DawnMarie:
I read this post to my wife, who is also a high school Media Specialist. It
started an interesting discussion on Sunday night. (Happy Mother's Day to all...)
One view was: Do what’s right for the kids. Give the book order to them.
(Let’s ignore for the moment the vastly differing missions and different
collection development policies.)
Another view: If the aides want to come to your public library and read your
shelves, that’s OK too. I do that when I go to my wife’s library.
You might even want to highly recommend they consult with the Language Arts, Social
Studies, Science, Math, (etc.) departments to see what the CURRICULUM needs. (Or
maybe not, why give them any professional pointers?)
However, we both finally agreed that that book list is not “yours” to give
away. It was developed on PL time, using your paid expertise. That list is owned
by the PL and is the PL’s intellectual property. Before you give it away, you
need to discuss this issue with your Director. You might want to discuss
reimbursement for your professional time. What is your time worth? If you put in
20 hrs. developing the list, how much does the PL want to charge the public school?
...And the PL SHOULD charge for your service!
We strongly feel that the PL Director should discuss this with the City Council, to
let the City Council (and the citizens) know the Public Library, NOT a
teacher-librarian is now doing the curriculum-based materials selection for the
schools. PL/school cooperation is great. I have strongly supported it for the 35
years I've been in library work, and finally, finally, it is growing in my
community. (But that is a totally different story.)
Will the school district give you the curriculum based selection policy, so you
know what is needed at each grade level?
Does the PL, (or you personally,) want to enter into a (paid) contract with the
school district to consult on a regular basis with the various grades/departments
to assist in materials selection?
Hmmm. How would the Teacher’s Association feel about this arrangement?
What is the liability to the PL if a parent chooses to protest YOUR book selection?
Does the school have an active reconsideration policy?
Perhaps the public school needs to see the implications of letting the
teacher-librarians go.
Tim O'Shaughnessy
Moline High School Media Center
Moline, IL.
toshaugh_AT_molineschools_DOT_org
-------------- Original message from Dawn Sardes <yayagoddess@SBCGLOBAL.NET>:
--------------
I also am deeply soncerned by schools districts getting rid of degreed
professionals and replacing them with Aides (former bus aides, lunch ladies--the
> jobs are getting put up for bid--often these people have no college whatsoever).
> Now, I am the teen librarian in a public library. What should I say to these
> people who come to me asking for copies of my book orders?
> On one hand, it seems churlish to say no. But, on the other, so many of my
>friends and colleagues are struggling due to this short-sightedness on the part
> of school administrators.
> If the school district wants a professionally maintained collection, they should
> hire professionals, IMHO.
>
>
>
> DawnMarie Sardes
>
> Teen Services Librarian
>
> Euclid Public Library
>
> Euclid, OH
>
> yayagoddess@sbcglobal.net.omit.this
>
> Check out my Harry Potter Fan Fiction at:
>
> http://www.harrypotterfanfiction.com/viewuser.php?showuid=85308
>
> --- On Sat, 5/9/09, MaryJane Waite wrote:
> From: MaryJane Waite
> Subject: [LM_NET] advice please
> To: LM_NET@LISTSERV.SYR.EDU
> Date: Saturday, May 9, 2009, 8:39 AM
>
> The district I have been working in for the past five years has made the
> decision to pink slip the librarians in all of its schools due to
> financial issues. Next year the aides will be the point of contact in the
> library.
> Does anyone remember a thread a while back about the fact that people in
> the school community often refer to the aides in the library as a
> librarian simple because they work in the library?
>
> Well, now, since my district will not have any librarians in the district,
> but will have aides, the perception for many in the school community will
> be that there is a librarian in the library simply because there is a
> person as the point of contact in the library. I think that community
> perceptions will equate the type of services provided by an aide in the
> library as equal to those provided by a librarian and further erode the
> value of the profession.
>
> I could say more as my brain and emotions are in overdrive, but I will
> remain on target request...
>
> I am now actively applying for positions and would like to be able to show
> perspective employers a digital site of references from supporters of my
> work.
>
> I looked into Linkedin.com, but didn't like the interface as it seemed too
> complicated for my purposes.
>
> Do you think a Ning would work best or is there something that may work
> better for me?
>
> Any suggestion would be appreciated.
>
> Thanks
> MJ
>
>
> Mary Jane Waite, MLS
> High School Librarian
> Franklin, MA 02038
> waitem@franklin.k12.ma.us
> http://www.franklin.ma.us/auto/schools/fhs/depts/library/default.htm
>
>
>
>
>
>
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