Library Mission Statement

 

The mission of George Washington Carver School Library Media Specialist is to ensure that the students and staff are effective users of ideas and information.

 

The mission will be accomplished by

·         Providing access to materials in all formats

·         Providing instruction to foster competence and stimulate interest in reading, viewing and using information and ideas

·         Working with other educators to design learning strategies to meet the needs of individual students.

 

from Information Power: Guidelines for School Library Media Programs

 

 

       Vision

     Members of the George Washington Carver School community will be empowered with 21st century skills to be effective users,      producers, and communicators of ideas and information.

 

 

      Beliefs

The library media program is an integral part of the educational process. The activities and resources of the library media center are directed to this end. Through collaborative efforts with all members of the instructional team, the library media specialist works to help students to master information skills and their application in all subject areas.

Students in the library media center are guided in reading, using various information sources, listening to book talks or stories, or developing a product of their own research that has included a variety of media formats. They are challenged to pursue their interests and information needs by using libraries of all types. Because of the positive experiences in the school library media center, students develop a lifelong appreciation of books and reading and seek out information they need to realize their personal goals.

The purpose of the George Washington Carver School Library Media Program is to provide students and faculty with multi-media resources, materials, and services, and instruction relevant to and integrated with the school district's educational goals and directed toward meeting the information, appreciation and instructional needs of each student.

 

* Excerpts taken from Information Power.

 

Goals and Objectives

 

The library media program functions as an integral part of the total educational program at George Washington Carver Elementary School.  The purpose of the George Washington Carver School Library Media Program is to provide students and faculty with multi-media resources, materials, services, and instruction relevant to and integrated with the Macon County School Board’s goals and directed toward meeting the information, appreciation and instructional needs of each student.

To reach this goal the following objectives give purpose and direction to the media program.  The library media specialist will

 

1. Help students acquire and strengthen reading, listening, and communication skills.
2. Provide professional assistance to users in the effective use of the library media center.
3. Encourage students and teachers to use both print and electronic resources.
4. Foster the development of an appreciation for good literature and a life-long interest in reading in our students.
5. Assist students and teachers in designing and producing multimedia and audio-visual materials.
6. Provide an educationally functional and effective media program which will adequately meet the needs of the curriculum and users.
7. Provide for continuous, effective in-service growth of teachers in accordance with their individual needs.
8. Guide classroom teachers in the choice of media for professional and curricular purposes.

Library Bill of Rights

The American Library Association affirms that all libraries are forums for information and ideas, and that the following basic policies should guide their services.

1. Books and other library resources should be provided for the interest, information, and enlightenment of all people of the community the library serves. Materials should not be excluded because of the origin background or views of those contributing to their creation.
2. Libraries should provide materials and information presenting all points of view on current and historical issues. Materials should not be proscribed or removed because of partisan or doctrinal disapproval.
3. Libraries should challenge censorship in the fulfillment of their responsibility to provide information and enlightenment.
4. Libraries should cooperate with all persons and groups concerned with resisting abridgment of free expression and free access to ideas.
5. A person's right to use a library should not be denied or abridged because of origin, age, background, or views.

Libraries which make exhibit spaces and meeting rooms available to the public they serve should make such facilities available on an equitable basis, regardless of the beliefs or affiliations of individuals or groups requesting their use.

Adopted June 18, 1948

Amended February 2, 1961, June 27, 1967, and January 23, 1980 by the ALA Council. Reprinted by permission of the American Library Association.

 

 

Literacy Standards

 

Standard 1: The student who is information literate accesses information efficiently and effectively.

Standard 2: The student who is information literate evaluates information critically and competently.

Standard 3: The student who is information literate uses information accurately and creatively.

Standard 4: The student who is an independent learner is information literate and pursues information related to personal interests.

Standard 5: The student who is an independent learner is information literate and appreciates literature and other creative expressions of information.

Standard 6: The student who is an independent learner is information literate and strives for excellence in information seeking and knowledge generation.

Standard 7: The student who contributes positively to the learning community and to society is information literate and recognizes the importance of information to a democratic society.

Standard 8: The student who contributes positively to the learning community and to society is information literate and practices ethical behavior in regard to information and information technology.

Standard 9: The student who contributes positively to the learning community and to society is information literate and participates effectively in groups to pursue and generate information.

 

Budgeting Procedure:

The budget committee meets towards the end of the year to discuss the budget, and what items are necessary for the following academic school year.

Facilities Planning and Management

 

 

Services/Activities

·         Classroom Schedule

·         Computer lab

·         ARI reading competition

·         Read Across America

·         Book talks

Advocacy, Public Relations, Promotion

 

 

PEPE/PDP

 

Storage/Maintenance of Equipment, Computer Usage

DISPOSITION OF INSTRUCTIONAL MATERIALS

The disposition of all media equipment and materials acquired through regular purchase will adhere to system policy and procedures.  A disposition form will be processed and each item will be removed from inventory.

Weeding The Collection

To maintain a quality library collection, books and other materials need to be continually evaluated for currency, accuracy, need, and physical condition. Books not meeting the highest criteria may lead students to outdated information or erroneous information. Some materials may also be unappealing to the students we hope to encourage into a love of books.

Weeding is best done a section at a time, so that the media specialist can compare books of the same subject or type. School libraries are usually concerned with the “here and now” applications of knowledge.

Books will be discarded for any one or a combination of the following reasons:

• Books that are unattractive in appearance because of yellowed paper, fine print, unappealing cover, etc.
• Books that are seldom circulated. When has the book last been checked out? Was it five years ago?
• Books in poor physical condition. Will the book withstand use for at least another year? Is the book too badly worn to be mended or rebound?
• Books with old copyright dates which make them outmoded in use, content, or accuracy.
• Books of mediocre or poor quality.
• Books of a subject matter or treatment not suitable for the students served in the library. Does the book relate to the child of today? The appeal of a good book would be timeless. If well chosen originally, an older fiction book may be relevant when format and condition are adequate. True classics are an example of this.
• Books which no longer support the curriculum. Is the subject taught in the curriculum? If not in the curriculum, is the subject one of interest to students?
• Books of passing interest at the time of publication, such as travel and biographies of persons who were known in their generation, but are not likely to be of interest in the future.

Discarding Books

Books dealing with local history will not be discarded. Older sets of reference books that have been replaced will be offered to teachers for use in the classroom. When discarding books, the word “discard” will be stamped or written on books, over the library ownership stamp and then offered to the faculty members for classroom use. If the books are not accepted by the classroom teachers they will be offered to students.

Summary

Both in weeding and planning for replacement, professional knowledge of current events and technology will be used as a guide. The collection will be evaluated thoroughly for utility and currency. Weeding will be an ongoing and routine part of the library media specialist's work schedule.

 

 

Staffing/Job Descriptions/Responsibilities/Volunteers

The Role of the Classroom Teacher: The instructional staff is responsible for planning learning activities and evaluating student progress.  Since media is an integral part of any learning activity, it is important for teaching staff to stay abreast of available resources and effective utilization techniques

The Role of the School Media Specialist: The media specialist participates as a member of the instructional team, planning with the administrator and teachers to identify, select, and provide the best resources to meet learner needs.  The media specialist must insure a unified media program which is effectively managed, instructionally-related and accessible to all.

Volunteers: Some of their responsibilities are shelving materials, filing, working at the check-out desk, helping to process new acquisitions, putting up bulletin boards, mending books, and assisting students

 

Evaluations/Assessments, Miscellaneous Policies and Procedures

Evaluations: 

• Do the resources meet the individual learning needs of students of all ages and abilities?
• Are the library and its resources easily accessible to the students?
• Are there sufficient resources in the library to meet the needs of the curriculum?
• Are there sufficient resources in the library to also cater for personal and leisure interests?
• Are the resources relevant and of good quality?
• How much use do the students and staff make of the library?
• How does the library affect school improvement, including student achievement?

School Library Bill of Rights for School Media Programs

The American Association of School Librarians reaffirms its belief in the Library Bill of Rights of the American Library Association. Media personnel are concerned with generating understanding of American freedom through the development of informed and responsible citizens. To this end the American Association of School Librarians asserts that the responsibility of the school library media center is:

• To provide a comprehensive collection of instructional materials selected in compliance with basic written selection principles, and to provide maximum accessibility to these materials.
• To provide materials that will support the curriculum, taking into consideration the individual's needs, and the varied interests, abilities, socio-economic backgrounds, and maturity levels of the students served.
• To provide materials for teachers and students that will encourage growth in knowledge, and that will develop literary, cultural and aesthetic appreciation, and ethical standards.
• To provide materials which reflect the ideas and beliefs of religious, social, political, historical, and ethnic groups and their contribution to the American and world heritage and culture, thereby enabling students to develop an intellectual integrity in forming judgments.
• To provide a written statement, approved by the local Boards of Education, of the procedures for meeting the challenge of censorship of materials in school library media centers.
• To provide qualified professional personnel to serve teachers and students.

* Approved by the American Association of School Librarians, a division of the American Library Association, June, 1969.