LM_NET: Library Media Networking
You might try out some of these.=A0 They are designed for use when
> interviewing
> people applying for a principalship, but you can reword them and bend them
> to
> the purposes you have for this project.
>
> Best wishes for early and continued success in your studies and in your
> career.
>
> 1.=A0 "What do you think are the most important challenges facing this
> district/school?"
>
>
>=A0 =A0 =A0 This can tell you whether a candidate has done his or her homew=
ork on
> your
> school or system, and on your community.=A0 It will ask candidates to
identify
> reading, information literacy, technology, etc., TO YOU rather than having
> you
> bring it up to them -- as they are likely to expect you to do if they know
> that
> you are a librarian.=A0 If a candidate doesn't bring up one or more of the=
m,
> then
> you will know that you are dealing with someone to whom you and your
program
> are
> largely invisible.=A0 If a candidate does bring up one or more of them, th=
en
> you
> can follow up with questions specific to library media as a field and to
> conditions in your school or district in particular.
>
> 2.=A0 "Most of the recently promoted school and curriculum reform measures
are
> calling for increased independent study where students take greater
personal
> responsibility for their own learning and are called upon to locate,
access,
> organize, interpret, and persuasively present concepts.=A0 Do you think th=
is
> is a
> step in the right direction?=A0 If not, why not?=A0 If so, what implicatio=
ns
do
> you
> see in this for how our schools should operate over the next five years?
> What
> implications do you see in this for staff development in this
> school/district?"
>
>=A0 =A0 =A0 =A0=A0 This question should again tap into the candidate's phil=
osophy
without ever
> using the word.=A0 It should also tell you if he or she sees a role for th=
e
> library and librarian in reform and restructuring, curriculum,
instruction,
> and
> staff development.
>
>=A0 =A0 =A0 You can follow up this question with another aimed at getting a=
t his
or
> her
> sense of library media services:=A0 "If this concept of instruction and
> learning
> becomes the dominant model, what do you think the role of the library and
> librarian should be?"=A0 The answer should give you some insight into
his=20=
or
> her
> perceptions of your role, potential, and limitations.
>
> 3.=A0 "Where in your list of priorities do you rank reading achievement?"
>
>=A0 =A0 =A0 Whether we're talking elementary, middle, or high schools, loca=
l
> building
> or district-wide, reading is fundamental to student success in school as
in
> life.=A0 This is a critical question in any setting.=A0 Whatever the answe=
r,
you
> can
> follow up by asking what he or she sees as the role of the library media
> program
> in raising and sustaining reading achievement.
>
> 4.=A0 "Should technology be a part of the library media program or
should=20=
it
> stand
> as a separate program or should it be in the hands of the individual
> teachers?"
>
>=A0 =A0 =A0 A candidate's answer to this question can give you a glimpse of=
his
or
> her
> ideas on organizational structure, and will tell you something about where
> he or
> she does or does not see the library.=A0 Depending upon the answer you get=
,
> you
> can follow up with questions that will show you what he or she knows about
> what
> is already in place in your school or district and about the attitudes and
> personalities of the people already interested in and involved in
technology
> in
> your work place.
>
> 5.=A0 "How do you feel about Internet filters?=A0 What is your view on
Internet
> and
> e-mail access and use policies for students in elementary school?=A0 Middl=
e
> school?=A0 High school?"
>
>=A0 =A0 =A0 The answers to these questions should tell you something
about=20=
his or
> her
> philosophy without you ever having to ask the dull and deadly questions
> about
> "What is you philosophy regarding ......?"=A0 In dealing with superintende=
nt
> candidates, the answers may give you information about the candidate's
> ability
> to recognize the significant differences that exist between elementary,
> middle,
> and high school students.
>
> 6.=A0 "The average copyright date on materials in our libraries is 19xx.
What
> does that imply to you?"
>
>=A0 =A0 =A0 This question requires you to do a little homework, but it shou=
ld pay
> dividends.=A0 If the copyright date is old, you should hear something abou=
t
> the
> need for students to have access to up-to-date material.=A0 Or the candida=
te
> might
> suggest that a dated collection implies neglect or misplaced priorities.
It
> certainly has financial implications, so you might logically then follow
up
> with
> a funding question.=A0 This gives you a more anchored approach to asking
> funding
> questions than to ask a general question about how much support libraries
> should
> have.
>
>=A0 =A0 =A0 If the copyright date is recent, you may get not only a glimpse=
of
how
> the
> candidate feels about library materials, but something about his or her
> willingness to recognize the successful efforts of others.=A0 See if the
> candidate
> commends you and the current administration and expresses a felt need to
> keep
> materials current.
>
> 7.=A0 "On what criteria do you think libraries and library media programs
> should
> be evaluated?
>
>=A0 =A0 This may tell you a little something about whether he or she has an=
y
> sense
> of the contributions your program makes or could make in the school(s).
> Evaluation is critical to professional and financial support.=A0 You can h=
it
> the
> bull's-eye every time, but it won't matter if you and your boss aren't
> looking
> at the same targets.
>
>=A0 =A0 =A0 The logical follow-up question then has to do with the criteria=
on
> which
> library media specialists should be evaluated.=A0 The answer the candidate
> gives
> to this question will alert you to whether he or she recognizes that the
> work
> you do is in many ways qualitatively different from what classroom
teachers
> do.
>
> 8.=A0 "Where in your list of priorities do you rank professional
collaboration
> as a value?"
>
>=A0 =A0 =A0 This question is closely aligned to the evaluation question, an=
d its
> answer
> may let you see how he or she feels about your role in working with
> teachers,
> counselors, and others.
>
>=A0 =A0 =A0 If a candidate answers that he or she ranks it highly, then you=
might
> follow up by asking for specifics on how he or she would encourage such
> collaboration.=A0 Many, perhaps most, teachers are not naturally
> collaborative.
> The cellular structure of the school and the continuing paradigm of one
> teacher
> in one room with one group of students for one period of time works
against
> it.
>
> Administrative encouragement of collaboration is essential if it is to
take
> hold
> in the culture of the organization.=A0 A follow up question might address
what
> the
> candidate sees as the ideal relationship between teacher and librarian.
>
> 9.=A0 "Are there any ways in which the library and librarian can be of
> specific
> assistance to the administration?"
>
>=A0 =A0 =A0 It's always interesting to see if a candidate comes up with any=
thing
in
> response to this question.=A0 The answer will give you another look at how
the
> candidate perceives libraries and librarians.=A0 If the candidate does hav=
e
> some
> specific ideas, and if that candidate ultimately is the person hired,
acting
> on
> these can be a starting point for strengthening your relationship with him
> or
> her.=A0 Of course, it's a good idea for you to have an answer to your own
> question
> in the event that the candidate throws it right back at you then or
contacts
> you
> later to ask what you had in mind when you asked the question -- either as
> your
> new administrator or as someone not hired for this job who wants to do a
> better
> job in the next interview.
>
>=A0 =A0 =A0 Administrative support for library media services doesn't devel=
op by
> accident.=A0 Educating an administrator to the library's and librarian's
value
> is
> a long and difficult undertaking.=A0 It's a worthwhile endeavor, but you c=
an
> go so
> much farther so much faster if you are able to hire principals and
> superintendents who bring a good measure of library media understanding
and
> appreciation into the job with them.
----------------------------------------------------------------------------=
--
----------------------------------------
Having gone through a number of interviews the past three months before
> landing a job, I can tell you one thing. Know Information Power. That will
> be a big help, especially in discussing your role as a teacher/LMS,
> administrator, collaborator, etc. Have a couple of lessons in mind you'd
> like to do-- I used something with Chocolate Fever and makes a collage of
> candy wrappers. If you have a portfolio, show it as examples of what you
> will do. It also makes the interviewer look at something else besides you
> the whole time. And have questions ready for the principal -- budget and
> how much, duty time, do you run the book fair or is that the PTA's problem
> and who gets the money, and ask what he looks for in an LMS. That will
give
> you a good idea about his serious/not serious approach to the program. I
> did that, and I learned a lot about principals. Some didn't have an answer
> for me or a good one. So I'm glad I didn't get that job.
>
> --------------
>
> Depending on the district and building cultures, you might want to realize
> that there could be a lot more than reading 'reading great stories to
> kids'. Our district Media Curriculum is very Information Literacy based,
to
> the extent that I spend about 90% of my class time on library and research
> skills.=A0 Probably read about 30% of the time to K and it goes down to 0%
in
> third up.
>
> Even if there isn't that strong a commitment to IL, there needs to be a
lot
> more preping the=A0 kids for the researching they will certainly hit in MS
> and HS.
>
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