[LM_NET] Librarians Obsolete

[Cheryl Youse <cyouse@GMAIL.COM>]

Like David, I also have worked in four different states and
schools/districts.  I have worked with grades K-8 in a variety of
configurations and with fixed, flexible, and partly fixed/flex schedules.  I
felt I contributed MOST to the school overall with a flexible schedule.
But, I feel that the bottom line is the way the administrators feel about
the library/librarian and how they support the program and the librarian.

My most positive experiences were in the locations where I had a flexible or
partly flexible schedule, but my overloaded K-8 with the fully fixed
schedule (I saw each and every one of the 730 students every week) was also
a program valued by the principal and superintendent.  They illustrated that
they believed in the program by dropping in to visit and participate in
lessons (the superintendent's office was in our building).  They also
listened to my concerns and gave me time to spend with teachers to determine
their needs and to encourage me to find a way to meet those needs.

I believe there are a lot of school media specialists who have mandated
flexible schedules and spend time doing things other than their job--which
is first to support the curriculum and the teachers and promote reading--and
make all of us look bad.

I also believe there are a lot of administrators who refuse to allow the
media specialist/librarian a chance to do anything other than be prep time
and who demand a quiet/silent library.  School libraries today should be
dynamic places with noise allowed and opportunities for children to explore
not only different types of books but also different methods of learning.
The school library is a classroom--not ONLY a library.

I disagree with David that the younger teachers have better technology
training.  I am finding that many of the younger teachers I work with are
among the least technologically literate--this year I have been asked to
burn CDs for teachers who have not mastered that, how to set up an email
address list, and told that there is no way United Streaming will be used
because it is too complicated--all by younger/very recently graduated
teachers.  On several occasions I have wondered if some people choose
teaching because they think technology literacy is not as important in the
field of education.  That is a huge concern because we need to be embedding
technology into other subject areas and these teachers are not going to do
that unless they are pushed/required/shown by example how to do it.  That is
one area in which we should be taking the lead.

I don't have answers, but I wanted to point out that the problem is not just
one of shrinking budgets and technology advances. It's tough to change
administrator attitudes--and in our field, as in every field, there are
people who put forth the least amount of effort in order to just 'get by' in
their job.  (Not anyone on LM Net of course!)  As my music teacher says, we
'special teachers' are "out there" and what we do is for all to see and to
comment on.  I hope we don't all become obsolete--I can see that it is
possible in some locations where I have worked and in others I know the
administrators would fight tooth and nail to keep their librarian/media
specialist.  Art, music, and PE are also all fighting to keep their jobs.

-- 
Cheryl Youse, MLS
Media Specialist
J. L. Lomax Elementary School
1450 Howell Road
Valdosta, GA  31601
229/333-8523
cyouse@gmail.com

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