HIT: Prof. vs. Paraprof. work

[Dunrobins@AOL.COM]

It's taken me a while to compile this hit, but in reading it over I decided
that there are many interesting ideas here that others might use.  So, here
it is, and thanks to all who contributed!
*************
On Tue, 9 Jan 1996 Dunrobins@AOL.COM wrote:

> OK - this one is up for discussion.  The question has come up in my
>library regarding what tasks are appropriate for  paraprofessionals in the
>library.  So, I'd like your opinions - what do you delegate to the
>paraprofessional, and which things must the librarian do?  Where or how >do
you draw the line?
>  My feeling is that it has to do with planning, goal setting, and seeing
the
>"big picture".  Sometimes the specific tasks are not too obvious.  For
>example, ILL.  I send and receive the messages from the e-board in order >to
maintain contact with the other librarians in our area.  Many places >seem to
give this job to the assistants, though.  I am tempted to do this >also, but
realize I may lose contact totally with what's happening with >ILL if I do.
>  Does it matter?  Also, is it appropriate for an assistant to cover a
>routine (story & book exchange) class while I team-teach with another
>teacher whose class is doing a research project?  I'll be very interested
>to hear your opinions....Thanks!
> Beth McCheyne
> Dunrobins@aol.com
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X-From:MARTINV@TEN-NASH.TEN.K12.TN.US (Va. Martin, Ketron Middle School)

You're lucky to have help of any kind.  I would suggest that the biggest
differentiating area be in decision-making.  You are the supervisor
and must make all decisions regarding how you will use your own time
and what you will delegate to the assistant.

What are your para's qualifications?  A librarian filling in as a para
while waiting to professional employment?  A high school graduate with
little experience?  A middle-aged person with few professional
credentials but lots of job experience in libraries?  It makes a
big difference in how you should treat this person and what tasks you
can reasonably delegate.

Just because you delegate a job at one time (the team-teaching you
mentioned you wanted to do) does not mean you must permanently delegate
this to your para.  You will want a list of things (processing chores,
signing passes...whatever) that are always the para's responsibility
and another list of things to be done "as needed"  (covering a story time or
check-out so you can teach research of finalize an order etc.)

I hope this makes sense.  I'm using my son's computer while snowed in
at home and his communication package on-screen display edits differently
from mine!

**********************************************************
From:  obrien@neca.com
To:Dunrobins@aol.com

I agree with you that the professional should be more involved in the big
picture and less involved in routine tasks.  My own personal philosophy is
that my main job is to instruct and aid the students and staff.  For me,
this takes priority over all else.

I have two aides.  One is in charge of circulation and the periodical
collection.  (I do selection and deletion of titles based upon curricular
needs.)  This aide does help students informally with questions, and
occasionally I station her by the computers to help new users with
difficulties.  My other aide is mainly in charge of cataloging (downloading
records and making local changes, not original cataloging).  I provided her
with the instruction necessary to do this.  I am also teaching her ILL on
the OCLC system.  She can return and receive items fine, but she still needs
some instruction on creating OCLC requests.  Both aides are supposed to
assist in minor discipline, but both are too "nice" to discipline
effectively.  Both reshelve materials and keep the library in order.

I retain all of the teaching part of the library, all of the selection of
materials, all of the planning with teachers and for future directions, and
all technology decisions.

I hope this helps!

Kathleen O'Brien
Killingly High Library, Danielson, CT
obrien@neca.com
**********************************************************

I inherited an assistant with my job this year (I am a first year
Librarian at a senior school).  She has been maintaining the ILL's for a
year now (this is her second year). It has been a negative influence on
my getting to know what needs the teachers and students have because I
don't get to see what they are requesting.  I also have other librarians
asking for my assistant (she put her name on the ILL request forms) and
not getting to know me.  Teachers get the impression that ILL's are a
tedious job, yet I really need to know what our collection lacks.
I am really trying to build relationships with these teachers too!

My assistant now feels that I am taking away her responsibilities simply
because I like to observe what ILL's are going out and coming in.  I am
constantly defending my right to know what is going on.  My advice:  Make
sure you have written policy that states your involvement somewhere in
the ILL process.  Good luck.

Cynthia Johnson                       "I quickly learned never to
Senior School Librarian                negotiate with an adversary
Sewickley Academy                      except from a position of
315 Academy Avenue                     strength."
Sewickley, PA  15143
(412) 741-2230 x3071                  -Dwight D. Eisenhower-
rex@hepburn.anes.upmc.edu
cijohnsn@sewickley-acad.pvt.k12.pa.us
**********************************************************
X-From:kvawter@esu3.esu3.k12.ne.us (Kim Vawter)

The para should be able to maintain records, type, keep track of loans
and generally keep the library from walking out by itself. I would
hope to have a para with some sense of humor and that would like kids and
respect what we do for a living-what we do is teach kids. We do the
creative and inventive things necessary to develope a balanced collection
and keep the materials flowing in and out. Our paras need to be able to
organize the clerical aspect of our jobs so that we are free to read the
periodicals, visit the LM_NET (ie see what our peers are doing) To think,
to dream and to keep our Libraries interesting and current. That does not
happen by itself. Careful planning, self evaluation and working with
teachers and administrators takes time and thought. A good library is no
accident. If we make it look simple and easy to use then we have done our
job-It doesn't mean that we are not necessary or that we not turn
everything over to our paras. Let's face it. Our really good paras who
think that they can do a better job than we do sometimes get up and out
and get their certification and away they go! The school system hires
general paras and one gets assigned to the library. It's up to us to get
him or her to see the big picture of what we do and use his/her talents
to get the job done. Hope this helps-Sorry its so long
K.Vawter Omaha
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I, as the professional do all the teaching in the elem. lib.  My aide there
just does circulation (she's only there when I am not).  She does all
shelving, some bulletin boards, some preparation of materials for circ.  I
do all selection, all planning, all policy decisions etc.  In the M/HS, my
aide does more "stuff", really because she is much more efficient.  She is
in charge of most of the day to day routine off-air taping (though I make
"policy" decisons), prepares all materials for circulation, has input for
decisions, for selection etc.  We don't do much ILL, so I usually do it,
although my aide might if I'm not available, and it is a routine thing.  She
is gradually doing more and more with our automated circ/cat, including
editing, adding materials, patrons, etc.  However the decisions on how, what
when why etc are mine.  Does this help, or does it muddy the waters?
-------

Anne Oelke                     | "Some days are like that,
acoelke@peoples.net            |  even in Australia!"
Cambria-Friesland School Dst.  |  Judith Viorst in _Alexander
Cambria, WI                    | & the Terrible, Horrible,
                               | No Good, Very Bad Day_.

**********************************************************
I do the big picture stuff- goal setting,collection dev., lesson
planning, and general,"oops we need to get the books on MLK up pronto"
sort of stuff. My aide (who is wonderful) does the shelving, helps kids
and teachers find books, fiddles with computers and helps with checkout.
I do almost everything she does but lunch duty. Sometimes I'm lucky enough to
have an aide who can do bulletin boards and such- which are not my forte but
this year it's back in my lap. I try very hard to make my aide
feel part of a team and I don't use her for a go-fer.

                           Guusje Moore
                 Librarian, Housman Elementary School
                           Houston, Texas
                          guusje@tenet.edu
**********************************************************
X-From:collie@tenet.edu (Deborah Marie Collier)

My paraprofessional does almost everything I do, & vice versa. When I'm
available I handle all the reference or ??s that stump her. I do ALL the
ordering from our budget, setting up bookfairs, & preliminary class
scheduling. I teach all the lessons & book care. She shelves nearly all
the books. Whoever is available at the moment pulls books for teachers,
checks kids out, checks in books, & helps kids find books. This is our
6th year together at this elementary, & if I ever leave--I'm taking her
with me!! She keeps me sane, & helps me find all the things I'm
constantly misplacing! If I could I would pay her twice her yearly
salary--which is what she's worth to me.

We both process books as they come in, & enter the info in the computer.
She does most of the missing catalog cards on "Quickcard." I do a monthly
newsletter & circ report (both required by my district). If I'm absent
she does everything that day, including storytimes. Basically, we just
fill in for each other whenever we need to. I couldn't live without her!
**********************************************************

Seems to me that you have a fairly good idea about what you want the
paraprofessional to do. In our district we use a rule of thumb that paras
do clerical tasks and LMS set policy, make decisions, and teach students
and teachers. There are a number of library management books and articles
that include job descriptions for paras. You might want to check them.

As to your specific questions, clerical staff do all our ILL. The paras
in the buildings communicate with each other as to what is needed. In our
district office clerical staff handles the ILL throught the OCLC
Interlibrary loan. I learned how to do it, but they have become far more
proficient than I and I don't really see a need for a professional MS to
do it. Using ILL as a way of keeping in contact can be of value, if that
is the only way you can. I would weigh the time it takes for you to do
this versus the value you gain by being in contact with other professionals.

By all means, have a para check out the books and work with a class just
wanting to check out books while you teach a class.


Joie Taylor
Coordinator of Libraries*********************************
Columbus Public SchoolsChange is difficult,
P.O. Box 947even when you want it.
Columbus, NE 68602*********************************
(402) 563-7000
email: jtaylor@gilligan.esu7.k12.ne.us

**********************************************************
Beth,
        What is most disturbing is that the tasks that need a professional
media specialist (librarian or whatever title you want to use) are those
behind the scenes.  Many schools use students or paraprofessionals to do
the clerical jobs.  These can include even helping students find the
materials that they want.  The biggest need for a professional is that of
selection.
        Just a note about that - I have a friend who is an assistant
principal in a middle school that has no librarian.  When the date came for
the orders to be in for the year he called me in a panic because he had no
idea even how to place the order much less what was needed in the school.
        Here I feel that a large part of my job is to know what each
teacher or department is teaching and find the resources that they can use
to make the class more effective.  This means networking a lot with the
teachers in my building and being a little nosy about what is going on in
their class.
        I am very concerned about the move to eliminate libraries from the
schools.  A well run media center can be the school's greatest resource.

Cathy Johnson
Media Specialist
Horace Mann Middle School
3351 23rd St.
San Francisco, CA  94110
(415) 695-5881
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Have you gotten any response on this?  I have questions  regarding delegating
to my aide, also.  Most lists that I have seen were written before
automation. It seems that Paraprofessionals need more technical skills now.
 I have tried several different duty assignments, but still am not satisfied.
 We work with high school student aides, also.  The abilities of the aides
determine the jobs that I assign.  Usually the students check in and file
magazines.  My adult aide enters data on the MARC record for materials which
don't have a data disk with the order.  She also enters copy information for
those items we batch in from disk.  Students handle most of the circulation.

I would really like to see what others are finding that aides or clerks are
able to do successfully.
Thanks,
Carol Wheat     dems258@uabdpo.dpo.uab.edu
**********

I know it's been a long time, but here are a few more thoughts.  I will
sometimes let my aide cover story and checkout if I am absent, or if I
have read the story she may continue with checkout.  I try to always be
available to help with book selection, but I may help an older student with
research briefly while others are selecting books.  We are K-12 and the
older students are flexibly scheduled, and may come to the library at any
time on an individual or small group basis.  Since the younger children
are scheduled weekly, I don't feel that it hurts to leave them with the aide
to help for a few moments.
I keep up with my budget on a spreadsheet and file copies of all invoices for
several different funding sources.  Do you know if others let an aide or
clerk help with this?  I'm afraid of mistakes and do it myself.
I do all selection of materials.  I may write an order slip, or just check in
a catalog.  Sometimes I let students or my aide fill out order slips from my
checks.  However I double check for accuracy.  Then my aide types
requisitions and orders from my order slips.
I would sure like to see how others divide tasks and which are delegated to
an aide.  If you have enough response, please post a hit.
TIA,
Carol Wheat    dems258@uabdpo.dpo.uab.edu
Parkway Christian Academy
Birmingham, AL
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Boy, is this a critical question.  In the suburbs of Cleveland, the area
where I live and work, school districts are trying to save money by cutting
back (if not eliminating altogether) professional librarians and letting
aides run the libraries.  Guess this is true of Ohio and the country as a
whole, but we're really at a crisis level with school funding so we're
feeling the pinch this year.
My aides---wonderful, capable, well-educated women who just don't
happen to have library degrees or media certification---can and do perform
all the work of the library except for:  a) instruction, including story
&checkout sessions    b) spending library funds, eg. making decisions
regarding book & equipment purchases,   and  c) "big picture" stuff that you
mention, such as goal setting and planning.
I give them lots of responsibility and lots of respect, but I'm in
charge of the "program" and it's my neck if we flounder or flop.
When it gets down to particular tasks, like ILL, we divide chores
as logically and  practically as possible according to who has time (ha!),
who is closer to the phone when it rings, who works with particular kinds of
data (aides do weekly overdue lists, I do letters and phone calls home).
A lot of this depends on good will and a spirit of give and take and
we're-in-this-mess-together cooperation. Life in the library can get ugly
when those positive attitudes are missing.
--
Kathy O'Neal
koneal@llohio.wviz.org
K-4 Librarian, Shaker Heights, Ohio City Schools
(216) 751-0749

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Regarding your question about the assistant covering a class doing
routine research:  what is your school/state's policy about non-ceritfied
staff working with students?  Does the teacher remain with the class?  Does
the assistant have liability coverage?
--
Margaret Lucas, Librarian/Media Specialist
Euclid High School
711 East 222 Street, Euclid, OH  44123
Phone: 216-261-2900 Ext. 352 FAX: 216-261-3655
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I believe we have to take the attitude that we ARE going to lose contact;
however you have a paraprofessional who can bring you up to date daily if
you arange a time for the two of you to sit down for 5 min.  And I
believe you will be contributing to the self-esteem and job interest of
the paraprofessional.  Realize in some areas it will take a lot of training.

At my former high school, the paraprofessional was entering MARC records in
the computer when new books were cataloged, spending 1 period a day at the
circulation desk to stay abreast of what all goes on there. She also typed
and prepared training manuals (selected and placed graphics), managed my
email when I was gone for periods of times, sat down with teachers who wanted
to learn email, or computer programs and guided them through processes,
handles faxing of periodicals and incoming requests.  The most difficult
thing of this is that she had to be taught
everything--copyright infringement, policies of ILL books, policies of
providing copies of periodical articles.  Good luck!

Joyce Bryan
bryanj@alpha.acast.nova.edu
Media Specialist, Secondary
Home Address:  Apt. E-2, 1061 Johnnie Dodds Blvd.,
               Mount Pleasant, SC 29464
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I think it depends on the assistant. Mine is invaluable and works with kids
in finding books, while I work with others.  I do keep somethings separate,
like the final decision on weeding, cataloging, ordering.  She makes
suggestions and most of the time reads my mind, but there are still things
she just as not had the training to do.  She is in charge of video taping
which I gladly leave in her capable hands!

Terri Lent
Internet: Tlent@aol.com
Manassas Park Intermediate/
Manassas Park High School
Manassas Park, Virginia  22111
Voice: 703-361-9131
Fax: 703-330-1218
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I'd be interested in the responses you receive on the above topic.  Right now
I am the "lone ranger" in the media center at a junior high of 700 students,
45 staff.  We hope to add paraprofessionals soon (the sooner the better).  I
will probably be involved in writing a job description and the information
you collect might be valuable in this process, so please pass it along to me
< or everyone if you feel there is value in that, too.  Thanks.
Cynthia Skiver
McCord Junior High
Sylvania, Ohio
symc_cms@mavca.ohio.gov
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 Beth, My response may be a bit different from others because I have a
very competent assitant who was here before I was.  Our division of labor
is based more on our personalities and likes and dislikes than a job
description.  We also have a great deal of autonomy and so can make these
decisions ourselves.  My assistant does ILL, processes new materials,
fills teacher requests for materials and other, more basic tasks.  I do most
administrative stuff and all of the teaching (among other things).  But if I
am out she teaches and if she gets backed up I help her with tasks that are
generally hers.  However we often create curricular units and make
policy/procedural decisions together.  We are also very lucky in that
although we did not choose each other we get along very well and have become
good friends.  The librarian and assistant librarian in our upper school have
a very different division of labor than we do.  hope this is useful.

Robin J. Beaver92186@udel.edu
Lower School Librarian
Ursuline Academy
Wilmington, DE
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