HIT: life in the high school library-media center (long)

[Bonnie Halfpenny <bhalfpen@lib.ci.phoenix.az.us>]

I have summarized what I thought were the most typical comments on this
discussion; if anyone is curious for more details, please get in touch.

The general consensus was that the high school librarian's day is less
structured than an elementary librarian's (someone suggested it is
structured "like clouds in the sky"); someone else commented that all
plans change by 9:30.  Someone who used to be a classroom teacher said
that she used to think she was busy.  Now that she is a h.s. librarian she
knows what busy is.  Many people said they just run,run, run, but that
it is worth it.

There is a heavy emphasis on helping classes, teachers, and individual
students on reports and research.  There is not much use of the library
for motivational or creative projects or pleasure reading.

One person's description of a "typical day" seemed to be a summary of what
most everyone else was saying:

before school
    Students are finishing homework, doing last minute research, a teacher
calls up for "that video I used last year", somebody wants a "good book",
the librarian is reviewing the day's schedule between answering questions,
the assistant is setting up videotapes for the day.

 during school
     At any given moment, 10 students are reading magazines and
newspapers, 10 are doing individual research, 10 are working at computers,
10 are browsing shelves- the librarian tries to help.
     For the 1,2, and 4th periods, teachers come in with classes to work
on projects.  The librarian gives one class a lesson on using periodical
indexes, and the other class a lesson on finding literary criticism. At
the 3rd period, she meets with 2 teachers to discuss projects for next
week and to prepare a bibliography for tomorrow, talk to an assistant
about the lesson she's giving on transparencies, write directions for a
student who's preparing an interactive BB. During lunch, she helps
students on Powerpoint, returns phone calls.  6th period- unfreezes some
computers, works on book order.

after school
     A dozen students are using the library for something.  The librarian
discusses the day's projects with the assistant, talks to a teacher about
a project, talks to the district coordinator about an inservice class.

While people were generally very positive about high school positions
some had cautionary notes:

We are building a new combined public/high school library- but they are
not planning any actual instruction of library skills beyond a basic
introduction.  I'm responsible for other schools too, and I can't go to
bat for this one.

Some HS teachers don't think the library is very important.  They bring
kinds in at the last minute, and expect to get something for everybody.

You sometimes have to teach or supervise groups of kids who don't want to
be there.

I have to set a limit of 5 students who can come from one class at a time;
they're just using the library to unload unmotivated students.

There are more vandalism and attitude problems than in the younger grades..

Flex environments can lead to the library being a warehouse, and the
librarian a babysitter, or to a busy mix of individual consultations and
teaching and working with classes on specific projects.  Faculty and admin
have to buy in, or what you do won't matter.

Other comments:
Library use is a privledge, not a right.

Reach out to new teachers- offer books, magazine articles, web sites they
might like.

Take lunch with classroom teachers- talk to them!

Elementary school offers more opportunity for continuity of projects and
more creative projects.

Find out what the goals and assumptions of people in the power base
are.  Talk to them a lot- feed them!

Weeding and catalog are always done on the run.

Block scheduling leads to heavier use of the library.

I am still getting a few responses in, I appreciate them all.  The
responses were very similar across the country, although some of us seem
to be in more fortunate positions than others!  It's good to learn from
everyone's experiences.

Bonnie Halfpenny, Librarian
Ironwood Branch, Phoenix
bhalfpen@lib.ci.phoenix.az.us

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