MEMA Jos Description Working Draft 4

[Susan Allison <sallison@ABACUS.BATES.EDU>]

Friends and Coleagues:  This is my first transmission to the listserve.
For the past year the Maine Educational Media Association's Executive
Board has been working on revising a job description/job evaluation for
the school library media specialists in Maine. (We have gone with that
term, because it is that wording that is currently used in the current
endorsements for certification.) We collected the many different jobs
members of LM_NET have identified during the past few weeks, but decided
that a document utilizing the language of all of them would be too
cumbersome. We also looked at many job descriptions from different states.
We were very impressed with the "Guidelines for job Performance Standards"
put out by the Arkansas Department of Education for their School Library
Media Specialists. We adapted that one to our needs.  The revision appears
below for your consideration. I apologize for the length, but perhaps it will
help others to benefit from the time we have already invested.

Title:  Library Media/Specialist
Qualifications:  Master's degree in Library Science or equivalent State of
Maine Certification (Endorsement 071-Library Media Specialist)
Reports to:  Superintendent, Building Administrators(s), or District
Library Media Coordinator
Supervises:  Other Professional Library Media Specialists; support staff,
student assistants, volunteers

Job Goal: "...to provide the leadership and expertise necessary to ensure
that the library media program is an integral part of the instructional
program of the school." Information Power, ALA/AECT, 1988

I.  LEADER, PLANNER, AND MANAGER
        As a leader, planner, and manager, the Library Media Specialist
        leadership in the planning, management and evaluation of school
        library media programs.
        --Directs, organizes, and supervises the personnel and services
        essential to a unified library media program centered on students'
        needs and the instructional goals of the school.
        --Initiates and maintains formal contacts with principal and
        teachers to evaluate library media programs, facilities, materials,
        equipment and personnel.
        --Develops and maintains a written long-range plan for library media
        services, and integrates the activities designated in the plan into the
        total school curriculum.
        --Establishes and maintains an environment in the library media center
        in which students and staff can work at productive levels.
        --Communicates the philosophy and goals of the school library media
        program to the students, faculty, administration and community.
        --Translates curriculum needs into Library Media program goals and
        objectives.
        --Works with administrators or other appropriate personnel to develop
        long-range goals and objectives for the school or district.
        --Establishes relationships with colleagues, students, parents, and
        community which reflect recognition of and respect for every
        individual.
        --Participates in the recuiting, hiring and training of other
        professional, paraprofessional, clerical, student, and volunteer
        staff in the library media center.
        --Develops and continually updates the professional expertise
        necessary to function effectively in the library media specialist role.
        --Networks with other professionals through participation in local,
        state and/or national organizations.
II. TEACHER
        As a teacher, the Library Media Specialist instructs students on a
        formal and informal basis in skills related to reading, research,
        production of materials and the use of information and instructional
        technologies.
        --Works to ensure the integration of information skills throughout
        the school's instructional program.
        --Plans, teaches, evaluates, and reinforces instruction, designed
        to make students and staff effective users of information.
        --Assists teachers in promoting reading and provides reading
        esperiences for students in groups and as individuals.
        --Promotes life-long learning by fostering positive attitudes towards
        libraries and by working to develop students' viewing, listening, and
        critical thinking skills.
        --Monitors rights and responsibilities of users relating to the
        generation and flow of information and ideas (e.g. copyright;
        confidentiality/privacy; intellectual freedom.)
        --Provides staff development opportunities for school personnel in
        the selection, use, evaluation and production of media and new and
        emerging technologies.
        --Participates in district, building, department and grade-level
        curriculum design and assessment projects on a regular basis.
        --Contributes to the development of complete instructional units
        with teachers, using a systematic instructional design process.
        --Performs clearinghouse function for professional materials and
        opportunities available from education agencies outside the school.
        --Assesses discrete information skills and the research process on
        a regular basis for student, teacher and staff use.
 III. INFORMATION SPECIALIST
        As an information specialist, the Library Media Specialist provides
        access to information and ideas by assisting students and staff in
        identifying information resources and in interpreting and communicating
        intellectual content.
        --Makes resources available to students and teachers through a
        systematically developed and organized collection of library media
        materials, supplemented with resources available outside the school.
        --Develops flexible circulation, loan and use policies that ensure
        equity of access to all users.
        --Assures access to information resources by providing an accurate
        and efficient retrieval system.
        --Implements policies that respect the rights of users to
        confidentiality and unrestricted access to information resources.
        --Assists all users in identifying, locating and interpreting
        information.
        --Arranges for flexible scheduling of facilities, staff time and
        collections to meet the needs of individuals, small groups and large
        groups for research, browsing, recreational reading, viewing, or
        listening "at the point of need."
        --Assesses and promotes effective use of instructional technology.

Please feel free to utilize any of the above for your own purposes and
send your comments and criticisms to me. Many thanks to our colleagues in
Arkansas for their contribution to Maine's new document. This document
will be discussed and voted on at our Spring conference in May.
Susan Allison
Lewiston High School Library
156 East Avenue
Lewiston, ME 04240
207-795-4190, ext. 147