Crossing the Road Without the Lollypop Lady: Some thoughts on safely navigating information traffic in a school library

Abstract

UKeiG prides itself on the support we give to continuing professional development and are delighted to publish an article co-written by the winner of our Early Career Award for 2015. It is a fascinating overview of the opportunities and challenges facing information professionals in schools. How are they grappling with curricula changes and the transition to and interface with higher education and the workplace?

Reflecting on the use of e-resources in schools, this article outlines some of the challenges and opportunities schools face when engaging with the digital world. We look at how we have used e-resources within this setting and conclude by considering some new opportunities to explore in the coming year.

The following thoughts on using digital resources in schools arose from a discussion reflecting on Amy’s first year in her new post as Librarian at Wimbledon High School. Throughout the discussion we considered what has worked well, the challenges we are currently facing and looked ahead to possible new opportunities and developments. Having previously worked together, we then thought about our current different working contexts and changes over the last year, which reinforced the importance of adapting our service to the specifics of each organisation.