More than just a pretty face....
and other observations on school libraries and teacher-librarianship
School Libraries in Canada, Vol. 6, No. 1, Fall 1985, p. 14.
Making a Difference
I have the school trustee very confused. He is not a very astute political
animal. he actually still believes he can improve the quality of education
in his district. He actually sought me out to "find out about the school
library". He has listened attentively to my diatribe on the failure
of teachers and administration to understand the true role of the library
and the teacher- librarian in the school. He has heard me pontificate
on the insanity of employing regular teachers as teacher-librarian when they
have never taken a course in proper teacher-librarianship. He has sat
mute as I unfolded my litany of the heinous sins perpetrated by an uncaring,
unfeeling Board on the BUDGET that has left the school libraries with only
$5.00 per pupil. He knows about all those schools that employ clerks
(even parents!) to act as school librarians. What shall I say now?
Perhaps I should unleash a wealth of statistical data to show how students
who have enjoyed high quality school library service, complete with magnificent
budgets, qualified full-time trained teacher-librarians, convinced teacher
and enthusiastic principals have become better citizens, more accomplished
scientists, much improved factory workers and above all - "life-long earners"
in the best sense of the term. Should I bombard him with facts that
would prove that children who learn research and study skills that are taught
in an integrated, cooperative manner by teacher and teacher-librarian working
in conscious tandem utilizing the total resources of the library media centre
and its networks, are happier, better adjusted, healthier human beings in
later life. I think that approach might not prove effective.
I have already given him much to think about. How should I proceed?
I could mention the CSLA Standards and show how badly his District relates
to those 1977 qualitative goals! Surely he would see how easy it would
be to correct all the errors by all those previous Boards. But I doubt
if he would find them easy to implement. Try again!
I wonder if he understands the necessity of keeping the book . . . reading
. . . alive in our schools! That might be a way to get his attention
and support. Push reading, push books! Do you realize that the
average book for elementary school libraries now costs over $12.00!
In order to get only one new book per child per year - only one! - a school
of 500 would need to have a budget of over $6,000 just for books! Not
to mention computers! Not even to mention audio-visual item so necessary
to expand kids' horizons, like filmstrips, slides, videotapes and records.
And the magazines! There are now dozens of terrific magazines for children
by they are seen to be expensive. Do you realize that the libraries
in your schools do not even get 15 periodicals - for over 500 students!
And you need really competent concerned teacher-librarians to chose the best
from the morass of junk out there and to help teachers (teacher-librarians
help teachers use libraries - hint-hint-nudge) get kids into the books and
the materials. How can we expect our kinds to cope in the real
world if they are not aware of books, and reading and books and reading.
Even in this computer age.
I can see that my chronicle of horrors about his system has left him shaken.
Perhaps I should have been more positive. By attacking the entire system
with such a broad brush I have made it necessary for him to consider the
whole picture and frankly I don't think anyone could do that. Let me
start again. I'll focus on that one elementary school across the river
that has such a fantastic program in spite of limited resources. Somehow
that teacher-librarian has managed to make a real difference. I'll
ask him to visit that school with me. Then we can consider some options.-
Donald Hamilton