GEN: Dress Codes

[Harry Willems <harryw@MIDUSA.NET>]

I don't often weigh in on this type of discussion item and I know that I'm
late to the fray.  In my position as consultant to 40 school districts and
having worked with the Summer Institute for School Media Specialists in
Kansas for 4 years I've noticed that librarianship is changing even for
school librarians.  Leadership in curriculum and technology is replacing a
lot of the clerical duties.  Most school boards cannot afford to pay a
professional a professional salary to shelve books.

I suspect that after the laughter dies down, you will send hate mail to me :>).

Leadership involves getting what is needed in the library to make it the
center of instruction.  That includes clerical help necessary to free the
librarian to begin exercising power and leadership.  Denim may be
comfortable and actually appropriate at times, but business attire is
essential when the SMS makes her/his weekly visit to the principal and
monthly visit to the school board meeting.  Do you want it easy or do you
want it right?  Leadership takes work.  It takes  communication with
administration, school board and faculty.  It means acting and dressing the
part.

Developing leadership skills is a systemic process.  It may take years and
may take attrition of antagonistic teachers and administration to complete
the process.  POWER is not a 4-letter word.  Integration of information
literacy into the curriculum is absolutely necessary and the well equipped,
well staffed, well funded library is paramount.  If you lack these three
elements, you have a leadership issue.


Harry Willems, Consultant
Assistant Director
Southeast Kansas Library System


Harry Willems                   http://www.sekls.lib.ks.us/staff/willems
Consultant, Assistant Dir.
Southeast Kansas Library System
Iola, KS  66749         Fax: 316.365.5137       Vox: 316.365.5136

42.7 percent of all statistics are made up on the spot.

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