The Reference Desk A podcast by Suzanne Neuman

Karen MacKie Teacher Librarian Lafayette Elementary School – Previously: Classroom teacher, literacy specialist, technology background

Successful Librarians: Like variety and change Like to work with a wide range of teachers and students Willing to give up control for variety Enjoy working with a range of grade levels.

Challenges Funding is inadequate Resources are dated and inadequate Materials are limited Keeping up with administrative responsibilities Need to be efficient, quick and organized

Strategies Be a quick cataloguer Use good time-management skills Delegate –Teach teachers to check out books –Utilize volunteers

Scheduling Fixed for first month - every class came once a week to meet all kids and teachers - set the tone. After first month - K-1 stays fixed with additional research; 2-5 is flex with assigned time for check out; one class at a time.

Periodical Research Unit with 5th graders Learn what periodical means Investigate several titles Choose one they liked Present one in a commercial (persuasive writing) to 2nd - 4th grade classes Increased periodical circulation

Collaborative Planning Support of principal makes a big difference Before start of school each grade-level team had to meet with each specialist to layout programming for 1st trimester Now it’s haphazard meetings except for larger projects. She does more of the planning so that classroom teachers see her program as supportive, not as “one more thing to do”.

Collaborative Planning, cont. Karen creates the lesson plan Classroom teachers chime in as appropriate Team-teaching does occur spontaneously Classroom teachers give the assignment, gives feedback to Karen, decide on standards, assessment Karen teaches information literacy skills

Assessment Gives pre-test of information literacy skills at beginning of year –What’s a Caldecott Award? –Which of these 4 call numbers would be an animal book? –These 6 steps are part of a research project, which would you do first? Second? She uses this info to decide what to teach during the year and then gives another assessment at end of year

Assessment, cont. She creates rubrics with the kids –What’s good for a 4th grader? –What’s REALLY good? This is for larger projects Uses teacher’s assessment items to create her lesson Uses informal assessment and bases lessons on observation

Promotion of the Library Talked to teachers about grants Trying to get technology for each classroom Looks globally, like a principal would Consults about appropriate literature choices for classrooms

Relationship with Parents On PTA –Allows her to remain visible, voice her concerns, hear about broad, school- based goals and concerns Takes time to get to know parents Consults on book choices

Leadership On Tech Committee as representative of the specials teachers On Leadership Team –Allows her to hear school based issues, helps her plan ahead On District Library Advisory Council –Helps to guide library program for district –Helps with staff development for district librarians

Resources for LIS Students Book Links –Has themes for each issue; e.g., civil war –Guides her collection choices Library Sparks –How to integrate topics and skills School Library Journal –Expensive and extensive –Reviews: good and bad –Takes lots of time to go through

Online Resources American Library Association –Uses for Newbury and Caldecott lists –Book of the Year, top nominees – Uses web to find information about series books - what order they’re in Uses for research with kids –Sets up links for sites that match their research topics, e.g. explorers, Native Americans, etc.

Technological Resources Has look up stations –Can hook up laptop to LCD projector Doesn’t have adequate technological resources Advocating for updating All new desktops, laptops and printers Needs more projectors Getting document reader Has Smart Board in a Lab Stores files on district server so that it’s easier to find and share files from different computers

Book Challenges Parent upset about a child checking out a book Has had a book challenged at Book Fair Encourage kids to discuss with parents what their parents’ guidelines are Librarian needs to allow children to make their own choices Support kids Help kids to view library as a place to get valid information

Karen’s personal mission statement She’s there to help kids find information of any sort: online, locally, printed, and then evaluate material and make appropriate choices She needs to teach the kids how to find what they want to find so that they can become successful lifelong learners.