Getting the Most From Your Library Program (for administrators)

It sounds almost too good to be true. A single, building-level program that can:

• Improve reading scores
• Teach higher-level thinking skills
• Provide access to information resources in a variety of formats
• Improve every area of the curriculum
• Make students and staff more knowledgeable and comfortable with technology
• Develop motivated and self-directed life-long learners

Yes, it’s the school library program that can do all these things and more. But unfortunately, not every school library program has this degree of impact in its school. If yours doesn’t, what can you as a building administrator or site leadership team do about it? Learn a six step plan to make your school library program an effective one.

Padlet Wall <http://padlet.com/doug0077/libraries>

A 12 Point Library Program Checklist for School Principals - 2015" (This is a GoogleDoc so "Make a copy..." to edit and use.)

Powerpoint slides

Resources:

Getting the Most From Your School Library Media Program, Principal magazine, Jan/Feb 2005

The New School Library, Educational Leadership, October 2013

Librarians: Collaborate to Lead, Blue Skunk blog, Aug 14, 2013

Demonstrating Our Impact - Putting Numbers in Context Part 1 Leading & Learning, Dec/Jan 2006/07

Demonstrating Our Impact - Putting Numbers in Context Part 2 Leading & Learning, March 2007

Kachel and Lance. Latest Study: A full-time school librarian make a critical difference in boosting student achievement. School Library Journal, 2013.

Kachel. School Library Research Summarized. Mansfield University, 2013

Krashen. The Power of Reading. Libraries Unlimited, 2004.

Loertscher, Reinvent Your School's Library in the Age of Technology, H-Willow, 1998

AASL, Principal's Manual For Your School Library Media Program, ALA, 2002

Radick and Stefl-Mabry, Finally - Convincing Evidence for the Impact of School Librarians? American Educational Research Association, April 2015.

School Libraries Work, Scholastic, 2008

School Library Impact Studies, Library Research Service (website)

School Library Impact Studies Summary, Washington Library Media Association

Certified Teacher-Librarians, Library Quality and Student Achievement in Washington State Public Schools (PDF) Washington Library Media Association April 2015.

Comments:

I’ve never had time to let you know all the wonderful things that have happened since your presentation.

First, our reading supervisor asked if our media specialists would mind ordering books for classroom libraries. After listening to you, she realized the logic in cataloging the books through the library. I asked if she meant the libraries would order classroom sets of books, or books for the libraries that would be checked out to the libraries. She responded books for the libraries, and even when I warned we order no more than 5 copies of the same title, she agreed! One library media specialist said the amount he received from this was more than he had been given in his entire budget for the year.

We also have a number of schools moving to flexible access after years of trying to convince administrators!

Thank you so much for the impact!

A 12 Point Library Program Checklist for School Principals - 2013" (This is a GoogleDoc so "Make a copy..." to edit and use.)https://wala.memberclicks.net/assets/WLMA/Advocacy/wslitreport_final%204_9_15.pdf