What Do You Expect?
I’ve recently had the opportunity to speak with three different administrators about what they expect from a school librarian. Specifically, I asked, “What do you want your school’s library to provide to your students and teachers? What is your vision for the school’s library?”
One administrator refused to answer the question. He responded that he didn’t think it would be a good idea to give that information to me — a librarian— (as if I would expose HIS vision as THE answer to the question that all librarians were waiting eagerly to hear.) While he stated that he would often tell the librarian what she should be doing in the library, he did not offer any significant goals, objectives, or even visions for a school library and did not say what he felt the librarian should provide to ensure student success. My guess is that he had no idea what he wanted from his school library or from his school librarian, but could interject suggestions about what he thought “should be happening” if he didn’t see it happening. In fact, if the program functioned without any problems, complaints, or questions, then he said he would be happy with it.
The second administrator had visions of students using the library every period of the day. She spoke of the librarian teaching reading and library skills instruction on a daily basis (as she was once a reading teacher herself and felt that the librarian should also be a reading teacher)….however, that librarian would need to develop individual lesson plans for 7 grades on a daily basis to teach each week—(the librarian did not have a daily “lesson planning period” like the classroom teachers, but would still need to write detailed lessons that included the state’s instructional objectives for each group.) Because the librarian would teach isolated “library lessons” (circa 1980) that did not relate to anything being taught in the classroom, there would not be any need for teachers to collaborate with the librarian. In fact, the teachers would “drop off” their students at the library before taking their well-deserved (second) lesson planning period each day. (And with no library assistant, this librarian would also be required to do all clerical duties after providing the “canned library program” for over 700 students each week.)
When I suggested that the librarian work collaboratively with the teachers to assist in developing a lesson that related to the topics being taught within the classroom, this principal insisted that the teachers knew more about teaching these skills than the librarian. In fact, she encouraged the teachers to tell the librarian “how to teach” the library skills since many of the teachers on her staff had been classroom teachers for fifteen or more years. When I suggested that many librarians coming out of library programs today would have not only the classroom experience, but also the information literacy skills and technology skills to share with both students and teachers, she insisted that the classroom teacher was “always” the best person to teach information skills, that the technology skills should be taught by the computer instructors, and that librarians should focus on teaching reading and the Dewey Decimal system.
The third administrator sent me in a completely different direction. Her response to my question included the statement, “I do not want my librarian to spend her time checking out and reshelving books. I expect my librarian to be in the classroom and with the teacher. I want her to collaborate with each of the teachers, to share information about what resources are available and to teach students information literacy skills.”
In amazement, I listened as she continued, “I want the students to learn the Big6 skills and I want all of our teachers to use the same jargon. When we talk about Task 2, we all understand where we are and how to move forward.” Her comments included more than just information literacy and collaboration. In fact, she included the librarian in the curriculum development committee, in technology utilization and instruction, and in staff development (of which, the librarian would be one of the instructors).
After listening for over an hour to this administrator’s vision for her school’s library, I wondered just what DID most administrators expect from their librarian and WHY was this administrator’s vision so much different from the other two? How could one administrator speak directly to the issues that most librarians now face (and answer the questions in the manner that most librarians wanted to hear), while the other two ignored the library program and the changes that had occurred over the past twenty or thirty years? I later discovered that this administrator wanted a powerful educational program and had done her homework. She specifically located materials that addressed the areas of libraries and information literacy. She read “library” books and journals to learn what the hot topics were and how librarians impacted student achievement. She knew the “library lingo” and discussed those topics with me as if she had just finished her Master’s degree in Library Science.
I was then reminded of my recent opportunity to hear Gary Hartzell speak at the Texas Library Association conference. During his presentation, Harzell stated to the audience (of mostly librarians) that the majority of administrators envision a school library program to be the same as they saw them when THEY were in school (either as a student or as an early educator). Because many administrators’ early educational experiences were formed during the (gulp) 1970’s, 1980’s, and the 1990’s, what these administrators have seen from (good or bad) school libraries then is how they expect libraries to be NOW. Unfortunately, things have changed and no one is re-teaching these administrators what to expect NOW.
This made me wonder if we are to blame for not re-educating our administrators about today’s libraries….or are administrators at fault for not taking the initiative to learn more about one of the most significant trends in education? Information literacy and the impact of libraries / librarians on student achievement.
I can’t help but think that most administrators DO try to understand the latest trends in classroom instruction and testing….that they are aware of how athletic programs have changed in terms of safety and health-related complications for students who participate….or how bus laws require different types of driving skills and training for those in the transportation department.
If administrators have been made aware of these changes during the last 30 years, then WHY do they not understand the significant changes in libraries….in instruction by librarians…..in collaborative efforts between librarians and teachers….in information literacy skills? Who is responsible for teaching administrators about these changes and who is responsible for their continued learning in this area?
Are WE to blame for administrators not knowing more about our libraries and our program changes OR are administrators just not listening (learning, or reading) about these topics? What makes the difference between an administrator who understands the importance of an outstanding library program and an administrator who doesn’t realize that she’s only encouraging a mediocre library program with a fixed library schedule that isolates the librarian from interacting with other educators?
Who’s to blame for what administrators expect from us today? Is it time to stop blaming ourselves for NOT educating (or re-teaching) these well-educated adults and start demanding that these academic leaders take on the responsibility of doing their homework and learn more about school library programs? If there are “some” administrators who can develop a vision for their schools that include the librarian as an integral part of the educational team, then maybe it’s time to demand that the rest of the “administrative class” take some responsibility to do their homework too.
