Why Media Specialists RULE!!!

By Cari Cain

MEDT 6466

Dr. Goldberg

Library media specialists collaborate with classroom

teachers to teach and integrate literature and information skills

into the curriculum

As Instructional Partner, the LMS works with teachers & others to identify links between student information needs,

curricular content, learning outcomes, and a wide variety of print, non-print, &

electronic information resources

. As Information Specialist, the LMS provides leadership and expertise in the acquiring and evaluating of information resources in all formats; They also make teachers, administrators, students and others aware of information issues that have risen while working in a collaborative relationship with one another.

-As Program Administrator, the LMS works collaboratively with members of the learning community to define the policies of the library media program and to guide & direct all the activities related to it.

According to the Measuring Up To Standards report by Keith Curry Lance, schools with adequate library staffing reported average or above reading scores, while 3 out of 5 schools with inadequate staffing reported below average scores.

A Florida study showed that high schools where library programs are staffed 60 hours per week or more, there is a 22.2% improvement in

test scores over those staffed less.

A study in Minnesota showed that 66.8% of schools with above average students scores on reading tests were

schools where the library media specialist worked full-time.

Media Specialist Rule to Live By

-To contribute to development of “strong sense” critical and creative thinkers

-To develop an understanding of how knowledge is created, evaluated, refined and changed within

subject areas

-To promote both intuitive, imaginative thought and the ability to evaluate ideas, processes, experiences

and objects in meaningful contexts

-To enable students to think for themselves, to recognize the limits of individual reflection and the

need to contribute to and build upon mutual understandings

Media Specialists are ALL that!

“School library media centers can contribute to improved studentachievement by providing instructional materials aligned to thecurriculum; by collaborating with teachers, administrators, and parents;and by extending their hours of operation beyond the school day.”

—”Close Up: NCLB—Improving Literacy through School Libraries,”

NCLB The Achiever, September 15, 2004, Vol. 3, No 13.

References

Baumbach, D. (2002). Making the Grade: The Status of School. Retrieved from

http://www.sunlink.ucf.edu/makingthegrade

Baxter, S. J., & Smalley, A. W. (2003). Check It Out! The Results of the School Library Media

Program Census, Final Report. Retrieved from http://metronet.lib.mn.us/survey/

final_report.pdf

Hartzell, G. (Ed.). (2002, November). Why should principals support school libraries? ERIC

Digest, ED470034. Retrieved from eric.ed.gov database.

Scholastic Research & Results (Ed.). (2008). School libraries work (Research Foundation Paper

No. 3rd edition). Retrieved from http://listbuilder.scholastic.com/content/stores/

LibraryStore

American Association of School Librarians and Association for Educational Communications

and Technology (1998). Information Power: Building partnerships for learning. Chicago:

American Library Association.