Defending our libraries

Presentation by:

Billie McCarron

This presentation is in response to the principals of our local school district who are considering cutting the library program.

School library programs, according to the informational brief written in 2011

by the New York Comprehensive Center, are often the first to be sacrificed

when schools are faced with budget cuts. However, according to the NYCC

extensive research shows that schools that have relied on

their libraries to support student growth, specifically in the

areas of literacy, information literacy, technological skills,

and access to resources and equipment, have seen increased

motivation, higher assessment scores, and ultimately higher

graduation rates.

I would like to explain how library media specialists play an essential role in

the academic community. Not only do they collaborate with teachers , but

they ensure that the library is a welcoming place and that students become

effective users of the information available to them.

The Role and Traits of an Effective Librarian

One of the most important traits for a librarian is that they love helping others.

In addition, librarians are detail orientated, they work well with peers and

students alike, they are also inquisitive and social.

The role of the school librarian is to ensure that the students become effective

readers and critical thinkers. His/ her role also includes increasing student

achievement which involves the integration of resources whether they are in

print or online and committed to teaching information literacy.

Meeting the needs of all the students

The librarian meets the needs of diverse learners (blind and hearing impaired) by implementing a comprehensive design for learning that encompasses all of the students. This means that all of the students have access

to, and are encouraged to participate in the curriculum. This is accomplished by making sure there are no barriers for any student. They are leaders that promote the professional growth whether it be one-on-one or in a group.

How the librarian helps the students make use of technology

As an information specialist, it is the librarians job to make sure that each

student can navigate safely on the World Wide Web. By providing students with

the expertise that we possess, they can learn to become effective researchers.

They need to know how to select accurate, current, unbiased information, and to

use that information without plagiarizing. By focusing on the students needs, a

librarian can help make each student a competent reader. This is done by

coupling printed material with digital information. All of this adds up to

providing instruction with higher expectations in order to increase student

achievement. The librarian is able to arm students with information literacy

skills that will enable them to be critical thinkers and successful in a

technological society.

Making a library into a learning center that welcomes all students

School library media centers in the 21st century should be the hub for

increased student achievement, not just during school hours, but 24/7.

Allowing students to access instructional technology from anywhere and at

anytime will accomplish this. A good librarian will turn the library into an

active learning center within each school in the district as well as a place

where the student feel safe. He/she will do this by connecting our students

through wikis, library webpages, blogs and all while managing the

complexity of the library media center. With the addition of computers,

cafes, and movable shelving the librarians who sat quietly behind the

circulation desk are gone Today they are knowledgeable, interactive and

willing to teach all what that they have learned. All of this adds up to

producing students who are well informed and lifelong learners.

Resources:

Bidd, D. (2003). [Responding to "why do we need a teacher librarian or school library when

have the internet?”]. The Medium, 43 (2), 5-5. Retrieved from

http://search. Proquest.

Wools, B. (2008). The school library media manager (4th ed.). Westport, CT: Libraries

Unlimited.

Smith, K. (n.d). Building student learning through school

Retrieved from http://www.laurabushfoundation.org/Smith.pdf

Informational Brief: Impact of School Libraries on Student Achievement. (2011, October).

New York Comprehensive Center. Retrieved January 26, 2013, from

http://www.nysl.nysed.gov/libdev/nyla/nycc_school_library_brief.pdf