[LM_NET] HIT: question from student

[Sally Glasser <slg3@OPTONLINE.NET>]

Someone asked me to post a HIT, so here it is.  My original question
referred to how much of a SLMS's responsibilties are teaching and how
much is running the adminstrative/management side if the library (and
media center).  My original posting was sent on March 28th.  I received
about 20 messages (thank you all!).

Most of those who responded said the SLMS is first and foremost a
teacher and that most of their time is spent teaching.  However, this
does vary based on the grade level, whether you have fixed or flexible
scheduling, and how the administration of your particular school views
the SLMS.

Generally, SMLS at the elementary level teach the most and almost always
have a fixed schedule, meaning they have scheduled classes that they
teach daily.  One said she taught 7 classes a day.  Some responders
seemed to lament the fact that in elementary schools, the library is
often used to cover other teachers' preps or "release time" and that
pupils are often just dropped off.

Middle School can be either fixed or flexible.  If it is a flexible
schedule (meaning teachers sign their classes up for a library visit on
a need basis), there is often less formal teaching by the SLMS. II say
"formal" teaching, because helping a walk-in student is also a form of
teaching.  So, although a MS SLMS with a flexible schedule does teach,
some weeks can be very full of teaching while others are not.

High School is almost always flexible scheduling and there is less
formal teaching and more helping individual students on particular
research projects.

Library management/administration:
Circulation, calaloging, follow up on unreturned material, collection
development etc. is all done whenever you can squeeze it in and for
those who teach a lot and have no aids, it is often done after normal
school hours and not always as quickly as one (including the SLMS) would
ideally like.  When time is tight, teaching students and helping
teachers with a request presides over the administrative tasks.  Those
in the higher grades as well as those with a flexible schedule found
more time during the school day (not scheduled, but generally whenever
there was any time here and there) to completed adminstrative tasks.
The existence of an aid, who generally takes care of circulation,
dealing with late books and other clerical duties, varied by school
district (budgets are being cut...).

One responder mentioned that SLMS teach teachers and administrators as
well as the students, although, of course, as unobtrusively as possible.


I hope I did everyone justice and didn't forget anything major.  Thank
you all for your input and kudos to all of you out there working so hard
and so well,

Sally Glasser
MLIS student
Palmer School, Long Island University (C.W. Post)

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