Module 2 Journal Assignment
LIB 715
June 5, 2010
Katy Gladden
Question #1:
Add to the goals you identified in Module 1, add objectives for each goal and activities for each objective.
Please see my wiki at: for the requested objectives, goals, and activities for each objective. Please let me know if you have any difficulty accessing the material.
Question #2:
As you take a look at the organizational structure of your district, let me know something about how the library program fits into the picture.
Currently I work for Cardinal Newman High School, which is located in Santa Rosa, CA. This school serves the students under the umbrella of the Diocese of Santa Rosa headed by Bishop Daniel F. Walsh. The Diocese covers a territory of 11,711 square miles including Del Norte, Humboldt, Lake, Mendocino, Napa and Sonoma Counties which are all located in California. In this territory, there are 4 high schools and 11 elementary schools. Each librarian in our area reports to the school principal, who does not have a library degree, as we do not have a district school librarian. In my case, the principal reports to the president who in turn reports to the Diocese Superintendant of Schools. Consequently, there are two administrative layers between the superintendent and my position.
In regard to the question asking if the principal should have a library degree, I would have to respond that this would be most advantageous. In my experience, it has always been helpful when one’s boss has similar work experience and educational background. It is always positive when one’s supervisor understands the job aspects, requirements, challenges, and duties from personal experience and perspective, particularly as related to advocating the library media center.
Question #3:
How does this chapter (in Information Power) provide supporting material and background information to prepare you to inform others of each of these roles?
In Chapter #1 of Information Power: Building Partnerships for Learning, the authors write about the philosophy of the library media program and offer many statements in support of the center’s function and duties. In this text, the authors maintain that the library is the place where:
1. As a information specialist, “the library media specialist provides leadership and expertise in acquiring and evaluating information resources in all formats; in bringing an awareness of information issues into collaborative relationships with teachers, administrators, students and others; and in modeling for students and others strategies for locating, accessing and evaluating information within and beyond the library media center.” (Page 5)
2. The teacher librarian,“… collaborates with students and other members of the learning community to analyze learning and information needs, to locate and use resources that will meet those needs, and to understand and communicate the information the resources provide.” (Page 4)
3. The teacher librarian, as an instructional partner, “… joins with teachers and others to identify links across student information needs, curricular content, learning outcomes, and a wide variety of print, non-print, and electronic information resources.” (Page 4)
4. The library program administrator as the teacher librarian “… works collaboratively with members of the learning community to define the policies of the library media program and to guide and direct all the activities related to it.” (Page 5)
The above four quotes address the four interrelated aspects of the library media specialist position: information specialist, teacher librarian, instructional partner, and library program administrator.
Question #4:
Let me know that you have begun to design a flyer or brochure for your library. Will it be a flyer or a brochure and to which audience(s) will it be skewed?
For my library advocacy project, I plan on creating a presentation outlining the advantages of subscribing to the Facts on File World Geography and Culture Online database in support of the school History Department. This library advocacy presentation will be presented to members of the History Department faculty and will demonstrate the value of this database to students in the compilation and completion of their country report projects. Once the History Department faculty members are convinced of the value of the database, follow-up sessions with administration, parents and workshops for students will be scheduled.
As a side note, I have begun to create a flyer advertising this presentation. Please see my wiki at: access the related Advocacy Tactics document to advertise the History Department Presentation.
Question #5:
Schedule a meeting with your principal during this module. Using the Program Assessment Matrix, determine what he/she considers the most important elements in your library program. Mark the appropriate boxes, add comments and submit the form to me by the end of this module.
Please see my wiki at: to access the completed Program Assessment Matrix.
Katy Gladden