Back to the Future

ASDAL 18th Annual Conference
School Librarians Post-Session
Columbia Union College
June 25, 1988

Paulette Johnson

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NATIONAL SCHOOL LIBRARY STANDARDS
A CHRONOLOGY

1917 to 1925	Librarians and teachers developed high school and later elementary school standards that provided a tool for library evaluation and a model for future standards. Introduced concept of combining print and audio-visual materials.
1945	School Librarians for Today and Tomorrow First set of K-12 standards. Recommended certification of school librarians.
1960	Standards for School Library Programs Emphasized important role of school boards in promoting and contributing to the effectiveness of school libraries.
1969	Standards for School Library Media Programs Officially adopted the concept of a unified media center of print and audio-visual materials. Introduced new terms that reflected change in title, role, and scope of the library/librarian. For example: media center, media specialist and media program
1975	Media Programs: District and School Emphasized the concept of the media center and the instructional role of the media specialist. Focused on the role of school district administrators in advocating for and coordinating school library service.
1988	Information Power: Guidelines for School Library Media Programs Provided philosophical basis for continued development and support of school library media centers. Redefined the mission of the school library/librarian in the information age.
June 1998	Information Power: Building Partnerships for Learning Introduces ESSENTIAL ELEMENTS OF THE SCHOOL LIBRARY MEDIA PROGRAM: Learning and Teaching Information Access and Delivery Program Administration Introduces standards for student learning.

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INFORMATION LITERATE COMPTENCES

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• Recognize and articulate information need
• Develop effective research strategies
• Select and use information retrieval tools
• Locate and retrieve information sources
• Analyze and critically evaluate information
• Organize and synthesize information
• Use/apply information
• Awareness and attitude formation about information and information technology

Lindauer, Bonnie Gratch. College and Research Library News. May, 1998, p. 850.

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SCHOOL LIBRARY MEDIA SPECIALIST

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Information Specialist

• Acquire, evaluate information sources in all formats.
• Build awareness of information resources.
• Models strategies for locating, accessing and evaluating sources.

Teacher

• Works with students to analyze learning and information needs and to locate resources that match these needs.

Instructional Partner

• Joins with teachers to identify information needs, links across curriculum.

Program Administrator

• Directs all the activities related to the library media program.
• Manages staff, budget, facilities and other resources.

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INDICATORS OF ACCESSIBILITY

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Provision/Availability of:

• Sufficient and varied print and non-print resources
• Professional staff for formal and informal instruction
• Facilities that are open throughout the day–before, during and after school
• Newer technologies for making resources accessible in the media center, the school and home
• Duplicate copies of popular materials
• Media equipment in sufficient amounts
• Facilites which are designed, located, and arranged for convenience and comfort of library user
• Expanded services via inter-library loans/document delivery
• Generous and flexible circulation and loan policies
• Cooperative planning between media specialist and classroom teacher
• Systematic program evaluation for effective library service

Copyright © 1998, Paulette Johnson