Standard 5: Program Management and Administration
Candidates plan, develop, implement, and evaluate school library programs, resources, and services in support of the mission of the library program within the school according to the ethics and principles of library science, education, management, and administration.
Elements
5.1 Collections
Candidates evaluate and select print, non-print, and digital resources using professional selection tools and evaluation criteria to develop and manage a quality collection designed to meet the diverse curricular, personal, and professional needs of students, teachers, and administrators. Candidates organize school library collections according to current library cataloging and classification principles and standards.
5.2 Professional Ethics
Candidates practice the ethical principles of their profession, advocate for intellectual freedom and privacy, and promote and model digital citizenship and responsibility. Candidates educate the school community on the ethical use of information and ideas.
5.3 Personnel, Funding, and Facilities
Candidates apply best practices related to planning, budgeting, and evaluating human, information, and physical resources. Candidates organize library facilities to enhance the use of information resources and services and to ensure equitable access to all resources for all users. Candidates develop, implement, and evaluate policies and procedures that support teaching and learning in school libraries.
5.4 Strategic Planning and Assessment
Candidates communicate and collaborate with students, teachers, administrators, and community members to develop a library program that aligns resources, services, and standards with the school's mission. Candidates make effective use of data and information to assess how the library program addresses the needs of their diverse communities.
Artifact #1: Weeding & Collection Development
Description:
I began my first weeding project in my library out of necessity. I needed to move my biographies and reference collection to another part of the library where there was half the space. This was the perfect time to put my weeding training into action, using Larson’s 2008 resource CREW: A Weeding Manual for Modern Libraries and Horning’s book, From Cover to Cover: Evaluating and Reviewing Children’s Books (2010). In weeding this section of the library, my objective was to ensure that materials were appealing to young readers, well maintained physically, current and accurate, and diverse in format, as well as making sure shelves were not too tightly packed with materials, making it difficult for children to find what they need.
After weeding over 100 outdated, physically unappealing items, I began to look for materials to breathe new life into the biography section. I utilized a variety of resources to discover, evaluate, and make final selections for a list of acquisitions. Reviews from professional associations and guides including School Library Journal, Booklist, and Titlewave were particularly helpful in my determinations, as they offer detailed evaluations and examples. I also consulted online catalogues from schools and public libraries. I decided mainly on the Who Was, Who Is, and What Was series. I also decided to add several graphic novels and award-winning picture book series our library did not have to the book order to use additional money left in the budget.
How artifact demonstrates meeting the standard:
This artifact demonstrates meeting AASL standard 5 because it is an example of element 5.1 Collections: “Candidates evaluate and select print, non-print, and digital resources using professional selection tools and evaluation criteria to develop and manage a quality collection designed to meet the diverse curricular, personal, and professional needs of students, teachers, and administrators.” Once I received the new books, I was able to import the MARC record into the catalog system and quickly move the books into the correct location in the library based on their classification. This further demonstrates 5.1 which states, “Candidates organize school library collections according to current library cataloging and classification principles and standards.”
Why I chose this artifact:
I chose this artifact to demonstrate mastery of AASL standard 5 because weeding and adding to the library collection is a vital part to a well-developed library collection. The library collection had not been thoroughly weeded in the past and is an important management and administrative task I intend to take on one section at a time. I plan to thoroughly complete an inventory for the first time in this library’s collection history and know my weeding and collection development skills will grow at each step in the process.
Horning, K. (2010). From cover to cover: Evaluating and reviewing children’s books. New
York: Collins.
Larson, J. (2008). CREW: A Weeding Manual for Modern Libraries. Austin, TX: Texas State
Library and Archives Commission. Retrieved from
https://www.tsl.texas.gov/sites/default/files/public/tslac/ld/pubs/crew/crewmethod08.pdf
Artifact #2: Library LibGuide
Description:
The library LibGuide was created by the previous librarian with many tabs and an extensive set of resources. During the first few months as the new librarian I set out to assess the usability of the LibGuide and evaluate the usefulness by the teachers for their grade-level curriculum. I created a Google form for teachers to fill out to get a better sense for how they use the library’s resources, in particular, the library LibGuide. Through feedback and many months of my own experiences with my students during library class, I was able to adjust the content of the LibGuide to be as user-friendly and useful as possible.
In addition, I added a link to a LibGuide artifact I designed for a middle school level. This LibGuide contains information for research, makerspace, book trailers, book suggestions, and website evaluation.
How artifact demonstrates meeting the standard:
This artifact demonstrates meeting AASL standard 5, specifically element 5.3 and 5.4 because I used best practices when evaluating the library LibGuide content, organized the information for usability, and ensured equitable access to all resources for all users. In addition, by asking for feedback from teachers, the principal, and students I followed 5.4 Strategic Planning and Assessment.
Why I chose this artifact:
I chose this artifact to demonstrate mastery of AASL standard 5 because the LibGuide is a resource I use every day with my students and many of the classroom teachers use the resources posted throughout the year; therefore, it is highly important that I manage the contents of the LibGuide effectively for all users. Evaluating the content for usability and relevance for curriculum across all grade levels was a large undertaking and is not fully complete. It is important for me to meet with teachers during different times of the year to best understand their curriculum changes and update information on the LibGuide accordingly. The LibGuide will remain dynamic; therefore, I will remain diligent in the management and administration of the content so that it remains current and effective for all users.
September Teacher PD Agenda Slide - Review Library Resources with Teachers
Google Form sent to teachers to review Library Resources
