Re: Target: "Who's the Librarian?"

[Wanda Nall <wnall@TENET.EDU>]

Ditto to all. I too went to night school, summer school, worked full time
, took care of a husband and 2 children or maybe that is 3 children :),
getting a masters degree as well as certified by the state of Texas to be
a school librarian.  One of my biggest beefs is that it is taking so long
to educate teachers as well as administraters, that a library can and
should be the hubn of the school; however, this can only happen when
library is included in the teacher's planning and not something separate.
My district practices flexible scheduling but I am amazed at how every
year or two someone tries to unflex, if you will and suggest scheduling
classes once a week.  I do not suggest that a teacher could not bring her
children to the library once a week prividing she has something planned
and takes responsibility for behavior and makes sure the children are
doing something constructive even quietly reading.  But those same
children need to be able to return any time that they finish a book and
get another.There are some districts in Texas that still use the library
for a break for teachers and I believe it is practices such as this that
devalue the profession.  Granted the requirements for becoming a
babysitter are somewhat different from the course requirements to become
a librarian.
Wanda

Wanda Nall <wnall@tenet.edu>            400 Moreman Hereford, TX 79045
Media Specialist                        Voice: (806) 363-7660
Hereford ISD                            Fax: (806) 363-7699


On Sat, 16 Nov 1996, Elizabeth Letterly wrote:

> Isn't it the sad truth?  I got a call several years ago from an English
> teacher (fortunately for me not my district -- unfortunately for students
> and staff in her district) asking me what hours she needed to take to get an
> endorsement on her certificate to be a librarian.  Her reason -- she was
> nearing retirement and didn't want to "do anything" the last two years.  I
> told her I didn't know and hung up.  I can well imagine she probably hadn't
> "done anything" for the last twenty, either!
>         I find it hard not to have my feelings hurt when it happens, but do
> find it offensive, knowing how hard I worked to become a professional
> librarian (3 years of working full-time, going to school half-time, caring
> for my family and going into debt).  In our school district, if I called
> teacher's aides teachers I'd be called on the carpet.  I figure, though,
> when I calm down that, like someone else said, people know who the
> professional is, but still...
> At 04:11 PM 11/15/96 -0500, you wrote:
> >I just read Nancy Reed's comments about the parent who wanted to know if
> >she had to go to college to be a librarian.  What's even scarier is that I
> >once had the same question from a parent new to our school -- who was *a
> >professor of education at Florida State University*!  Somehow I'd always
> >labored under the impression that those teaching people to be teachers
> >would know
> >Gail Faughn
> >Media Specialist
> >Astoria Park Elementary School
> >2465 Atlas Road
> >Tallahassee, Florida 32303
> >faughng@freenet.tlh.fl.us or lm_net@m10.astoria-park.leon.k12.fl.us
> >
> >
> Elizabeth Letterly, District Librarian    eletterl@abelink.com
> Williamsville CUSD #15, Williamsville IL  USA 62693
> "Freedom is an inside job." -- Sam Keen
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