. These students also prefer more popular titles, which often are subscription-based, making them not fiscally prudent additions to the collection.

When schools in our district were closed in mid-March, our principal told us all to contribute to a document of digital resources, learning tools, and enrichment activities that students and families could access to keep learning. Using an online reading resource, I created a reading challenge called "Catch the Reading Bug." As students logged reading minutes, they would earn badges with a medical theme. The challenge was to make our reading go viral. Students were emailed certificates of achievement and recognized by the school.

Creating connections with patrons and parents keeps the library relevant. Through that connection, librarians develop a better understanding of the needs and preferences of patrons and, in turn, can develop a collection that is curricularly relevant for student learning needs.

Baton Rouge Magnet High School: Building a Connection at the Secondary Level

Librarians have become experts in using new and emerging digital platforms, as COVID-19 and its effects are now a reality in our district. With the onset of the pandemic, we were called upon to serve as facilitators of technology and professional development. We became the real heart of the school.

Currently, there are no provisions for physically circulating library materials, and sadly our physical collection sits pristine and untouched. We have invested our library careers in developing physical spaces to promote equity and access, spaces that require us to be on our feet engaging with students and staff; but now we find ourselves isolated from the patrons, suddenly assigned the task of building a virtual school library in a short time.

Our work as librarians now includes connecting with students virtually. We held the ninth-grade library orientation, whereby teachers invited us into their classes to acquaint students with library rules, policies, and procedures. We have also created a classroom using a learning management system that allows students to request titles and ask questions of the librarians, and we are in the process of creating a chat feature for patrons to communicate seamlessly with the librarians during school hours. Although much hard work has gone into our virtual library, it is not without its difficulties. Traditionally, the majority of students have preferred print resources over the digital ones. However, given the climate and regulations imposed by COVID-19, we foresee the inevitable increase in our circulation of electronic books.

Collaboration with teachers is an essential part of our work as librarians, and the meetings where we plan research projects and reading program objectives now all take place virtually. With social-distancing guidelines in place, we have prepared online research classes for the juniors and seniors. We anticipate the lack of face-to-face contact to be a particular challenge because we will not have the ability to respond to student questions as quickly and as thoroughly or create the rapport with students that a personal touch can bring.

To meet the safety requirements, we are customizing and amending the library experience. In the past students used both print and online resources in their research, but now all their resources must come from databases. Although students will not physically touch a book, this problem is easily alleviated in that most of the print items are also available within our online databases. Additionally, while we librarians might bemoan the neglect of print resources, colleges and universities are increasingly utilizing digital texts. We have found that familiarizing students with format and citation styles for digital texts helps to prepare them for research projects in post-secondary school.

We are continually promoting eBooks and expanding existing collections to offer a variety of other digital resources, including audiobooks, to appeal to multiple learning modes. Technology has opened up and expanded the methods of communication we must support, and our library is meeting the challenge. While we are still supporting print books and face-to-face research skills, current conditions necessitate additional emphasis on digital literacy.

The role of the librarian is changing and must continue to evolve if we are to remain relevant as we face this new era of digital transformation. We are spending more time curating digital content, formulating lesson plans with teachers, and teaching digital citizenship to students. As a result, we are emerging as technology experts within our schools. The silver lining to the challenge of rapid change is that the "academic powerhouse" that is our school is now more tech-savvy.

Building Support

The cinematic field of dreams was a place of fertile soil and traditional values, but there was no better setting to create a baseball diamond from which the main character could pursue his dream, no matter how much effort it took. EBRPSS will continue to build on its digital field of dreams. We are fortunate to have a library services department and a dedicated library allocation to support our online environment. We have the best players on our teams: our school librarians, curating our collections and providing a positive virtual environment where our students can learn an appreciation for reading, research, discovery, and self-growth.