Re: Uneducated "librarians" and Calif. Sch. Lib. Assoc.

[Susan Martimo Choi <smchoi@IX.NETCOM.COM>]

Karen wrote: "I boycott organizations which support this trend by actually
training the aides (i.e. California School Librarian's Association)."

The California School Library Association has several levels of membership -
including professional and associate (for paraprofessionals). This is a
recognition of both the fact that most of the schools in our state have no
credentialed librarian and that a number of those districts that have
openings can't find credentialed librarians to fill them.  Because
paraprofessionals are in our organization and in our schools, they are
welcome to attend meetings and conferences and sessions are planned for them
to increase their skills in order to improve the library services that they
provide.

CSLA is a great organization, run by people who dedicate days and days of
their time to plan and conduct workshops and conferences, create newsletters
and journals, and use their membership dues to pay for lobbying.  That
lobbying brought over $300 million in two years to public school libraries
in this state which wouldn't have happened without CSLA!

A lack of participation in the state organization by a few people doesn't
seriously hurt the organization, but it does limit the networking and
information that those individuals have access to.

Karen wrote: "I know that I am not helping children by this behaviour,  but
how am I helping them or our profession by going along with this scattered
on-the-job training?"

CSLA (or any state professional organization) should never be considered the
primary source of on-the-job-training.  It is a professional organization,
not a university.  It does not certify people, nor does it provide a
comprehensive training program.  It does try to provide opportunities for
members to hear experts and to learn from each other.  It is, by its very
nature (organized and run essentially by volunteers), scattered.

My personal opinion is that I want library services to continuously improve
and I want children to be served.  I will not support stagnation nor will I
support losing ground and having deteriorating services.  If it means that
the library clerk has a better idea of how to weed outdated materials from
their collection, or it it means that a district hires a credentialed
librarian for a middle school that hasn't had one for a decade, I'll support
both activities.
--
Susan Martimo Choi
Manager, Library Services
Santa Clara County Office of Education
San Jose, CA
smchoi@ix.netcom.com

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