The School Library Media Specialist: Course Materials: Course Guide

Students new to online courses always want to know where the course "is". This web page has been designed to help you organize your thinking about the course. Hopefully, it will also provide a helpful timeline. I recommend that you bookmark this page for easy access.

Work your way systematically through each of these CourseQuest to complete the course. Email your instructor if you have any questions. I'm happy to help!

This Course Guide is divided into the following sections:

Overview
The Library Media Professional
The Library Media Program
Information Access and Delivery
Program Administration
Program Advocacy

Overview

Read the Overview: Introduction for the "big picture" of the course.

Read The Vision to explore the world of the teacher librarian and the school library media program.

Read Morris Chapter 1: School Library: A Historical Perspective; Chapter 2: Forging Partnerships Toward Information Literacy; and Chapter 10: Technology: The Crucial Link.

Read about The Learning Community: Three Themes. Then, read about the three themes below:

Read Doll Introduction plus Chapter 1: Collaboration: What and Why; Chapter 2: Collaboration in the School, and Chapter 3: Collaborating with Teachers.

Read Information Power Chapter 1: The Vision; Chapter 2: Information Literacy Standards for Student Learning; and Chapter 7: Connections to the Learning Community.

The Library Media Professional

Read The Library Media Specialist to learn about this professional position.

Read about Your Role as a Professional to find out about roles and responsibilies. Then skim the following resource pages:

Read Morris Chapter 3: Functions of the School Library Media Center; Chapter 4: Developing a School Library Media Program; and Chapter 13: Outside the Walls of the Library Media Center. Also skim Morris Appendices 1 and II.

Read Doll Chapter 4: Collaboration Skills; Chapter 5: Interpersonal Skills and Collaboration; and Chapter 6: Information Literacy Models plus the Appendix (Watt).

Decision Point Discussion 1
Blown Away!

Is the library program more than a physical place?

A tornado has destroyed the wing of your building containing your library media center and the gymnasium. Somehow the rest of the school building survived. However your center will be closed for the entire year. The school board is thinking about eliminating your position for the rest of the year.

What will you do? You must come up with innovative ways to keep your program vital. Be sure to include examples in the area of collaboration, leadership, and technology.

Return to Top

The Library Media Program

Web Read Library Media Program: Introduction. Then, read each of the following related pages:

Read Morris Appendix IV and Chapter 14: Evaluation

Read Information Power Chapter 4: Learning and Teaching and Chapter 5: Information Access and Delivery. Also read Appendices A - F.

Decision Point Discussion 2
Evidence-based Decisionmaking

Make It Real
Your principal has announced that each department begin collecting evidence of the effectiveness of their program. You've been given David Loertscher's handout as a recommended place to start with the library media program. Read off-site article Project Achievement: Brief Guide and Handouts (PDF document, 2003) by David Loertsher.

Choose ONE of the following two options.

Option 1 -
Select one of the four areas: reading, collaboration, information literacy, or technology described by Loertscher. Select particular aspects of the guidelines or samples that you think would be particularly worthwhile. Would you select an emphasis or make your project more general? Would you use the entire school or focus on a particular grade level or subject area? What direct and/or indirect measures would you use? Why?

Discuss how you would go about convincing your teachers to participate in this type of evidence-gathering activity. Your arguments should be aimed at the average overworked and underpaid teacher who may not be as enthusiastic as you are about this project.

Option 2 -
Develop a new measurement area or a subset of one of the basic four (i.e., primary sources, current events). Use the off-site article Collecting the Data project for ideas. Apply ideas from the four areas provided as examples. Create a Library Media Center Program Ripple Effect Measures page for your topic including LMC Agenda goals, Curriculum Agenda goals, pebbles to measure, justification, demonstrate through research and practice that..., and report.

Discuss why you think this approach would be effective with this topic.

Return to Top

Information Access and Delivery

Web Read: Information Access and Delivery: Introduction . Then, read: The Teacher Librarian as Collection Developer.

Read Policies and Procedures. Then, read each of the following related webpages:

Read Morris Chapter 8: Media Selection: Policies and Procedures and Chapter 9: Media Selection: Criteria and Selection Aids.

Decision Point Discussion 3
Tough Issues

Option 1 - Hot Button Topics

Create a list of your "hot button" topics. What do you think triggers these reactions?

You've taken a new job in the mid-year. After a couple weeks on the job, a box arrives from Follett containing items purchased by the previous media specialist before leaving. As you open the box, some of the titles catch your eye. Do you think your personal stance would have an impact on the way you'd handle the materials? What about whether the building is an elementary, middle, or high school?

Discuss your initial reaction.

Select at least three and discuss why they drew your attention.
• Gay and alternative lifestyles
• Political viewpoints
• Stem cell research
• Evolution
• Angels in our world
• Fahrenheit 911
• Graphic novels
• Human sexuality
• The Koran
• Witchcraft and the Occult
• Crossing Over

Then, discuss what you would do next.

Option 2 - Rights

Do your students have rights? How would you handle the following situation? Do you have a policy to cover this? What are the issues?

Discuss BOTH of the following two situations:

Situation 1 - The Search Warrant
You're called to the office by the principal and introduced to two FBI agents. They have a warrant to search your records. They say they have reason to believe that a group of students are planning an illegal activity. What do you do?

Situation 2 - The Tyed-Dyed Uniforms
Someone broke into the middle school gym's storage area and stole the basketball team uniforms. The white uniforms showed up in tyed-dyed and hanging from the flag pole! The principal wants to see who checked out books on tye dying. What's your response?

Read Collection Development. Then, read each of the following related pages:

Decision Point Discussion 4
Fun with Weeding

Apply the CREW method of collection analysis and weeding. Use the following resources to prepare for this activity:

Weeding with the CREW Method - Online Presentation by Belinda Boone (After clicking above, look for downloaded PowerPoint Presentation on your desktop).

The CREW Method: Expanded Guidelines for Collection Evaluation and Weeding for Small and Medium-Sized Public Libraries (1995) from the Texas State Library and Archives Commission. Don't miss the Overview Chart of Crew Formulas.

CREW Method in "Guidelines for Collection Evaluatin and Weeding" by Joanne Moore

Some Special Considerations... By Dewey Section - by M.A Evans Handy
This article discusses issues about weeding each Dewey section.

Select a nonfiction topic that can be represented by a specific Dewey Number.

Compare the first 50 titles with that number found at a local school library to those found in the same area of a local public library (young adult or children's collection). Compare content and copyright date. What are your conclusions? How are the collections similiar and different?

Return to Top

Program Administration

Read the Program Administration: Introduction and Teacher Librarian as Manager. Then, read each of the following related pages:

Read Morris Chapter 12: Program Administration
Read Information Power Chapter 6: Program Administration

Decision Point Discussion 5
Time!

Choose ONE of the following two options.

Option 1 - Time Management
Create a list of tasks that would fall under each of the following categories: low level clerical, high level clerical, low level professional, and high level professional. How much time do you think the typical library media specialist spends completing activities in each category? What do you think is an appropriate distribution? Compare your thinking with another media specialist.

Generate three examples of ways that a library media specialist could save time. Would these time savers cost money? How much time could be saved in a typical week?

Think about how you spend your time (24/7) right now. Conduct an analysis how you spend your time (i.e., day, couple days, week). Are you surprised by your findings? Discuss what you might do to adjust your distribution of time.

Option 2 - Flexible Scheduling
Define flexible scheduling. Discuss different perspectives on the issue.

Read Position Statement on Flexible Scheduling from American Association of School Librarians (AASL).

Read Flexible Scheduling: Implementing an Innovation by Joy McGregor in School Library Media Research, 2006, 9.

Read Its Good to Be Inflexible by Doug Johnson in School Library Journal, Nov 2001, 47(11).

Do you agree or disagree with Doug Johnson? Take a stand, present your argument. Convince your opponents.

Read Facilities. Then, read each of the following related pages:

Read Morris Chapter 7: Facilities and skim Appendix III: Directory of Selected Library Furniture and Supply Houses.

Decision Point Discussion 6
Design a Library!

You have the chance to design and build a new school library. Cool!

Review the Elements of Facilities page. It contains a long list of topics, however it's doesn't include everything.

Choose ONE of the following two options.

Option 1 - Using this list as a starting point, identify at least two components that you think are missing for your new library. Also, identify at least two things / elements that you don't think are necessary for your center. In all cases, explain your reasoning.

Option 2 - Explore one area of facilities design in-depth. Using the elements page as a starting point, draw in additional resources and references that would be necessary to make educated decisions about this topic. Topic Ideas: carpeting and health concerns, shelving height vs visual monitoring, security systems.

Read Human Resources. Then, read each of the following related pages:

Read Morris Chapter 6: Staff.

Read Service. Then, read the following related page:

Professional Development

Decision Point Discussion 7
People Power!

Choose ONE of the following two options.

Option 1 - Volunteers
Your predecessor preferred to work alone, so they never developed a volunteer program. You believe your program might benefit from volunteers. Develop a program for recruiting, training, and supervising volunteers. In your plan, identify specific purpose(s) and activities of volunteers.

What policies do you need to handle issues that might arise relating to volunteers? Use the following websites to help you create a policy.
Library Media Center Volunteer Handbook from Stoormoth Elementary School, WI
Library Volunteer Guidelines from Melrose Public Schools, MA
Volunteer Info from Grand View Elementary School Library, CA
Volunteers from Library Procedures Manual, Georgetown TX Independent School District
Volunteer Handbook from Deerfield Community School, NH

Option 2 - Bridge the Digital Divide
Read Jakob Nielsen's (Nov. 2006) online article Digital Divide: The Three Stages and 'Digital Divide' Affects School Success from eSchool Online (Dec. 2005). You recognize a digital divide in your school and community. Some students have technology at home and some don't. What can the library media program do to bridge the digital divide? Develop a comprehensive plan based on evidence.

Read Budget Process. Then, be sure to read the following four related pages:

Read Morris Chapter 5: The Media Center Budget and Chapter 11: Acquisition and Organization.

Decision Point Discussion 8:
Budgets & Budgeting

First Option
Read Key Instructional Word: Collection Development - Budget by Daniel Callison from SLMAM, 2003. (PDF document), Then, examine a Fourth Grade Economics Inquiry Project (PDF file) and the Inquiry Budget Template (Word document).

Complete the Microsoft Word template for your own collaborative inquiry project. And/or use a spreadsheet for the specifications for each item to be purchased with library funds. Be sure to attach this to your message.

Option (2) - Only to be completed if you have done or will do above option and more as part of a Toolkit component:
Talk with a school library meida specialist aobut acquisition and budget processes. Start with but do not limit the discussion with questions:
* What is the budgeting process?
* Describe the process for purchasing.
* Do you use a jobber?
* Do you purchase from a local bookstore?
* How much do they personally handle? What other library / school and school corporation staff are involved?
* Do they purchase materials that are pre-processed?
* Do they receive electronic records for their automated system?
* Are there policies / procedures for handling gifts, donations, book fair money, etc.
Summarize your findings; report what you learn . . .

Return to Top

Program Advocacy

Read Read: Advocacy: Introduction and Teacher Librarian as Advocate. Then, explore the following two topics:

Decision Point Discussion 9:
Plan An Event!

Read the materials at ALA's Banned Book Week website. Use these materials to develop your own promotion for this event or to provide ideas for other types of events.

Or, plan another kind of event using the resources on this page to get you started. Some ideas are provided below:
Teacher Tap: Contests, Fairs, and Publishing: Sharing on the Web
Teacher Tap: Annual Events
Teacher Tap: Face-to-Face and Virtual Author & Illustrator Visits
Teacher Tap: Face-to-Face and Virtual Book Clubs & Reading Groups
Scholastic Book Fair
Media Fair
Reading Is Fundamental

Tell us about the event you have in mind. What's the theme or event topic? purpose? partners? audience? timeline? activities? facilities? advertising? budget? data-collection?

Read Change: Innovating Practices and Evolving Roles.

Reality Check Project Due.

Read Reflection. Also read online materials about School Media Career Strategies.

Decision Point Discussion 10:
Innovate, Change!

Choose ONE of the following two options.

Option 1 - Checkout Change
Read The Honor System by Pam Davis in School Library Journal, March 2004, 50(3). This library encourages kids to take books without checking them out. What do you think? Which would be harder for you: (a) changing the checkout policy, or (b) starting a new program?

Is it harder for you to change the way you do something now or try something new? This idea has tremendous implications for your ability to be a leader of change. What are your hopes and fears related to change in the library media center.

Write about a "far out" idea for any aspect of the library media program. Think "big". Think "radical." What program policies and procedures might be impacted by your program? What do you see as your personal barriers to change? What are the barriers you see for administration, teachers, and students? How would you address these concerns and convince them that this innovative idea will work?

Along with the idea, you need to provide a professional connection. Is your idea based on an article, conference session, or maybe a personal experience? Which of the "notable" people on our list do you think would support your idea? Why? What evidence in the literature supports your approach?

You'll only get 2 points if your idea is truly innovative.

Option 2 - School Librarians Must Change?
Joyce Valenza is a strong proponent for change in school libraries. She sees the need for an immediate "re-tooling" of school library media specialists. Read some of her ideas at her posting (Aug. 2006) at "You'd Better Start Swimming or You'll Sink Like a Stone."

Read these related articles:
Casey, Michael E. & Savastinuk, Laura C. (Sept. 1, 2006). Library 2.0. Library Journal.

Harris, Christopher (May 1, 2006). School Library 2.0. School Library Journal; 52(5), 50-53.

Information Power was first published in 1988 and the 2nd revised edition was completed ten years later. ALA has started the process for a third revision to Information Power. From the above starter ideas or your own professional reading, research, and reflections, do teacher librarians need to change? If so, what type of changes do you expect or want to see incorporated in the new ALA guidelines publication?

Return to Top