It's national School Library Month! Last week, I wrote about the good things happening in our library. This week, I want to talk about the most important partnership that keeps a school library humming and growing--the teamwork of librarians and library assistants.
We have an old-ish, small-ish school--about five hundred students, give or take. And a small-ish library, four hundred square feet below current minimum standards but still holding over twenty-thousand materials (yes, we have a lot of weeding to do).
School librarians, at least in Texas, are not trained to just sit at circulation desks and check books in and out. We have to be certified educators first. Our master's program covers collection management; children's and young adult literature; curriculum support; cataloging materials; financial responsibilities; scheduling; equity and diversity; teaching information literacy, research skills, and technology use. We teach through lessons and carefully planned read-alouds, and get to know our students and staff in order to provide just-right materials and keep our collections relevant.
So who is checking books in and out, maintaining the shelves, helping with yearly inventory, keeping the library open while the librarian is performing all the tasks listed above?
Our library assistants.
Their work is just as important as the librarians' to-do list. What good is a well-curated collection if the shelves and library closet aren't orderly enough to find materials? Flexible access to the library is an important factor of its effectiveness--but the librarian can't be in two places at once, doing both tasks of teaching and running the desk.
My library assistant takes pride in keeping our library looking great. She takes the initiative when shelving to pull the musty, dusty books she thinks should be weeded. She is an avid reader who is quick to recommend books to our students. She covers ninety-nine percent of our library email account, sending and receiving interlibrary loans. At this time of year she's busy with inventory; we have to scan all barcoded items in our collection, which includes both books and teaching materials.
It really does take two to run an effective school library.
You will probably get many comments saying how lucky you are to have a system that puts so much into your libraries. My school had a library aide only and that one was often pulled to substitute. Cheers to putting books and what they bring first. Thanks for slicing
ReplyDeleteWe may not be so lucky for long, Meggin; we were told this week that assistant positions will be cut for next year. We're pushing back, of course. Not having them will change the entire tone of our library programs--and not for the better.
DeleteOnce a six-day cycle my son has "library lesson" with the librariran. The library assistant in my son's school helps them select books on their library book shopping day. She provides incredible assistance to the kids! It's incredible to have both of them in there since it allows the kids to get into the library twice every six-day cycle.
ReplyDeleteThat sounds like a great partnership, Stacey! Regular access is so important and reinforces the expectation that everyone is a reader. It's so much harder to do with only one person "minding the store", so to speak.
DeleteI agree assistants and associates are invaluable. Unfortunately, they are often not paid well. Taking care of a library is a huge undertaking.
ReplyDeleteThat is true, unfortunately...and also makes it even more puzzling why those positions are now being cut for next year...
DeleteA media assistant is just as valuable as a teaching assistant - they do tons of valuable work. It is great to see a shout-out here for he praise these dedicated colleagues deserve! And oh, how a librarian's job has changed since we were children! with ever-increasing expectations, it's a demanding but rewarding role, especially sparking a lifelong love of books and reading.
ReplyDeleteFran, I have been blessed in my career as a librarian to have fabulous assistants, giving me the opportunity to truly use my graduate level training to benefit our learning community. I learned this week--after I wrote this post--that our assistant positions are being cut for next year. I am deeply concerned for the effects it will have on my library programming.
Delete