Classroom vs. library collection

[Beverlee Day <bevday@METRO2.K12.MN.US>]

Hello readers...
I would like to offer my opinion on the subject of this thread. Most
teachers in my school have A LOT of books in their classrooms that they use
for their curriculum. When I ask teachers what they need for their
curriculum, some of them offer topics that they cover, but most of them do
not seem to think that the library can handle such a task: support their
curriculum! Since I came here 3 years ago, I have been trying to develop
the library collection in subjects/areas that I know are covered in the
curriculum. And then I offer those materials to the teachers when the
materials arrive.
A problem I have with this is that sometimes the teacher wants to use 30
books in the classroom for months at a time. For example, I bought a new
set of state books for our fourth graders, and last year, the fourth grade
teacher had the entire set in her classroom for nearly one third of the
year! If this happens all of the time, what happens to the purpose of the
library? The classroom should be IN THE LIBRARY, not only to use the new
set of state books, but to use reference sources, the Web, etc. It has been
a struggle to point out to the teachers that the library should be used for
research, and not only for prep time. I have not won this battle.
I strongly agree with a message in this thread that states, "...our
greater role is that of information specialist and teacher of information
literacy skills that enables delivery of the curriculum."  I perceive the
library in schools as the research center where the librarian facilitates
and guides students in the use of finding information. Why should the
teacher play that role, and why should they always be the one to determine
what the best sources are for their curriculum?
I don't have a problem with teachers owning their own books.  I do have a
problem when the faculty doesn't use the library for what, among other
purposes,  it aims to do: support the curriculum.

Beverlee Day, Librarian
St. Paul, MN
bevday@metro2.k12.mn.us

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