http://www.slj.com/2013/08/schools/educators-parents-fight-nyc-bid-to-bypass-state-mandate-for-school-librarians/ The world's largest reviewer of books, multimedia, and technology for children and teens Wed, 18 Sep 2013 21:37:24 +0000 hourly 1 http://wordpress.org/?v=3.4.2 http://www.slj.com/2013/08/schools/educators-parents-fight-nyc-bid-to-bypass-state-mandate-for-school-librarians/#comment-99760 Tori Roi Wed, 04 Sep 2013 21:19:25 +0000 http://www.slj.com/?p=56887#comment-99760 With so many failing schools, systems should be thinking about how to best utilize librarians rather than how to get rid of them. Even though flexible scheduling has been the "gold standard" for 30 years, and is not just another passing fad, most elementary schools use librarians for "support classes." Librarians in larger elementary schools have almost no time for open checkout, research groups, or even library maintainence. I'm in a small school with some flex time each day, but I stay extremely busy most of the time. Teachers do have class libraries, but kids need much more than an occasional book. Our reading incentive program calls for 30 to 60 minutes of independent reading each day. THAT'S WHAT IT TAKES FOLKS! That is where kids put together all the skills they learn in class. That's how students develop "automaticity." Library clerks can checkout books, but can't assess the needs of several hundred students. They don't have the background in children's literature to put the perfect book in a child's hand. Clerks can help teachers find the books they request, but they can't make recommendations based on the curriculum, or reinforce skills learned in the classroom. After classroom teachers, librarians, especially elementary librarians, should be the next priority. With so many failing schools, systems should be thinking about how to best utilize librarians rather than how to get rid of them. Even though flexible scheduling has been the “gold standard” for 30 years, and is not just another passing fad, most elementary schools use librarians for “support classes.” Librarians in larger elementary schools have almost no time for open checkout, research groups, or even library maintainence. I’m in a small school with some flex time each day, but I stay extremely busy most of the time. Teachers do have class libraries, but kids need much more than an occasional book. Our reading incentive program calls for 30 to 60 minutes of independent reading each day. THAT’S WHAT IT TAKES FOLKS! That is where kids put together all the skills they learn in class. That’s how students develop “automaticity.” Library clerks can checkout books, but can’t assess the needs of several hundred students. They don’t have the background in children’s literature to put the perfect book in a child’s hand. Clerks can help teachers find the books they request, but they can’t make recommendations based on the curriculum, or reinforce skills learned in the classroom. After classroom teachers, librarians, especially elementary librarians, should be the next priority.

]]> http://www.slj.com/2013/08/schools/educators-parents-fight-nyc-bid-to-bypass-state-mandate-for-school-librarians/#comment-93459 Susan Couture Sat, 24 Aug 2013 15:09:33 +0000 http://www.slj.com/?p=56887#comment-93459 This topic should be brought up all across NY and the Nation. The importance of school librarians especially at the elementary level is key to promoting literacy. The Common Core standards are explicit regarding the need for non-fiction and complexity of texts! The librarian and the library are key to this cause. What are they thinking?? This topic should be brought up all across NY and the Nation. The importance of school librarians especially at the elementary level is key to promoting literacy. The Common Core standards are explicit regarding the need for non-fiction and complexity of texts! The librarian and the library are key to this cause. What are they thinking??

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