Discussing Inquire with Lucye Magill of Lucy Beckham High School Media Center



  1. What are some examples of the ways in which you are implementing these competencies in your library program?

Starting in their ninth-grade year, students begin to have the librarian, Ms. Magill, come to their class to teach them about the research process. In the first session, Ms. Magill teaches them where to find the databases they can access as students in the district. As time progresses, Ms. Magill goes through the database search engine functions, like Power Search and Topic Finder. She also teaches them basic search tactics using Boolean operators and wild cards like the asterisk to truncate a word.

 During junior year, she works with the students on the research and inquiry process. The steps included in that process are plan, find, create, and present. She talks with the students about what they can expect during each step, including feeling directionless and lost, which is normalized and supported. Ms. Magill also takes this time to remind them that the inquiry process is a cycle and that learning has no endpoint, especially as you present it to other students—it's the start of a conversation.  The culmination of all of the research lessons is a senior research project.


  1. What are some of the resources in your library program that you are using to 

          implement these competencies?

Ms. Magill likes the Topic Finder feature in the Gayle database. It effectively helps students narrow down a broad topic by visually and graphically listing all of the subtopics associated with it. Another feature she finds helpful is the Opposing Viewpoints section, which allows students to read articles reflecting all the sides of an argument or issue. 

Ms. Magill says that she is also a resource. The students know they are always invited to work with her on their research needs. The library also has a media clerk, Ms. Schafe, who is devoted to the students and has created printables and pamphlets outlining the step-by-step process for researching and accessing the databases. 


  1. Do any of the competencies that you are implementing include collaboration with classroom teachers?  If so, please provide examples.

Yes! All of the lessons on research by Ms. Magill correlate to a project they are doing in that class. However, the most involved collaboration is the senior project mentioned before. The seniors spend several days in the library working on the project with the assistance of Ms. Magill. When the projects are ready, the seniors present them to a panel of judges in the library space, including the library staff. This is a practical project to help the students gain confidence in public speaking, a significant part of the inquiry process, as they disseminate their research findings. 

Ms. Magill also actively works with the various academic departments. When her schedule allows, she participates in the weekly meetings to keep up to date on lesson planning. Then, she can email teachers pertinent resources that could supplement their lessons. 


  1. What are some of the challenges that you face when trying to implement these competencies?

As always, librarians have time constraints with many irons on the fire, and finding a time that works for both the classroom teacher and her is difficult. Embedding research lessons into the student's curriculum heavily relies on the subject teacher’s willingness to give up their own instruction time. Some teachers are stuck in their ways and do the same lesson year after year, leaving no room for nuanced instruction. This inflexibility is a considerable hindrance to the implementation of the Inquire competencies. Additionally, Ms. Magill thinks students need even more practice with critical thinking skills. Too often, the answers are just given to them through Google and AI technologies. 


  1. Are there any other comments that you would like to make regarding the Shared Foundation / Competencies and Domains that we have discussed today?

Ms. Magill credits her flexible schedule for her effectiveness in helping students when they need her, at their personal point of need. She also keeps posters around her library detailing the inquiry process to help the students soak in the steps subconsciously, perhaps.


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