David and Paula are right on the money. My headmaster told me that every time he
walks through the library he sees 5,000 sq. ft. of under-utilized space! Yikes!
I've just been appointed the new head librarian and I've got to think of new ideas,
new programs, new ways and means to keep my kids and faculty coming in here. I'm
following this list looking for those programs and even seating arrangements that
will prove that the library is alive and well and the place to be.
Martha Vaughn
Girls Preparatory School
Chattanooga, TN
martyv@gps.edu
-----Original Message-----
From: School Library Media & Network Communications
[mailto:LM_NET@LISTSERV.SYR.EDU] On Behalf Of Paula Yohe
Sent: Monday, April 09, 2007 10:08 PM
To: LM_NET@LISTSERV.SYR.EDU
Subject: Re: School Librarians Obsolete
Have you checked out Bill Gates School of the Future in Philadelphia?
Not even a library --
I too hate to sound negative -- but all of the things you point out are true...
I keep trying to tell fellow librarians -- I don't need you to tell stories,
check out books, process books or even select books.
Heck I can send collections to be analyzed and someone can tell the districts
what to buy.
I have administrators who want teachers to pick out books anyway -- because they
know the content area -- media specialists do not.
I am sick of media centers being closed for assemblies, testing, and the latest
-- Reading First -- media specialists are tied up testing kids!!! while the
assistant runs the libraries.
I keep telling media specialists quit worrying about doing Purchase Orders for
goodness sakes. Give that task to the assistant -- but no -- they want to worry
about their budgets
I have tactfully tried to explain many times -- that I manage hundreds of
thousands of dollars and I don;t do purchase orders --
Some of the asst. supt.'s handle Title I -- millions of dollars and they don't do
purchase orders.. I then ask the media specialists -- do you really see how sillt
this is to administrators when you think you have to do Purchase Orders for a few
thousand dollar budget if that...
We gave focused on the wrong things....
And someone will be angry about this -- but we need to get off the filtering and
censorship band wagon and focus time on some other issues/../
Say the word librarian -- and alot of folks flip out -- that's the crowd who
thinks kids should have access to porno online!! and filthy books in school
libraries...
is that my opinion no -- but we sure have that reputation ---
and as the biggest complainers.
It never fails when I give presentations to administrators -- I always hear this
complaint..
I spent 23 years as a school librarian and every part time job I had starting at
14 was in libraries....
It is so sad for me to listen to these complaints --
Then I come to LM_NET and I am reading posts about how proud some folks are who
keep kids out of the library because they do not have "legitmate" research to do --
or we fight about putting labels on books or giving incentives for reading --
It's time to wake up and smell the coffee --
None of those things will matter if we don't exist.
Ask an administrator if they had to choose between a librarian and a technology
coach --
that will 9 times outo of 10 hurt your feelings
Paula
David Triche <David-Triche.SITE-PO2.SCUSD@SAC-CITY.K12.CA.US> wrote:
The writing is on the wall: School Librarians are an endangered
species, not only school librarians, but all librarians in small
libraries middle level management in all industries. This is part of a
greater development. School librarians are really middle level
management and technology is replacing this group at a terrific rate.
Computers crunch numbers and keep track of transactions and statistics
very efficiently. Indeed, it makes the tasks of a librarian much
easier. However, computers also do many of the jobs librarians, as
middle management, used to do. In fact, having worked in school
libraries in four districts in four states I have learned that is was
once common for larger schools to have two credentialed librarians. All
the tasks of cataloguing and processing books demanded that level of
staffing. The era of the two librarian school library has long passed
and where it exists it is due to tradition rather than necessity. It is
analogous to what has happened in retail and even the hospitality
industry. Computers allow for the instantaneous transfer of information
to upper management without the necessity of intermediate steps. This
has eliminated or minimized the need for on site managers in many
industries. Indeed, many economists point to this process as a prime
reason in the stagnation of middle class wages over the last thirty
years.
Think about our own jobs. Automated check out is already a
reality. Late and lost item notices can be generated and sent
automatically. Processing and selection can be done on a district or
even county or state level. From the principal or superintendent’s
point of view, having a high cost librarian at each site is fast
becoming an unnecessary cost. Someone to shelve books, keep the
computers turned on and sweep the floor is all they consider necessary.
Indeed, when I worked in another state two years ago, 90% of my time was
involved in totally non library related activities. I was the testing
coordinator, taught literacy to improve test scores all morning covered
classes when teachers were absent. In many cases the only reason we
still have jobs is because we manage a great room to have meetings in
and a large number of capital goods. I plan to tabulate the exact
numbers, but my library closes for all sorts of testing, meetings and
presentations. We are closed to students a great deal of the time.
While it is true we can be great assets to teachers, learning and
better test scores, we are increasingly viewed as a budgetary waste. It
is only a matter of time until a school with a librarian will be an
oddity and only exist where the management has a special desire for
their services. This process will be accelerated as tech companies
develop hardware and software to accomplish the tasks we now do more
efficiently and cheaply. Furthermore, as the number of tech savvy
younger teachers increases, many of the things we offer teachers will be
able to be accomplished in the classroom or by the teacher in the
library. It is inevitable and there is not a whole lot we can do about
it.
David Neuville Triche, LMT
Luther Burbank High School
3500 Florin Rd.
Sacramento, CA 95823
(916)433-5100 Ext. 2000
David-Triche@sac-city.k12.ca.us
"One of the great things about books is sometimes there are some
fantastic pictures."
George W. Bush, President of the United States
Graduate of Yale and Harvard
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Paula Yohe
Director Of Technology/Library Media Center
Dillon School District Two
405 West Washington Street
Dillon, SC 29536
Phone: 843-841-3604 Fax:843-774-1214
paula_yohe@yahoo.com
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