Primary Objective
The International Baccalaureate Organization envisions Library Media Specialists (LMS) as “curators of information, caretakers of content and people, catalysts of people and services, and connectors to sources of information, multiliteracies, and reading. Librarians’ responsibilities are inspired by the learning environments they engage with, and in that capacity, they are co-creators of information with the school and the wider community. They challenge learners to seek appropriate information, to use sound methods of inquiry and research, and teach them to question the information they find and use.” (Ideal libraries: A guide for schools 5)
At School Lane Charter School (SLCS), the LMS possesses a solid vision, strong planning skills, and a motivation for collaborating with staff in the development of collaborative, interdisciplinary projects. The role also requires clear communication of how inquiry and the research process is promoted throughout the school community, as well as how the Library Media Center (LMC) supports inquiry in all aspects of school learning. We envision the LMC as a hub of communication, a welcoming, active space for inquiry, collaboration, investigation, presentation, and reflection. In summary, the LMS is responsible for inspiring and nurturing the inquiry process, not only within the LMC but throughout the SLCS community. This will result in students who are equipped and empowered to locate and access information, then develop a topic of interest into a carefully researched, tightly argued essay for any content area.