Lincoln Public Schools

Mission Statement / Essential Element 5

Program Administration

Implementing the library media program is the primary responsibility of the library media specialist, guided by the principal with input from the learning community. Leadership, planning, budgeting, staffing, scheduling, organizing, managing, and evaluating are interrelated responsibilities that are essential to the effective operation of the overall program.

The library media specialist works with administrators, teachers and others in the learning community to guide and direct the library media program. It is important for the entire school to participate in creating the vision and the expectations for the library media program. The library media specialist must be the leader in communicating program goals, objectives, policies, plans, and services to all learning community members.

How can the library media program be effectively managed?

Policies, goals and objectives: The library media specialist works with staff to align the goals of the library media program with the mission, goals, and objectives of the school and the district. Policies and procedures are created to guide the administration of the library media program within the context of the policies and procedures that guide the district. The library media program must be integrated into all aspects of the school including assessment, school improvement planning, curriculum implementation, and technology advancements. The program supports student learning through information literacy instruction and integration with the curriculum.

Administrative support: The library media program is dependent on the support of administration in order to achieve its mission and goals. The library media specialist assumes a leadership role in fostering understanding of the program and knowledge about its contributions to student learning. The administration provides guidance, support and a budgetary commitment to ensure program effectiveness and efficiency.

Planning: Program planning, both short and long range, translates the program goals and objectives into action. It is essential that planning be of a collaborative nature involving administration, teachers, and others. Collaborative planning involves a partnership between educators and others in the learning community working together to integrate information literacy skills and the research process, within the curriculum, using library media resources. Practices that facilitate collaboration are communication, mutual trust, common vision, common philosophy, open-mindedness and flexibility. Through knowledge of how learners learn, educators can collaborate to make relevant connections for information literacy instruction and use of the library media program.

Leadership: Since the library media program serves all curriculum areas and all persons in a school, the library media specialist has access to a wide variety information about ideas, issues and needs within a school and across the district. This expertise can be beneficial to schools. It is recommended that the library media specialist help staff and students by serving on building level school improvement or decision-making committees.

The role of the library media specialist has changed significantly since the last revision of the LPS library media specialists appraisal form. The appraisal form has been revised to better reflect the program expectations as described in this document. It is located in the Library Media Program section of the LMS home page.

Because of the significant leadership expectation for library media specialists at each school, it is recommended that a library media specialist liaison position be created for the purpose of serving as a means of communication. This includes attending meetings after school, distributing materials, receiving email messages,and collecting information at the request of the Library Media Services Director. The library media specialist liaison promotes and helps facilitate events requiring library media equipment, and maintains library media equipment items used across the building.

Communication: Information about the library media program is communicated effectively and often in a variety of formal and informal ways with all persons in the learning community. Information about the mission, goals, achievements, functions, and overall impact should be readily available and clearly demonstrated. Written, verbal, and visual formats should be used to keep teachers and others informed.

Budgeting: The library media program supports the curriculum of the entire school and therefore represents a substantial investment from the school's resources. Expenditures for resources, equipment, supplies, and ongoing maintenance are critical and should be aligned with school and library media program goals. Together with the principal, the library media specialist should establish a budget plan based on staff and student needs.

Organizing & Management: The library media program is organized and managed by the library media specialist according to the mission and goals of the school. Program resources and services are selected and utilized to support the curriculum and the teaching and learning needs of staff and students. The daily operation and functions may differ between schools, but it is essential that the persons in the learning community are the priority management consideration.

Scheduling: The library media specialist facilitates scheduling of the library media center, resources, and equipment to meet the needs of the learning community. Flexibility of scheduling allows teachers and library media specialists to make relevant connections to curricular objectives as a result of preplanning and collaboration. This allows students, teachers and others to access the library media center and its resources, based on educational need and personal interests, in a relevant and timely manner. Elementary library media specialists should not provide planning time for teachers by scheduling classes into the library media center on a fixed schedule, nor should they be scheduled for assigned duties in addition to being responsible for the library media program. When this occurs, access to important resources and services is diminished. One library media specialist should be assigned to each school with an additional library media specialist added when the school enrollment reaches 1,500. These positions should be considered a basic for every school and not negotiated in annual staffing conferences.

Staffing: For a library media program to be a dynamic and integral part of the delivery of instruction appropriate staffing of the library media center is crucial. A certified library media specialist is needed to serve as a teacher of information literacy skills, to promote collaborative planning with teachers, establish the instructional link to resources and promote reading and literature instruction as well as coordinate the operations of the library media facility. Support staff is vital to assisting with the clerical and organizational tasks of a center. One full-time library media specialist and support staff should be available in each school.

Staff Development: A key component to successful staffing is ongoing staff development to help educators become proficient at teaching and integrating information literacy skills across the curriculum and to become more skilled at collaborative planning. Staff development also can help educators remain current and knowledgeable about available resources and adept at using current technology to promote student learning.

Evaluation: Evaluation tools and strategies should be used to assess student learning of information literacy skills in order to ensure the quality instruction. Assessments of program use and effectiveness should be well-documented and based on data that is understandable.

Comment On This Page