SLMC News
News You Can Use About School Library Media Centers
What's New?
New media centers are popping up everywhere! The planning procedure varies from system to system. In some districts, the media specialists meet with the architects. In other districts, there is a committee that the media specialists meet with. In others, the administration takes care of it all. The final result seems to be what the architects and their designers decide upon. Hopefully, the architects strongly consider the suggestions from the media specialists who are involved.
Finance
Although funds allotted to media centers have been drastically cut recently, the SLMS that we interviewed receive most, if not all, of their state allotment, instead of a portion of their funds being re-appropriated by their administration.
The budget breakdown is as follows:
Print resources: ⅓ to ¾ of funds
Software/ online programs: 5-10%
Technology: 0%
Technology
The Value of Parapro-fessionals
Who's In Your Corner?
Adequate Yearly Progress?
Supervision
The six schools that were interviewed varied in how they were supervised. One system met monthly as a district to go over program ideas and to keep everyone in the loop. Other systems had supervisors that advocated at the top level for SPLOST and curriculum development. Overall, school supervision allows a specific person the ability to coordinate group meetings, advocate for collection development and SPLOST fund allocation, and provide general communication among media specialists. These supervisors act as a liaison between the media specialists and the county.
Increasing Awareness
Media specialists at six different schools agreed that the most effective means of increasing awareness of the relevancy of SLMSs to legislators and the community is to be sure administrators at all levels understand the positive impacts media specialists have on a school system. Two media specialists interviewed noted that schools that utilize their media centers effectively have higher test scores. This alone should help legislators, and the community, see value in school library media specialists.
How Can You Advocate For Your Media Program?
Media specialists were asked how they could advocate for their presence in the community and the school settings. The answers were consistent with being more visible within both the school and community and also reaching out to teachers more through faculty meetings, sporting events, and club/organizations.
What's Next?
The most pressing concerns that remain in administering an effective and efficient library media program are budget and awareness. Budget cuts continually affect media center staff and circulation. Paraprofessionals are taken out of media centers not allowing the extra support to run an effective program, and cuts are decreasing the amount of resources that need to be updated. Also, districts are not aware of the important roles the media specialists play within a school. Until curriculum development is paralleled with media programs, administration will not see the full potential of a media center’s specialists and program.
About Us
Cissie Burley
Amy Matthews
Amanda McMillan
Amanda Woodruff
Website: www.westga.edu
Location: University of West Georgia, Maple Street, Carrollton, GA, United States
Phone: 678-839-5000