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Section 4: Sample Multiple-Choice Questions
WEST–E Library Media (042)

The sample test questions in this study guide are designed to give you an introduction to the nature of the questions included in the Washington Educator Skills Tests—Endorsements (WEST–E). They represent the various types of questions you may expect to see on an actual test in this test field; however, they are not designed to predict your performance on the test as a whole.

Work through the sample questions carefully before referring to the answers. The correct response and test objective being assessed are provided for each question. When you are finished with the sample questions, you may wish to review the test objectives and descriptive statements provided in the test framework for this test field.

In addition to reading and answering the sample questions, you should also utilize the following preparation materials available in this study guide:

Practice Questions

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The Teacher-Librarian

Objective 0001: Demonstrate knowledge of basic principles of librarianship as applied to school library media programs.

1. A school library media program has a goal of providing students with equitable intellectual access to information and ideas. The teacher-librarian can best achieve this goal by using which of the following approaches?

  1. informing students about various resources that are available beyond the school library media center
  2. including in the library media collection resources that represent diverse viewpoints and perspectives on a range of issues
  3. developing specialized collections of library media resources for each grade level or academic department
  4. designing instructional units that use library media resources to support concept development in multiple content areas
Enter to expand or collapse answer.Answer expanded
Correct Response: B.

2. Which of the following best describes the most important role of library media programs in a democratic society?

  1. offering a wide range of information and ideas for individuals and groups to consider
  2. identifying information resources that contain biased or potentially offensive content and viewpoints
  3. monitoring the use of information by individuals and groups to help enforce ethical guidelines
  4. providing information resources that emphasize the ideals of freedom and self-determination
Enter to expand or collapse answer.Answer expanded
Correct Response: A.

3. A teacher-librarian is ordering appropriate materials for the school library media center. Which of the following statements best indicates the teacher-librarian's adherence to the American Library Association (ALA) Library Bill of Rights?

  1. The teacher-librarian allows students access to materials regardless of the content.
  2. The teacher-librarian considers only materials that are appropriate for an elementary school.
  3. The teacher-librarian evaluates the materials after parents complete a survey of their viewpoints.
  4. The teacher-librarian asks for teachers' input into the types of materials students should be reading.
Enter to expand or collapse answer.Answer expanded
Correct Response: A.

4. A teacher approaches the school's teacher-librarian to ask for a list of books individual students have checked out. The teacher explains that the lists will help with instruction planning. Which of the following approaches should the teacher-librarian take in this situation?

  1. asking the teacher to provide a written request explaining the purpose of the list
  2. refusing to provide the teacher with the list because it violates privacy laws
  3. telling students they need to make their own lists to give to the teacher
  4. composing a list for the teacher but making the students' names anonymous
Enter to expand or collapse answer.Answer expanded
Correct Response: B.
Objective 0002: Examine the roles of the teacher-librarian and the relationship of the school library media program to the overall school program.

5. Which of the following activities best illustrates the teacher-librarian's integral role in curriculum development?

  1. The teacher-librarian examines teachers' unit plans and provides them with a list of supplementary library media resources for the units.
  2. The teacher-librarian regularly invites teachers to preview new library media resources.
  3. The teacher-librarian meets with teachers to discuss the information literacy skills students will need for an upcoming research project.
  4. The teacher-librarian develops grade-level summer reading lists for teachers to distribute to students.
Enter to expand or collapse answer.Answer expanded
Correct Response: C.

6. When a school library media center restricts access to resources that may suggest viewpoints contrary to the values of the students and community, the result is an infringement of:

  1. copyright.
  2. public policy.
  3. equity standards.
  4. intellectual freedom.
Enter to expand or collapse answer.Answer expanded
Correct Response: D.
Objective 0003: Demonstrate knowledge of collaboration and strategies for developing collaborative relationships within and beyond the school community to deliver integrated instruction and information services.

7. Which of the following represents a key element in successful collaboration between the teacher-librarian and the classroom teacher?

  1. similar educational philosophies and teaching styles
  2. ongoing communication about shared goals for student learning
  3. regular observation and evaluation of one another's instruction
  4. compatible approaches for managing student behavior
Enter to expand or collapse answer.Answer expanded
Correct Response: B.

8. A school's teacher-librarian would like to facilitate a connection between the school community and the greater community in which the school is located. Which of the following actions would best achieve this goal?

  1. forming partnerships with local corporations for the purpose of seeking donations for the library media center
  2. welcoming any willing volunteers from the neighborhood and surrounding businesses into the library media center to help
  3. having a library media center open house in which the library's programs, resources, and personnel are presented
  4. arranging for a popular author to speak at the library media center and inviting students' families and friends to attend
Enter to expand or collapse answer.Answer expanded
Correct Response: C.

Promoting Information Literacy Skills

Objective 0004: Demonstrate knowledge of information literacy skills and strategies for helping students and others learn how to use information independently, efficiently, and responsibly.

9. At the beginning of a research project, a teacher-librarian has third-grade students list what they want to know about their topics and then turn the list into questions. This approach is likely to be most effective in promoting the development of students':

  1. critical-thinking abilities.
  2. organizational skills.
  3. abstract-reasoning abilities.
  4. inquiry skills.
Enter to expand or collapse answer.Answer expanded
Correct Response: D.

10. Which of the following research activities is likely to be most effective in helping students learn how to evaluate information?

  1. Students examine resources that contain erroneous or conflicting information about their topic.
  2. Students write brief annotations for a variety of information resources on their topic.
  3. Students work in cooperative groups to gather and assemble information about various aspects of their topic.
  4. Students create concept maps on which to record information about their topic.
Enter to expand or collapse answer.Answer expanded
Correct Response: A.

11. Which of the following methods would most effectively guide students to locate relevant results when searching for information on the Internet?

  1. choosing clear, precise search words
  2. finding information that is reliable and current
  3. combining key words and modifiers
  4. using information geared to specific grade levels
Enter to expand or collapse answer.Answer expanded
Correct Response: C.

12. Which of the following phrases best describes the synthesis of information when conducting research on a topic?

  1. explanation of the steps involved
  2. comprehension of important points
  3. organization of information
  4. culmination of the process
Enter to expand or collapse answer.Answer expanded
Correct Response: D.
Objective 0005: Demonstrate knowledge of media literacy skills and strategies for helping students learn how to interpret and create meaning from media messages in a variety of forms.

13. Which of the following questions would be most important for students to ask in determining whether an online news article is journalism, rather than propaganda or publicity?

  1. Does the article present multiple viewpoints and factual information gathered from multiple sources?
  2. Does the article include an introductory lead, a summary, supporting details, and a conclusion?
  3. Does the article present a one-sided but fair argument or point of view supported by compelling evidence?
  4. Does the article include an acknowledgment that there may be missing or unobtainable facts that would shed more light on the topic?
Enter to expand or collapse answer.Answer expanded
Correct Response: A.

14. During a media literacy lesson, a teacher-librarian introduces students to a Web site with tips for becoming media literate. The students are excited to try the techniques, such as how to question data found in articles and ways to develop multimedia skills. Each lesson contains links to worksheets and software students can purchase. Given this information, which of the following media literacy lessons is the teacher-librarian promoting?

  1. Media can have commercial purposes.
  2. Audiences negotiate meaning in media.
  3. Each medium has a unique aesthetic form.
  4. Media contains ideological and value messages.
Enter to expand or collapse answer.Answer expanded
Correct Response: A.

15. Which of the following actions by a teacher-librarian is a media-literate approach to providing content in a school library media center?

  1. guarding students from potentially confusing or harmful information
  2. teaching students to analyze and evaluate information for bias and viewpoint
  3. allowing students access primarily to information from state or government sources
  4. screening information prior to making it available to students and teachers
Enter to expand or collapse answer.Answer expanded
Correct Response: B.
Objective 0006: Demonstrate knowledge of strategies for planning, implementing, and assessing information literacy instruction that is integrated with content curriculum.

16. Prior to assigning a major research project, a fifth-grade teacher expresses concern to the teacher-librarian about whether students have the necessary research skills to complete the project successfully. The teacher-librarian can best respond to this query by suggesting which of the following approaches?

  1. creating a checklist of steps involved in the research process for students to use as they gather information about their topics
  2. providing students with explicit instruction and opportunities to practice each component of the research process through several short-term assignments
  3. having students complete the research project in small groups and conducting regular informal assessments of their progress
  4. working with students as a large group to create a chart indicating what they already know about the research process and using the chart to plan instruction
Enter to expand or collapse answer.Answer expanded
Correct Response: B.

17. Middle school students will be conducting research for social studies class and creating individual multimedia presentations to share with their classmates. Which of the following approaches by the teacher-librarian would be most effective in assessing students' mastery of research skills associated with this project?

  1. working with the classroom teacher to develop an assessment rubric that includes criteria for evaluating both content and research objectives
  2. arranging for students to present their projects during library classes for evaluation of their research skills
  3. designing a written test on the relevant research skills for the classroom teacher to administer to students
  4. having students complete a self-assessment of the research skills they used during the project
Enter to expand or collapse answer.Answer expanded
Correct Response: A.

18. Which of the following obstacles would users of virtual libraries most likely encounter?

  1. Resources are limited to text formats.
  2. Most content is from recently published sources.
  3. Processes for accessing materials lack uniformity.
  4. Materials become obsolete quickly.
Enter to expand or collapse answer.Answer expanded
Correct Response: C.
Objective 0007: Demonstrate knowledge of information and communications technology and strategies for providing guidance and leadership in the use of these technologies.

19. A high school student with a mild hearing impairment would likely benefit most from which of the following technologies?

  1. written transcripts of video and DVD narration
  2. screen reading software for library media center and classroom computers
  3. videos and DVDs with closed captioning capability
  4. adaptive computer hardware in the library media center and classroom
Enter to expand or collapse answer.Answer expanded
Correct Response: C.

20. Which of the following actions should a teacher-librarian prioritize when planning to implement a new application in the library media center?

  1. evaluating the application's effectiveness in other libraries
  2. developing a problem statement and verifying facts to solve the problem
  3. enlisting the help of others to install the application
  4. creating a transition plan to bridge the old and new technologies
Enter to expand or collapse answer.Answer expanded
Correct Response: A.

21. A student copies a software program at home and installs it on computers in the library media center to share with other students. The student tells the teacher-librarian that the software has been installed. Which of the actions would be most appropriate for the teacher-librarian to take?

  1. writing to the software publisher for permission to share the software
  2. uninstalling all copies of the software from the library media center
  3. keeping the software on only one computer in the library media center
  4. buying additional copies of the software to install on each computer
Enter to expand or collapse answer.Answer expanded
Correct Response: B.

Managing the Library Media Collection

Objective 0008: Demonstrate knowledge of literature for children and young adults and strategies for helping students become lifelong learners who read for a wide range of purposes.

22. When selecting multicultural literature for a library media program, the teacher-librarian should give primary consideration to books that:

  1. introduce readers to general characteristics of diverse groups.
  2. address issues of bias or discrimination explicitly through their story lines.
  3. appeal to the broadest possible range of readers.
  4. include well-developed characters that are portrayed in authentic settings.
Enter to expand or collapse answer.Answer expanded
Correct Response: D.

23. A middle school student asks the teacher-librarian for help finding an interesting fiction book. The teacher-librarian can best assist the student by:

  1. showing the student to the section of the library media center where fiction titles are located.
  2. providing the student with an annotated grade-level reading list.
  3. describing for the student some personal favorites in the area of fiction.
  4. asking about fiction the student has recently read and enjoyed.
Enter to expand or collapse answer.Answer expanded
Correct Response: D.

24. Which of the following steps would be most appropriate for a teacher-librarian to take when helping a student choose a book?

  1. asking the student to browse through the chapter books to find one that looks interesting
  2. having the student look through a series of recently published online book reviews
  3. searching the library media center's database for books that are most often checked out
  4. consulting a list of books that are recent winners and nominees for children's literature awards
Enter to expand or collapse answer.Answer expanded
Correct Response: D.

25. Which of the following themes is most characteristic of dystopian fiction?

  1. coming of age
  2. courage and heroism
  3. self-discovery
  4. loss of individualism
Enter to expand or collapse answer.Answer expanded
Correct Response: D.
Objective 0009: Demonstrate knowledge of strategies for developing and maintaining a library media collection that supports the educational goals of the school and the information needs of students, teachers, and other members of the school community.

26. Which of the following elements is most important to include in a collection development plan for a school library media center?

  1. names of individuals who will participate in decisions about the collection
  2. criteria for deselecting materials that are no longer appropriate for the collection
  3. comparisons with the collections in other schools with similar student populations
  4. potential funding sources for the acquisition of new materials for the collection
Enter to expand or collapse answer.Answer expanded
Correct Response: B.

27. A student's relative donates a large collection of books to the school library media center. After accepting the donation, which of the following actions should the teacher-librarian take first?

  1. weeding the book collection
  2. adding the books to the shelves
  3. cataloging the books for immediate circulation
  4. putting bookplates with the donor's name in each book
Enter to expand or collapse answer.Answer expanded
Correct Response: A.

28. A school's History Club wants to check out the library media center's DVD of Les Miserables to show during the club's fundraiser. The teacher-librarian tells the club's leader it may not be possible to show the DVD to the club. The teacher-librarian offers to check into the matter quickly and perhaps offer other options. Which of the following guidelines regarding material use is the teacher-librarian enforcing for ethical reasons?

  1. The library media center's DVDs are reserved for classroom use.
  2. Some DVDs do not include rights to be shown for public performances.
  3. The school library media center cannot provide access to a large screen.
  4. The DVD is already checked out by a student and cannot be requested.
Enter to expand or collapse answer.Answer expanded
Correct Response: B.
Objective 0010: Demonstrate knowledge of procedures related to the acquisition, organization, and circulation of library media resources.

29. A teacher-librarian has received a selection of new books as gifts for the library media collection. Purchasing the bibliographic records from a vendor would delay the circulation of these books, so the teacher-librarian plans to create records for these books. Which of the following would provide the best source of bibliographic information for this process?

  1. the Dewey Decimal Classification guidelines
  2. the Cataloging in Publication data on the back of each book's title page
  3. the Web site for the American Library Association
  4. the catalogs developed by the publisher of each book
Enter to expand or collapse answer.Answer expanded
Correct Response: B.

30. Which of the following strategies is likely to be most efficient for analyzing the overall condition of a library media collection?

  1. assessing the condition of resources as part of the regular inventory process
  2. maintaining a log of resources that must be discarded due to poor condition
  3. asking volunteers to monitor the condition of resources when shelving materials
  4. including questions about the condition of resources on student surveys
Enter to expand or collapse answer.Answer expanded
Correct Response: A.

31. Which of the following statements explains the primary advantage of using online circulation and cataloging systems in a school library media center?

  1. The teacher-librarian can run reports and analyses of the collection quickly.
  2. Parents or administrators can check students' records easily.
  3. Library media center users can search the catalog from home.
  4. The library media center can be staffed by volunteers more efficiently.
Enter to expand or collapse answer.Answer expanded
Correct Response: C.

Administering the Library Media Program

Objective 0011: Examine the responsibility of the teacher-librarian to serve as an advocate for the school library media program and to seek opportunities for continuous growth as a professional.

32. Which of the following actions, if taken by a teacher-librarian, is most likely to be effective in promoting the library media program to the school community?

  1. posting the hours of operation for the library media center in prominent locations throughout the school
  2. making the library media center available as a meeting space for students and staff as needed
  3. creating a print and digital newsletter highlighting library media activities and upcoming events
  4. providing lists of new library media resources at the checkout desk for interested students and staff
Enter to expand or collapse answer.Answer expanded
Correct Response: C.

33. A teacher-librarian's membership in a professional organization includes access to journals that describe research related to library media programs. The teacher-librarian can best use this research to:

  1. help ensure that local library media program activities reflect current best practices.
  2. select relevant and appropriate topics for school staff development activities.
  3. determine whether local library media services are appropriate for the student population.
  4. advocate with district decision makers for increased budgets for district library media programs.
Enter to expand or collapse answer.Answer expanded
Correct Response: A.

34. Which of the following groups is likely to be the best advocate for a school's library media program?

  1. Parent Teacher Organization (PTO)
  2. US Department of Education (ED)
  3. American Library Association (ALA)
  4. State Board of Education (SBE)
Enter to expand or collapse answer.Answer expanded
Correct Response: A.
Objective 0012: Demonstrate knowledge of principles and practices related to the management of human, financial, and physical resources in the school library media program.

35. Which of the following is the teacher-librarian's most important responsibility in supervising library media staff?

  1. working with staff members to develop an evaluation instrument for assessing their job performance
  2. serving as a liaison between staff members and building administrators
  3. establishing and communicating standards for staff members' job performance
  4. providing staff members with access to handbooks and other relevant school documents
Enter to expand or collapse answer.Answer expanded
Correct Response: C.

36. A school library media program has adopted a flexible schedule. Some teachers have expressed concern that too many students are using the library media center at once with this form of scheduling. The teacher-librarian can best address this concern by taking which of the following actions?

  1. reserving blocks of time during the school day for specific grade levels to use the library media center
  2. suggesting that teachers develop their own schedules regulating their students' visits to the library media center
  3. instituting a limit of one visit to the library media center per day per student
  4. working with teachers to design a pass system that allows a reasonable number of students to visit the library media center at a given time
Enter to expand or collapse answer.Answer expanded
Correct Response: D.

37. A school community has asked the teacher-librarian to consider providing access to a primary source online database. The cost of this database is not within the school's budget, so the teacher-librarian explores alternative ways to provide access for the school. Which of the following actions would be most appropriate for the teacher-librarian to take for this purpose?

  1. providing the school community members with a local university's link to the database
  2. trying to negotiate a better price on the database for the school individually or as part of a consortium
  3. selecting the most well-known primary sources and adding several of them to the school's collection
  4. asking a student's parent serving on the local school council to recommend approving additional funds
Enter to expand or collapse answer.Answer expanded
Correct Response: B.
Objective 0013: Demonstrate knowledge of principles and practices related to the development, implementation, and ongoing evaluation of the school library media program.

38. A library advisory committee is developing long-range goals for the school library media program. Which of the following factors is most important to consider in this process?

  1. the degree of support from building and district administrators
  2. the information and learning needs of the specific population of the school
  3. the typical annual budget for resources and technology
  4. the availability of information resources and services within the larger community
Enter to expand or collapse answer.Answer expanded
Correct Response: B.

39. A teacher-librarian is evaluating the library media center's ability to provide access to reliable, current, and relevant print and digital resources that support the curriculum. Which of the following tools would be the best indicator of success in these areas?

  1. usage statistics
  2. purchasing records
  3. staff and student surveys
  4. library media center schedule
Enter to expand or collapse answer.Answer expanded
Correct Response: C.

40. A teacher-librarian is setting up an advisory board focused on the effectiveness of the library media center's technology and digital content. The teacher-librarian has asked some faculty members and students to serve on the board. Which of the following resources is the most likely contribution that student participants will provide?

  1. academic expertise
  2. program commitment
  3. curriculum collaboration
  4. market intelligence
Enter to expand or collapse answer.Answer expanded
Correct Response: D.