Using Scran with study support groups & P7 classes Dorothy Elliott I would like to tell you about our experience in East Lothian in how we used Scran with 11 and 12 year olds. Firstly with study support groups and then with P7 pupils who visit the library with their class.

Why did we use Scran? Scran training Staff enthusiasm Online resource most suited to younger audience Training – although we had had access to Scran previously the training which approximately one third of our staff received refreshed it in our memories. Enthusiasm – the revamped web site was greeted enthusiastically by all staff who attended the training and they could see the advantages in its use for all ages of library members. And I am sure every member of staff returned to work clutching a card or calendar they had proudly produced to show their colleagues. So we decided this was too good an opportunity to pass up so we harnessed this enthusiasm. Younger audience – Previous training we received in online resources such as KnowUK and Kompass, although also worthwhile made staff veer towards an adult audience and the information they would be able to retrieve. But staff immediately felt with Scran that this was an opportunity to target a younger audience.

Scran and study support Home work clubs Aimed at P6 & P7 Voluntary attendance What do I mean by Study Support? – basically it is another term for homework clubs. These are running in 7 of our 12 libraries this year. The aim is to help children with their homework, school projects and computer skills, in an out of school environment. The sessions are weekly, last for approximately an hour and a half, and are managed by library staff. Target P6 & P7 – usually P7. The clubs are totally voluntary which provides a more relaxed atmosphere.

What did we do? Local quiz Created a calendar For example When was the Battle of Prestonpans? Find a picture of Haddington High Street Where would you find Greyfriars Bobby? What birds are found on the Bass Rock? Created a calendar What did we do? - Haddington Library piloted the idea so I would like to tell you about their experience. Quiz – they decided to copy part of the format of the staff training as this had proven to be successful. But rather than use the set quizzes within Scran the staff produced a quiz with a more local flavour which they thought the children might relate to better. Questions – These are examples of some of their questions. And I was told that they found the Greyfriars Bobby question the hardest! Calendar – once the quiz was over they were all allowed to produce a calendar for themselves; again remembering how much the staff enjoyed doing this in their training session.

Pros & Cons Pros Cons Quiz format Ease of use Calendar Children’s expectations Pros – Quiz format – not all the children were enthusiastic from the outset, it sounded a bit too much like schoolwork to be fun, one or two did not want to take part at all. But the competitive element added by the quiz as they worked in their teams to get the answers soon eliminated any negative feelings. Ease of use – the simplicity of the web site with the search box always available in the same place on each screen enabled the children to become familiar with the site quickly. And very soon they had forgotten they were learning. Calendar – it was important for the children to take something physical away with them from the session. Plus in looking for a suitable picture for their calendar they were being made aware of the huge variety of images held within Scran. Cons – their expectations. Society as a whole are so used to be able to key something into Google and get an answer (it may be the wrong one but you will usually get an answer). Children expected to retrieve an image no matter what they typed in. So it was important to stress where the images within Scran had come from so that they would not be too disappointed when they did not find a picture of Zinedine Zidane.

Scran and P7 class visits One invited visit to the library each year Reference skills Captive audience Scran & P7 – I line mange the biggest branch in East Lothian which is Musselburgh Library and we have 5 primary schools in Musselburgh One visit – each P7 class is invited to visit the library each year – this meant about 12 classes visiting in one term. Reference skills – the purpose of this visit is for a reference skills workshop where we have traditionally used reference books and the internet. We split the class in to 3 groups and a member of staff leads each group. Captive audience – they are a captive audience and it seemed a logical time to introduce Scran. And promotion of Scran in this way was always going to be more effective than endless posters or bookmarks.

What did we do? Searched for local images Searched for local images – Newhailes House – to show what a valuable resource Scran is for local projects, and also as a way of explaining what images are likely to be retrieved.

What did we do? Created cards or calendars Created cards or calendars - Edinburgh Zoo proved very popular, this is Mercedes the polar bear. And in this way we widened the scope of the resource showing how Scran could be useful in many of their school projects, not necessarily those dealing with their local area.

Pros & Cons Pros Cons Promotion of Scran to teachers and pupils Short introduction Pupils don’t leave empty handed Cons Children’s expectations No access at home Pros – Promotion of Scran to teachers and pupils – although schools do have access to Scran many teachers were unaware of this and of the sites value. Because of this the School Library Service are designing little bookmarks to send out to schools to reinforce the message. Short introduction – just enough to give a flavour of the site without any risk of boredom setting in Card/Calendar – and again the pupils left with a card or calendar which very conveniently has the Scran website at the bottom. Cons – again making sure that children’s expectations are brought under control - no access at home, unlike KnowUK and Britannica.

Would we do it again? Yes we would definitely do it again and Scran will be incorporated into our Class visit guidelines for all branches. It is fun and straightforward to use and with the quality and diversity of images you just don’t get elsewhere.