The 1,2,3 ’ s in Designing A Personal Issues & Conflicts Reference Library

The 1,2,3’s in Designing A

Personal Issues & Conflicts Reference

LibraryA teacher’s guide to building a

library relevant to the lives of their students.

1. Identify the IssuesO Issues that Middle School Students Face

2. Search For the TitlesO There are several websites that can be

utilized to locate good young adult literature…O Children's Literature Comprehensive Da

tabaseO Middle and Junior High Core Collection

- these websites are subscription only but usually offer temporary memberships for free. (You can click on the links above to view the websites).

O When searching these sites, use the subject/theme of the book. (i.e. abuse, depression, etc.)

Search Example

Search ContinuedO The initial search will identify a list of

books to choose from. The list will indicate the grade level that the book is appropriate for and provide an annotation regarding the book’s content.

O Choose a book you feel is appropriate from the list. The website will take you to the page with full information regarding the book. There you can take note of reviews for the book and make an informed decision for possible inclusion in your library.

Additional Search Hints

O When researching a book on the database, look for awards the book has won.

O Read all reviews available on the siteO Search for reviews for the book on other

sites:O Google Scholar and Academic Search

CompleteO Look at the other subjects/themes

contained in the book, you can use those subjects to search for other relevant titles to add to your library collection.

ExampleSearch by Subject

Other ConsiderationsO When using young adolescent fiction in

your classroom, you should consider having a signed permission slip for students prior to allowing them to select books due to the mature content that is often presented.

O It is a good idea to obtain a copy of a rationale for every title in your library, if possible. Rationales explain why a book is beneficial for students to read. Rationales can be obtained at the National Council of Teachers of English website http://www.ncte.org/action/anti-censorship/rationales

3. Organizing Your Library

O There are two ways you can organize your libraryO The Standard Way – Alphabetize by

Author and have a binder organized in subject for students to reference

O By Subject – You can group by subject and then Alphabetize by Author using bins or a file folder to separate the different subjects. A reference binder organized by subject/theme could still be utilized.

Making a Reference Binder

O Organize binder by book themeO Some books may cover multiple themes –

so make sure you put a page under each theme.

O It should include a picture of the cover of the book if possible, an annotation, several reviews and several alternative books just in case that book is checked out.

O If possible, keep a separate binder containing rationales as to why the book should be allowed in the classroom.

The Finished ProductO An organized comfortable space where

students can go to discover a deeper understanding of themselves.

Holly YoungEDT 422

Miami UniversityOxford, Ohio