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Future Ready Libraries
Future Ready Libraries
As the Portage School District moves forward with the Future Ready framework to guide key decisions and address areas of strength and growth, the library program remains an important aspect of the process. Within the Future Ready movement, specific goals and responsibilities have been incorporated exclusively with the library program. This inclusion as a key factor in the Future Ready School reflects the firm belief in the school library program and space as a hub for the entire learning community: student, staff, and community members.
To develop this Long Range Plan, we assessed each of the wedges seen below, framed within the District Goals. The analysis indicates several areas of strength and collaborative leadership already present, as well as areas of growth to focus on. To best meet these areas for growth and continuously address the District Goals as they change, each year the district librarians will reassess programming and resource allocation to develop or strengthen current initiatives. In the 2018-2019 assessment cycle, Personalized Professional Development was identified as the greatest area for growth. The components in each of the wedges were again evaluated in 2021.
Our plan addresses current initiatives, plans for growth, and potential future directions for each of the focus areas highlighted in the wheel above. These focus areas, or wedges, each provide a unique lens to examine how the library program empowers learners to leverage multiple literacies in effectively learning and sharing their knowledge in authentic and powerful ways. Click on each wedge to view how the current library program addresses this area.
2021-2022 Identified Area for Growth: Literacy Programming
Plan to Address Key Area for Growth: To better address the district goal of fostering literate communities and adopting the Units of Study curriculum and approach, the library is planning several programming components across the district.
These components represent not only the libraries' central position to the fostering of an inclusive and welcoming space to celebrate literacy, but also the resurgence of the library as COVID-19 related restrictions will lift over time allowing the library to return stronger and more connected than before. Each area, elementary, middle, and high school, will host a series of related as well as site specific programming. Additionally, the priority for collection development with a focus on diversity in characters, plots, authors, formats, genres has arisen. Key aspects that draw students into literature and allow them to see the world through windows, mirrors, and sliding glass doors is crucial.
Success Criteria and Measurements: We will consider this goal met based on the following criteria, whose baseline was gathered during the 2020-2021 school year:
Increased diversity of materials as inventoried using district-wide, genre-based, categories to represent the multitude of experiences our students and others beyond our school community.
Increased literacy-rich, community oriented programming provided at each library moving forward in the 2021-2022 school year and beyond. These offerings will be recorded along with program participation to determine the breadth of impact for each program component.
At the close of the school year, the library team, District Reading Specialist, and administrative team will meet to determine the effect of the provided programming and increased collection development focus.
Please note: This plan is a living document that will be readdressed yearly for areas of strength and growth. During this process, the above area will be updated and addressed through programming and budgetary avenues.
2018-2021 Identified Area for Growth: Personalized Professional Learning
Plan to Address Key Area for Growth: The library program will build a professional library for staff use that includes a wide range of materials to meet unique needs.
Success Criteria and Measurements: We will consider this goal met when the curated collection adheres to the following criteria to meet staff needs:
Materials to support technology integration, and a variety of pedagogical methods within K-12 classrooms
Materials to inspire staff in adopting new technologies or pedagogies to meet the needs of all learners
Library staff completed the cataloging and organization of the professional library Spring 2020. Library staff will continue to develop the collection over time. This will reflect the professional learning needs of our staff and students. The completed goal of creating and promoting the professional library represented a major step toward serving the entire learning community.
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