The school library media program encompasses all the resources and activities through which the library media staff translate the mission into reality. A variety of models exists for the successful program. The activities and resources included in the library media program are determined by the educational goals and objective of the school.
School, like individuals, have unique characteristic, due to historical circumstances, geography, pupil demographics, teaching and leadership style, and a host of other factors. Although all schools must maintain basic service, local and regional curricula are reflected in program emphases. Specific priorities may change over time within a single school, and they may differ between school, between districts, and between state systems. In one school, the library media program may be strongest in the areas of reading guidance and literature appreciation. In another, resources and facilities could be concentrade on communication skills and media production. One collection my specialize in the performing arts, while another may support a toy lending or educational software evaluation project. The potential for developing resources and services is limitless.
All effective school library media programs, whatever their individual strengths, share common goals and principles in meeting the needs of users. These goals and principles provide the school library media specialist with guidance in implementing a program.
The School Library Media Program’s Contribution to the Educational Process
The school library media program that is fully integrated into the school’s curriculum is central to the learning process. It is critical element I students’ intellectual development, promoting the move of learning and conveying the importance of using and evaluating information and ideas throughout life.
Developing the ability to think clearly, critically, and creatively depends on a steady flow of information—both from direct, firsthand perceptions and from perceptions filtered and communicated through media, which use the languages of voice, image, print, and gesture. The school library media program provides an abundance of appropriate learning resources in many formats. Critical thinking skills are also fostered when students are provided with opportunities to learn how to located, analyze, evaluate, interpret, and communicate information and ideas. The library media specialist offers frequent, planned activities to instruct students and allow practice in the use of learning resources in varying formats.
In the school library media center, teachers and students learn to use new information technologies as teaching and learning tools. The library media specialist functions as an information “intermediary”, helping student, teachers, and parents learn how to cope with the information explosion and how to exploit the possibilities of an extraordinarily rich information world.
A comprehensive school library media program offers students and teachers a variety of alternatives for accomplishing learning objective. With appropriate materials, processes, and place, alternatives can be tailored to individual learning styles and abilities.
The program contributes to the student’s individual growth and development. Self-concept and self-worth are enhanced when students, working independently or in small groups, use information resources and technologies successfully to meet their needs. These resources provide the flexibility necessary to help foster creativity and to help students discover and overcome challenges. Additionally, the resources available contribute to students’ artistic and cultural development.
With a wide range of instructional materials, the center becomes an information laboratory, enabling students to explore and use information. The library media center provides a true “marketplace of ideas”, where users find intellectual challenge as they evaluate and digest ideas. Through the program, students become familiar with the environment and services of a modern information agency, preparing them to use libraries and other information agencies throughout their lives.
The School Library Media Program in Operation
Every school library media program is made up of two principal component consists of the planned activities and service that assist students and staff in interacting with resources to facilitate learning and teaching. The other embraces the information, personnel, equipment, and space, resources needed to support these activities and service.
Activities and Service Supporting Teaching and Learning
Within the school library media center, students and teachers engage in many different learning activities. The term school library media center conjures up pictures of: students deeply engrossed in reading—at a table or comfortably sprawled out in a “reading corner”; student using various information resources, either books or computerized information service, a circle of younger children enjoying a dramatic reading of a story; or a group of students working with the library media specialist in producing a video presentation.
In the library media center classroom, a media production class in planning a video presentation to a Spanish class. Elsewhere in the library media center, a teacher is making arrangements for the broadcast of a videotape in the classroom and conferring with one of the school library media specialist on the best way to present information on the DNA molecule. A teacher seeks another library media specialist’s help in identifying materials to be use by a class that is scheduled to visit the school library media center. The teacher wishes to try a new approach to teaching a difficult concept and will work with the school library media specialist to design an appropriate learning activity.
A complete picture of a school library media is one in which all these activities—and more—occur. The school library media program includes the sharing of ideas and stories through storytelling, slide and video productions, and dramatic presentations. Students of all age use modern videos equipment and simple cameras to create visual images to convey information and to communicate with others. Students teach each other and confer with the teacher or library media specialist as they work in the center on such learning projects. Teacher, the school library media specialist, and students encourage each other to explore new materials and try out different sources of information.
The library media staff members provide instruction in using materials and equipment through formal presentations that introduce new materials or teach specific access skill such us electronic searching. Less formal instruction occurs as students request help from the school library media specialist or are offered help when a need for assistance is observed. On personal computers, students use tutorial programs as well as word processing and graphics software.
School library media specialists hold regular planning meetings with individual teachers and teaching teams. Working collaboratively, they design instructional units and identify potential resources for purchase. Curriculum planning, the design of learning activities, and the development of locally produced teaching materials occur on ongoing basis.
The library media specialist constantly engages in various “intermediary” activities to ensure that users are able to gain intellectual as well as physical access to the information they need. As the primary link between users and information, the school library media specialist provides many kinds and levels of assistance.
All of these activities are aimed at improving individual and group learning. They provide the motivation, practice, and opportunities necessary to foster independent inquiry and self directed learning. And perhaps most important of all, they are carried out in an atmosphere that encourages users to feel excited about information and ideas and competent in their use.
Resources and Space Needed to Support Learning and Teaching
Effective learning and teaching dictate that information resources and specialized space be both sufficient and readily available. School library media programs require spaces designed to accommodate learning activities, to house and display materials, and to provide for the distribution and delivery of information and learning resources to all parts of the school building. Library media specialist work both to ensure that learning resources can be used throughout the building and to create spaces that encourage their use.
The center itself attracts students and is organized so that many activities can occur simultaneously. In the school library media center, some students seek out a quiet place to study alone. Others prefer to work together, using a conference room for a small group discussion or practice for a debate. The school library media center has adjacent teaching space so that formal instruction can be given to students in an environment conducive to effective learning. Teachers make use of areas set aside for them to study, to prepare and reproduce teaching materials, or to hold meetings or conferences. Media production areas allow students and teachers to develop film, make audiotapes, create video productions, and view videotapes or films.
Students have convenient access to all media. The open areas around bookstacks, audiovisual materials, current periodicals, paperback displays, and reference counters make it possible for physically impaired students to reach materials. Displays and promotional materials encourage students to explore new sources of information and find materials for curricular and recreational reading, viewing, and listening.
User have access to a vast range and variety of information resources in the school library media center, throughout the school, and beyond. Computer network provide access to nationwide and even worldwide information resources. The school library media center collection contains general and special collections of heavily used print and nonprint resources. In addition to emphasizing materials which specifically relate to various school subjects, the collection also houses materials that provide opportunities to pursue individual interests.
Information is available through many formats, including books and periodicals, microforms, computer software, film, and video, CD-ROM databases, and other. Access to this information is provided through printed and computerized indexes, catalogs, and other searching assistance programs. These inquiry aids, in conjunction with personal assistance from library media specialist, provide convenient and effective intellectual access to the world of information resources.
Specific guidelines for the resources and equipment needed for an effective school library media program are describe in chapter 5; those for the physical and spatial requirement of the school library media center are included in chapter 6.
Partnerships for a Successful School Library Media Program
An effective school library media program depends on the collaborative efforts of all those who are responsible for students learning. The coordination of curriculum development and implementation with the resources or the school library media center and the application of principles of information access to the concept of the curriculum provide the basic for an effective programs. In effect, all members of the educational community, including teachers, principals, students, and library media specialist, become partners in a shared goal—providing successful learning experiences for all students.
The Principal
The principal, working under the district superintendent, is the primary instructional leader in the school. Principals must be knowledge about resources—based learning and the importance of the school library media program. The principal is responsible for communicating the expectations for the school library media programs to all the staff and for assuring that the school library media specialists serves as a members the teaching team. Working together with the teacher and school library media specialists to set clear goals and provide methods of evaluating progress, the principal can facilitate the full integration of the school library media program into the curriculum.
As the chief building administrator, the principal ensures that the school library media program has adequate resources to carry out its mission and provides the necessary clerical help to allow the library media specialists to serve in a professional role. The principal also support that role by structuring the use of the library media center flexibly and allowing time for planning and curriculum work. In addition, the principal supports inservice activities that help teachers understand the use of varied information resources and how new technologies contribute to increased learning. The principal encourages the development of relationships with other community agencies so that teachers use material and human resources within the community, as well as those of the school library media center, in structuring learning activities for their students.
The Teacher
In a resource-based instructional program, the teacher identifies the learning needs of the students and develops teaching units to meet them. This development includes the selection of a variety of teaching strategies, the use of appropriate resource materials, and the evaluation of student achievement. The classroom teacher works with the school library media specialist, who is also a teacher, to assure effective use of all appropriate formats of instructional materials in students learning experiences. In addition, the classroom teacher works cooperatively with the library media staff to encourage and assist students in the production of media.
Part of the teacher’s role in using information and instructional resources as the basis for learning includes the cooperative development and teaching of an information skills curriculum. Classroom teachers and library media specialist work together in developing skills for learning throughout life, including appreciation and enjoyment of all types of communication media.
The Student
The student is a partner in the learning process-no less than the principal, the teacher, and the library media specialist-and as such, should have opportunities for regular participation in planning for school library media program activities. Students may serve on advisory councils and help in planning, evaluating, and promoting school library media services. Whenever possible, students should have opportunities to participate in the selection and evaluation of materials, in the development of policies for use of the school library media center and its materials, and in the creation of new activities that serve learning needs.
The Library Media specialist
As partners in the learning process, library media specialists provide the necessary human link between a well-developed library media program and the users served by the program. As such, they translate the goal presented in the mission statement into vibrant, inspiring learning experiences. Library media specialists bring to the school community expert knowledge about the world of information and ideas in all their forms. The three roles of the library media specialists-information specialists, teacher, and instructional consultant-are described in detail in chapter 3.
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