STRIVING FOR EXEMPLARY SCHOOL LIBRARY PROGRAMS

Elizabeth A. Lee Queen’s UniversityGay Stephenson People for Education

The Goal of Our Research

Understand the functioning of exemplary school library programs.

Describe the role of administrators, teacher-librarians and teachers.

Describe those factors that supports or hinder exemplary school library programs.

Highlight teachers’ and students’ use of exemplary school libraries.

What was Already Known Prior to our Research

Ontario data suggest that library staffing is linked to student achievement and literacy attitudes.

International data supports the links between the of presence professionally trained school librarians and student achievement.

Deteriorating collections and declining levels of staffing in Canadian and American school libraries.

HOW SUPPORTIVE IS YOUR PRINCIPAL?

Principals

Provide key support for the school library Regard the teacher-librarian as key

teaching member of their staff Protect the librarian from excessive

preparation time and coverage.

“We consider the library as the core place for the school for the success of learning

and teaching.”

ARE CLASSROOM TEACHERS:

PARTNERING AND COLLABORATING WITH YOU?

Classroom Teachers

May have been reluctant (at first) to develop partnerships or share teaching with the T-L

Appreciated flexibility in their T-L Successful partnering/shared teaching went

beyond the “traditional” activities.

Effective partnerships with the teacher librarian supported teaching and learning

“I wish that we could multiply our teacher-librarian because she’s involved in so many things.”

IS YOUR POSITION FULL-TIME OR PART-TIME?

Teacher Librarians

Created a vibrant place for learning and teaching. A hub in the school Collaboration, partnerships, shared planning,

teaching and assessment. Are under-utilized instructionally if they are not

able to work full-time.“One of the important qualities makes the program successful is that a lot of it is open flexible partner time. We all bring different strengths so that when we plan a unit, or when we are teaching or marking it; we all bring different perspectives.”

Exemplary School Library Programs

Two common features: Exemplary programs have teacher

librarians who maximize teaching time. Exemplary teacher librarians continually

strive to modify the existing contexts.

Exemplary programs are defined as being exemplary within the context they operate.

A Continuum of School Library Programs

Context creates a continuum of school library programs. It is not set of attributes.

Each level identifies contextual factors that facilitates or hinders the school library program.

Differentiated by a greater emphasis on instruction and deeper integration of the library program into all aspects of the school.

Facets of the Continuum

Program Unconnected

Coordinated Integrated

Admin-istration

Peripheral Not central Central

Pro-active

Shared decisions

Systemic under-

standing of library

role

Finance Regular Allocation

Occasional Additional funding

Structured additional allocations

Firm foundatio

n for finances

Level 1 Level 2 Level 3 Level 4

Continuum of School Library Programs

Level 1 Level 2 Level 3 Level 4

Library’s role in school

Operates within school culture

Partnerships are

building

Library is central to learning

Ongoing systemat

ic support

Teacher-librarian’s role in school

Peripheralresource

Important resource

Equal partner

Instruction

Parallel or independe

nt teaching

Cooperative teaching

Collaborative teaching

Level 1 School Library Programs Current context: Many limiting factors

Part time position. Flexible open scheduling difficult.

Prep coverage & basic library functions rather than instruction.

Teachers & principal have limited understanding of the instructional role of the library.

Teacher librarians provide independent instruction that is not systematically coordinated with the classroom.

Agents of Change

The kids are all trained on book exchange so when I'm not here the classes come in.

Initiate procedures that free time to provide instruction and begin to work more directly with teachers. Efforts to implement change are difficult and

may encounter resistance. Teachers may perceive these partnerships

as additional, time consuming work. Looks for opportunities to build.

Level 2 School Library Programs Current context: Fewer constraints

More administrative support Principal has broader view of the role of

the library within the school culture. Principals provide partial funding of

prep coverage so librarian can focus on instruction.

Teachers more open to working cooperatively.

Agents of Change

It's been a process. If you'd have come the first year it would have been … finding the teachers you know would be on board

Proactive efforts to change the way the library is used.

School culture changing due to librarian’s efforts.

Able to have an increased emphasis on coordinating their instruction.

I can’t even imagine a literacy program without the support of your library and librarian

Level 3 School Library Programs Current context: Enabling

Prioritized support and funding by administration Focus on student learning. Ongoing Collaborative teaching a given. Library has a critical and integral role

supporting students, staff, and the school’s mandate and mission.

Staff share a vision of the library as a place for learning and teaching.

Agents of Change

Teacher librarians provide ever-changing support to teachers based on shared needs.

Continuous improvement model, with an ever moving target for their program

Teacher librarian recognized the challenges faced by their schools but interpreted these as opportunities.

Life-long learners, seeking opportunities to acquire new skills and enhance their program

I took a full year of drama training and created a literacy through drama program and reported on drama expectations for the teachers

Level 4 School Library Programs Imagine a Level 3 program with

systematic administrative support at the school, board, and provincial levels, both in funding and policy.

Trained teacher librarians with continuous opportunities to build skills.

The Reality

We could not find examples of Level 4 school library programs. Intermittent support Need to continually justify school role

This lack of systematic support hinders the development of library programs. Hard won expertise and knowledge

vanishing from the educational system

What do students think?

What students told us:

“If I could change one thing about the library I would keep library period everyday.”

Asking questions…

A video contest at the University of Waterloo: http://www.lib.uwaterloo.ca/contests/lovelibrary/contestwinners.html

Single Best Thing about Our Library…

Number of books available (55%).

“It has SO MANY BOOKS!” “The amount of books we have and how interesting they are.”

Physical space, organization/atmosphere of library (34%).

“It’s extremely quiet, so no one can bother you.” “Everything in the library is neat and tidy.”

Librarian (34%).

“We have a great librarian that is smart, nice and is always a happy person!”

One thing I would do to improve our school library would be to…

Get more books (46%)“Finish all the unfinished series because some of the series are cut off and you have to run to the public library.” “Get more NEW books.”

Change the physical space or arrangement (27%). “Make it bigger and spacier (sic). It’s too crowded.”“Be more organized with the books.”

You can ask too!

Our research included a student survey – you can do one too!

Have you tried www.surveymonkey.com ?

Facing the ongoing challenges

THE CONTEXT: Facilitates or hinders implementation of library programming

ADMINISTRATION: Gaining the principals support.

PREP TIME: Excessive coverage means missed opportunities for integrated teaching.

FUNDING & POLICY: Libraries require adequate funding and support from all levels: Ministry, Board, School.

Exemplary School Libraries in Ontario

http://www.accessola.com/osla/bins/index.asp

Follow the “Hot Links” buttonOr go to:http://www.peopleforeducation.com/school-libraries

Elizabeth Lee elizabeth.lee@queensu.ca

Gay Stephenson gay@peopleforeducation.com