Story Finder Personal Portfolio Project Digital Media Design, Fall 2013 Genevieve Haggard Background Statement According to an October 2012 population survey conducted by the United States Census Bureau, more than 24.5 million students were expected to attend elementary schools across the country in the fall of 2013 1. According to the American Library Association, fewer than 144,000 school library employees (both full time and part time) are employed to meet the library and information needs of these students 2 To bring this disparity into sharper focus, let s look at the school library situation closer to home. The Austin Independent School District has 83 elementary schools serving more than 50,000 students 3. Each school employs one full time librarian so in AISD, the student to librarian ratio is 602 students to each librarian. Per AISD requirements, each library has a minimum of 15,000 books in their collection 4. Classes have minimal time in the library and what little time they have is used for both instruction and book checkout. Problem Statement Given the increasing number of responsibilities placed on school librarians, and the inequitable ratio of students to librarians within most elementary schools, school librarians are unable to provide individualized readers advisory services to every student. Young readers are often overwhelmed by the volume of their library s collection and don t know how to find a book they want to read. Solution Statement The Story Finder website will help students find a book to read based on criteria they define (genre, characters, setting, etc.). The site will then use metadata found in library catalog records to recommend books available in the school s library. Solution in Detail - Intended for independent use by elementary school students (grades 1 through5) - Students will use library computers to access website - Website will be linked to library s catalog so shared metadata will ensure good matches 1 U.S. Census Bureau. (2012, October). Single Grade of Enrollment and High School Graduation Status for People 3 Years Old and Over, by Sex, Age (Single Years for 3 to 24 Years), Race, and Hispanic Origin: October 2012. Retrieved December 5, 2013, from http://www.census.gov/hhes/school/data/cps/2012/tables.html. 2 Number employed in libraries [Fact sheet]. (2013, August). Retrieved December 5, 2013, from http://www.ala.org/tools/libfactsheets/alalibraryfactsheet02. 3 AISD fact sheet 2013-2014 school year [Fact sheet]. (2013, November). Retrieved December 5, 2013, from http://www.austinisd.org/sites/default/files/dept/ about-us/docs/austin_isd_at_a_glance_2013v4.pdf 4 Austin Independent School District. Library Media Center document. Obtained from Dr. Immroth s School Library Management class, Spring 2013. 1
From the landing page, the student has two options. First, find a new book based on criteria they input. Second, find a read alike for a book they have already enjoyed. Finding a new book: Clicking on Find a new book takes the student to a page where they choose between finding an easy reader book (ages 5 to 7) and a chapter book (for more advanced readers). 2
Finding an easy reader book: If the student wants to choose an easy reader book, they have two criteria to identify: which kind of story they want to read, and who they want to read about. 3
After making their choices, the student clicks on Find me a book! and the website will find appropriate matches in the library s catalog. Clicking on a book cover image will pull up the book s record in the library s online catalog, showing the student if the book is available and where to find it. 4
Finding a chapter book: If the student wants to find a chapter book, they have five criteria to choose. First, they identify which genre they want to read. The images on the genre page correspond with the spine labels on the books in the library, so they know where in the library it will be located. After choosing the genre, the student identifies the other criteria. 5
After making their choices, the student clicks on Find me a book! and the website will find appropriate matches in the library s catalog. Clicking on a book cover image will pull up the book s record in the library s online catalog, showing the student if the book is available and where to find it. 6
Finding a read alike: From the landing page, the student clicks on Find a read alike. On this page, the student types the title of the book for which they want to find a read alike and searches for it in the library s catalog. 7
After locating the book in the library s catalog, descriptive metadata will populate a checklist where the student can identify what they liked about that particular book. The system will search the library s catalog to find other books with the same metadata to suggest to the student. 8
Clicking on a book cover image will pull up the book s record in the library s online catalog, showing the student if the book is available and where to find it. Future Functions and Possibilities - Allow students to rate books and/or write reviews for books they have read. Students searching for new books could use these ratings and/or reviews to see what their friends have liked. - Discussion forums, both online and offline, could be used by classes or individual students. - Mobile access so students don t have to physically be in the library to use the website. - Have account option so students can keep track of books they have liked, reading preferences, etc. Accounts would also allow parents to see what their children are reading. - Include movie titles in read alike search bar so students can find books similar to movies they like. Similar Existing Solutions - Amazon.com o Customers who bought this item also bought o Recommendations are based on your previous purchase history and ratings, as well as the purchase history and ratings of other people who bought the item. o Not connected to school library s catalog so if a student finds a book they want to read, they then have to access the catalog to see if it is in their library s collection. - Goodreads o Recommendations come from crowdsourcing and people making the recommendations are not trained in readers advisory. o Users have to have an account, which may be problematic for younger children. - Juvenile Series and Sequels Database (Mid-Continent Public Library, Missouri) o Linked lists showing relationships between books and series. o Only for series and sequential books, not standalone books. o May not be age-appropriate for elementary school users. - Library s Online Public Access Catalog 9
o Can search by title, author, and keyword but interface is often not intuitive for young users. o Browsing functions are clunky and limited. Why is Story Finder the best? - Students can use it on their own, empowering them to guide their own reading experience. - Results are personalized, based on individual students criteria. - Students learn to identify their own reading and story preferences. - Linked with library catalog so students have easy access to recommended books. Who am I? A lot about me: Genevieve Haggard. I am a native Austinite, but a first-time Longhorn. I have a B.A. in Religion, with a minor in Anthropology, from Trinity University. I have a background in victim services and office administration. In my future career, I will be a public elementary school librarian. I am the Teaching Assistant for Dr. Barbara Immroth's Materials for Children and Visual Resources for Youth classes, and Rebecca Elder's Management of Preservation Programs class. I also volunteer weekly in the Laurel Mountain Elementary School library. In my time here at the ischool, I have realized an interest in/passion for usability and positive user experiences. To me, that means creating a library environment where people feel welcome, comfortable, and empowered to navigate the space. In my personal life, I am a voracious reader, amateur crafter, enthusiastic helper, art lover, reformed worrier, puzzle doer, intrepid explorer, and pop culture enthusiast, among many other things. A little about me: Genevieve Haggard: children's librarian/professional book lover, practical/creative, collaborative/independent, curious/observant. Here to do. 10