Mary Jane Santos, Director
Delaware County District Library
Can you help me with my science fair project?
“Where are your books on diaper absorbency?” “Can you help me with my science fair project? I don’t have a topic yet.” Any librarian who has been on the reference desk during science fair time has heard questions like these. Students who are eager (and some not so eager) to get started on the research for the projects are painfully uninformed about the resources available to them at their public library, and the students of Delaware County District Library (DCDL) are certainly no exception.
After several frustrating science fair cycles, the reference librarians at DCDL decided to reach out to students, parents and teachers, to help them optimize their use of the library’s resources. They also recognized the need to make small but effective changes to the organization of material at the library to minimize everyone’s frustration. After devising their game plan, the librarians took it to the schools.
Working with the science teachers at the city’s middle schools, reference librarians arranged to visit every science classroom after the introduction of science fair assignments, to speak directly to students. The librarians explained the types of material they could find in the library, from books to science encyclopedias to magazine articles to online databases and Internet resources. The explanation of interlibrary loan service both amazed and delighted students who never realized such a service was available to them.
After speaking with students, the reference librarians reached out to the parents by participating in an evening program with the teachers who carefully and thoroughly introduced the details of a science fair project and parents’ involvement. The reference librarians were on the agenda and gave similar information to the parents that had been shared with their children.
Presentations completed, the librarians waited at their reference desks to see if there were any fruits to their labors. Happily, dozens of students heard what was said and understood the role of the reference librarians and the library in helping them complete their research. Their questions became more focused and they realized the need to seek information, not necessarily books on their topics.
This process has led to a successful collaboration between the library and those involved with a science fair project, and much of the success followed from the lengthy involvement that the reference librarians had with the Ohio Academy of Science (OAS). It was important for the library staff that information given to students and parents was consistent with the guidelines established by the OAS; it was equally important that the reference librarians knew and understood these guidelines.
The collaboration between DCDL and OAS is now about ten years old, and it is still vital and extremely helpful. Because of our long-term relationship with OAS, I was asked to help with the updating of standards for science fair, especially in terms of how public libraries and science fair students interact. Lynn Elfner, Chief Executive Officer of OAS, organized a meeting at the State Library of Ohio in July to bring together other librarians who have had successful projects involving students, teachers and the OAS, along with Marsha McDevitt-Stredney from the State Library of Ohio. With Lynn’s guidance and vital input from Joanne Mann, author of Science Day Standards Handbook, our task was to review, update and reorganize the standards to make them more relevant to the print and non-print resources now available such as Ohio Web Library, and to make them as approachable as possible. The committee day’s work resulted in an outline from which OAS will be able to develop effective new and improved Science Day standards that will beneficial to teachers, students and librarians alike.
The Science Day Standards Handbook will soon be updated, and it is easily accessible at the Ohio Academy of Science’s web site (http://www.ohiosci.org). I would encourage librarians to take full advantage of the resources available at OAS, as well as reaching out to students and teachers to help minimize everyone’s frustrations during science fair research.
Visit the Delaware County District Library website at: http://www.delawarelibrary.org/