In checking the resources my school library has today I found out the library DOES subscribe to several databases, including Ebsohost and World Book. I have only moved to the library this year after teaching VCE Media and English since 2001. The databases are hidden on the school's Intranet - they're definitely not easy to find. What alarms me the most, and what I'm still struggling with at the moment, is that not one person (or librarian) has mentioned any database availability for staff and student use. I assert no blame on anybody. I have no recollection of any staff member, even faculty heads, ever referring staff to the databases for research purposes. While assisting students with their research over the years as a classroom teacher, not one student asked me about being able to access the databases. I'd assume that the students don't know these electronic resources exist. I know that I perhaps should have asked the library staff, it never actually occurred to me.
It really floored me to know that I could have accessed relevant material for my VCE Media classes. Access to full text journal articles would have been so beneficial to my research for topics, as well as the students.
My mission over time will be to increase staff awareness of these databases, particularly Ebscohost for staff and student research purposes and provide some kind of instruction on its use. Perhaps this situation this ties in with the SEVERE lack of COLLABORATION and information literacy skills being taught at my school. This has highlighted how important it is for the TL and library to make itself visible and known for the services it offers and informing 'busy' teachers of the Ebscohost database.
Subscription fees for Ebscohost must be soooooo expensive, so if the database isn't being utilised by staff and students it is a TOTAL waste of money, particularly in times of severe library budget cuts.
Staff need PD on these databases. I hope in future to change this situation, but for now I can suggest appropriate changes to the College librarian. I am currently buried in the Years 7 and 8 Reading Programme, desk duties, the Premier's Reading Challenge and other library administration tasks.
What an OH MY GOD moment!
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