Elementary Librarians Preparing for the Future? March 31, 2007
Posted by sbrisco in : Hot Topics , 4 commentsA recent question posed on LM_NET asked whether elementary library positions are being cut back to part-time or if elementary librarians are in such a vicious cycle of being so tied down to a rigorous fixed schedule that they are, in essence, being killed because they have not been given the opportunity to change as other levels of the K-12 library program.
While it may be true that “some” elementary library programs provide flexible or fixed-flexible schedules that allow for a more dynamic library environment, it is more likely that elementary libraries and librarians are still being held to the types of programming that were in place during the “pre-Information Power Standards” era (which began in 1988 with the publication of “Information Power”, ALA). Before “Information Power” was published, elementary libraries were a part of a rotation of special classes that included other subjects such as art, music, physical education, band, etc. As a result, students were ushered systematically into the library based upon a specific day and time during the week and “library lessons” were taught in isolation. Although no grades were given, it was expected that the librarian would provide “crowd control” for a certain amount of time in order to allow teachers to have a planning period (and possibly, some peace and quiet).
Today, many middle, junior high, and high school libraries provide students and teachers the opportunity to visit the library on a flexible or fixed-flexible schedule in order to choose materials for recreational reading or for specific library research assignments that are taught in cooperation with the classroom teacher who has taken the opportunity to work with the librarian. However, elementary librarians are often left to “find the time” to meet with teachers in order to collaborate…and with some librarians teaching as many as ten 35-minute classes each day, that time never comes.
With very little time during the day to meet with teachers for collaborative opportunities, many elementary school librarians are placed in the position of just “getting through the day” rather than advocating for their professional position within the school. When teachers are provided planning time away from the library while the librarian provides instruction to their students, they are also isolating themselves from the value of the school librarian and the impact that s/he can make to curriculum.
Even while most elementary librarians are team players and are involved in activities that allow for other programs to succeed, in many schools the elementary school librarian is alone without even a full-time assistant to help with clerical work such as shelving books. Relying on volunteers to help is not always an option and providing additional library enrichment programs such as visiting authors, book fairs, or storytellers can become a major issue because of time constraints that limit planning and / or the execution of the event.
Overall, the responsibility for change in elementary school libraries must come from the top down. School administrators must be the ones to set the environment that will provide elementary librarians with the opportunity to work with all students in a way that provides for true information literacy skills to be taught. If elementary school administrators continue to regard the elementary school library program as expendable, rather than a significant investment in academic achievement, these programs will be eliminated through ignorance.
If elementary school librarians are considered to be insignificant to the curriculum or to student achievement in specific areas such as standardized tests, they will be removed by those who are uneducated in how Information Literacy can impact the lives of their students. In fact, if elementary school librarians do not find strong library advocates through their school administrations and others, it is certain that librarians at higher levels will have a more difficult time teaching Information Literacy skills to students who have learned at the elementary level that libraries are not important to their education or in their lives.
(posted by Shonda Brisco)