UELMA
Conference Leadership Session:
What We Do and What We’re Going to Do about It
Presenter’s Note: I hope you will participate in the
session at this time by considering the questions asked
here, checking out the documents cited, and filling out
your own Personal Action Plan found at the end of this posting.
Our work in promoting school library media programs will
benefit Utah’s students.
Sharyl Smith
Too few principals, teachers, parents, and members of the
general public understand the multiple roles of library
media teachers/teacher librarians/ library media specialists.
One result is less money for renewing resources and cuts
in professional service to students and teachers, with the
ultimate effect in lower student achievement.
How can we move from “the person who checks out the
books” to the multi-tasking teacher, information specialist,
instructional partner, promoter of reading and literacy,
and program manager, who is intrinsically involved as a
leader of the educational program of the school, the head
of the “heart and hub” of the school—the
library?
The purpose of the conference session was to involve teacher
librarians in taking steps toward recognition by administration,
peers, and the public of the library media program. Participants
considered our past, present, and future roles, brainstormed
ways to inform others and promote our roles and the school
library’s services, and, finally, outlined a personal
plan of action. Would you do this now?
Our Roles, Past, Present, and Future
Where Have We Been? What have our roles been in the past?
How did we relate to students and teachers? Which important
documents, local or national, helped us to change direction?
Where Are We Now? What are our current roles? How do we
relate to students and teachers today? Are there current
documents, local or national, that are influencing our work?
Where Will We Be in the Future—Ten to Fifteen Years
from Now? What will our roles be then? How will we relate
to students and teachers in the future? Are there documents
today that will guide us toward that future time?
See the sampling of the future roles from the session
participants at the upper left.
Promoting Our Roles and the Role of the
Library Media Program
After considering our roles in the past, present,
and future, forum participants turned to the real focus
of the leadership forum, i.e., to determine ways to promote
the Library Media Program within the overall educational
program of the school and our roles within that program.
Participants came up with many valuable, sometimes very
creative, ways to market the school library. These ideas
appear on the posters the participants created during the
session. I encourage you to consider them all and to try
the ideas that fit you and your school best. (Again,
click on thumbnail sketches in the column to the left to
enlarge the images.)
Posted under “Important Reading”
below, I’ve included references to and excerpts from
four documents that have surfaced and resurfaced in discussing
school library media programs with a wide range of people—legislators,
state school board members, the Governor’s staff,
PTA, UEA, etc. I think the documents are worth the time
to check them out and hope you will do so.
Finally, under “Action Plan,” here’s
a form that might be helpful in organizing and completing
your plans to promote your school library media program.
Your students and teachers will be the winners for your
efforts. Best wishes for success!
* From the AASL Strategic Plan
*Confronting the Challenges ofParticipatory Culture: Media
Education for the 21st Century.
*A State Leaders Action Guide to 21st Century Skills: A
New Vision forEducation
*Educating the Net Generation
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