Paula -
You are right about lots of new coaches and other staff. But, they
don't purposely try to stick it to the teacher-librarian. They are often
just overwhelmed themselves. There's no plan or system or organization
for working together.
Therefore - why not start to organize these folks into a larger
"information and services team." This could be done slowly - with
meetings to discuss common interests, concerns, and problems. Take a
long-term view - with the goal being first coordination of efforts, then
some cooperation, and eventually collaboration or even coming together
in a new organization. SOME UNIT has to provide coordination, support
services, and overall planning. Why not the newly constituted
information and services unit?
Mike
________________________________
From: Paula Yohe [mailto:paula_yohe@yahoo.com]
Sent: Tuesday, April 10, 2007 3:36 PM
To: Mike Eisenberg; LM_NET@LISTSERV.SYR.EDU
Subject: Re: [LM_NET] Re School Librarians Obsolete (long)
I agree with you -- but
we now have schools with reading coaches, literacy coaches, technology
coaches, etc. and in most cases they don't collaborate with the media
specialist.
Also when you make the library responsible -- in many cases this is
perceived as telling teachers what to do -- and the media specialist is
not an administrator
In some schools media specialists are the last person they put on
stategic planning committees.
I love your list to do RIGHT NOW
If we could only motivate some of the unmotivated -- we could make a
difference.
Paula
Mike Eisenberg <mbe@U.WASHINGTON.EDU> wrote:
To All -
I really appreciate David Triche's comments as well as Paulette
Simpson's. David is right - to a degree. If school librarians
focus on
the "stuff" of libraries (collections, systems, even technology)
and
passive provision of that stuff, and doing things the way we've
always
done them, then we are doomed to obsolescence.
BUT - if teacher-librarians truly embrace the mission of
Information
Power - "to ensure that students are effective users of ideas
and
information" - and deliver on that mission then, library &
information
programs and teacher-librarians can thrive!
Here's how -
- active, engaged programs targeted to the specific needs of the
students
- programs focused on the 3 major functions of the library &
information
program: information skills instruction, reading advocacy,
information
management
- emphasis of the program each year in terms of the % on each of
the 3
functions determined by the school community (administration and
classroom teachers especially) and not the teacher-librarian in
isolation
- emphasis on the information literacy curriculum as a central
part of
the school's curriculum program - with the library & information
program
RESPONSIBLE for seeing that the curriculum is delivered,
learned, and
assessed
- systematic and comprehensive analysis of needs - updated
yearly
- strategic planning - involving the school community
- performance assessment using state exams and other measures
valued by
the school and community
- broad-based programs that INCLUDE the technology and media
faculty and
support staff
- a willingness to give up old, outdated modes of resources,
services,
and functions and move to more effective and efficient
approaches....
Information is the lifeblood of every major business or
organization.
Every major business or organization has an active, engaged,
information
unit - often headed by a "CIO" - a chief information officer. At
the
building level, the teacher-librarian should be that CIO.
But we need to think
- big
- innovatively
- controversially
- boldly
- systematically.
Here are some possibilities - RIGHT NOW.
(1) get ready for next year right now.
(2) What is the #1 library & information priority in your
school? Is it
information literacy? Reading? Information technology? THEN
FOCUS ON
THAT. Minimize time and effort in the other areas.
(3) If you spend too much time on shelving and sign-out, then
don't!
Find another way to get it done, or just don't do it. Make books
due
once a month - or not at all! Have students reshelve their own
books...whatever, just stop focusing on this.
(4) If you spend too much time selecting materials, then don't!
Form a
district committee to do 90% of selection for all elementary
schools.
Or a statewide committee. Or just use the standard lists. I
know, I
know - this is terrible! But, figure out another way to do it.
(5) If kids are using the "library" more and more remotely and
less
physically, then get in there and spend more "time" in virtual
space!
Or in the classrooms.
(6) Analyze scores on standardized tests. How could YOU make a
difference - right away!
(7) Collaboration is a means, not an end. Focus on students and
learning - not necessarily on classroom teachers.
(8) Flexible scheduling is a means, not an end. If the best way
for you
to work with kids is through scheduling, then do it!
(9) If the kids use Google for everything, stop trying to tell
them to
use something else. HELP them to use Google (or the Wikipedia)
more
effectively. Teach them to select best resources from Google and
how to
cite.
I'll stop for now. But, I hope you get the picture.
David - the vision and functions are not obsolete. But, I agree
with
you that the old ways of doing things are. Every school needs an
information infrastructure with information services,
instruction, and
management. If school libraries and librarians disappear, down
the road
we will start to see information and technology programs with
CIOs or
technology specialists. So, why wait? Let's reinvent ourselves
and our
programs now!
Question everything!
The litmus test is - are you spending your time and effort (as
limited
as it might be) in the best ways "to ensure that students are
effective
users of ideas and information?"
Mike
-------------------------
Date: Mon, 9 Apr 2007 23:28:59 -0400
From: PM Chatman <OKGIRL1969@HOTMAIL.COM
Subject: Re: School Librarians Obsolete
David,
All of what you are saying is true - but where is the optiziming
behind
al
l of this reality- We just need to keep ourselves valuable in
all areas.
Maybe you can get certified in educational technology and keep
yourself
muc h more valubable.
Paulette Simpson
Cincinnati, OH
----------------------------------------
Date: Mon, 9 Apr 2007 10:33:01 -0700
From: David-Triche.SITE-PO2.SCUSD@SAC-CITY.K12.CA.US
Subject: [LM_NET] School Librarians Obsolete To:
The writing is on the wall: School Librarians are an endangered
species, not only school librarians, but all librarians in small
libraries middle level management in all industries. This is
part of a
greater development. School librarians are really middle level
management and technology is replacing this group at a terrific
rate. Computers crunch numbers and keep track of transactions
and
statistics very efficiently. Indeed, it makes the tasks of a
librarian much easier. However, computers also do many of the
jobs
librarians, as middle management, used to do. In fact, having
worked
in school libraries in four districts in four states I have
learned
that is was once common for larger schools to have two
credentialed
librarians. All the tasks of cataloguing and processing books
demanded that level of staffing. The era of the two librarian
school
library has long passed and where it exists it is due to
tradition
rather than necessity. It is analogous to what has happened in
retail
and even the hospitality industry. Computers allow for the
instantaneous transfer of information to upper management
without the
necessity of intermediate steps. This has eliminated or
minimized the
need for on site managers in many industries. Indeed, many
economists
point to this process as a prime reason in the stagnation of
middle
class wages over the last thirty years.
Think about our own jobs. Automated check out is already a
reality.
Late and lost item notices can be generated and sent
automatically.
Processing and selection can be done on a district or even
county or
state level. From the principal or superintendent92s point of
view,
having a high cost librarian at each site is fast becoming an
unnecessary cost. Someone to shelve books, keep the computers
turned
on and sweep the floor is all they consider necessary. Indeed,
when
I worked in another state two years ago, 90% of my time was
involved
in totally non library related activities. I was the testing
coordinator, taught literacy to improve test scores all morning
covered
classes when teachers were absent. In many cases the only reason
we
still have jobs is because we manage a great room to have
meetings in
and a large number of capital goods. I plan to tabulate the
exact
numbers, but my library closes for all sorts of testing,
meetings and
presentations. We are closed to students a great deal of the
time.
While it is true we can be great assets to teachers, learning
and
better test scores, we are increasingly viewed as a budgetary
waste.
It is only a matter of time until a school with a librarian will
be an
oddity and only exist where the management has a special desire
for
their services. This process will be accelerated as tech
companies
develop hardware and software to accomplish the tasks we now do
more
efficiently and cheaply. Furthermore, as the number of tech
savvy
younger teachers increases, many of the things we offer teachers
will
be able to be accomplished in the classroom or by the teacher in
the
library. It is inevitable and there is not a whole lot we can do
about
it. David Neuville Triche, LMT Luther Burbank High School
3500 Florin Rd.
Sacramento, CA 95823
(916)433-5100 Ext. 2000
David-Triche@sac-city.k12.ca.us
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Paula Yohe
Director Of Technology/Library Media Center
Dillon School District Two
405 West Washington Street
Dillon, SC 29536
Phone: 843-841-3604 Fax:843-774-1214
paula_yohe@yahoo.com
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