Changing face of school library media centers

[Terri Toppler <Darth5Mom@AOL.COM>]

Dear Fellow LM_Netters,
I would appreciate  hearing from anyone who has been experiencing possible
"downsizing" of school library media centers in their area.  Several "things"
have occurred in our area that have me wondering about the direction our
school library media programs are heading.  I would like to know if this is a
trend or just something that is happening in our area.  Our timetable
(earliest to most recent changes over the last few years):
1.  Our District Media Coordinator and District IMC were dissolved and
"replaced" with a Technology Director and department.
2.  Full-time elementary media specialists were replaced with half-time media
specialists in the smaller schools.
3.  Cut-backs in library aide time in some schools.
4.  Annual inventory of library collection challenged at building level in
some schools.
5.  Some elementary full-time media specialists given additional teaching
assignments by building principals, such as teaching Reading an hour and a
half a day, yet still listed as a full-time media specialist in the building.
6.  Site-based library media budgets implemented.
7.  Renovation of library media center facilities without being media-driven.
 Often little input by library personnel during initial planning stages.
8.  Name change implemented at district-level from LMCs to CLRCs (Community
Learning Resource Centers).

Change can be progressive.  It would be helpful to know if others have been
through these same changes and where their programs ended up.
Sincerely,
T Toppler
darth5mom@aol.com

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