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Dear LM_Netters,
     I'd really like to thank everyone who sent in their experiences to my
query
about whether the library should be under another department in a school.  I
printed up the whole thing (which you can see below) and gave it to my
principal
to read.  I can only assume that he never read it because I believe you all
eloquently explained that the library functions much better for the whole
school
when they are a separate entity from an individual department.  I believe
that
any good administrator who read what you've written, and who had the best
interests of the school in mind, would never consider putting the library
under
some other department.  However, there are people who, once they make a
decision
(right or wrong) they cannot see any other side.  Whatever the case may be,
as
of Feb. 1 we are under the auspices of the English department.  At least the
English chairman received a letter to that effect (we still have heard
nothing).
Thank you again for all of the suggestions.
Linda Strauss
Tottenville HS Library
100 Luten Avenue
Staten Island, NY 10312
(718) 356-2220 ext 452


In Message Wed, 15 Dec 1993 21:21:09 -0500,
  Tottenville HS <sl05561@LLWNET.LL.PBS.ORG> writes:

>Our H.S. library has always been a department in and of itself, responsible
to
the assistant principal administration.  Today my principal suggested that
it
might be better if we affiliated ourselves with one of the other departments
in
the school.  He couldn't really give me any good reasons why.
        My question is: how is the library treated in your H.S.?  what would
be
the advantages or disadvantages of being "under" another department?
        I only see disadvantages: going to department meetings that are not
at
all relevant to our work, needing to bring administrative problems through
extra
people before getting to the proper person, not having representation, etc.
>        I would appreciate your input.

From: krb@ismennt.is (Kristin Bjorgvinsdottir)

I'm sorry to hear about your principal's plans. What department will you
belong
to?  Are you not supposed to serve those in your dept. better than other
departments?
     Here in Iceland in highschools we are all our own departments and I
haven't
heard any plans to change that.
     I can't see why we should belong to f.ex. the Icelandic language dept
and
be involved what they are doing more than f. ex. the History dept.
     Kristin Bjorgvinsdottir
Fjolbrautaskolinn vid Armula
IS 108 Reykjavik, ICELAND
krb@ismennt.is

From: sl07301 (Xavier HS)
Linda, I saw your predicament on LM_NET this a.m.  Don't let them do that to
you.
You should, by all means, be a member of the chairpersons' group of the
school,
but the library is its own department and cannot operate efficiently if
anything
or any particular department's needs are put above anothers.  By being one's
own
department, as you know, you have the freedom to serve and you get
information
directly.  I think your principal needs to have a copy of Information Power,
or
the update as soon as it comes out. Stick to your guns, Linda.
Anything I can do to help, please let me know.

From: Betty Dawn Hamilton <bhamilt@tenet.edu>
In both Middle School and High School, the LMC is a department.  While I was
at
Middle School and on the Site Based Decision Making Committee, I worked at
and
finally succeeded in having an "improvement" statement included in our plan
where
the library media spacialist *would* attend at least a certain percentage of
ALL
departmental meetings.  Of course, I have been fortunate in having a full
time
adult aide in both places.  That way, I was invited or informed each time a
department met, but I chose which ones to attend.  I attended if I could and
always tried to take a few new sources that pertained to the subject (since
I try
to balance library additions across the curriculum).  I also took my turn to
take
refreshments to the meetings.
     I almost always attended the reading and language arts meetings, and
tried
to sit in on at least one of the other departments' meetings.  We do not
have
frequent departmental meetings, so I could usually plan to do that.  I was
surprised at how often I could suggest how the library could help in
teachers'
efforts to develop new strategies.  Attending also kept me informed of the
audiovisual purchases some departments make (since I do not make *all*
purchases
in the building).  That way I could fill in the "gaps" and not spend time on
materials that had already been purchased.
     This year at High School, I have not attended any departmental
meetings.
During staff development, I *would* have attended the English meeti Lately
our media tech staff has been a separate dept. and is part of the
district's central office rather than h.s. or elementary.  Advantages:  we
have
time to discuss m/t issues district-wiGood luck!
Sandal Stephenson, Librarian
Bryan High School
Bryan, TX
sandal@tenet.edu

From: Ken Haycock <haycock@unixg.ubc.ca>
My experience in this area suggests that incoporating the librarat the head
teachers' committee, and that the librarian be preceived as a
department head.  I point out to principals that if the mandate of the
department
heads is to determine curriculum dir
From:         Ken Haycock <haycock@UNIXG.UBC.CA>
My experience in this area suggests that incoporating the library resource
center
in another department only works when it is part of a majorDirector and
secretary (both retired this fall). Now we have a half-time
secretary and part-time lead teacher/high school library media specialist
(me).
Because our dept. services the school s2.  Alienation of other departments -
they would assume your
emphasis would be with the dept you joined.
     The library, of necessity, must work with all departments to do the job
required. From: sl05313 (Martin Luther King HS)
Date: Mon, 3 Jan 1994 09:32:22 -0500 (EST)

Linda, we try to stay under principal since most of our concerns cannot be
resolved by an AP.  Moreover, Dept


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