"Also, I asked last summer for statistics on library circulation from
school districts.
I saw high circulation in ele. schools and then virtually nothing in
high schools
Since I now work at the district level --
how do I justify full-time staff, huge libraries, book purchases, etc.
that are not being used......"
I would start by analyzing the programs -
budget,
age of collection,
tech (# of computers, support, knowledge),
how much curriculum collaboration (and what subjects and grade levels),
booktalking,
digital resources and access (including skill to teach),
promotion, and
program development (policies, IL lessons, resource development, reading
promotion).
Basically; What is happening in the library?
Other questions:
How well does collection development match to curriculum?
Are the librarians mentioned in RateMyTeacher? and/or What do building
surveys say about the library?
On the other hand:
We just received our first classroom set of laptops (carts and printers
and wireless). Four days ago, I could only demo resources and then let
1/4 the class at a time on computers to work with databases or whatever
I demoed. At best, I could schedule me to be in the lab and possibly
crawl between rows problem-solving and trouble-shooting. Today, I can
demo and then easily assist students at tables, and when the best
resource happens to be a book, get it in their hands almost as fast as
google.
We can buy e-books. E-readers have ease of use features (bookmark, zoom,
etc) enhancing reading experience. Online resources utilize multimedia
in ways we only dreamed of 4-5 years ago. Online resources have a huge
range of features and content. Our beloved books include links to online
resources. often specific sites to enhance the particular title..
School budgets (especially for new buildings) can be very restrictive
and school buildings are expensive per square foot. A big, inefficient
space costs too much to justify.
I could easily see my library being 1/2 the size and four times more
useful with the right tech and support.
Robert Eiffert
Librarian, Pacific MS Vancouver WA
pac.egreen.wednet.edu/library beiffert@egreen.wednet.edu
Librarian in the Middle Blog: www.beiffert.net robert@beiffert.net
"The executive branch shall construe the provisions of H.R. 3199 that call for
furnishing information to entities outside the executive branch, such as sections
106A and 119, in a manner consistent with the President's constitutional authority
to supervise the unitary executive branch and to withhold information the
disclosure of which could impair foreign relations, national security, the
deliberative processes of the Executive, or the performance of the Executive's
constitutional duties."
President's Statement on H.R. 199, the "USA PATRIOT Improvement and Reauthorization
Act of 2005" <http://www.whitehouse.gov/news/releases/2006/03/20060309-8.html>
Paula Yohe wrote:
>I posted this in a different way a few weeks ago about the School of the Future
>being built in Philadelphia in conjunction with Microsoft. I did not say it
>specifically because Ii wanted to see who would catch that when they went to the
>website and read all of the information about the School of the Future.
>
> I would ask the architects to give you specific schools that have been built
>without a library -- and what impact it has --
>
> In South Carolina we have a State Committee working on this very topic right now.
>
> Do your school plans have to pass approval through your State Dept. of Education?
> Do you have any current building regulations that require a certain amount of
>space for libraries?
>
> OUr professional organizations need to get proactive about this very topic --
>but it seems to me they want to worry more about Internet filtering and censorship
>than the reality that is going on in schools every day.
>
> Now don't start sending me the importance of freedom of speech, etc, that I
>support 100% -- Our professional organizations are not proactive enough -- they
>are more reactive.
>
> Also, I asked last summer for statistics on library circulation from school
>districts.
> I saw high circulation in ele. schools and then virtually nothing in high schools
>
> Since I now work at the district level --
> how do I justify full-time staff, huge libraries, book purchases, etc. that are
>not being used......
>
> Recall the discussion a few weeks ago about how to keep kids out of the library
>during study hall -- because they were not doing real research..
>
> Ask yourself -- if you didn't work in a library -- why would you go to do
>research when you can sit a home or in your classroom and search Google -- (don't
>go off the deep end and send me the list of why this should not be the case) you
>need to work with others and convince them.
>
> How many times has we seen or heard about librarians who don't want kids in the
>library? or the kid can't check out a book because they have overdues --
>
> Shall we even mention classroom collections?????? for pleasure reading???
>
> I don't have answers but tquestions ---- these are reality questions that we
>need to deal with and address as a profession as well as in our individual roles
>as librarians (media specialists, instructional specilaist) or whatever darn term
>we are calling ourselves these days.
>
> Paula
>
> Paula
>
>
>
>
>
>
>
>Lindy Hutchison <lhutchison@MAIL.SWEENY.ISD.ESC4.NET> wrote:
> Dear LM_NET,
>
>Our district is in the process of planning a new high school. The architects are
>here and are saying that "many new schools are being built without libraries," and
>that "students will each have their own individual gizmo and be able to access
>everything they need on-line." (sigh) I've already turned over to them the results
>of the Colorado Study, et. al., but they seem unconvinced that, in planning for
>"the school of the future," the library will not be obsolete. They postulate that
>the students of today and of the future are so used to being wired (& wireless)
>that they think and learn differently from those of us who are older. Arguments
>about snuggling up with a book and quilt in front of the fire, they say, hold true
>for older generations, but our students are coming of age in a new ethos.
>
>I've been to the meetings; teachers, parents, and many students seem stunned at
>the thought of doing away with the library. The architects seem to have convinced
>the superintendent and the assistant superintendent of finance, though, that they
>are right.
>
>I've looked through the LM_NET archives & could not find a similar situation. I've
>been researching & did not find evidence of other school districts thinking that
>this was a good idea. If any of you have experience with or know of such a
>situation, especially research showing that the library is not totally on the way
>out, I would really appreciate hearing from you.
>
>Ever thankful for LM_NET,
>Lindy
>
>
>Lindy Hutchison, Librarian
>Sweeny HS Library
>Sweeny, TX
>lhutchison@mail.sweeny.isd.esc4.net
>
>"Let us put our minds together and see what life we will make for our children."
>--Tatanka Iotanka (Sitting Bull)
>
>
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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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