Review and report
Wendy Stephens puts her library background to work as a reference reviewer
Like so many people, Wendy Stephens embarked on a career path that made various stops, including TV producer, newspaper writer and community college instructor. Finally, her love of education and technology merged into her dream job at Buckhorn High School in New Market, Alabama.
It's a dream, but also a challenge. At Buckhorn High School, 50 percent of the school's 1,200 students will enroll in college; of those 50 percent will continue to the second year. Because of this, vocational education is gaining a foothold in the district. "Drafting and electronics have come to our school," she says. "We're trying to relocate health care and other vocational opportunities back here in a wider way."
When Stephens joined the school district, "the area was rural, she says. "now it's more suburban." That demographic shift, and the influx of about 400 additional students in just a few years, has challenged Stephens to provide the right mix of resources that fulfill academic needs while meeting the school's collection budget.
But if being her school library's sole go-to source — librarian, media specialist, curriculum consultant and student sounding-board — isn't enough to fill her day, Stephens is also pursuing her doctoral degree from the University of North Texas and contributes reference reviews to galeschools.com.
A voice for the reader
Her experience reviewing books provide a foundation for decision-making in the library. After reviewing books for her local newspaper, Stephens joined Gale as the Reference Unbound columnist.
"Every librarian has the experience of ordering something and not getting what they expected," says Stephens. "My job is to help them. I envision how a book or a database will fit into the curriculum. I look at it through the lenses of a librarian, a teacher and a student."
For nonfiction, the priority is the curriculum. "I'm looking for readability and accessibility. That has to do with layout and font size as much as the words." Stephens describes herself as "one of those people, if I see the same book in an old edition and a new one, I have to compare how book looks in its updated form. Is it better than the old one?"
Stephens uses the same design and layout criteria when assessing online resource. It's got to be clean, straightforward and logical — with just enough flourishes to enhance the experience without getting in the way of the research.
When not running her library or reviewing references, Stephens conducts a lively network of associates and peers, using Twitter and other social media. "Librarians like to share," she says. "I have this instant ability to meet librarians from across the country, who are as interested in technology as I am."
Next month: A champion of new media in the classroom and the library.