Roles and Responsibilities
of
School Library Media Specialists
What
does a
School
Library Media Specialist (SLMS) Do?
ref:
IP/Mission
and Goals of the SLMP; IP chapter 1
- One-minute
paper
(really 5
minutes - this is not an assessment)
- Brainstorm a
list of
things SLMSs do
- What is a
Media Center
(MC) for? (Mission)
- Four roles of the SLMS: quick introduction
- Fitzgerald's
description
of the job [best job; service mentality,
but service does not mean subservient;
fishbowl; gentle
agenda; long-term impact]
- Comments
from those who are doing the job ... (if anyone is available!)
- We're
going to talk about this more
next time, after you've had a chance to explore. Today we explored
pre-conceptions; next time, we'll discuss actual life in the media
center, followed by the ideal roles of the SLMS.
- AASL Prep
Standards and Information Power
(IP) are foundational documents that govern our discussion (here at
UGA) about what media specialists do.
- Back to agenda
this section refreshed 9-17-08
Life
in the
Media Center
Readings:
- IP chapter 1 [required]
- IP/Mission
and Goals of the SLMP
- Explore a SLMS's blog; see hints on the agenda.
Highly recommend that you "watch" a good one of these all year.
- R&Dp18: Doing the job without the job
doing you in - G.K. Dickinson
- R&Dp171: Technician or technologist?
technology and the role of the LMS - M.A. Anderson
Discussion
- Elementary, middle, high: choose one for now,
and list some differences in 3 groups
- What's in a name?
Media
Specialist;
Librarian; School Librarian; Teacher-Librarian; Liberry Teacher
- Elements that typically make up a
MC program -- we could start a neverending list here:
- Storytelling, puppetry ....
- Research instruction, assistance
- Resource provision
- Support for leisure reading: reader's advisory, reading
promotion, bookclubs, etc.
- Collaborative planning, integrating information literacy into
curriculum
- Technology integration (staff development, etc.)
- KSA (Knowledge, Skills, Attitudes): AASL
Standards
Two good SLMS blogs:
Joyce Valenza's blog
http://joycevalenza.edublogs.org/
Buffy Hamilton's
blog
http://theunquietlibrary.wordpress.com/2007/08/22/what-are-your-reading-habits/
Or
search for these names: Alice Yucht - Alice in Infoland; Rob Darrow -
California Dreamin'; Diane Chen: Deep Thinking; Frances Harris:
Gargoyles Loose in the Library; Chris Harris: Infomancy; Mary J.
Johnson: The Primary Source Librarian; Jacquie Henry: Wanderings.
Discussion: A Day in the Life,
and what it takes
Section
refreshed 9-2-08
Media
Center Mission
Resources:
Possible preparation:
- Explore media center web
sites
on the
Internet, and try to find at least one mission statement. Bring to
class
next time. While you're there, look around at the websites,
inventorying
the kinds of things that are represented. Bookmark good sites, and
especially
note website elements that you like. Reflect upon your Internet
searching
process as you go along. Challenges? Successful strategies?
- Re-read
about the Roles of
a
Media Specialist
in Information Power on pp. 4-5. Using the list of tasks we generated
in
class, sort them into these roles. Think about: Which of these
tasks
best support the mission of the media center? Are there any tasks
in this list that don't seem to support the mission, or that don't fit
within the 4 identified roles? Jot notes about your reflection, and
bring
to class for discussion next time.
Discussion:
- Resource: IP/Mission
and Goals of the SLMP
- Honor readings
- What is the purpose
of a
Media
Center? see IP p.48 for reminder
- Related terms: mission,
philosophy, vision,
goals, slogan (or motto)
- Mission statements - share and
extract
themes
- When you feel overwhelmed or
confused
about
all the
things you are asked to do as a MS, revisit mission for clarity
- Feel ready to write a mission
statement?
Will
be required in the PDEP.
Linked assessments: PDEP
this
section refreshed 9-2-08
Roles
of the
school library media specialist
Readings:
- IP chapters 3-6 [required]
- Wasman chapters 1, 3 [supplemental]
- You
Are the Key (YATK) Roles
section (this is GLMA's interpretation) [required]
- Intern log (borrowed)
- R&Dp183: Librarian-technologist: Ready for the future -
B.Ruffin (MAF's commentary in WebCT/6300/Readings)
- R&Dp72: The role of the
LMS in school technology - M.E. Gardner
- R&Dp192: Setting the
stage: A future fiction - D. Warlick
Big
Four:
Teacher;
Instructional partner; Information specialist; Program
administrator
(
Four roles of the SLMS: quick introduction)
Honor texts.
Now that you know many of the tasks, a good bit about day-to-day
life,
the
mission of the SLMP, and your Roles, what
are your thoughts?
Fitzgerald's
description
of the job [best
job; service mentality,
but service does not mean subservient;
fishbowl; gentle
agenda; long-term impact]
Comments
from those who are doing the job ... (if anyone is available!)
Discussion
Questions (taken from
Q&A
of the past)
- How do you balance the four roles? How long does it take to
achieve this balance?
- If all roles work together to benefit the student and create an
optimum learning environment, why do SLMSs find it often difficult to
obtain the support of principals and teachers?
- What are some guidelines for communicating SLM roles to
administrators?
- The media center has a mission and the SLMS has four roles.
Are these integrated enough? Why do they even need to be stated
separately?
- Evolution of roles: There's ongoing discussion of what this
mission should be, and
what the librarian's role(s) should be. Several current metaphors:
- Information sherpa (Marcia Mardis)
- Info/tech scout
- Library as "kitchen"
- Libraries as "clubs," users as "members"
- For more in this vein, see the video embedded on Neverending
Search 8-25-08
Related
read-aloud: The Library Dragon
by Carmen Deedy
this section refreshed 9-17-08
Standards
and Flexible Scheduling
Readings:
- YATK
Standards
section (follow the links)
- School
curriculum: be ready to
consult a standard school
curriculum, such as the Georgia
Performance Standards
- Starr, L. (2000). Strong libraries improve student achievement. Education World. Available: http://www.educationworld.com/a_admin/admin/admin178.shtml
- Information
Literacy: our
curriculum agenda
- How all of this forms the basic
rationale for Flexible Scheduling
- Rowe, G.S. (2007).
Collaboration: It's a gamble on a fixed schedule. Knowledge Quest, 35 (4), 44-46. [persistent
link]
- R&Dp28: Integrating library programs into the curriculum:
Student learning is the bottom line - D.Miller
- R&Dp45:It's all about learning: Ensuring that students are
effective users of information on standardized tests - M.B.Eisenberg
[MAF's commentary available in WebCT6300/Readings]
- R&Dp53:Collaborating from the center of the school universe -
T.Buzzeo (MAF's audio commentary
in WebCT)
- R&Dp9:Tools of the Trade:
Library schedule and attendance statistics form by J.Henry (interesting
form for discussion)
- Diagram: MAF's conception of
interelationship
between Standards and Flex Scheduling
- R&Dp157: The synergistic
attributes of SLMC standards - J.E.P.Misakian
Graphic
drawn on the board 10-6-07 (photography by George Webber)
Discussion
- This is one of the
foundational ideas: SLM program administration
based upon legal and professional rules. I will attempt to demonstrate
how the ideal of Flexible Scheduling logically follows from this
foundation.
- What
are "standards," anyway?
- IP:
Our national media
standards: show
the Planning Guide
- Georgia
State Rules Code IFBD. (You need to know how to navigate the
[ahem] complicated GA DOE site)
- Finding the current
rules:
Public School/Rules/Current
Rules
- Keeping an eye on
proposed
changes
- Curricula
(GPS, local versions
[like AKS])
- Make it a top priority to identify
all the standards you're responsible for in the beginning of your
employment. In fact, this is a good question to ask in the job
interview!
- Flexible
scheduling and
its
link to
collaborative planning
Teachers know the kids and
specific
curriculum; MS knows information, resources, and general curriculum;
communication
avenue = collaborative planning; flexible scheduling enables use of
library
at point of need (during math,
reading, whenever)- Critical
piece:
information literacy
instruction does no good if taught in isolation; therefore, flexible
scheduling provides the most opportunity of curriculum integration
- While you're checking into the standards/rules/laws that apply to
your job, find out quickly how you will be evaluated. Work those
principles into your big To-Do list, although they will probably
duplicate the rules you've already discovered.
- Other accreditors: SACS
is one; 2006
brief on GA Rules, SACS, and upcoming changes by Beth Friese. 2007
Update: some systems are still under the old SACS rules, while others
will be shifting into the new rules. (New: 2007 report on SACS AdvancED standards.)
In general, the new rules
are much more general where SLM is concerned.
- 2008
Standards clarification from Cohort8 blog
- There is
a continuum related to fixed vs.
flexible schedules in elementary
school:
Least able to perform all roles
|
May or may not be able to perform all roles
|
Best able to perform all roles
|
"Library Time" is one segment of
"Specials rotation" meant to provide planning time for classroom
teachers; teachers drop students off at the door
|
Hybrid: LMC is open to
spontaneous visits throughout the day; classes visit routinely once per
week; fulltime parapro to help with multi-tasking; teachers tend to
stay with classes; LMS has two or more hours per day to perform
non-teaching duties
|
Completely flexible schedule,
given that teachers actually have sufficient flexibility in their own
schedules to choose; ALSO - all students visit regularly.
Teachers incorporate library visits into their "teaching time" when
needed and as appropriate to the curriculum.
|
Completely flexible schedule,
BUT students seldom visit individually or as a class. (To me, this is
the least desirable situation.)
|
Extensive non-professional
responsibilities that take up so much time that roles are compromised.
Example: technology responsibility with no technician
|
Some grades operate on a fixed
schedule (especially K-1-2) while others flexibly schedule
|
Key:
stay abreast. Consult the
Georgia DOE
website from time to time. Participate annually in COMO, GaETC; DOE Updates; GLMA Summer
Leadership Conference.
Strategies for moving from left to right on the continuum:
- Accept that no job is ideally balanced. No job is perfect.
There will be problems and challenges, and every year will bring
changes.
- Focus on what you can
do within the existing structure.
- There are years when it's more important to be indispensable to
the school than it is to worry about changing things. Strive to
be indispensable in ways that accomplish SLM goals and school goals.
After all, you're there to serve, and the SLM goals and the school
goals are conflicting with each other, there's a serious problem.
- Consider evolving forward. For example, if you have a "specials
rotation" situation, propose a fixed but open schedule for next year.
Then, try to move to a hybrid schedule.
- Do not use the argument:
"I need time to ________" (fill in the
blank with "plan with teachers;" "make out my book order," etc.)
No one will sympathize, and you would be asking for something that your
colleague teachers don't have. Also: it does little good to clear your
schedule for collaborative planning when teachers have no time to do
this anyway. Instead, propose programs and
schedules that allow you to teach information literacy integrated into
the curriculum, and show how you can support student achievement.
Comment on Morris p. 39.
- Value positive interaction with students as your chief reward.
- Delegate. Even if you have no paid paraprofessional, there
are ways to delegate. This strategy connects to the Human
Resources management area.
AASL
Standards for the 21st Century Learner
- During the last revision cycle for IP '98, the IL9 were released
first. So, this standards revision parallels that process.
- Assumptions and values: we believe in these things:
- Reading
- Inquiry
- Ethics
- Technology
- Access
- Complexity
- Info continues to expand, and so process over content
- Social context of learning
- School libraries are essential (notice language here! "school
libraries" vs. "media centers")
- Four standards, each with four dimensions: (get - apply - share -
grow)
- inquire, think critically, and gain knowledge (get);
- draw conclusions, make informed decisions, apply knowledge to
new situations, and create new knowledge (apply);
- share knowledge and participate ethically and productively as
members of our democratic society (share);
- pursue personal and aesthetic growth (grow).
- Dimensions (of each)
- skills
- dispositions
- responsibilities
- reflective strategies
A big task for SLMS will be aligning the GPSs with these new
learning standards. Before you do this yourself, look around for
other people who have already done it.
this section refreshed
11-18-08
------------------------
Discussion Questions (from Muddy Points
of the past)
- If MCs are supposed to be open all the time, how do you handle
picture days, spelling bees, meetings, book fairs, and other special
events held in the MC?
Other resources:
- Fixed
vs. Flexible Scheduling - a Collaborative Problem Project by Diane
Brackman, Jennifer Buoy, Jenn Pahl, Ellen Patrick, and Allyson
Richardson (Cohort 5)
- Keys
to Quality - GA DOE. (I
have a synopsis by Pat Pickard that I could share with interested
students.)(Note to self: GoogleDocs, "GA DOE Keys to Quality.")
this section refreshed 9-17-08
Reading
and
Literacy
RLP Draft Assignment
| RLP | RLP FAQ
Resources:
- AASL
Standard 1.2 (Literacy
and Reading) [required]
- Integrated concept: AASL
Standard 2.1 (Knowledge of Learners and Learning) [required]
- Methods:
- Grimes, S. (2004, May). The
search
for meaning: How you can boost kids' reading comprehension. School
Library Journal, 50 (5), 48-52. (This article is available
through GALILEO.)[persistent
link] [required]
- R&Dp35: Teaching beginning
reading strategies in the SLMC: A "how to" guide - C. Barringer. MAF's
commentary (5min audio) available in WebCT/6300/Readings.
- Hand, D. (2006). Adolescent
literacies: Reading, thinking, writing. Knowledge Quest, 35 (1), 40-43. [persistent
link]
- Schatz, A., & Krashen, S.
(2006). Attitudes toward reading in grades 1-6. Knowledge Quest, 35 (1), 46-48. [persistent
link]
- Vent, C.T., & Ray, J.A.
(2007).
More tips and tactics. Teacher
Librarian, 34 (4), 42-44. [persistent
link] (This is about enticing elementary kids to read nonfiction.)
- R&Dp37: A niche for library
media specialists: Teaching students how to read informational texts -
M.Z. Joyce
- Issues
- Krashen, S. (2005). AR:
Evidence still lacking [Home Run
Research Column]. Knowledge
Quest, 33 (3), 48-49. [GALILEO] [persistent
link] [supplemental - but you should read this sooner or later]
- R&Dp79: Books, not direct
instruction, are the key to vocabulary development - F. Shin
- Programs
- Roberts, J. (2006). Building a
community of high school readers. Knowledge
Quest, 35 (1), 24-29. [persistent
link]
- Moyer, M. (2006). Accelerated
Reader sparks high school reading excitement. Knowledge Quest, 35 (1), 34-39. [persistent
link]
- R&Dp24: Reading advocacy:
Creating contagious enthusiasm for books and reading K-12 - M.B.
Eisenberg. MAF's
commentary (5 minute audio) available in WebCT/6300/Readings.
- Rubin, E. (2007). Authors in
your school: Connecting live authors,
students, and the love of reading. Knowledge
Quest, 35 (4), 66-69. [persistent
link] Keywords: author
visits; reading promotion.
- Lin, S., Shin, F., &
Krashen, S. (2007). Sophia's choice: Summer
reading. Knowledge Quest,
35
(3), 52-.
- Reading Rockets
- R&Dp130: Family literacy
programs in school libraries: Helping parents become their child's best
teacher - J. Griffis
- Knapp Readers: listen to Dr.
Nancy Knapp's guest lecture from last year at WebCT/6300/Resources
Possible topics:
- Big ideas from the Standard
- reading process
- literature for children and youth, including
current trends
- multiple formats
- diverse readers
- leisure reading
- modelling
- Why is it important for us
to
stress reading?
- We could have an entire course on this topic.
- Services related to
reading
and
literacy:
- reading aloud, storytelling,
puppetry
- reader's advisory (resource:
NoveList database in GALILEO)
- reading
instructional support
- current trends
- catching new trends in practice
- SLMSs are not reading teachers (unless
certified), just as
they are not doctors or lawyers. Still, there are vital roles for SLMSs
to play.
- Unfortunately, reading instruction can be
... discouraging
and tedious to some learners. SLMSs can shed an attractive and
motivational light on reading for reluctant readers. The key is to
figure out how.
- leisure reading support
- thinking like a reluctant reader (hard for
many of us)
- reading technology
- Need to Knows for R&L Draft assignment
- Some resources to get you
started:
- Keller, C.A. (2006,
September). Using BDA strategies in the library media center. School Library Media Activities Monthly,
22 (1), 55-58.
These are great resources if
you can find them:
Fitzgibbons,
S.A. (2004). What
motivates reading? How library media specialists can contribute to the
development of good readers. SLMAM,
20 (10), 21-25.
Trinkle, C.
(2006). LMS's word wall
and beyond: Integrating the five components of reading instruction. SLMAM, 23 (1), 40-43.
School
Library Media Activities
Monthly is the only SLM
professional journal not available
through GALILEO (at least, this was true in 2007). It's a great
magazine. Some issues can be found in the CMC in Aderhold - last
5 years retained.
this section refreshed 9-2-08
----------------------------------
The section below is available as a podcast in WebCT/6300/Resources:
"Reading II."
- Five components, sometimes
called the five "pillars" of reading [ref:
Trinkle, C. (2006). LMS's word wall
and
beyond: Integrating the five components of reading instruction. SLMAM 23 (1), 40-43. Can't provide
this article due to copyright restrictions.]
- Phonemic awareness
- Phonics
- Fluency
- Vocabulary
- Comprehension
- Critical analysis becomes an
increasingly important part of comprehension as students mature.
In my
opinion, adolescence is the best time to start incorporating criticism
within reading instruction, because this is when they start questioning
authority anyway.
- Adolescents and young adults (ref: Intl Reading Assn pamphlet,
"Supporting Young Adolescents' Literacy Learning")
- two distinct children's literature genres: adolescent
literature (Ga Book Awards and Newbery are representative) and "YA"
literature. The Harry Potter series is a
good demonstration of the differences; as Harry grows up, the
literature
genre progresses "up" the scale.
- literacy, illiteracy, and alliteracy
- opportunities for reading during the school day, such as SSR
and DEAR
- opportunities to visit MC for circulation often lost
in middle school
- cross-disciplinary reading integration
- look for ways to make reading "cool;" requires understanding
your kids
- ideas for parents: role models; abundance of reading materials;
positive attitude toward reading
- be open to literacy opportunities provided by online texts,
magazines, graphic novels, online communities, and short texts
- consider providing hang-out reading space, like coffee shops
- Trends in reading instruction from this year: inviting the
teachers in the group to contribute news about this.
- Diversity
- Groups:
- gender
- age
- ethnic
- learning styles/modalities
- Strategies
- What are some of the reading instructional programs out there in
your schools?
- Examples of reading programs
Vocabulary, theories, programs
comprehension
|
vocabulary
|
whole
language
|
literature across the curriculum
(or reading across... and writing across...)
|
intrinsic/extrinsic motivation
|
text
|
Sustained Silent Reading,
D.E.A.R.
|
print-rich environment
|
Krashen
|
choice
|
booktalk
|
Accelerated Reader and others
|
Battle of the Books
|
Helen Ruffin Reading Bowl
|
leveled texts
|
differentiated instruction
|
literature circles
|
controlled vocabulary (2
meanings for librarians)
|
readers'/writers'
workshop
|
graphic
organizers
|
family literacy
|
zone of proximal development
(Vygotsky)
|
emerging
readers
|
genre
|
author studies
|
teachable moment
|
recall
|
higher
level thinking (or higher
order thinking skills) HOTS
|
reader's theatre, creative
dramatics
|
prediction
|
background knowledge
|
inference
|
skimming, scanning
|
metacognition
|
phonemic
awareness
|
phonics
|
fluency
|
literacy,
illiteracy, alliteracy
|
|
|
corresponding Read aloud:
"Maritime Disasters"
from Mama
Makes Up Her Mind
by Bailey
White
this section refreshed 9-2-08
Information
Ethics and Copyright [more
on Copyright below]
Readings:
- IP pp166-170 [required] - MAF's commentary available in WebCT
(6min)
- Confidentiality of Library Records
- Copyright:
- Fitzgerald's
copyright notes [required]
- Simpson, C. (2006). Copyright do's and don'ts. Library Media Connection, 24 (6),
45. persistent
link
- Simpson, C. (2005). Copyright
for schools: A practical guide (4th ed.) Worthington, OH:
Linworth. [supplemental: I highly recommend this book! Previous
editions are
excellent; this one is even better.]
- Connie Yearwood's Copyright
Powerpoint
- R&Dp10: Tools of the trade: Copyright do's and don'ts -
C.Simpson (MAF's audio commentary
in WebCT)
- R&Dp67: Tools of the trade: Copyright suggestions for
administrators - C.Simpson
- Fitzgerald's
Copyright bookmarks [all supplemental]
- See also WebCT/6300/Resources for several copyright resources.
[supplemental]
- Ethical use of information for students: [You will see this topic
in more detail in EDIT 6360]. [Required -- one
of the following]:
Discussion
- Big ideas:
- This area is huge - and vague.
- Privacy
- Safety
- Intellectual property
(copyright, plagiarism): Copyright
infringement is illegal; plagiarism is not (except where it is also a
copyright infringement). Both are unethical.
- Access
- Responsible stewardship
- Discrimination and stereotypes in media
- Fiduciary responsibility, in
loco parentis
- Normal professional ethics: everything from coming to work on
time to avoiding sexual harrassment
- Confidentiality,
information privacy:
overdue notices; parental
oversight of materials used by their own children; technology threats;
Patriot Act and its implications
- Important: youngsters don't seem to be terribly concerned about
privacy. Should they be? What is our in loco parentis role in light of
their disregard?
- Fair
use, four tests:
- purpose (nonprofit)
- generally must be related to teaching objective
- displaying, performing for reward or entertainment forbidden
- nature of the copyrighted work
- portion of item used
- effect of use on market value
- If copying deprives
author of a sale, it's not fair use
(there seem to be exceptions)
- In the realm
of
information
use and
education, what ethical problems have you encountered?
- Some
true stories (The
Graphical Oboe; The Principal's
Disney
Chotskies; The Case of the Pilfered Powerpoint
Slides; Just One Video; It's All for a Good Cause)
- What
stories have you
found?
(LM_NET?
real life?)
- Relationship
between
ethics and copyright and
plagiarism
- We could work on the copyright
"monster" over several classes, or
even have an entire semester devoted to this. The big idea:
although you
won't learn enough to become a copyright lawyer, you need to know your
responsibilities regarding intellectual freedom and intellectual
property AND ensure that your policies and procedures align with ethics
and the law.
- Current concern: stealing of
music, with parents being
prosecuted. Cost: $Thousands PER SONG. (from 2007)
Updates from AASL 2007, George
Pilling's presentation:
- Photocopying is still the most frequent copyright problem
- Highly recommended buying licenses for movies: one legit vendor
is http://www.movlic.com/. Also consider United Streaming (very
generous rights!) and Library Video Co. - make sure to buy the licensed
versions.
- He reiterated the aggressiveness of Disney in protecting their
copyrights.
- Rented movies? falls under "legally acquired." Netflix et
al? That's a new one - don't know.
- Performing, copying less than 10%: usually ok,unless it's the
heart of the work, or not whole in some sense.
- Fact compilations, like a phonebook, are not copyrightable.
- The more creative a work, the more copyrightable.
- Administrators may not photocopy an article and distribute to
entire faculty (not to mention tree destruction). Your job:
provide alternatives, such as circulating the original magazine or
referring to online subscription.
- Holiday movies taped off air, brought by students to be shown at
school: highly questionable.
- Annotations for cataloging and bibliography: LOC's are ok to copy
(because US Govt-produced materials are copyright-free, except
stamps.) You may use/reproduce if originate there. Not so
for some sources - be careful!
- Book jackets may be copied and reproduced digitally, because they
are less than 10% and in most cases this activity has positive market
effect.
- Watch out for cartoon characters and Barney.
- When you try to get permission, keep copies and try multiple
times.
- Simpson and Crews are both authoritative.
2008 updates from COMO:
- Fair use may be eroding (Calvert, 2008)
- Licensing belongs in the contract law area, and binds you over
and above any copyright requirements; click-through and shrink-wrap
agreements are binding (Calvert, 2008)
- Young people are far less
worried about privacy than
professionals are (Shephard, 2008)
- More than 50% of fair use
judgements in a recent decade were made
in favor of the producer (Calvert, 2008)
- Parental oversight of minor
children's media use is a gray area
(Shephard, 2008) - subject to policy? (MAF)
- Older people see danger in cameras, viral videos,
Facebook/MySpace "confessions," job eligibility, online health records
(Shephard, 2008)
- Evidence that users want control of exposed information -
Facebook example (Shephard, 2008)
Calvert, R. (2008). Fair use in the digital age: What can we do?
Presentation at COMO Conference, Athens, GA, October.
Shepard, C. (2008). Sharing, privacy and trust in our networked world.
Presentation at COMO Conference, Athens, GA, october.
In a nutshell:
- Know the meaning of copyright,
plagiarism, and privacy.
- Understand the basic 4
principles of fair use.
- Accept copyright attention as
an ethical duty and model ethical
behavior.
- You are not, however, the
copyright police.
- Read a good copyright primer
every few years. Keep a copy handy
for researching details.
- Go to copyright sessions at
conferences to get the latest news.
- Pay attention to information ethics in the news media.
- The rules are often
ambiguous; the answer to copyright questions
is often "it depends." When in doubt, follow the ethics.
How
would you feel if the practice in question were done to your _____
(fill in the blank with any piece of intellectual property that you
own). And: What would be the effect if everyone did the thing you are
proposing to do?
Questions
- My teachers seem unconcerned
about copyright. What can I do to
raise their awareness?
- How much of this should
be written into policy and into the PDEP?
Notes;
outline
U.S.
Copyright Code in Verse (with links to the law)
More resources:
- Cooper, J. (2007). Patchwork plagiarism. Knowledge Quest, 35 (4), 62-65. [persistent
link]
- Butler, R. (2007). Obtaining permission to copy or perform a
work, Part
II, 2006. Knowledge Quest, 35
(3), 48-.
- Dickinson, G. (2007). Tough choices. The question: I know that a
classroom teacher is violating copyright guidelines. Should I turn him
or her in to the principal? Knowledge
Quest, 35 (3), 50-.
- Butler, R. (2007). Obtaining permisison to copy or perform a
work, Part III, 2006. Knowledge
Quest, 35 (5), 62-.
- www.carolsimpson.com
- copyright.gov: great brochures for distribution and other
materials
- http://www.movlic.com/
- Adams 07, confidentiality: info article in WebCT/Retired
(can't use as student readings again/copyright)
This section
refreshed 10-21-08
Program
development and evaluation
Readings:
- AASL
Standard 4.3: Comprehensive and Collaborative Strategic
Planning and Assessment [required]
- YATK
Program Development section;
(written by Cohort 1) [required]
- Fitzgerald, M.A., &
Waldrip, A. (2004, August/September). Not enough time in the day: Media
specialists, program planning, and time management, Part I. Library Media Connection (23), 1, p.
38-40. [GALILEO] [required] [persistent
link - use EBSCO Prof. Dev. Collection] This is in your R&D text - p.12.
- R&Dp7:Essential documents
for school libraries: Do you have them? - C.MacDonell (MAF's audio
commentary in WebCT)
- R&Dp103: Leverage your
library program: What an administrator needs to know - A.P. Church (MAF's audio commentary in WebCT)
- Other, more focused readings
are provided in context below.
--------------------------------------------------------
Part One: Preparing
the PDEP
Draft (available
as Audiolesson, recorded in 2007)
Preparation: Stop! Do
these before you listen!
Materials you will need to
experience this lesson:
- This outline (either open in another browser window, or printed
out)
- The PDEP Draft assignment (ditto)
- Information Power
1. Overview
2. Evaluation Cycle
- Other words for this process are: School Improvement, Long-Range
Planning; Strategic
Planning. You may be familiar with it from another context.
- Cycle goes something like this:
1. evaluation
and situation appraisal (revisit last
year's plan, philosophies, policies)
2. identify
problems
3. set Goals
(5-year/long-term)
4. identify
sub-goals (objectives, short-term goals)
with measurable outcomes
5. identify
strategies
6. work the
plan
7. evaluate
and start over
- This cycle should be repeated annually and collaboratively.
- The Media Committee is instrumental in creating and supporting
the Plan.
- The Plan itself should be considered as a Five-Year Rolling Plan.
3. Goals, Objectives,
Strategies, and Evaluation
- Goals (aka Long Range Goals) are big.
- They may be things you are always striving for.
- They may come directly from IP.
- They may sound "pie in the sky."
- They do not have to be measurable.
- However, you should be able to break them down into smaller
units.
- They may span several years in your Plan.
- You should plan on a minimum of 4 Goals and a maximum of 8. In
real life, this results in a manageable number.
- How should you come up with these Goals?
- Based on problems in your Program, identified through
Evaluation
- An outgrowth of the School Mission
- Directly from IP
- Perennial examples: "support the curriculum;" "promote
leisure reading;" "enhance student achievement in Science (or any other
area)" ....and there are other good ones.
- Objectives
- For each Goal, there should be two or more objectives.
- Objectives come directly from the Goal.
- Objectives must be measurable. Identify an evaluation
strategy for each objective.
- You may have many objectives for a particular goal; you will be
asked to identify the objectives to be worked on first.
- Set manageable benchmarks!
- Strategies
- Each objective may have several strategies.
- Strategies are concrete, behavioral steps that you (and the
Program) are almost completely in control of. These are things
you know you can do.
Example:
Reading
Goal I: Promote leisure reading
in our learning community. (You will also be asked to justify the
goal; why is it worthy?)
Objective 1: In Year 1, increase
circulation by 15%. (Evaluation: Did circulation increase by 15%?)
Strategy a: Sponsor a major
reading promotion program in the early winter months.
Strategy b:
Strategy c:
Objective 2: In Year 1, enhance the leisure reading collection to
attract 5th grade boys. (Evaluation: What items were added to
accomplish this objective? According to an opinion survey
of 5th
grade boys, did the leisure reading collection improve?)
Strategy a: Poll our 4th and 5th
grade boys to determine topics of interest.
Strategy b: Delegate 10% of the budget to purchasing titles that
reflect these topics.
Strategy c:
Objective 3: In Year 2, enhance the leisure reading collection to
attract Latino readers. (Evaluation:...)
Strategy a
Strategy b
Example: Curriculum support
Goal II: Support the curriculum by
evaluating the collection in the area of current textbook adoption and
purchasing supporting resources. (Justification: _____)
Objective 1: In Year 1 (a science
adoption year), enhance our collection and services to support science
instruction. (Evaluation: _____)
Strategy a:
Strategy b:
etc.
Objective 2: In Year 2 (a
language arts
adoption year), enhance our collection and services to support language
arts instruction. (Evaluation: _____)
etc.
In the PDEP Draft Assignment, a Goal
Table template has been provided for you.
|
The
PDEP Draft Assignment
Sample PDEP
- Exemplar: PDEP by Karen Garner and Michelle Largent
- other examples: visit Cohort
6 Page
- Cohort
7 PDEP Page
- Remember that I always tweak assignments from year to year -
there may be slight variances between old examples and current
requirements.
Section refreshed
10-21-08
--------------------------------------------------------
Discussion
Follow Up (Program Development II)
- What did you think
about the
readings?
These are essential to this project, especially YATK.
- Tie in
"site-based management"
and "school
improvement"
- Anatomy of
the PDEP
Assignment (components are
enough to start with)
- A big part of
the PDEP is to describe
the current reality:
- Funding: name your known funding
sources.
- Staffing (personnel): who works in
the SLMP and what are their roles? Think of this as an inventory
of your human resources.
- Facilities: the PDEP requires you to
describe your facility and any needed changes. See the assignment
for more details. Your facility may be perfectly adequate.
Usually, however, there are problems or shortcomings. If you don't list
them, there's no basis for asking for resources to improve the facility.
- Under "Services," you are asked to
discuss Known Weaknesses - based on analysis of evaluation data,
or possibly just observation. These are possible areas of improvement.
If you list a weakness here, it does not
mean that you must write a goal to improve this weakness, because you
can only do so much. Prioritize.
- Media
Committee: meaning of
"democratic" representation; ideal composition
- Combined Media/Technology
Committees:
how common are they? Advantages, disadvantages?
- Services: these can be many different
things that you offer to your learning community. Some are standard.
Here are some that should always be included:
- Circulation: provide the policy
for students,
staff, and
parents - which may differ for each kind of patron, and for different
grade
levels. Describe privileges.
- Scheduling: hours of operation, and
how you schedule (addressing
flexible/open access). If not idea, explain.
- Other services: list here
programming and services already in place,
including services for
diverse patrons (including disabilities), and services for teachers and
staff. Examples: collaborative planning; storytelling; book fairs;
reference lessons; reader's advisory; etc.
- Ethics and legal principles: write
a section that
describes services you offer in support of intellectual property rights
(copyright), ethical information use, intellectual freedom, privacy,
and confidentiality. Address the ethical information
behavior expected of your students. Freely reference professional
documents and other authoritative resources; I do not expect you to
reproduce the copyright laws here. At minimum, there should be a
once-per-year provision of copyright information to staff, with their
sign-off.
- Then, based
on reality, your Plan
should aim to move the program forward. Components:
- Goals -
probably the most confusing
aspect from the past
- Objectives
- Evaluation of goals and objectives:
how you plan to do this. Data collection resources:
- R&Dp97:
Easy data mining for school libraries - C. MacDonell
- R&Dp99:
Making better decisions by using better data - T.E. Young
- R&Dp160:
School libraries and evidence: Seize the day, begin the future - R.J.
Todd
- R&Dp168:
Why action research? The leadership role of the LMS - J.K. Howard &
S.A. Eckhardt
- Plan for planning: your annual cycle
of evaluation and planning and who does it.
- Budgeting
(because budgets are plans
expressed as dollars): Take expected income and divide over your goals,
prioritizing as you see appropriate. Express as percentage in
PDEP. Budgeting refs: Wasman 14, and:
- R&Dp114:
Budgeting: As easy as 1-2-3 - G. Dickinson
- R&Dp120:
Crying over spilled milk - G. Dickinson
- Global
themes, to be assumed throughout
and explicitly expressed somewhere:
- Equitable access
- Open access
- Compliance with legal and ethical
codes
- Conducive learning environment
- Support of school goals/mission
- Reaching beyond the walls into the
community, pulling in resources from "out there" (includes the digital
world)
- for example: R&Dp70: A tale of two libraries:
School and public librarians working together - J. Scordato
- Package
pieces:
- Executive summary
- Individual reflections
- Self assessment
- References
- Tags
- Go through
the Rubric
- Questions?
Evaluation
Resources:
- Morris, Chapter 14: has several rubrics
- Nancy Everhart wrote an entire book on Evaluation of SLMPs.
- The IP Planning Guide is invaluable here.
- Georgia's
Exemplary Media Center Program (contains excellent, rigorous
rubric!)
- IP itself lists many goals with indicators; the Planning Guide
builds on these.
- Evaluation of goals and objectives:
how you plan to do this. Data collection resources:
- R&Dp97:
Easy data mining for school libraries - C. MacDonell
- R&Dp99:
Making better decisions by using better data - T.E. Young
- R&Dp160:
School libraries and evidence: Seize the day, begin the future - R.J.
Todd
- R&Dp168:
Why action research? The leadership role of the LMS - J.K. Howard &
S.A. Eckhardt
Points
- The big idea is to have
benchmarks ("before" measures) and
targets ("after" measures to shoot for).
- These can be captured in
a rubric. I think a reasonable
pattern is presented below. The whole point of it is to establish
reasonable goals with room to expand if it's a very lucky year.
- Another big idea is to try to come closer each year,
incrementally, to an accepted standard, such as some of those
represented above.
- Don't confuse Program Evaluation with your Professional
Evaluation (perhaps the GMSEP or the GTOI). However: make them work together in
your setting; they should definitely dovetail!
- You don't necessarily have to go this far in the PDEP.
MAF's
Reasonable Rubric for Recovering
Perfectionists
Indicators
(Goals/Objectives) for This Year
|
Acceptable
- We will be Satisfied
if we meet 80% of these.
- We will be Ecstatic
if we meet 100%.
|
Exceptional
Levels to shoot for in case
we have lots of extra money, time, good fortune, and energy!
|
Goal 1
|
Objective 1a
(Spell out this
objective here)
|
(Write
a statement here that indicates qualitative or quantitative achievement)
|
Ditto
<--
|
Objective 1b
|
|
|
Goal 2
|
Objective 2a
|
|
|
Objective 2b
|
|
|
etc.
|
|
|
section updated 11-4-08
Access
Do not spend much time here! It is an underlying principle but will be
explored in depth in EDIT 6380.
Readings:
Discussion:
- "Honor" both texts
- Underlying principle:
access to information should be as free and
open as possible. There are interpretations ranging from
extremely
conservative to extremely liberal of the principle of access.
- Barriers (to information):
- Just as it sounds - these are anything that get in the way
between a user and the information needed
- Examples
(we do a big project on this in Cataloging)
- While several barriers may be protective, it's our job to
eliminate unnecessary and overly restrictive barriers.
- At the same time, we must protect private information by
creating barriers ("boundaries")
- Meaning of the standards; big ideas and themes
- Ethics and law: things you
can't/shouldn't do with information, and things you and patrons have
the rights to do. For now,
avoid violations as you become aware of these principles.
- Branch to Diversity
- Flexible and/or open access to the media center
- Multiple formats to meet diverse learner needs
- print, nonprint, electronic
- learning styles: sensory and otherwise
- special groups and their needs
- Intellectual freedom (the flipside of censorship)
is a significant topic in EDIT 6340. It's a
"hot button" issue, to say the least. We will explore it but not solve
it. For now, start noticing the difficult pieces of this issue and try
to keep an open mind.
- The Access Position Statement expands on the basic ideas from the
Standards (although older). Naturally, since AASL is the source of
both, the philosophies are closely aligned. We depend heavily on AASL
for many professional ideas and principles, but there is always much
discussion and disagreement going on about these controversial topics,
both inside and outside the organization.
From another class:
Access
Enabler
This section built
8-31-06; links valid 7-30-07
Keeping
current: Professional organizations and journals (and other avenues)
Readings:
- AASL
Standard 3.1 (Connection with the Library Community)
[required]
- Wasman chapter 18 [supplemental]
- YATK
Services
and Resources
and Professional
Organizations sections [for exploration]
- Cohen, S.M. (2004). Eight steps for keeping current. Knowledge Quest, 33 (1), 40-41. [GALILEO] [persistent
link] [supplemental]
- R&Dp141: Journaling:
Telling your professional "story" - D.Miller
- R&Dp144: Are you ready to
go digital? The pros and cons of electronic portfolio development - M.
Heath (of course you would do the digital version. Overlook that part,
look at what it tells you about prof. portfolios.)
- National Board certification: R&D articles p. 148, 150
Discussion
- While you're in grad school,
you
are bombarded with growth
opportunities. Once you graduate and have worked for a couple of years,
it's easy to stagnate.
- It's crucial that you have ways
to keep up with developments in the
profession. It's also crucial that you model Life-long Learning
within your school community. (Why?)
- Two key avenues are
professional
journals and professional
organizations ... and now, there are blogs, PLNs, increasing amount on
online lecturing, etc.
- Professional
Evaluation Instrument recommended by GLMA
------
Discussion questions:
(taken from Muddy Points/FAQs of the past)
- How do SLMSs find the time to keep current?
- How can I organize all the information I find?
- After graduation, how soon should I worry about "keeping up?"
- With all the developments in technology, children's literature,
media overall, education, and the profession, how do I find a focus or
know what to pay attention to?
readings
updated, links checked 10-4-08
Collaborative
planning overview
Readings from Syllabus:
- IP p. 47-57; Appendix A [required]
- AASL
Standard 3.2
(Instructional Partner) [required]
- R&Dp3:
What should a teacher expect a SLMS to be? C. Harvey
- R&Dp61:
Collaboration: It really does work! J.L. Youssef
- R&Dp63:
Open doors to collaboration with an open house - B.Yoke
- R&Dp189:
Information literacy, collaboration, and "Killer Apps": New challenges
for MSs - F. Georges [MAF's commentary in WebCT/Readings - 5min.]
Discussion
- Light touch in
this class, just for
context
- Why
collaborate, again?
- A pragmatic
approach to flex scheduling
and collaborative
planning: baby steps ... mission above all
- All of these things are addressed also
in
EDIT 6320, 6360, 6400,
6170, 7500.
- Some ideas from Thelan (2003):
- listening for problems
- never say "collaborate": help them
solve problems rather than add to workload
- resources, reading promotion, and
technology are key solutions in your toolkit
Thelan,
L. (2003). Essentials of
elementary school library management. Worthington,
OH: Linworth.
(This book was not assigned reading; I like her
handling of this subject.)
Discussion Questions:
- What are some strategies to introduce collaboration to teachers
and get them on board?
Additional Readings:
Dickinson, G. (2006). When does collaboration start?
School Library Media Activities Monthly, 23
(2). Available online at:
http://www.schoollibrarymedia.com/articles/Dickinson2006v23n2.html
section
refreshed 11-18-08
Teaching and
Learning
Readings
- IP pp. 58-82; pp. 171-181 [required]
- AASL Standard 2.1: Knowledge of Learners and Learning [required]
- AASL Standard 2.2: Effective and Knowledgeable Teacher [required]
- AASL Standard 2.3: Information Literacy Curriculum [required]
- GSTEP Standards, Domain 1
- Making
every moment count: Maximizing quality instruction time.
June, 2007 - result of collaboration between many professional
organizations. Read overview, section by AASL, and glance at approaches
suggested by other organizations. Implications for teaching in
the media center and collaborating with teachers.
- Information Literacy
- R&Dp31:Destination
information: A road map for the journey - P.Milam
- R&Dp56: Moving from rote
to inquiry: Creating learning that counts - V.H. Harada & J.M.
Yoshina
- R&Dp60: Tools of the
trade: Comparison of conventional and inquiry-focused schools - V.H.
Harada & J.M. Yoshina
- Serving
differences:
- IP pp.
68-69, 162-165 [required]
- Downing, J.A. (2006). Media centers and special education:
Introduction to the special issue. Intervention
in School & Clinic (42) 2, 67-77. [GALILEO: persistent
link][*read this]
- Mendoza
& Reese: Examining Multicultural Picture Books for the Early
Childhood
Classroom: Possibilities and Pitfalls [supplemental]
- York, S. (2007).
Twenty-five years later: A librarian looks back ... and ahead. Library
Media Connection 25 (6), 18-20. Available fulltext in
GALILEO/EBSCO.
Tags: 6300, diversity
- R&Dp40: Sink or swim?
Differentiated instruction in the library - K. Larsen
- R&Dp135: Extending
inclusive learning: Library and special education collaboration - J.
Hopkins
- Assessment:
- R&Dp75: Authentic
assessment in the classroom ... and the LMC - J. Mueller
- Staff development:
- R&Dp125: Conducting
effective staff development workshops - K. Bishop & S. Janczak, and
p. 128
- R&Dp129: Tools of the
trade: Workshop evaluation form - J.D. Fisher & A. Hill
We will only touch on this here because it's impossible to ignore given
the integrated nature of this job.
More opportunities to come
Teaching/Learning: you can never have
enough courses, knowledge
about teaching learning. All sorts of aspects: content areas;
development; thinking/cognition; higher order thinking; learning
models; instructional design; working with exceptional learners.
Serving
differences (readings above)
Discussion
- Jellybean diversity
- What kinds of
diversity should
we include in our consideration?
- What are the media
specialist's
responsibilites regarding diversity?
- How can media
specialists effectively
address diversity?
- Key issue: access
and barriers
to access
- To be
certified, you must take a basic exceptionalities course (like SPED
2000; certified teachers have already satisfied this
requirement). It's frightening to think that you must be prepared
to handle all the different kinds of disabilities there are. Let the
teachers who work with special children help you; collaborate with
them. It's a good strategy in general: any time you have a challenge
with a particular child, talk to his/her teacher for help in working
with him/her. You will learn a lot this way. However, you
are not expected to have anywhere near the level of expertise that a
special ed teacher has.
readings refreshed 8-1-07
Educational
Leader
Readings:
- AASL
Standard 3.3
(Educational Leader) [required]
- aware of current
educational trends, issues - and relates SLM to these
- knows about professional
associations in relevant disciplines (NCTE, IRA, PAGE, NEA, GAE, NSTA,
NCTM, ISTE....)
- is active in bringing about
change and improvement (rather than passive "victim")
- knows what other educators
do, and works to include everyone (example: AM and her
kindergarten/music/p.e./library time)
- keeps school mission and
goals as a rationale for most efforts
- reads professional library
literature (keeps up) and seeks ways to apply
- IP pp. 52-53
- Everhart, N. (2007).
Leadership: School library media specialists as effective school
leaders. Knowledge Quest, 35
(4), 54-57. [persistent
link]
- R&Dp83: Leadership: What
makes us tick? M.A. Anderson
- R&Dp168: Why action
research? The leadership role of the LMS - J.K. Howard & S.A.
Eckhardt
section refreshed
11-18-08
Management
of Program Resources: Human, Financial, Physical (Overview)
AASL
Standard 4.2 [required]
Big Ideas from the Standard (tend
to be very global):
- Management (a science in itself)
- Policies, procedures, principles
- Typical policies might include: Selection Policy (or Collection
Development Policy); Acceptable Use; etc.
- Procedures include your internal how-to step-by-step lists and
system procedures such as Acquisition
- Principles are the overarching themes we talk about a lot:
- Relationship of facility to program needs
- Supporting mission of the school
- Specific guidelines from the field that govern practice
(example: ideas about working with the personnel you supervise)
- Resource management: personnel, financial, collection, tech
infrastructure (possibly),
facility, time
- Adequacy and suitability of resources
- Advocacy (target competency)
- Alternative funding (target competency)
My points:
- Management is the art of keeping resources in balance with needs.
- Resources include human time and expertise, funds and other
in-kind contributions, and physical plant (facility, infrastructure,
tools, collection).
- Leadership is a higher competency than management.
Management may be insufficient in keeping a program healthy, and is
certainly insufficient in moving it forward. However, management is
always necessary - it cannot be neglected.
- Human time, in particular, is often thought of as having $0
value. This is a big mistake. Calculate your wage per hour as a
demonstration of this. Count as a resource any staff time,
student aide time, or volunteer time. Try to delegate tasks
according to their resource costs.
Big Ideas from Morris (2004), and related even if you don't have this
text:
- Circulation (a procedure, p. 509), including patron privacy and
security (discussed below)
- Inventory and weeding (p. 518)
- Collection maintenance (p. 524)
- Record-keeping and reporting
- Book fairs
For more information:
- Morris, B. (2004). Administering
the school library media center (4th ed.) Libraries
Unlimited. [chapter 12]
this section refreshed
11/08
Stimulating
Learning Environment (Facilities Management)
Readings:
- AASL
Standard 1.4 (Stimulating Learning Environment) [required]
- Wasman chapter 12 [supplemental]
- YATK
Media
Facilities [supplemental]
- Subel, S. (2007). Facility design as an agent of learning. Knowledge Quest, 35 (3), 38-41. [persistent
link] While reading this, ask yourself: Even if I'm not going to be
designing a new media center any time soon, what principles in this
article can I adapt for an existing media center? Use a Makeover
mindset.
- Winslow, B. (2007). Shoestring decorating. Teacher Librarian, 34 (4), 65. [persistent
link]
- Walster, D. (1990). Promoting appropriate behavior in the media
center. School Library Journal, 36 (8),
26-29. [persistent
link][age of this article not an issue]
- R&Dp90: Re-designing a
SLMC for the 21st century - M. Moyer & R.M. Baker [MAF's commentary available in
WebCT/Readings]
- R&Dp95: Planning
considerations for LMC facilities - S. Baule [MAF's commentary available in
WebCT/Readings]
Discussion
- Organization
(a
major topic in
Cataloging)
- Biggest idea:
Access for everyone
(including all represented
diversities)
- Learning
environment
- Information
("signage")
- Activity:
traffic, large groups, small
groups, individuals,
noise, computers, comfortable "lounging" furniture (Subel, 2007)
- Productivity
areas: video, photography
(Subel, 2007)
- Videoconferencing:
whole room? place
for desktop videoconferencing?
- Dumping ground
problem: students who
need to be put somewhere;
old/unwanted stuff; encroachment of office space and storage by overflow
- Visibility
- Furniture
- Infrastructure:
lighting, wiring,
plumbing, telephone, cleaning,
moisture
- Discipline:
Discipline
Notes
- I think Walster's article is superb.
- Appearance
- Flexibility:
power in floor or on
poles, and lots of it; wireless; screens that descend from ceiling;
mobile furniture; area lighting
- Building a
new
MC
- Environmental
models under dicussion
now:
- The
bookstore/coffeeshop
- Sanctuary -
a
place where it's safe
to be quiet, to turn off the "information deluge" [ironic! Omar Wasow]
- Learning
Laboratory
- Biggest/Most
expensive Classroom in
the School
- 24/7:
place,
resources, expertise -
schedule each around the clock (Christopher Harris)
- I
think all of these models have
merit. Adopt according to local mission. The one that's
unacceptable, in my opinion, is the sterile silent place of the past.
Other references:
- Morris 7
- Simonyi, S. (2007). Time for a change. Knowledge Quest, 35 (3), 24-.
- Harper, M. (2007). How physical design can influence copyright
compliance. Knowledge Quest, 35
(3), 30-.
- Subel, S. (2007). Facility design as an agent of learning. Knowledge Quest, 35 (3), 38-. [persistent
link]
- Ercegovac, Z. (2007). Listening pays off: SALON@marlborough. Knowledge Quest, 35 (3), 42-.
- Landscape
Your Library to Attract Students (Braxton) - WebCT (retired: used once)
refreshed 11-4-08
Human Resources
(Personnel)
Readings:
- Wasman, chapters 15-16
[supplemental]
- YATK: Media
Support Personnel; Technology
Team
- Appropriate Staffing for
School Library Media Centers (AASL
Position Statement) [required]
- Media Center
Volunteers - A Collaborative
Problem Project by Mary Lewis, Karen Willingham, Nancy Andrews, Angie
Furney, and Roy Jackson (Cohort 5)
- Dickinson, G. (2006). The
question ... should I correct those who refer to my library clerk as
the librarian? Knowledge Quest 35
(2), 60-61. [persistent
link]
- Management
of Media Staff - Beth Clark, Dana Turner
- Davis, S.K. (2004).
Harnessing the power of parent volunteers. Knowledge Quest 33 (1), 30-31. [persistent
link]
- Schipman, M. (2006). It's
cool to work in the library: Student library aides. Library Media Connection 25 (3),
26-27. [persistent
link]
- Lagesten, C. (2007). Students
as library leaders: Student team builds leadership skills while helping
to battle budget cuts. Teacher
Librarian, 34 (5), 45-47. [persistent
link]
- R&Dp106: Perks, rewards,
and glory: The care and feeding of volunteers - S.K. Fullner
- MAF's
resources tagged human-resources
Discussion:
- Proper staffing levels: Georgia
rule 160-5-1-.22
- Gradual erosion since about 2003
- Supervision of staff
- Media Committee -- not under your supervision, but a very
important human resource!
- Volunteers
- Interpersonal issues
- How many of your duties can you delegate to paraprofessionals,
volunteers, or student aides? (Muddy Point, Cohort 5)
Other references:
--Morris,
chapter 6
refreshed 11-18-08.
Time
management
Readings:
- Fitzgerald, M.A., &
Waldrip, A. (2004, August/September). Not enough time in the day: Media
specialists, program planning, and time management, Part I. Library Media Connection 23 (1), p.
38. [GALILEO]
[supplemental][persistent
link][in R&D, 2007]
- My favorite resource on
TM: Getting
Things Done by David Allen
Discussion
- TM in the LMC is very different from the classroom.
- Sources of demand for your time:
- Schedules and the calendar
- Requests and tasks from administrators and staff of varying
importance and urgency
- Students: assistance and supervision
- Housekeeping routines: shelving, etc.
- Projects: recurring and one-time; short-term and long-term
- Likely, many others
- Juggling strategies:
- Keeping up with inputs: you need "buckets." Ideas: cards
in pocket when you travel down the hall; one task per card. Don't
keep anything in your head that you can write down. Treat every
request as a golden treasure that cannot be lost! Deal,
eventually, with each in some way. The worst thing you can do is
"drop" tasks. It's better to say you can't/won't than to "drop" or
ignore.
- Every day, check all buckets for new tasks.
- Have a system for prioritizing. Mine: "fires," top,
middle,
low priority. Fires truly must be taken care of immediately -
rare. I try to do all tops, a certain number of middles, and one
or two "fun" low priority things.
- Every day, keep a running prioritized list. Obviously, do
the most important first. Mine: cards or separate pieces of paper,
sorted in a file. The sorting capability is critical. A long
to-do list where things just get added to the end is pretty useless.
- You must have enough flexibility to respond to new, urgent
requests. You must also learn how to judge what few tasks fall
into this category. Don't fall into the trap of dropping what you're
doing every time a new task appears.
- Be dependable with the tasks you commit to. Ask for "need-by"
dates.
- You will NEVER get all your tasks done. Learn to live with
this. It's important to know when you have reached a point in
your day where you have done enough to go home.
- Tickle files are a great strategy for off-loading tasks into
the future.
- To-do lists were frustrating to me in the MC. I never crossed
off things and kept adding to them all day.
- It's also easy to neglect important projects because urgent
things are always coming up. I recommend an incremental, baby-step
approach to projects.
- Delegate! And don't micro-manage your helpers! Give
them ownership and feedback, but don't breathe over them. Accept
that some things won't be perfect, and they really don't have to be.
(Part of leadership is knowing which things must be perfect/nearly
perfectly done.)
- Keeping calm saves time.
- When you find yourself doing the same things over and over ...
answering the same question over and over ... consider building a tool
to avoid. Examples: templates for emails that you repeat often;
job aides next to machines that puzzle users; good signage.
- Consider your patterns of daily energy (some say
"biorhythms"). Match your tough tasks to your higher-energy times.
- Multi-tasking: good and bad. It's important to have
multiple projects going on because there would be lots of down-time
otherwise. On the other hand, you can literally focus on only one
thing at a time.
- Do us all a favor and don't join the Cult of Chronic
Overworkers. This is escalating in our culture through a social
mechanism. But - we all need balance. You will be no good
to
anyone once you've burned out. Find a sustainable level of
effort. This will differ between individuals.
- Your management system will become overloaded from time to
time. These are opportunities to reassess its effectiveness.
- Learn to judge the difference between things you think you
should do and truly optional tasks. Many times, these later must
be delegated to the future - and eventually may lose importance.
These are not usually requests from others, though. Requests must
be handled in one way or other in a reasonably timely manner.
Discussion Questions
- How in the world can a SLMS wear all of his/her hats and still
have a life outside of school?
- How do you set priorities?
- Is it realistic to think we will have the time and opportunity to
collaborate?
section refreshed 11-18-08
Public Relations
Readings from syllabus: