School Library Media Specialists (SLMS) Why Westerville Needs Them!

School Library Media Specialists (SLMS)

Why Westerville Needs Them!

School Librarians

Impact student successContribute to a positive

performance on the state report card

Better prepare students for college and post-graduation workforce

Image taken from free-extras.com

SLMS

“Serve as both teachers of students and in-service providers for teachers”

“Serve a key role in expanding access to information technology beyond the library”

White House Conference on School Libraries (2002)

Troy, Michigan opened a new library, and as part of the festivities, asked a bunch of writers at the time to write letters about libraries to the town's children.

“Research shows that school libraries are a stronger indicator of student success than class size, experience of teacher, number of computers or location of school.”

Carolyn, Foote. "To Raise Student Achievement, Invest in Libraries." Huffington Post Education 27 Oct. 2010: Huff Post Education. Web. 14 Jan. 2010.

“The size of a school library’s staff and collection is the best predictor of academic achievement.”

Pennsylvania study (conducted by Lance), “Measuring Up to Standards: The impact of School Library Programs & Information Literacy in Pennsylvania Schools”

Average number of staff per library/media

centers *Elementary Schools

(by number of students)

Less than 150

150 to 499 500 to 749 750 or more

1.28 1.58 1.73 1.89

Westerville’s current average = .50

Westerville’s budget reduction proposal = .30

19% of average (150 to 499 students)* Source: U.S. Department of Education, National Center for Education Statistics, Schools and Staffing Survey (SASS) “Public School Library Media Center Questionnaire”, 2007-2008.

Average number of staff per library/media

centers *Secondary Schools

(by number of students)

Less than 500

500 to 749 750 to 1,499

1,500 or more

1.59 1.78 2.18 2.94

Westerville’s current average = 1.0

Westerville’s budget reduction proposal = 1.0

46% of average (750 – 1,499 students)* Source: U.S. Department of Education, National Center for Education Statistics, Schools and Staffing Survey (SASS) “Public School Library Media Center Questionnaire”, 2007-2008.

Elementary School150-499 Students

Typical Day

An average of 150 students visit the library

An average of 400 books are checked in

An average of 340 books are checked out.

Parent VolunteersEven though parent volunteers are

greatly appreciated, there are several concerns with counting on parent volunteers in the library:

1. Not every school is fortunate to have parent volunteers.

2. Most parent volunteers often rotate out every year.

3. Volunteers are not expected to cover a 2nd-grade classroom, music classroom, or art classroom and should not be counted on to cover the library classroom.

The SLMS Leadership Role Regularly meets with

administration Serves on standards committee Participates in faculty meetings Meets regularly at building level

The SLMS Collaboration Role Cooperatively plans with teachers Identifies materials for teachers Teaches information literacy to

students Provides teacher in-service training Manages information technology

The SLMS Literacy Role Identifies & recommends reading

materials Promotes and encourages reading Matches students with the “right” books Brings guest authors to the school Coordinates book fairs Manages the print and nonprint collection Administers Programming

“The introduction of books and being read aloud to at an early age are the building blocks for child’s ability to effectively develop language, vocabulary, speech, comprehension, and attention span. Ultimately this minimizes the need for added basic skills and in-class support staff.”

Fate or Future of School Libraries

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=tE44PS4pPuA&feature=related

“For students’ reading skills to improve, they need to read. They need to have lots of access to books and technology. They need to feel comfortable around books, talk about books, and associate books with positive interactions.”


Image taken from walworthseely.blogspot.com

Research shows that if kids are not reading on grade level by the end of third grade they are more likely to continue to struggle in school, repeat grades, act out, and eventually drop out of school. http://www.successforall.org

School library users and non-users and young people’s reading enjoyment, self-reported reading ability and reading frequency

School Library Users %

Non School Library Users %

Consider themselves as being a reader

76.4 50.2

Enjoying reading either very much or quite a lot

68.9 31.2

Rating themselves to be not very good readers

4.6 8.9

Reading outside of class every day

38.4 21.6

Clark, Christina and (England) National Literacy Trust, (.(2010). “Linking School Libraries and Literacy: Young People’s Reading Habits and Attitudes to Their School Library, and an Exploration of the Relationship between School Library Use and School Attainment.” National Literacy Trust (2010): ERIC. Web. 10 Jan 2012.

School library users and non-users and their attitudes towards reading (% agreement)




Reading is more for girls than boys

11.0 15.8

Reading is boring 12.6 33.3

Reading is hard 7.7 10.5

Percentage of young people who read below or at or above the expected level and whether they are a school library user or not (N=4,503)




Below expected level for their age

35.9 64.1

At expected level for their age

72.4 27.6

Above expected level for their age

77.7 22.3




I cannot find anything to read that interests me

25.2 34.4

I only read in class 11.1 24.6

I only read when I have to

19.8 39.5

I do not read as well as other pupils in my class

25.2 30.3

Reading helps me find what I need/want to know

73.0 54.8

“….. most young people use the school library. They use it because it gives them easy access to books, because it is a friendly space and because they believe that the school library, and by default reading, will help them do better at school.”Clark, Christina and (England) National Literacy Trust, (.(2010). “Linking School Libraries and Literacy: Young People’s Reading Habits and Attitudes to Their School Library, and an Exploration of the Relationship between School Library Use and School Attainment.” National Literacy Trust (2010): ERIC. Web. 10 Jan 2012.

“What message do we send to students about literacy when we close their libraries?”


The SLMS Technology Role Thoughtfully chooses subscription databases

Trains teachers to make the best use of online tools

Helps teachers integrate technology into the curriculum

Maintains library’s automated catalog Serves and/or chairs the school’s

technology committee Teaches media literacy to students

Today’s Students are Digital Natives

Text Have interacted

with family and friends around the globe via video chat

Look forward to completing homework and playing games on their iPads

Before leaving elementary school, most students:

Image taken from holyroodpark.net

Reaching the 21st Century learners means teachers

MUST:CAPTURE STUDENT INTEREST

!!!!!by

Knowing how to use education technology tools, and

Enhancing the learning environment

Technology Survey Results 31 Robert Frost & Pointview Teachers

Have a classroom website 30%

Have a classroom blog 3%

Communicate with parents via paper (flyers, newsletters)

90%

Students spend < 1 hr. in typical week using the Internet

75%

Students spend 1-3 hrs. in a typical week using the Internet

25%

Teachers attended 2 or less Professional Development sessions in technology over the past two years

64%

Teachers interested in attending technology mini-lessons in the morning before school.

73%

"Kids achieve higher scores when they're skilled at seeking, finding, and using information available to them on the World Wide Web."

Keith Lance, director of Library Research Service at the Colorado State Library

Minkel, Walter. "Library Technology Raises Test Scores, Too ." School Library Journal. N.p., n.d. Web. 14 Jan. 2012. <http://www.schoollibraryjournal.com>.

The Problem: Information Overload!

Garbage in..Garbage out!

McKenzie, Jamie. “The Cartoon Gallery.” From Now On, The Educational Technology Journal. FNO Press. Web 12 November 2010.

In 2007 the Educational Testing

Service (ETS) provided these

results from 2006 Study….

Ability to access, manage and evaluate information is weak

Only 50% can judge objectivity of a website

Only 40% knew how to use multiple terms to narrow search

Study included: 1,016 high-school students, 753 community college students, and 4,585 four-year college and university students.

Students adept at using computer for entertainment

BUT

Difficulties: Steps Difficulties: Steps During Research During Research

ProcessProcess

From Eisenberg, Michael B. and Alison J. Head. “How College Students Evaluate and Use Information in From Eisenberg, Michael B. and Alison J. Head. “How College Students Evaluate and Use Information in the Digital Age.” the Digital Age.” Project Information Literacy. University of Washington Information School, November 1, 2010. Web. Project Information Literacy. University of Washington Information School, November 1, 2010. Web. 11 November 2010.11 November 2010.

80% of future jobs will require

skills in effectively

using information

-Department of LaborSCANS (Secretary's Commission on Achieving Necessary Skills

Ohio

Early Childhood Education A-College Readiness D- Chance For Success, School Years C+ Overall Grade C+

"Education Week: Quality Counts 2012 - State Report Cards." Education Week American Education News Site of Record. Web. 14 Jan. 2012. <http://www.edweek.org/ew/qc/2012/16src.h31.html?cmp=ENL-EU-NEWS1&intc=EW-QC12-ENL>.

Image taken from tvsafety.gov

D.C. Denison, Boston Globe

“The Internet may be the world's greatest library, but let's face it - all the books are scattered on the floor.”

Image taken from http://thebookwormsdiary.blogspot.com/

Neil Gaiman, author of Sandman and

Neverwhere“Google can bring you back 100,000 answers, a Librarian can bring you back the right one.”

Image taken from http://amusingathenaeum.blogspot.com/2010_07_01_archive.html

Linton Weeks, Washington Post

“In the non-stop tsunami of global information, librarians provide us the floaties and teach us how to swim.”

A few things kids will miss if they don’t have a Librarian in their school

Special programs and speakers

Author visits Reading contests and

prizes Book Fairs A knowledgeable,

interested adult with whom to discuss books.

Acquiring 21st Century skills

A quiet place to learn Using information

ethically Digital literacy Teachers who extend

learning experiences beyond the classroom.

“If you want to help your school succeed, perhaps libraries are the best place to start. Monies spent on libraries have a big payoff in terms of student achievement, and benefit every single student in a school.”


Westerville Schools Library Media Staff

Full Time Equivalents High Scho

ol

Middle

School

Elem. School

Beginning of 2011-2012 school year

3 4 16

End of 2011-2012 school year

3 4 8

Budget Reduction Proposal beginning 2012-2013 school year

3 2 4

Net change between 2011-2012 and 2012-2013 school years (beginning)

0% -50% -75%

Library Media Staff Budget Reduction

ProposalFY 2013

$212,000 savings for Media Clerks RIFd in December 2011

$200,000 (estimated) savings for 2 retired SLMS and 1 whom has already left the district (savings through attrition) This dollar amount is more than the cost savings proposed by the district.

3 HS librarians continue servicing the 3 high schools. Remaining 5 elementary librarians stay employed and EACH cover 2 of the 14 remaining elementary schools - leaving 4 elementary schools not covered (assuming Longfellow & Central College close).

•2 middle school librarians move down to the elementary level and EACH cover 2 each of the remaining 4 elementary schools

OR

•Each of the 4 middle school librarians pick up 1 elementary school to cover.

If the March levy passes

It is recommended that 3 SLMS and 8 Media Clerks be added at the elementary level.

Walter Cronkite, Broadcaster

“Whatever the cost of our libraries, the price is cheap compared to that of an ignorant nation.”

Image taken from http://allthingsd.com/20090718/walter-cronkite-thats-the-way-it-was-and-should-be/

by Jean Trimble, School Library Media Specialist

Westerville City School District

2012

School Library Media Specialists (SLMS) Why Westerville Needs Them!

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