TEACH Project

In early 2021, former Provost Jim Wohlpart charged Deans Theresa Westbrock of UNI’s Rod Library and Colleen Mulholland of the College of Education to seek out opportunities that best utilize space, resources, and services between Rod Library and the multi-use venue of the Instructional Resources and Technology Services (IRTS) located on the 2nd floor of the Schindler Education Center.  Below we share the objectives, process, recommendations, and next steps to address this  charge and suggest immediate next steps toward these recommendations. 

Objectives

In April 2021 we charged Dr. Robin Dada, Department Head in Curriculum and Instruction, and Eric Jennings, Associate University Librarian for the Learning and Research Division of Rod Library, with providing a vision for the future of the Instructional Resources and Technology Services (IRTS).  We asked that the future vision focus on the following: 

1. The creation of a model School Library Media Center  
2. Responsive Collections and Services
3. Educational Technology
4. Space for student study and engagement
5. A clearly defined identity and/or purpose of IRTS 
6. Development of a manageable timeline for this work

Process

 The following process was developed, with accompanying tasks:

• [Summer 2021] Identify primary users of IRTS and primary users of the Youth Collection (a collection within Rod Library with identified overlap in collections and users): 
• What collections and what services to these user groups need/expect?
• Identify areas of collection and service overlap between IRTS and Rod Library (including the Youth Collection)
• [Fall 2021] Use an appreciative inquiry framework to identify charge-related strengths, opportunities, aspirations, and results (ie: SOAR model). 
• [Fall 2021] Align data from Tasks 1 & 2 above into recommendations contributing to the vision of the future of IRTS (see five components of the charge above) a model School Library Media Center

Recommendations

In December 2021, Eric and Robin shared a set of central recommendations that resulted from the visioning process:

• Unite resources and staff 
• Redesign IRTS to be a central feature of teacher preparation at UNI
• Create a funding home for IRTS that provides a budget that can support updates, maintain an up-to-date collection, plan for annual maintenance, and new purchases of children’s literature, technology, and makerspace tools.  
• Develop an advisory board composed of faculty and staff, as well as external members to support continuous improvement,  identification of emerging learning technologies, current educational media in PK-12 schools, etc. Faculty and staff engagement on the board assures faculty commitment to the incorporation of this resource in teaching and research.
• Consider renaming IRTS with a more descriptive name.

Further, they presented options based on these recommendations among which we identified a successful pathway to the overarching goal in the original charge. We also recognized the importance of finalizing the process of integrating IRTS into the library’s organization, a process that began in 2016.

Next Steps

Ultimately, we will set our long-term goal to combine the IRTS Collection and Youth Collection in Schindler and create a hub for teacher preparation and classroom experimentation in this new space. This option provides a responsive and flexible vision of a school library media center, and  acknowledges the budgetary reality that requires attention to reducing overlap in effort and output. Additionally, it offers a unified space, staff, and service point to meet the needs of teacher preparation and others that integrate the Youth Collection into their curriculum and research.

With our sights set on this goal, we will create a pathway and timeline that provides time and support for planning at a comfortable pace. The first step, which will create the foundation for the rest of the project, will focus on the integration of the collections. We have asked Katelyn Browne, with the collaboration and support of Maxine Davis, to lead an initial analysis of the two collections in order to understand the scope, footprint, and appropriate size and location of each of the parts of the two collections.  The completion of this initial step will position us to be able to create a realistic timeline of activities.

We wish to express gratitude to all constituents who were part of the focus groups and who provided insights, vision, ideas, and solutions.  Further gratitude and recognition to Robin Dada and Eric Jennings for leading this charge to present such a thoughtful report. We know that great care was taken in each step of the process and that framing this process within an appreciative inquiry model set a tone that yielded valuable next steps toward the overall goal.  We recognize the additional time commitment in leading a months-long effort to convene colleagues on and off campus, notably during a pandemic.

We look forward to next steps and progress toward this vision and opportunity.

In appreciation,

Theresa Westbrock, Dean of Library Services
Colleen Mulholland, Dean, College of Education

In April, I shared this summary of the Future of IRTS project and proposed next steps. The first step focuses on the integration of the collections; Phase 1 will focus specifically on the youth literature collections in Youth and in IRTS.

After meeting with stakeholders and consulting with Katelyn, I have asked Katelyn to lead a Phase 1 Working Group with the goal of consolidating all children’s and young adult literature into one collection in Rod Library.  Once the youth literature collection is consolidated and in one location, we will be able to look more closely at the other collections that make up the current IRTS collection. The longer-range goal is still to develop a hub for teacher education and classroom experimentation that will eventually be housed fully in Schindler.

As this project progresses, there will be regular updates to the library, College of Education, and other interested groups. At this point, I’m planning for library-specific updates about this ongoing project to happen via the monthly Open Book newsletter, but I’m open to ideas!  

I want to thank Katelyn for her thoughtful approach to crafting the first phase of this project.  This is a project that will have reach and impact throughout the library, so please feel free to bring ideas, questions, or concerns forward at any time.

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Working Group for Phase I of the Future of IRTS project

Phase I:  Establishing a unified youth literature collection 

Charge:  Consolidate all children’s and young adult literature into one collection in Rod Library.

Membership:

• Katelyn Browne, Chair (Youth)
• Maxine Davis (IRTS)
• Susan Moore (CMU)
• Steve Wilcer (IRTS/CMU)
• Sandy Wilkens (Youth)

Goals:

• Assess children’s and young adult literature collections in Youth and IRTS
• Reduce duplication of materials and align collection with existing collection management policies
• Combine and/or segment parts of the collection as needed to accommodate space limitations
• Prioritize transferring materials over withdrawing materials in order to have the consolidated collection ready for use at the start of the Fall 2022 semester.
• At the start of the Fall semester, create a report summarizing completed work and associated work/tasks still needing to be completed.

Process:

• Create a general timeline with proposed deadlines in collaboration with participating units and people.
• Create and manage a working group comprising the people and areas involved in the project.
• Work with Susan Basye (and Access Services colleagues as appropriate) to determine availability, configuration, and location of additional shelving to accommodate increased footprint of collections housed in the Youth area.
• Advise the dean regularly on progress and communications that can be used in library and College of Education communications.
• Advise on timeline and process for related tasks to be completed after the start of the Fall semester (such as withdrawals and complete processing of materials).

The Future of IRTS project’s ultimate goal is to combine the IRTS Collection and Youth Collection in the IRTS area of Schindler Education Center and create a hub for teacher preparation and classroom experimentation in this space.  The first phase of this project is to establish a unified youth literature collection which will be located, temporarily, in the Youth Collection area of Rod Library.  The assessment and merging of the youth collections in IRTS and Rod Library’s Youth Collection is well underway:

• Katelyn Browne has been evaluating materials for inclusion in the combined collection based on the library’s collection development policies and practices. 
• Steve Wilcer has begun transferring and withdrawing materials (in a process that will also involve others in CMU and Youth), so you may notice empty shelves and temporary collections of items in IRTS and Youth as things move around.  
• Materials in the main IRTS area will be moving first, followed by items in the Lit Ed room.

For our colleagues in the library: The Working Group for Phase I, led by Katelyn, is having a number of conversations as a task force about how this change will impact various units in the library, and what information we should provide to prepare our colleagues (including student employees) for the fall. If you have concerns about how this will impact your unit, please bring them up with your supervisor. We will be prioritizing this project as a library-wide tactic in the coming year, so there will be a lot of attention to the broad impact of this project.

For our colleagues in the College of Education: While all children’s literature materials will be housed in Rod Library for 2022-2023, we are planning to continue our delivery services to Schindler and are interested in working with you to ensure that you and your students have access to the materials that you need, when and where you need them. Whether that means hosting more classes in the Youth Collection or bringing more materials to Schindler for browsing or borrowing, we will make a plan with you! Also, if you have lists of materials or authors that you share with students, Katelyn Browne and Sandy Wilkens can take a look at them and assist with updating them to reflect our current locations and holdings.

In an effort to collect the various phases of the Future of IRTS project into a descriptive title, the library successfully crowdsourced ideas for a project name. Moving forward, the overall project will be called the Teacher Education and Collaboration Hub (TEACH) project. The ultimate goal is the same: to combine the IRTS Collection and Youth Collection in the IRTS area of Schindler Education Center and to create a hub for teacher preparation and classroom experimentation in that space.

In July, things are going to be moving around in earnest! Once the annual statistics for 2021-2022 have been documented, our team will start transferring youth literature items from IRTS into the combined collection in Youth. Within the Youth space, books will also be moving around as we make room for the combined collection. Don’t hesitate to ask if something is not where you expect it to be!

We have also been working on separating out Guided Reading and similar leveled books (such as series from Rigby, Fountas & Pinnell, Pioneer Valley, Heinemann). IRTS staff are sorting them and adding them to the instructional materials collection, and they will remain in the IRTS area in Schindler.  As collections move around and leave some shelves temporarily empty, we will add signage about the project to keep our students and other patrons informed.

In an effort to keep information about this multi-unit project in a central location, we created a webpage that collects all of the messaging about this project. We’ll update it monthly as we continue our progress on this project.  Check it out: https://library.uni.edu/teach-project. 

As we continue to work on the process of merging the youth literature collection, books are now moving from IRTS in Schindler to the Youth Collection area in Rod Library. Temporary additional shelving is being added in the Youth Collection area to accommodate the combined collection. This work will continue into the fall semester but the newly combined youth literature collection will be ready for use at the beginning of the fall semester. 

Many of the books being withdrawn from our collections as part of the project are duplicate titles. We recognize that there are a lot of books that would make great gifts, material for art projects, or additions to little free libraries. Later in the fall semester, once the merging of collections is complete, we plan to host a book sale. Stay tuned for more information!

Curricula and teacher-led materials will continue to be available in IRTS. Additionally, IRTS is expanding the Enrichment section and will have some new materials to share this school year as well.

Katelyn Browne has been working with the Interlibrary Loan and Access Services staff in the library to develop guidelines for requesting multiple copies of any Youth book for staff, faculty, or student use. We are moving toward a model that will make it easier to get additional copies of any book, so that instructional choices aren’t constrained by what we happen to have on hand in our own collection.

Once fall semester is underway, we look forward to welcoming you and your classes to the reorganized Youth and IRTS spaces!

The ultimate goal of Rod Library's Teacher Education and Collaboration Hub (TEACH) project is to combine the IRTS Collection and Youth Collection in the IRTS area of Schindler Education Center and to create a hub for teacher preparation and classroom experimentation in this space. Please visit this page for monthly updates on our progress toward this goal.