I have been spending a lot of time reflecting on my practice-- how to improve it and the quality of the instruction children obtain. This has brought me to struggle with certain physical limitations. How do you implement a program that strays from what is expected? The school library ought to provide access to a wide variety of services 24/7. At the elementary level this should include times for students to have regular book check-out and opportunities and to participate in ongoing inquiry based collaborative projects. Currently, the school budgets are not large enough to provide sufficient staffing to offer their school communities the breadth and depth of services they deserve. This is one of the challenges. I would like to improve the quality of the school media center's online presence that will allow for an increase in services at times I am not physically available. The VLC assignment gave me a number of ideas that I would like to think about implementing. It would be nice to have children be able to have access to so many of the tools that have been introduced to us.
I see so many ways that I would like the library lessons to evolve, and need to continue to think of small ways to try to help improve the quality of service. For example, I have decided to send teachers a weekly online survey asking what topics they are teaching that I could help find materials for. This would allow me to provide resources to classroom teachers, while also being able to teach information literacy skills relating to the content they are already studying.
I have also begun to think more critically about the types of experiences that I want to create for my students. This needs to extend beyond providing them experiences that introduce them to a variety of content-- I want to provide experiences that will help them to understand that content. As time and space constraints limit the ability to introduce concepts, allow students time to practice them, and to assess those ideas, it becomes easy to pass over the assessment phase. However, I am coming to see how that aspect of it can happen more easily than before. New ideas are presenting themselves to me. At the end of this class, I find I am more critical of the instruction I am providing to students.
I would like to continue to provide teacher in-services, and to try to design those based on input from the teachers. After reading The School Library Media Manager, I began to reflect on how to incorporate the ideas I was learning. "One of the most important services the media specialist can offer staff and students is training sessions that will keep them aware of and capable of participating in educational innovations and, most especially, using the new technologies as they evolve" (Woolls, 2008, p.174). The possibilities for ongoing teacher instruction could lead to powerful changes in the way that student instruction takes place within the school. If we all guide each other through the acquisition of new tools, we will all be more equipped to lead our students to the same possibilities.
Ultimately, I feel that at the end of this semester, I have come to envision a new evolution in my teaching style. I would like to push myself to embrace the uncomfortable unknown-- with a well-crafted plan that is guided by explicit goals, objectives. I am learning how to be more comfortable with uncomfortable learning processes-- to appreciate the evolution of understanding that would take place through collaborative inquiry.
The greatest challenge I face is a lack of time. I run two different elementary school libraries, which combined serve over one thousand patrons. Both of these school deserve to be able to afford a full-time librarian. Were I able to keep the school library open the entire school week, additional services would be easier to provide. With California's education budgets continuing to shrink, I worry about the effect on library funding.
Woolls, B. (2008). The School Library Media Manager. Westport: Libraries Unlimited.
Saturday, October 30, 2010
Advocacy in the school library
Advocacy is a necessary component of a school library program for many reasons. Not only is advocacy is a way that school librarians can demonstrate to their patrons the various resources available through the library, but it is also important way for school librarians to gather together a community who will support them in times of financial crisis. "For school library media programs to be given the appropriate high priority in funding and staffing plans, an advocacy program must be developed, implemented, and kept on the alert" (Woolls, 2008, p.189). When cuts to education hit schools, it is important that teacher librarians are prepared to demonstrate the value the library has to the school community.
Advocacy can take place in many forms, and towards many people. A school librarian is responsible for meeting the library needs for all members of their school community-- this extends beyond just students and teachers, but also includes all members of the staff or community volunteers. The more people who are able to use library resources, the greater impact the school library will be having on that school community.
Obviously, school librarians are more aware of the resources they offer than anybody else. Advocacy can take place through the publicizing of new resources-- both print and electronic. Not only will this help patrons to become aware of the resources that the library provides, but it will get some patrons excited about new materials, and also keep the library on the school community's radar. If patrons are unaware of the resources available to them, these resources will not be used. An unused resource is a waste of money, regardless of how potentially useful that resource could be. Therefore, school librarians need to make sure that their patrons understand that these tools are available and also how these tools can be helpful in their lives.
Various members of the school community will need different forms of advocacy, but a strong library program will advocate for itself through a variety of formats. The librarians in my district have been brainstorming groups of people we would like to target some outside advocacy to. We have come to appreciate the value of social organizations. There are a plethora of social groups devoted to the improvement of community resources. It is important for school communities to reach out and partner up with local organizations. The discussion has caused us to realize that sometimes we must look for benefactors outside of the communities in which our schools reside. This is especially the case for lower income neighborhoods. While these neighborhoods may have less resources available to them, outside parties are oftentimes more likely to contribute to schools in economically depressed locations. This brings the importance of library advocacy to even greater levels.
There are many challenges that face the modern school librarian. It is difficult to advocate for the library when many teachers are already overworked and underpaid. This means that librarians must sometimes play the cheerleader, trying to remind the school community how sunny and personally relevant the school library is to the community.
Woolls, B. (2008). The School Library Media Manager. Westport: Libraries Unlimited.
Advocacy can take place in many forms, and towards many people. A school librarian is responsible for meeting the library needs for all members of their school community-- this extends beyond just students and teachers, but also includes all members of the staff or community volunteers. The more people who are able to use library resources, the greater impact the school library will be having on that school community.
Obviously, school librarians are more aware of the resources they offer than anybody else. Advocacy can take place through the publicizing of new resources-- both print and electronic. Not only will this help patrons to become aware of the resources that the library provides, but it will get some patrons excited about new materials, and also keep the library on the school community's radar. If patrons are unaware of the resources available to them, these resources will not be used. An unused resource is a waste of money, regardless of how potentially useful that resource could be. Therefore, school librarians need to make sure that their patrons understand that these tools are available and also how these tools can be helpful in their lives.
Various members of the school community will need different forms of advocacy, but a strong library program will advocate for itself through a variety of formats. The librarians in my district have been brainstorming groups of people we would like to target some outside advocacy to. We have come to appreciate the value of social organizations. There are a plethora of social groups devoted to the improvement of community resources. It is important for school communities to reach out and partner up with local organizations. The discussion has caused us to realize that sometimes we must look for benefactors outside of the communities in which our schools reside. This is especially the case for lower income neighborhoods. While these neighborhoods may have less resources available to them, outside parties are oftentimes more likely to contribute to schools in economically depressed locations. This brings the importance of library advocacy to even greater levels.
There are many challenges that face the modern school librarian. It is difficult to advocate for the library when many teachers are already overworked and underpaid. This means that librarians must sometimes play the cheerleader, trying to remind the school community how sunny and personally relevant the school library is to the community.
Woolls, B. (2008). The School Library Media Manager. Westport: Libraries Unlimited.
Sunday, October 24, 2010
Censorship
Censorship is an issue that people usually feel strongly about, one way or another. It is one teacher librarians must deal with delicately, yet firmly. I have begun to experience small places where the school community unconsciously requests censorship. There was a problem with boys and some cards related to a popular manga cartoon. The principal asked me to remove a different set of manga books from the library-- as he didn't want to encourage the problem. The children, however, still go home and watch the t.v. show that created the initial problem. The content of the books is not too mature for the students, but the books were still removed. This happens because people understand, and fear, the power of books.
This can cultivate a culture of fear that relates to student selection of information. This extends beyond books, to any of the information kids receive. The concept of censorship is a double edged sword-- while as a librarian I feel I must vehemently fight to protect patrons right to information access, as a parent I feel that there are certain materials I do not want my child exposed to. A school librarian sits in a delicate position, balanced between parental desires, district influences, and their own personal beliefs regarding student access. Librarians need to carefully consider how they will deal with these multiple, often conflicting demands. "Make sure your school has a written selection policy and reconsideration policy that addresses written challenges to books" (Whelan, 2009). Make sure you are prepared.
Oftentimes, we begin to censor certain materials unconsciously, simply by choosing not to purchase them for the collection. School librarians need to assess their school communities and the ways that certain concepts are consciously and unconsciously included and left out from the collective culture. Librarians must pay attention to the biases inherent in their collections and decide which topics are the most important to add. For example, I have had seven girls ask me to get the Twilight books, which I am not convinced are appropriate for an elementary school. I had two students ask for a book on the Muslim holiday, Eid, which led me to realize that we didn't have many good books related to the Muslim culture. This felt like a much more important topic to address than the Twilight series-- even though Twilight is more popular. I feel good about the choice I made, but nonetheless, it was a conscious choice of how to spend the library's money-- and how not to. Each time we make a purchase or weed our collections, we are making choices regarding the content that will be available to patrons. It is important to think critically about these processes so that we can defend our choices. "If a book is age appropriate and there are students who would benefit from reading it, then removing a title based on the disapproval of its content raises a constitutional issue, says ALA’s Caldwell-Stone" (Whelan, 2009).
There are other choices being made at the district level. The San Francisco Unified School District has a very stringent block on internet sites. This makes it impossible for anybody to access these sites from a school computer. One of these sites is YouTube. Teachers and librarians are unable to show anything on YouTube-- even though there is a vast quantity of material that could promote learning. Students are creating multimedia projects and posting them on YouTube, but are unable to show them at school, because of these blocks.
Whelan, D. (2009). A dirty little secret: Self-censorship. School Library Journal. Retrieved from: http://www.schoollibraryjournal.com/slj/articles/censorship/856811-341/a_dirty_little_secret_self-censorship.html.csp
This can cultivate a culture of fear that relates to student selection of information. This extends beyond books, to any of the information kids receive. The concept of censorship is a double edged sword-- while as a librarian I feel I must vehemently fight to protect patrons right to information access, as a parent I feel that there are certain materials I do not want my child exposed to. A school librarian sits in a delicate position, balanced between parental desires, district influences, and their own personal beliefs regarding student access. Librarians need to carefully consider how they will deal with these multiple, often conflicting demands. "Make sure your school has a written selection policy and reconsideration policy that addresses written challenges to books" (Whelan, 2009). Make sure you are prepared.
Oftentimes, we begin to censor certain materials unconsciously, simply by choosing not to purchase them for the collection. School librarians need to assess their school communities and the ways that certain concepts are consciously and unconsciously included and left out from the collective culture. Librarians must pay attention to the biases inherent in their collections and decide which topics are the most important to add. For example, I have had seven girls ask me to get the Twilight books, which I am not convinced are appropriate for an elementary school. I had two students ask for a book on the Muslim holiday, Eid, which led me to realize that we didn't have many good books related to the Muslim culture. This felt like a much more important topic to address than the Twilight series-- even though Twilight is more popular. I feel good about the choice I made, but nonetheless, it was a conscious choice of how to spend the library's money-- and how not to. Each time we make a purchase or weed our collections, we are making choices regarding the content that will be available to patrons. It is important to think critically about these processes so that we can defend our choices. "If a book is age appropriate and there are students who would benefit from reading it, then removing a title based on the disapproval of its content raises a constitutional issue, says ALA’s Caldwell-Stone" (Whelan, 2009).
There are other choices being made at the district level. The San Francisco Unified School District has a very stringent block on internet sites. This makes it impossible for anybody to access these sites from a school computer. One of these sites is YouTube. Teachers and librarians are unable to show anything on YouTube-- even though there is a vast quantity of material that could promote learning. Students are creating multimedia projects and posting them on YouTube, but are unable to show them at school, because of these blocks.
Whelan, D. (2009). A dirty little secret: Self-censorship. School Library Journal. Retrieved from: http://www.schoollibraryjournal.com/slj/articles/censorship/856811-341/a_dirty_little_secret_self-censorship.html.csp
Wednesday, October 6, 2010
What's in a name?
The role of the school library has changed greatly throughout the past few decades. When I was in elementary school we would visit the library. By the time I was in high school, we went to visit the media center. The change in the name of the place we went to visit accompanied a change in the types of services which we were receiving. By high school, even though we were primarily only using written text, the library was home to a multitude of available media. Nonetheless, that which was available then pales in comparison to that which is available in the modern school library. As the word for the space evolved, so to did the title for the person who ran it.
I have worked for the San Francisco Unified School District for nine years. During that time I have worked at three different schools, but the school communities have all referred to me by the same title: librarian. But this is elementary school, and as the majority of my students are English Language Learners (some kids still call me Mr. instead of Ms.), I wouldn't expect them to quibble over distinctions in my title. Regardless, I find myself thinking differently about the role that I provide and consequently about the title I prefer to use.
Living in California, I have become accustomed to the title teacher librarian. I like this idea because it acknowledges the teaching aspect of the role. The job involves the instruction, not only of students, but also of the entire school community. It is up to each librarian to decide how best to serve their school community. "...the media specialist who is a true leader can manage instruction becoming a curriculim coach for teachers as well as students, while another might choose to collaborate with teaching" (Woolls, 2008, p. 22). However a librarian chooses to define their role will influence the entire school community.
With the rise of the media center, came the popularity of the term "media specialist". This term, I feel, acknowledges the changes in technology that have affected the library; it points to the fact that librarians are not just working with books, but with a wide range of sources available in numerous formats. For many years, types of technology with which we worked guided our self-definition. I feel as if this is beginning to change. Now, librarians are working to help students learn how to learn-- to become independent learners. "School library media specialists stress the elements of critical thinking that relate specifically to information literacy, such as analyze, verify, problem solve, infer, transfer, find evidence, and synthesize"(Woolls, 2008, p. 32). These skills are critical for students to receive and librarians have moved toward providing them. Does this mean that soon people will want to change the title to information literacy specialists?
The debate will continue, and there is no clear answer as to what teacher librarians ought to be called. "After a focused and extensive discussion, the AASL Board of Directors voted to adopt school librarian as the title which reflects the roles of the 21st-century school library professional as a leader, instructional partner, information specialist, teacher, and program administrator" (AASL Votes, 2010). I feel as if the title of school librarian does not fully depict the many aspects of the job. However, the title is just a title. The critical work that we do means so much more.
"adopt_aasl," American Library Association, January 16, 2010.
http://www.ala.org/ala/newspresscenter/news/pressreleases2010/january2010/adopt_aasl.cfm (Accessed October 06, 2010)
Document ID: 573600
Woolls, B. (2008). The school library media manager. Westport: Libraries Unlimited.
I have worked for the San Francisco Unified School District for nine years. During that time I have worked at three different schools, but the school communities have all referred to me by the same title: librarian. But this is elementary school, and as the majority of my students are English Language Learners (some kids still call me Mr. instead of Ms.), I wouldn't expect them to quibble over distinctions in my title. Regardless, I find myself thinking differently about the role that I provide and consequently about the title I prefer to use.
Living in California, I have become accustomed to the title teacher librarian. I like this idea because it acknowledges the teaching aspect of the role. The job involves the instruction, not only of students, but also of the entire school community. It is up to each librarian to decide how best to serve their school community. "...the media specialist who is a true leader can manage instruction becoming a curriculim coach for teachers as well as students, while another might choose to collaborate with teaching" (Woolls, 2008, p. 22). However a librarian chooses to define their role will influence the entire school community.
With the rise of the media center, came the popularity of the term "media specialist". This term, I feel, acknowledges the changes in technology that have affected the library; it points to the fact that librarians are not just working with books, but with a wide range of sources available in numerous formats. For many years, types of technology with which we worked guided our self-definition. I feel as if this is beginning to change. Now, librarians are working to help students learn how to learn-- to become independent learners. "School library media specialists stress the elements of critical thinking that relate specifically to information literacy, such as analyze, verify, problem solve, infer, transfer, find evidence, and synthesize"(Woolls, 2008, p. 32). These skills are critical for students to receive and librarians have moved toward providing them. Does this mean that soon people will want to change the title to information literacy specialists?
The debate will continue, and there is no clear answer as to what teacher librarians ought to be called. "After a focused and extensive discussion, the AASL Board of Directors voted to adopt school librarian as the title which reflects the roles of the 21st-century school library professional as a leader, instructional partner, information specialist, teacher, and program administrator" (AASL Votes, 2010). I feel as if the title of school librarian does not fully depict the many aspects of the job. However, the title is just a title. The critical work that we do means so much more.
"adopt_aasl," American Library Association, January 16, 2010.
http://www.ala.org/ala/newspresscenter/news/pressreleases2010/january2010/adopt_aasl.cfm (Accessed October 06, 2010)
Document ID: 573600
Woolls, B. (2008). The school library media manager. Westport: Libraries Unlimited.
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