Mahitahi sees English graded reader collections combined

A combined effort by staff from the School of Linguistics and Applied Language Studies, the Library, and the Language Learning Centre helps streamline the issuing experience for incoming students of English as an additional language using graded readers.

Left: Alastair Baldwin (LALS) with the baskets where carded graded readers used to be returned. Right: the combined LLC/ELI graded reader collection in its old/new location.

Article by Alastair Baldwin

At the beginning of February, a small group of LLC, LALS and Library staff (Balint Koller, Ben Swale, Rory McKenzie, TJ Boutorwick, Alastair Baldwin and Jacqui Evans) began the process of integrating the ELI graded readers with the rest of the resources in the LLC’s Self-Access Library. The project aimed to streamline the student experience of issuing English graded readers from the LLC.

Around 260 of the most popular and best condition ELI graded readers were selected for the integration. These were combined with the LLC’s initial collection of around 250 English graded readers.

Staff from the University Library (Jacqui Evans and Jon Garner) provided training and support to our team in the use of the Library’s cataloguing systems. The project involved giving each of the 260 ELI readers a unique call-number, barcode and record on the University Library’s website (Te Waharoa).

Students now issue all English graded readers in the same way they would any of the LLC’s other resources – With their University Library account (created upon enrolment). If a student wishes to borrow an item, they must take the item to the main LLC counter and present either their Student ID card or ID number.

English graded readers are now all located on your left as you enter the LLC’s Self-Access Library (pictured below right).

With the integration work now complete, the next task will be to update the ESL Graded Readers website with the 260 newly added readers.