The Roles of Library Media Specialist

As a child going to the library, now referred to as the media center was a place to check out books, learn about the card catalog, and the Dewey Decimal System.   Times have changed, and so has the media center.   Today, the media center is known as the “hub” of the school.   The media specialist role is centered on many job descriptions.  The media specialist serves as the teacher, instructional partner, information specialist, and program administrator.   Altogether they carry out the duties to meet the library media program goal to have students become life-long learners.

            The first role as a media specialist is being a teacher.  According to Wikipedia, a teacher is a person who guides, instructs, trains or helps another in the process of learning knowledge, understanding behavior or skills, including thinking skills.  A media specialist possesses all of these criteria.  Media specialists are “knowledgeable about current research on teaching and learning and skilled in applying its finding to a variety of situation.”  (AASL 1998)  The media specialist helps ensure literacy by collaborating with other teachers that their students use a wide range of resources and technologies.  Media specialists are responsible for providing updated resources to the school as a whole.

            Secondly, media specialists are instructional partners.  The media specialist assist teachers in guaranteeing students are acquiring the necessary resources to meet the needs for across the curriculum. They serve as members on the schools instruction leadership team to “develop policies, practices and curricula that guide students to develop a full range of information and communication.” (AASL 1998)  They are the center of bring the community into the schools and the schools into the community. 

            Third, they serve as an information specialist. Media specialists should always be abreast on resources, technologies, and skills. They are the information station of the school. They inform teachers and students on strategies to using electronic resources.  Media specialist "provides leadership and expertise in acquiring and evaluating information resources in all formats” (AASL 1998)    

Finally, the media specialist is a program administrator, collaborating with the school administrations, teachers, and district leaders.  Media specialists help develop and manage budgets that are accountable to the administration of the schools.  They must carry on the daily task of library resources and assist with activities to support students learning.   According to AASL, “Library media specialists are advocates for library media programs and provide the knowledge, vision, and leadership.”                

In conclusion, a library media specialist is someone with an array of knowledge, capable of teaching, collaborating, and administering resources.  They are able to work with the entire school body, meeting the goals of achievement. 

American Association for School Librarians. (1998). Information Power: Building Partnerships For Learning.  Chicago: ALA.

Wikipedia  http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/   (last modified on 7 February 2009, at 21:13.)