The school library media program must provide services to meet the needs of teacher and students.
Whether addressing web-accessibility issues, teaching a group of third graders, or consider whether to remain open after school, the teacher librarian must create a program that meets the needs of all students and school staff.
According to Woolls (1999), the personnel, materials, equipment, and facilities of your center are highly visible. However it's the services provided by you and your program that make all of these things accessible to students and classroom teachers.
Read Chapter 10 - On the Job: Managing Services by Woolls in the School Library Media Manager.
This section of the course contains the following related topics you'll want to investigate: Professional Development
How is the teacher librarian involved with professional development?
Quality professional development programs are rooted in the needs of teachers. From technology integration to information inquiry, school librarians have a wide range of professional skills to share. Often these skills can be matched with the goals of the staff development program. Or, are reflected in one-on-one work with teachers.
Explore our page on Professional Development for more information about the role of the library media specialist in staff development.
How is the library media specialist involved with the curriculum?
Today's teacher librarian spends a considerable about of professional time collaborating with teachers on curriculum development activities. Of all the professionals in a school building, the teacher librarian is the one person that must have an in-depth understanding of all grade levels and subject areas.
While elementary teachers often have experience in all subject areas, many educators entering the library field at the middle or high school level may only have experience in a single content area. As a result, much time must be devoted to partnering with teachers in order to feel comfortable selecting materials, planning activities, and developing programs.
There are many areas of the curriculum where the library media specialist must be involved:
Professional Collection. While some schools maintain a small professional collection in the corner of the teacher's lounge or office, others have developed a comprehensive educator resource in the library. The advantage of the library location is the ability of the school library media specialist to catalog and circulate the items. In addition, this collection often brings traffic from interested teachers. This will only happen if budget support is provided to the collection.
Many schools also maintain a complete set of textbooks in the professional collection. This is helpful for teachers of different grade levels and disciplines in planning interdisciplinary activities.
Curriculum & Department Committees. Whether serving on the textbook committee or as a member of grade level and subject area teams, the teacher librarian must be an active liaison to all groups planning curriculum. This may seem like an overwhelming commitment, however there are many ways to address this problem.
First, you may be able to share the responsibilities with others. For example, if there are a number of library media specialists in the school district, one may serve on each textbook selection committee.
Another approach is to make contact with the chairperson of each committee and development a relationships. When questions related to materials selection, information literacy, and related topic appear on their agenda, they might ask you to participate. This kind of relationship takes time and trust to develop.
Collaborative Planning. The teacher librarian must be proactive in meeting with teachers, suggesting joint activities, and promoting information literacy across the curriculum. Many classroom teachers are not aware of what a library media program is able to offer. It's your job to take a leadership role in curriculum development.
An entire course has been developed on the topic of Information Inquiry for Teachers. Check out this online course for more information.
How does the library media center promote literacy across the curriculum?
A primary role of the library media program is to promote literacy across the curriculum by providing access to materials, facilities, and services. In addition to materials directly related to particular standards, the library media center must also provide resources to encourage reading, information inquiry, and lifelong learners. Materials such as graphic novels, audio books, and magazine are commonly used to promote leisure reading. Soft chairs, stuff animals, bright posters, and carpet are used to make the library appealing and comfortable. Book clubs, project websites, and activities such as media fair promote learning beyond the school day.
Read Building Reading Communities by Coatney, Sharon in School Library Journal, Sept 2003. Most school libraries promote reading, but often these activities do not teach reading for understanding. They do not create reading communities.
What's the role of the teacher librarian in teaching and learning?
The school library media specialist has many roles and responsibilities related to instruction. These include assisting students with classroom assignments, team-teaching with classroom teachers, and teaching lessons related to information literacy and other related topics.
Within the School. Curriculum activities may take place in individual classrooms, the computer lab, the school library media center, or other locations such as on playground.
Beyond the School. The library media specialist also plays a role beyond the school through connections with the local community agencies including the public library, museums, historic and nature parks, and other resources.
Virtual School Library. Today's school library media center must have a virtual presence also. This involves maintaining an active website containing digital resources that can be access at home as well as at school.
Read Dispelling
the Myths by Barbara K. Stripling & Sharon Coatney
in Learning
Quarterly, School Library Journal, Sept 2003. Literacy is the new imperative
in education. Adapting to a bombardment of information, literacy in the
21st century encompasses sophisticated thinking skills, reading for understanding,
and persuasive writing.
Read Fostering
Literacy and Inquiry by Barbara K. Stripling, Learning Quarterly,
School Library Journal, Sept 2003. We must be making progress on the educational
front. We have moved from the "Reading Wars" (the conflict between
phonics and whole language) to the "High Literacy Crisis" (the failure
to teach sophisticated comprehension skills to our students).
How does the library media program meet the special needs of students?
Like all of the educators in the school, the teacher librarian must be aware of the special needs of teachers and students. These needs may be met through adjusting your collection, your facilities, or your teacher style to meet individual needs.
Example - the teacher librarian becomes aware that a new student is enrolled for fall who uses a wheelchair. A plan is developed to address likely areas of concern such as reaching the keyboard for the automated catalog computer. In some cases, cords are taped to the floor or a mat added, so a wheelchair can easily move across the floor.
Browse Teacher Tap: Special Needs and Technology.
This page contains lots of resources for educators.
Skim Make
Yourself Accessible
by Junion-Metz, Gail in School Library Journal, July 2003; 49(7),
34. (Access requires login) Tips for making your computer
and Web technology more user-friendly.
Skim Tech
for Kids with Disabilities by Harriet Silverstone in School
Library Journal, June 2003; 49(6), 36. (Access requires
login) New assistive
technologies are leveling the playing field.
How does the library media center help bridge the digital divide?
Some students live in homes filled with computers with Internet access, digital cameras, and color printers. Their parents take them to the public library and buy books from Amazon.com. Other children and young adults live in homes without access to the basics of books, paper, or crayons. They may not have access to computers or other electronic materials beyond the school.
This gap in access between the "haves" and the "have nots" related to technology is called the "digital divide." The school library media specialist must recognize that for some students, the school library is their only access to resources for information and learning. Therefore it is critical that services are available both within and outside the school day.
Before and After School Programs. Many schools offer access to the school library media center before and/or after school through the use of paid staff or volunteers. In some cases, access depends on bus schedules, whether the school is in a rural or urban location, and other factors such as building access.
Resource Circulation. Students must be able to check out materials they need for use at home. Including not only books and other traditional items, but electronic materials such as audiobooks and portable CD players, electronic review games, portable electronic keyboards, and sometimes every laptop computers.
Check Your Understanding
Information Power - Effective teaching is today seen as a holistic process involving all aspects of student life and requiring continual assessment and feedback for meaningful learning. (p v)
Information Power - Information literacy - the ability to find and use information - is a keystone of lifelong learning. Creating a foundation for lifelong learning is at the heart of the school library media center. (p 1)
You recognize a digital divide in your school. 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.
Make It Real
Interview a library media specialist.
Ask about the services the center provides in the area of curriculum. Also, ask about issues such as meeting special needs and bridging the digital divide.
Then, explore policies and procedures related to daily center operation. Do these services support the needs of the students and teachers? Why or why not?
Use the following questions to get your started.
General Operation Information
- Who runs the day-to-day operations of the school library media center including professional, support personnel, secretary, volunteers, and students (volunteer or student workers)?
- Are there job descriptions for each of these roles? Do you have copies?
- When is the center open to teachers/staff and to students?
- Who can use the center and when?
- How are individuals, small groups, and classes scheduled into the center?
- Do students need “passes” to come to the center?
- Is the center used for study hall or other regularly scheduled classes?
General Circulation Information
- If your center is automated, what procedures are required to get the system ready to operate when school begins (start of school year)? What about startup and shut down each day?
- What is the process for keeping circulation and other kinds of statistics?
- Is there a security system in place? What are your losses?
- How do you handle the password for subscription services?
Student Circulation
- What is the process of circulating materials to students? Include details that start with a student appearing at the circulation desk with library material until the material is returned.
- Are there restrictions on the number of items a student can check out?
- What about checking out specific materials; i.e., magazines, reference volume, audiovisual material, hardware, software?
- What is the circulation period? Are renewals possible? How many?
- Can students reserve materials? What is the process?
- What about overdue materials?
- How are students notified of overdue materials?
- Are students ever involved in the process (overdues)? How?
- What about teachers and administration? Do they help with overdues?
- What about fines? If they are charged, how much? How is collected money used? Is this legal?
- If materials are lost or damaged, how is the student assessed?
Faculty / Staff Circulation
- What is the process of circulating materials to faculty and staff? Is there a specific circulation period, or is it open-ended?
- Can teachers request a classroom set of materials? What is the process?
- How do teachers acquire hardware/equipment? How do they access audiovisual/software materials for classroom use?
- Can teachers reserve books and non-print materials? Can they reserve equipment?
- What about a request to pull materials on reserve for a class of students?
- Is there an overdue process for teachers?
- Are fines charged? What about lost or damaged materials?
- Are materials circulated to parents or other individuals in the community? If so, what are the procedures?
Read More About It
Special Needs
Junion-Metz, Gail. Make Yourself Accessible.
School Library Journal, July 2003; 49(7), 34.
http://search.epnet.com.proxy.ulib.iupui.edu/login.as
. . .
Tips for making your computer and Web technology more user-friendly.
MacMillan, Kathleen. Hands-on Collection
Building. School Library Journal, March 2004; 50(3), 46. (Access
requires login)
http://search.epnet.com.proxy.ulib.iupui.edu/login.asp
. . .
Librarian offers guidelines for selecting sign language materials.
Silverstone, Harriet. Tech for Kids with
Disabilities. School Library Journal, June 2003; 49(6), 36.
(Access requires login)
http://search.epnet.com.proxy.ulib.iupui.edu/login.asp
. . . .
New assistive technologies are leveling the playing field.
Literacy
Coatney, Sharon. Building Reading Communities. Learning Quarterly, School Library Journal, Sept 2003.
http://www.schoollibraryjournal.com/article/CA319395
Most school libraries promote reading, but often these activities do not teach reading for understanding. They do not create reading communities.
Creating An Information Literate Learner-Information Literacy from Indiana Learns
http://www.indianalearns.org/infoliteracy.asp
One of the major agendas of the school library media profession is to assist students as they are introduced to an information rich environment and provide them with the research skills they need to survive.
Mankato Schools Information Literacy Curriculum Guidelines (2003)
http://www.isd77.k12.mn.us/resources/infocurr/infolit.html
Minkel, Walter. The Next Big Thing.
School Library Journal, May 2003; 49(5), 41. (Access
requires login)
http://search.epnet.com.proxy.ulib.iupui.edu/login.aspx?dir
. . .
Why 21st-century skills are a librarian’s new best friend.
Stripling, Barbara K. & Coatney, Sharon. Dispelling the Myths. Learning Quarterly, School Library Journal, Sept 2003.
http://www.schoollibraryjournal.com/article/CA319393
Literacy is the new imperative in education. Adapting to a bombardment of information, literacy in the 21st century encompasses sophisticated thinking skills, reading for understanding, and persuasive writing.
Stripling, Barbara K. Fostering Literacy and Inquiry. Learning Quarterly, School Library Journal, Sept 2003.
http://www.schoollibraryjournal.com/article/CA319394
We must be making progress on the educational front. We have moved from the "Reading Wars" (the conflict between phonics and whole language) to the "High Literacy Crisis" (the failure to teach sophisticated comprehension skills to our students).
Whelan, Debra Lau. Why Isn’t Information
Literacy Catching On? School Library Journal, Sept 2003; 49(9),
50. (Access requires login)
http://search.epnet.com.proxy.ulib.iupui.edu/log
. . .
Reports results of a SLJ survey and suggests what can be done.
Wolf, Sara Elizabeth. Making the Grade with Information Literacy. Learning Quarterly, School Library Journal, March 2004.
http://www.schoollibraryjournal.com/article/CA387212
In this evolving era of high-stakes testing, most parents and teachers are unaware of the relationship between strong information literacy curricula and increases in student achievement.
21st Century Literacies from SBC Knowledge Network Explorer (KNE)
http://www.kn.sbc.com/wired/21stcent/index.html
This site describes in depth four literacies: information, media, multicultural, and visual, with various lesson plans and a comprehensive resources link. Created by: SBC Pacific Bell and the UCLA Initiative for 21st Century Literacies. Don't Miss: Click on the "Glossary" link for a handy list of new literacy definitions.
What’s So Different About the 21st Century? from The Metiri Group
http://www.metiri.com/features.html
Introduction to the new literacy skills, produced by educational consultants working with the North Central Regional Education Lab. Includes clear definitions of the skills, and documents that outline the 21st Century Skills movement.
Standards
Explore Teacher Tap: Education Standards to learn about education standards.
Compendium of Standards and Benchmarks from Mid-continent Research for Education and Learning (McREL)
http://www.mcrel.org/standards%2Dbenchmarks/
Browse standards & benchmarks for K-12 education, plus related educator resources.