The Wilbury Crockett Library at Wellesley High School reported significant growth for the 2012-2013 year, including a 46% increase in classes and an 80% increase in student volunteers. Strategic plans for 2013-2014 involve enhancing collaborative research efforts, supporting curriculum development, and advocating for additional staffing. The Overdrive pilot program faced challenges but aimed to create a digital library to support student learning and promote reading.

1. Wilbury Crockett Library
Wellesley High School
End of Year Report
Submitted by Deeth Ellis
June 15, 2013

2. Events and Trends in 2012-
2013
• 46% increase in classes in the WHS library
• 12% Increase in circulation
• 80% Increase in student volunteers
• 10th
Grade Research Skills Proficiency
• WPS Overdrive Pilot (WEF Funded)
• New Freshmen Orientation Video
• WHS Library: Teacher/Staff Survey
• Two school library practicum students: Jaime Bears,
Simmons College; and Lisa Rogers, Cambridge College
• Strategic Plan Work: WHS Library and Wellesley Public
Schools

3. WHS Library - Looking Forward
2013-2014
• Continue collaborative work to integrate and assess
students’ research and information literacy skills.
• Support Social Studies Curriculum development.
• Support Science Curriculum review.
• Ensure role of department of libraries is defined in
WPS Strategic Plan.
• Present Library Strategic Plan to WPS.
• Advocate for reinstatement of second professional
position at WHS.
• Overdrive eBook Evaluation Program Continues.
• Evaluate WHS Library’s web presence and usefulness
to the community. Make recommendations for
improvements.

4. Classes in the WHS Library
Reasons for more classes:
• 2 spaces available for teachers (1938 Room & Lab 358)
• Increase in 10th
grade research assignments.
• More teachers integrating library skills independently in
their lessons and projects (ex. Earth Science, World
History, US History).
2011-2012 2012-2013
176 258

5. 10th
Grade Proficiency
March 15-19, 2013
Double-click
to view
presentation.

6. Overdrive Pilot
WEF Grant – Fiction eBooks on Demand
• $6,000 ($3000 for content) for Overdrive
Digital Library to provide content from “Big
Six” publishers.
• K-12 – to support iPad initiative, SPED
students, and reading for pleasure.
• 12 Devices purchased for WHS Library (6
Nooks, 6 Kindles)

7. Overdrive Pilot - Goal
To create a digital library of trade
(fiction/high interest non-fiction) titles that
support WPS curriculum and reading for
pleasure. Titles can be viewed or listened to
on any device (computer, iPad, iPod Touch,
phone, Kindle, etc.)

8. Overdrive Pilot:
Disappointing Statistics
Number of Checkouts Month
9 September
11 October
12 November
19 December
22 January
14 February
6 March
2 April
1 May
96 Total

9. Overdrive Pilot:
General Challenges
• Each device required a different way to download and
different way to log in.
• Elementary and WMS Students need parent information
which was not always available. Syncing turned off at home.
• Not always intuitive.
• More than one copy of many of the audio books/ebooks
needed.
• Someone in each building needed to promote, support and
train.
• Planning from staff before they need the books.
• Teachers need easy access to account information.
• Creating more training opportunities.

10. Overdrive Pilot: Questions
Looking Forward
•Collection Development: Building a
collection tailored to schools’ needs.
•Marketing/PR/Training: Increased
and more effective training and
promoting staff’s independent use of
digital library. Professional
development?
•Funding/Sustainability: Budget –
who pays? Subscription model.

11. Strategic Planning
• Department of Libraries, Wellesley Public
Schools K-12
• Final Draft aligned with WPS strategic plan to
be completed 7/2013 by Carolyn Markuson,
director of libraries, Elisabeth Zimmer,
librarian, Schofield Elementary & Deeth Ellis,
librarian, Wellesley High School.
• Wellesley Public Schools Strategic Planning
• Deeth Ellis, librarian, Wellesley High School
served on Strategic Plan Advisory Committee
(SPAC).

12. Strategic Planning, Libraries K-12
Vision Statement DRAFT
The Wellesley Public School’s Library
Program reinforces the system’s core values
through the support and implementation of the
district’s instructional goals. As a vital
component of the educational experience, the
Library Department helps develop curious,
creative, independent problem solvers who are
responsible global citizens able to demonstrate
academic scholarship, information literacy, and a
love of reading.

13. Strategic Planning, Libraries K-12
New Mission Statement DRAFT
• The Wellesley Public School Library Program supports the teaching
and learning of faculty and students in all grades, fosters a life-long
love of learning and reading, and encourages the development of
critical thinking and digital citizenship skills.
• The mission is accomplished through a WPS library curriculum with
literary and information literacy benchmarks and by:
• Collaborating with the faculty to develop effective learning strategies that
address the needs of students in an ever-changing global environment;
• Providing instruction to foster research competency and stimulate interest in
reading, viewing, using, and producing knowledge and ideas;
• Providing guidance and access to informational and recreational materials for
the school community.

14. Teacher/Staff Library Survey
– Identified Trends
35 respondents
• Staff want to be introduced to and learn about digital
resources in particular those that could be used as digital
textbooks or course material.
• Over 50% of respondents ask students to complete a
research project in their class each year.
• Students need help with breaking down a large topic to
start a research project, finding and selecting digital
resources independently and citing sources properly.

15. WHS Library Money Spent
2012-2013
• $15,300.00 - Operating Budget
• $10,000 - PTSO - For Print and eBooks
• $6000 WEF Grant for Overdrive for WPS district.
Approximately 1/3 went toward content for
secondary level.

16. In Collaboration with Wellesley
Free Library
• WHS Library Strategic Plan
• eBook/Overdrive Meeting, May 2013
• New from Wellesley Free Library:
•Historical Newspapers database
(starting FY 2014)
•Nature magazine (starting FY2014)
• Promoting Summer Reading 2013

17. Usage Statistics
Wilbury Crockett Library
Wellesley High School
2012-2013

18. WHS Library Databases

19. Database Usage Highlights
*Wellesley Free Library database as of Sept 2012
Database 2011-12
Searches
ABC/Clio 33,575
JSTOR 20,975
Historical
Newspapers
2,643
Gale Databases
and eBooks
13,721
PsycArticles n/a
2012-13
Searches
54,975
*11,150
2,743
11,864
3,317

20. Homepage: 41,464 hits (2012-2013)
66,962 hits (2011-2012)
WHS Library Website
2012-2013

21. WHS Library Wikispaces:
Databases A-Z List: 16,795 hits (2012-
2013)20,219 hits (2011-2012)
D

22. Research Project Resource Guides
– WHS Library Research Wiki
Project Page Number of Hits (2012-2013)
Independent Research Project –
11th
Grade English (Honors)
1,406
Climate Change – 9th
Grade Earth
Science
1,230
Mythology – 9th
Grade English 714
African Imperialism – 10th
Grade
World History
1,056
American Author – 10th
Grade
English
944

23. Junior Thesis, WHS Library
LibGuide: 2,598 hits

24. WHS Library: Citation Using
NoodleTools
2011-2012 2012-2013
2,801 2,942
Bibliographies Created

25. WHS Library: Collection
Highlights
Circulation
• 2012-2013 18,025
• Books/DVDs 2,761
• eBooks viewed 5,124
• Equipment 15,265
(laptops, cameras, headphones)
• 2011-2012 16,063
• Books/DVDs 4,111
• eBooks viewed unavailable
• Equipment 11,952

26. Available for Students to
Checkout in the WHS Library
Splitters
Digital Voice
Recorders
Cameras and
tripods
MacBooks
iPod Charger
eReaders
Headphones &
silencing
headphones

27. Technology Used: WHS
Library

28. Students and the WHS
Library

29. Student Volunteers
2012-2013
• 32 student volunteers
2011-2012
• 18 student volunteers
Students volunteered for National Honor Society
or Key Club hours. Some in order to get junior or
senior passes.

30. New! – Two Group Study Rooms
in Library
1189 student groups used Study
Rooms
Students are encouraged to use studyrooms to
work in groups of 5 or more. They reserve and sign
in to use the rooms in a book at the front desk.

31. Decorating the WHS Library with
Favorite Poems – April 12, 2013
Master of Ceremonies, Tom B.(left).
Seniors, Charlotte and Susannah
share a favorite poem.
During National Poetry
Month in April students
posted, read and
listened to peers read
poems.

32. Gayle Forman, author of Just One Day, If I Stay,
and Where She Went speaks to students
in the Wilbury Crockett Library

33. Bradford Articles on WHS
Library
• "Panelists encourage students to join scientific
debate” on Henrietta Lacks assembly – p. 1 (Oct.
2012).
• "Black History Month commemorates black
accomplishment”– p.1 (Feb. 2013).
• "Author Gayle Forman spreads awareness for
young adult fiction” on author’s visit with
English classes in WHS Library – p. 4 (Feb. 2013).
• "Wellesley High School Library displays
appreciation towards Asian-Pacific immigrants” -
Page 6L ((May 2013).

34. Advising Student Clubs
•Mrs. Ellis, Adviser to Anime/Manga
Club
•Tabletop Gaming with C. Rondash,
instructional library assistant
•Movie Club with J. Pollack,
instructional library assistant

35. New 9th
Grade Library Orientation Video,
Senior Project by L. DeFazio & T. Berman, Class
of 2013 with A. Jamali