Advocate for public policies, laws, organizations, and resources that promote a just information society.

 

6.1 Engages in systems thinking: Utilizes a systematic process for problem solving.

 

6.2 Engages in Strategic Planning: Engages in long term focusing of organizational efforts towards a common mission.

 

6.3 Team building (leads by unifying a group of individuals toward commonly-shared vision and establish mutual accountability; identifying strengths/weaknesses within your team)

 

6.4 Project Management: Leaders plan deliberate steps to execute, monitor, analyze and report on the progress of a work group charged with the creation of a unique product, service or result in order to deliver the on-time/on-budget results, learning and integration that the project and its stakeholders require (LLAMA).

 

6.5 Locating, Allocating, and Managing Fiscal Resources: Engages in activities to secure and manage fiscal resources for the organization.

 

6.6 Emotional Intelligence: Engages in self-reflection and improvement regarding work performance, interactions with colleagues, incorporating critical feedback, and responding to failure.

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Evidence

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•  LIS 653 CAMP Assignment

  • 6.2, 6.3, 6.4

• LIS 653 Grant Proposal

  • 6.5

• LIS 693 SMART Goal Project

  • 6.1

• LIS 692 Collaborative Lesson Reflection

  • 6.6

 

A good librarian leads the management of a collection which requires an objective analysis of the current “state of the library,” the needs of learners, and the available resources to meet those needs (the budget, staffing, and facility needs). This collection of artifacts includes a standard report on the current resources available at an elementary school in relation to the student population, a grant proposal intended to fund a multicultural literacy adventure, my own personal professional development plan in the context of a SMART goal, and my own reflections on my earliest experience leading a library lesson for younger elementary students.

 

The LIS 653 Collection Analysis and Management Plan is a data-driven assessment of the student population and library resources at the elementary school where I did one of my field work experiences. It includes a demographic analysis of the student population and the books available using Follett Destiny reports in part one. This school is a high-achieving, public suburban school, which over the years has seen an increasing enrollment of Indian American students. The analysis in part two focuses on books that include content related to India or the Indian experience. I found that this collection was lacking in representation of the Indian experience, and formulated a budget that would include acquisition of more resources in this area in part three. Use of student data and circulation metrics are an essential part of curating and managing a collection as part of a school’s strategic improvement plan.

 

Given current funding challenges, a critical part of library management requires each of us to seek out the funds necessary to support the learners we serve as school librarians. The LIS 653 Grant Proposal is a request for funding via the AASL Innovative Reading Grant for a year-long student reading engagement program designed around the concept of “reading around the world.” This is a project I designed myself. In this program, students would get a “passport” and receive a stamp for every country or region they visited as readers. A completed passport earns a globe keychain that can be displayed on their backpack. While it is not explicitly spelled out in our ALA Bill of Rights, it is evident that sustaining the efficacy of current successful library practice will require school librarians to serve not only as champions for literacy, but as fundraisers for programs working with other school leadership in support of the overall strategic improvement plan.

 

My SMART goal describes my own professional development plan for the current year. A SMART goal is specific, measurable, achievable, relevant, and time-bound. As a new school librarian at a school that had been without a librarian for some months, I set my SMART goal to increase circulation by 5% in my first month by employing a variety of strategies including organizing the collection, reeducating students about how to use the library, and simplifying check out. SMART goals have been well-researched as an evidence-based practice for measuring and monitoring professional development goals.

 

My LIS 692 Collaborative Lesson Reflection was based on my first ever experience teaching a lesson to younger elementary students (1st year MLIS field experience). As that document shows, I felt justifiably competent going into the lesson in terms of things I could prepare for like the structure and content of the lesson. As my reflection describes, I realize now that I was underprepared for the complexities of managing a library of thirty fidgety young folks. While the lesson went well overall, I felt that I could have improved my classroom management skills in terms of a balance between friendliness and a disciplined learning environment. In my current job, I find myself constantly reflecting on my practice and my actions both with students. One unruly student can disrupt an entire library full of active, attentive learners. On the other hand, controlling that one student may mean I am completely unable to teach the lesson that I need to teach. I admit I am still finding the right balance, but the most helpful resource I have now is other teachers at my school, who serve as role models and my guide for getting this right.

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References

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Gretes, F. (2013). School library impact studies: A review of findings and guide to sources. https://cdn.ymaws.com/pala.site-ym.com/resource/collection/FAAEA358-CF27-4976-889B-2F95015B1AEC/School_Libraries_at_Risk_-_Library-Impact-Studies.pdf

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Kachel, D. E. (2021). Data speaks: Addressing equity of access to school librarians for students. Teacher Librarian, 48(3), 49–52. https://libslide.org/pubs/Kachel-DataSpeaks-TL%20Feb2021.pdf

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Lance, K. C., & Kachel, D. E. (2018, March 26). Why school librarians matter: What years of research tell us. Kappan. https://kappanonline.org/lance-kachel-school-librarians-matter-years-research/

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Michie, J. S., & Chaney, B. W. (2009). Second evaluation of the improving literacy through school libraries program. https://www.ed.gov/sites/ed/files/rschstat/eval/other/libraries/libraries09.pdf

 

Montiel-Overall, P. (2005). Toward a theory of collaboration for teachers and librarians. School Library Media Research, 8. https://www.ala.org/sites/default/files/aasl/content/aaslpubsandjournals/slr/vol8/SLMR_TheoryofCollaboration_V8.pdf