Q. The development of a collection of resources to accomplish the goals of a library or instructional program are essential to the success of that program. Describe your experience in this area.
A. In 2005, the district I was working with added a fifth middle school, designed to serve 800 students in grades 6-8. I was named Librarian during the staffing and design stage of the construction project. This allowed me the opportunity to develop the library’s collection and resources from the ground up. Though I had a wonderful, knowledgeable vendor eager to lend aide, I relied heavily on the curricular requirements of the coursework that would be taught (TEKS for grades 6-8) and the state and national level testing requirements (TAKS, STAAR, PSAT, Duke TIP, etc.) as well as resources that would support a college-going culture (based on College Board’s recommended reading list for college bound students).
Over the course of my tenure, Teachers were regularly surveyed on their professional and instructional needs, how the library might help them meet their goals and, where appropriate, adjustments were made in the collection. I also utilized scholarly journals and professional reviews to determine the quality of the items in the collection and their appropriateness for the audience.
When the campus principal and I determined that the upcoming budget lacked what was needed for the development of a collection to meet ALA's criteria for a high quality library, we presented a proposal to district leadership for additional funding. The proposal was well received, resulting in a locally awarded grant. By the end of the following academic year the collection was at 90% of the recommendation.
In 2009, we were also able to win a grant from the National Endowment for the Humanities for a collection of art reproductions and lesson plans. A set of professional development sessions were designed to promote awareness of the materials, including means for implementation in the classroom. The materials were regularly reserved for use in History, English, Spanish, and Art classes.
I also served alongside the campus principal in selecting technology for use in the classroom and campus-wide, as well as their later expansion, replacement, and continual updates – including staff assignments and training sessions – to ensure appropriateness and effectiveness in their instruction purpose.
As I transitioned to that campus' Instructional Facilitator / Coach, I continued to play an active role in the library's collection development process, as well as the development of instructional materials for classrooms, professional development, and department-level growth as curricular and testing requirements and the student and instructional population evolved.
Similarly, as District and Campus Webmaster, I regularly developed a collection of online resources to support teachers with their technology use and integration in the classroom and support the district's mission and technology plan. As Gifted & Talented and Advanced Placement Coordinator at the middle- and high school levels, I maintained an online collection of resources for parents and students as they worked to navigate a rigorous college-prep course load and plan for their future.
At the close of my career in K-12 education, I continued to maintain a personal professional library of resources to support teachers' diverse needs in the classroom as well as an online presence to support their continued growth and preparation to meet their students' needs.
As I began my career as Instruction Librarian at a higher education institution, my role and participation in supporting others' instructional practices continued and, thus, maintenance of a professional library as well as curation of a collection of materials available to a wider audience.