Objective 5.3 Personnel, Funding, & Facilities
Indicator: Candidates develop, implement, and evaluate policies and procedures
that support teaching and learning in school libraries.
We have all heard the phrase ‘wears many hats’ used to describe someone who has multiple roles or responsibilities. It seems as if I have to find a bigger closet in order to accommodate all of the new headwear I’ve gained in becoming a school librarian. Aside from being an educator, instructional partner, and leader, one of our largest roles is that of program administrator.
As program administrator, we must make sure that everything in our library runs smoothly. This is a tremendous responsibility that encompasses many things—from collection development and budgeting, to facility design and maintenance. Two assignments that best helped me to fully understand the administrator role of school librarian were my Policy and Procedures Wikispace and Organization & Access Manual. The wikispace was a collaborative effort to create a handbook of all policies and procedures that librarians must design and put into practice within the school library. This handbook features specific information that will help a librarian to develop and maintain a successful library program. Our goal was to write the handbook in such a way that any school community member could understand the many components that shape a librarian’s responsibilities. My Organization & Access Manual serves as a guide to the inner workings of how the library is managed. This manual deals with the more technical details of the collection, such as creating MARC Records, cataloging our resources, and classifying all materials in a logical way. I created my manual in a user-friendly way, so that a teacher, administrator, or parent volunteer could understand the intricacies of how the program is organized. I believe that my assignments not only reflect the roles and responsibilities of this career, but ultimately illustrate how much effort it takes to run a successful library program.
These artifacts have helped me to truly view a librarian’s daily life through the lens of program administrator. I never knew so much went into the administrative side of this job; yet the details in these assignments show me what a tremendous responsibility we have to our schools. From all that I have learned about being a program administrator, I take away three key elements. First, there is a great importance in setting goals and having a vision for my program. My actions as a librarian should ultimately reflect my mission, goals, and objectives. If my actions do not match these aspects, then my program may not be doing the job that I intended it to do. By developing a long-term plan, I can ensure that my program is serving my school to its max potential. Second, our collection has a strong correlation to our program’s success. The collection should truly reflect the needs and personal interests of the school. In order for the library to become a central place for learning in the school, we must make wise purchases in order to get the most out of our budget. By devising a plan for spending, we will help to keep our priorities in order. Third, we must partake in opportunities for supporting the school library program. Professional development allows the library staff to stay up to date with trends and resources to support student learning. By participating in county or state library networks, we can also learn about new policies as well as collaborate in order to generate successful ideas to make our programs even stronger. I am confident that my knowledge regarding administrative duties of a librarian has grown substantially. There are various tasks and responsibilities that the librarian carries out on a daily basis, but I am ready to take on this challenge. Our hats may be numerous, but if we create a strong library program, we have the potential to impact the achievement of each student in the building. |
Artifacts:
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