A Tale Of Two Libraries:My School Visitations and Action Plan
Elly RifkinDecember 6, 2010
Highland Park High School District 113 Highland Park, Illinois
Jamieson Elementary Chicago School District 299Chicago, Illinois
School Profiles
Wealthy & affluent district; high teacher salaries; ranked high academically in IL
Part of CPS, average teacher salaries; ranked high academically in Region 1 of Chicago
Highland Park High School ~2,000 students
(~18/class) in G9-12 95% graduation rate ~11% low-income, ~3%
LEP ~79% Caucasian, ~16%
Hispanic ~15% students with
disabilities Not making AYP in
Mathematics
Jamieson Elementary 820 students
(~23-~36/class) in pre-K-8
~96% attendance rate 75% low-income, 22%
LEP ~33% Caucasian, ~27%
Hispanic, ~32% Asian/P.I. ~12% students with
disabilities Making AYP
Jamieson’s Library Limited capacity Outdated technology K-5+: fixed schedule 2010 curriculum: Scholastic’s Reading Counts Supportive principal
Limited budget Minimal collaboration Circulation relatively low Helpful parent volunteers
Jamieson’s LibrarianKathleen Loftus
Doing MORE with LESS!
State of the Library 2010CHALLENGES RECOMMENDATIONS
Growing groups of immigrant/LEP students
Many children with special needs
Minimal collaboration with teachers
Limited parent involvement
Translated books from ICDL, order more multicultural materials
Appeal to principal to hire more aides or require a 2nd adult during library time
Work with collaborating teachers to present to faculty the value of the library
Devote funds to hosting more Reading Nights (& effective marketing)
Highland Park High School Library
Highland Park High School Library
Well-funded Abundant
technology Multiple
classrooms Pleasing design
and lighting Very busy Lots of teacher
support Well-staffed Library plays key
role in curriculum
HPHS Library DirectorAnne Isaacson
Manages budgeting & programming; supervises• 1 certified librarian• 3 library assistants• 1 secretary
Improving Aesthetics at HPHS
State of the Library 2010GOALS RECOMMENDATIONS
Expand access to resources
Improve student-teacher relationships
Communicate the importance of good research skills to ALL faculty members
Increase collaboration by unblocking social networking sites like Facebook
Collaborate on more formal staff development presentations with the Media Center
Be sure to include teacher success stories.
Continue making presentations to faculty at before and after-school meetings
Collection Development Action Plan for the HPHS Library
Communicated Area of Need: High-interest nonfiction titles which
tell “true stories of teens and young adults that have overcome major life obstacles.”
Action Plan Objectives Primary: Improve collection management
through scheduling regular collection analysis and inventory periods.
Secondary: Acquire more high-interest nonfiction titles for the collection that include true stories of teens and young adults whom have overcome serious challenges.
Action Plan: Tasks1. Designate an annual or biannual block of time to conduct
Collection Analysis using TitleWave2. Prepare a brief report that summarizes the Collection Analysis
results3. Identify areas of need in the collection4. generate a list of titles needed to improve the collection; be sure
to include the cost of each item and the number of copies needed for sufficient use; and
5. From the titles generated, prioritize the books needed immediately.
6. Prepare a budget and spending rationale for acquisitions7. Use TitleWise and book review sources to search for specific
nonfiction titles8. Use Booklist, VOYA, School Library Journal, and other review
sources to narrow selections9. Create a Wish List of new titles using Follett’s TitleWise software10. Formally assess the usefulness of TitleWave and TitleWise as
Collection Development tools
Action Plan: Resources Time TitleWave tutorial video Electronic file with all exported
MARC records Access to review sources $600-800 to devote to specific
nonfiction titles of immediate need
Action Plan: Responsible Persons Building Principal: approves funding Library Director: manages the Collection
Analysis effort; scheduling, budgeting, weeding, instructing library staff to use TitleWave and TitleWise, selecting new titles, delegating tasks to library staff, etc.
School Librarian/Library Assistants: support the Director by completing assigned tasks such as preparing reports, using TitleWise to search for new “true stories” nonfiction titles, etc.
Elly Rifkin: provides the initial Collection Analysis report to the Director via e-mail using Follett’s TitleWave
Action Plan: TimeframesTIMEFRAME TASKSOngoing • Director spends 4-5 hours per week on collection management improvement
• Library staff members help Director weed any outdated or damaged nonfiction titles from the collection
Immediate Elly Rifkin will provide Library Director with TitleWave Collection Analysis report
Jan. 1–Feb. 1 1. Director assesses collection areas of immediate need and prepares a report2. Director compiles and submits budget proposal for Principal indicating how
funds will be spent and rationale for adding high-interest nonfiction books to the collection
3. Director trains library staff to use Follett’s TitleWave and TitleWise software4. Assigned library staff members locate new nonfiction titles using Follett’s
TitleWise software and create a new “Wish List” to be reviewed by the DirectorFeb. 1–Mar. 1 1. Director assesses TitleWise Wish List of nonfiction titles through examining book
reviews from various sources2. Principal approves funding for nonfiction collection development3. Director purchases nonfiction titles using the Follett’s TitleWise software
*Note: any additional areas of immediate need identified through via TitleWave Collection Analysis report (prepared by Elly Rifkin) can be added to the purchase order if funding allows
Mar 1–April 1 1. Director conducts a meeting with library staff to assess whether or not Follett’s TitleWave and TitleWise programs have improved collection management
2. Director holds a follow-up meeting with Principal to determine if allocated funds met the collection development needs of the school library
Action Plan: Funding$600-800
(for new nonfiction books that tell true stories of teens/young adults that have overcome major life challenges)
Action Plan: Potential ProblemsTIME
The biggest obstacle to improving collection management and analysis and researching new nonfiction titles is time.