Solon Community School District

Librarian: Kathy Kaldenberg

Solon Community School

District’s annual report

encompasses grades K-12. I

like that on the front page

you immediately see

“Highlights” for the school

year. The annual report

focuses on the positive

experiences of the students

and the library.

I am really impressed with the look of

ISSUU.com. It is neatly organized, with great

pictures, charts, and just enough information

without it getting wordy. After looking at

Animoto and ISSUU, as well as some in a

presentation format, I found a routine report

to be quite boring.

Myrtle Grove Middle School Librarian: Jennifer LaGarde Her annual report is very

colorful with lots of data,

pictures, and eye catching

graphics. I like how she took

the data and then explained the

data under “What’s The

Bottom Line?” She talked

about concerns and then

proposed a fix for the following

year.

Creating a “To Do!” list makes it quite

clear that the librarian is already

planning for the next school year. This

shows the principal how the SLMS works

for the school, teachers and students.

It is always important to

show off the “FUN STUFF”

that occurs in the library.

She display this in a

interesting and eye catching

way. The “FUN STUFF”

that happened in the library,

definitely showcase “FUN

IDEAS”.

“What’s Next” is not the same

as “TO DO”. This is her

overview of what is next for the

library and still making the

point that the library is essential

to the success of the school and

the students.

Myrtle Grove Middle School

Winona Area Public Schools Librarians: Mary Alice Anderson, Lead Media Specialist Gay Casper, Elementary; Terry Kroening, Senior High; Jill Nysse, Middle School

1. Click on link 2. Click Annual Reports & Standards on

left side 3. Scroll down to Annual Report and click

to get PDF

I had to highlight this because it really is why you are doing the annual report (other than for the state). These librarians have worked hard to make their programs visible and viable to not only the schools, but to the community and beyond.

Macalester College – DeWitt Wallace Library

Librarian: Terri Fishel & Jacki Betsworth

Snapshot link

I like this because it is concise and neat.

At the bottom of the page, you can click

on the link to the actual report.

I like that a college is “Fostering Community”

beyond resource needs. I guess I don’t

remember this part when I was in college. Of

course that was many years ago and was

probably not a focus. This is something that I

hadn’t thought of at the college level, but why

shouldn’t it be important to reach out to their

college community.

Dorman High School Librarians: Cathy Nelson & Melanie Dillard

I like this concept, but I would rather see it broke up into fiction and nonfiction. You

could place graphic novels in either category. I think that the above view is important,

but maybe showing top circulating fiction and nonfiction would be better. Nonfiction

has and is becoming a major role in the Common Core, and splitting nonfiction from

fiction will give more accurate data for the SLMS.

Durant Road Middle School Librarians: Kristin Ziller & Paula Barnes

“become aware of which tool is appropriate for specific end goals.”

I like that they are teaching

students about Web 2.0 and most

important that they some tools

are best when used for specific

end results. I also like the

hyperlink of the different Web

2.0 tools.

Collecting data is always

a great way to show

growth or need for

change. This is a great

way to practice

transparency. Our school

district is hitting data

collection very hard and

this would be a great way

for the library to validate

their SLMP. “Capturing and analyzing data drives media programming decisions.”

SUMMARY I really enjoyed this assignment. It really gets the wheels turning about how to create a successful library program. I knew that the SLMS had to do a year end report, but would never have believed that they were being produced in such exciting ways. As the job of the SLMS just keeps growing and becoming larger than life, this is the one time that going the extra mile really makes all the difference. Even though most people won’t see what happens behind the scenes in the library, the monthly/annual report gives the SLMS and the SLMP positive exposure. Taking lots of pictures of events in the library, keeping reports current, and documenting collaborative teaching will show the results of hard work by the library staff. Providing these monthly reports to the administration is important, but allowing teachers the opportunity to view these reports exposes them to possibly new teaching ideas and technologies. For those teachers that are stubborn, it might convince them to give the SLMS a try. A library newsletter would be easy to put together, as this would be another extension of the monthly report. Making this available on the library Website and even the school district Website makes the SLMP visible to the community.

I do not have a library yet, so I have not put together a report of my own. One SLMS that I talked with is overwhelmed with being on committees and all the work that is involved with the committees, that she just sees this as another task to add to her list, that never get finished. Also, she has a secretary that does most of the work in collecting the monthly data and putting into a report. Helping her to understand that this is effective way to collect and share data that gives her and her program legitimacy and credibility that she is developing a strong SLMP, might make her step outside of her comfort zone. The SLMP is no longer in the present, but looking into the future. The SLMS/SLMP is in constant motion, in which the entire community is apart of the experience. The monthly/annual report cannot be an after thought, it has to be planned and executed daily. The SLMS understands that the more people that are aware of what occurs in the library, the better. The SLMS wants the SLMP to be like a glass house (maybe a Plexiglas house), where they aren’t afraid of being visible to everyone. They are confident and willing to take chances. The monthly and annual report is just another way for the SLMP to be transparent. Wouldn’t it be interesting if the SLMP is just as recognized as one the sports programs? That may be a stretch, but that is how the SLMS should view their program. Making the SLMP a name brand that everyone wants to use.