Presenter: Name: Marie Langevin

Organization/School: Charlotte Country Day Lower School

Program Description
When school librarians step into a new role, they often inherit a collection that reflects the priorities of past educators, outdated curriculums, and shifting ideologies. Without thoughtful intervention, these collections may fail to serve the current needs of students and faculty. This session will guide attendees through the process of evaluating and revitalizing an inherited school library collection to create a dynamic, responsive resource for both research and recreation.

Using our experiences in PreK through 12th grade school libraries as a framework, we will explore the steps necessary to transition a legacy collection into one that is inclusive, relevant, and aligned with contemporary learning and literacy goals. Topics will include:
~Needs Assessment: Identifying the information, literacy, and entertainment needs of your current student and faculty populations.
~Curricular Assessment: Aligning the collection with updated curriculum standards, research expectations, and classroom needs.
~Genrefication: Restructuring the collection to improve accessibility, usability, and engagement for young and older readers alike.
~Diversity Indexing: Evaluating representation in the collection and identifying gaps to ensure a more inclusive and equitable selection.
~Catalog Refresh: Strategies for optimizing cataloging practices to improve discoverability and ease future collection management.
~Weeding & Purging: Making informed decisions about what to remove and how to responsibly discard or repurpose outdated or irrelevant materials.
~Rebuilding the Collection: Developing a strategic plan for acquisitions that prioritizes student interest, curricular alignment, and future adaptability.
~Leveraging Tools to Identify Gaps: Utilizing resources like Mackin and Follett to analyze collection strengths and weaknesses.
~Building Without a Budget: Creative strategies for enhancing the collection when funding is limited, including grants, partnerships, and community engagement.

This session will provide actionable steps, best practices, and practical tools to help school librarians reshape their collections to meet the evolving needs of their school communities. Attendees will leave with a roadmap for transforming their libraries into vibrant, student-centered learning spaces—no matter what collection they inherit.

Learning Objectives
By the end of this session, participants will be able to:

Assess Collection Relevance – Conduct a needs and curricular assessment to evaluate how well an inherited collection aligns with current student interests, research needs, and faculty curriculum requirements.

Implement Genrefication Strategies – Organize collections by genre to improve accessibility, engagement, and ease of use for different age groups.

Evaluate and Improve Diversity Representation – Utilize diversity indexing tools to assess representation in the collection and develop a plan to address gaps in content.

Optimize Cataloging for Future Use – Refresh catalog records with metadata and organization strategies that enhance searchability and long-term collection management.

Develop a Weeding and Rebuilding Plan – Make informed decisions on purging outdated or irrelevant materials while identifying priorities for rebuilding the collection.

Leverage Collection Development Tools – Use digital platforms to analyze collection strengths and weaknesses, ensuring balanced and comprehensive holdings.

Explore Budget-Friendly Collection Development – Identify creative solutions for expanding and enhancing the collection when funding is limited, including grants, donations, and community partnerships.

Apply Practical Strategies Immediately – Take away actionable steps, templates, and best practices to begin reshaping their library collections for a more inclusive, relevant, and engaging experience.

This session will empower school librarians to transform their inherited collections into dynamic, student-centered resources tailored to the evolving needs of their school communities.

Program Outline
I. Introduction

Welcome, introduce presenters, and objectives of the session

The importance of collection revitalization in today’s school libraries

Brief discussion: Common challenges librarians face with inherited collections

II. Needs & Curricular Assessment

Understanding Your Users: Conducting surveys, interviews, and observations to assess student and faculty needs

Curricular Alignment: Mapping the collection to current academic standards and classroom requirements

III. Diversity Indexing & Inclusive Representation

Assessing Diversity in the Collection: Tools and techniques for evaluating representation

Identifying Gaps: Strategies for ensuring books reflect diverse perspectives, cultures, and experiences

Practical Exercise: Participants review sample book lists to determine diversity gaps

IV. Catalog Optimization & Weeding Strategies

Catalog Refresh: Metadata updates, subject headings, and improving searchability

Weeding with Purpose: Criteria for removing outdated, irrelevant, or biased materials

Hands-on Activity: Participants analyze sample book records and discuss whether to keep, update, or remove them

V. Genrefication & Accessibility

Why Genrefy?: Benefits of reorganizing by genre for student engagement and usability

Best Practices: Strategies for implementing genrefication without overwhelming staff or users

VI. Rebuilding with Purpose

Developing an Acquisition Plan: Balancing student interests, academic needs, and long-term adaptability

Leveraging Data: Using collection analysis tools to guide purchasing decisions

VII. Budget-Friendly Collection Building

Maximizing Limited Funds: Grant opportunities and creative funding sources

Partnerships & Community Engagement: Working with local businesses, public libraries, and donors

VIII. Implementation Roadmap & Closing Discussion

Building a Sustainable Plan: Creating a timeline for collection changes

Q&A and Final Reflections

Takeaway Toolkit: Resources, templates, and best practices for attendees to apply in their libraries
Reclaiming the Library: Transforming an Inherited Collection to Meet Today’s Needs

Grade Level: Not grade specific

Session Strand: Collection Development

Presenter
Marie Langevin

Marie Langevin has worked in education since 2007, beginning her career as a secondary English and History teacher before transitioning into high school librarianship. She now serves as the Lower School Librarian at Charlotte Country Day School in Charlotte, North Carolina. In addition to her school-based work, Marie is the co-chair of the AASL Standards Committee and an active member of the North Carolina School Library Media Association.

Sarah Richardson

Sarah Richardson began her career in 2011, and after six years of teaching middle and high school English, made the transition out of the classroom and into the library. She earned dual BAs in English and Secondary Education from the University of Providence in Great Falls, Montana, an MA in Educational Psychology from the University of Connecticut, and an MLIS from the University of North Carolina Greensboro. Currently, she serves as an Upper School Librarian at Charlotte Country Day School in Charlotte, North Carolina.


Description: Stepping into a new role often means inheriting a collection shaped by past curriculums and outdated priorities. How do you realign it with today’s learner and faculty needs? In this session, we’ll share our process of assessing and revitalizing school libraries to create dynamic, relevant collections.

Topics include needs and curricular assessments, genrefication, diversity indexing, cataloging strategies, weeding, rebuilding, and leveraging digital tools to identify gaps. We’ll also explore creative solutions for collection development when funds are scarce.

Leave with practical strategies and a roadmap to transform your library into a vibrant, student-centered space—no matter what collection you inherit.