But...what do school librarians do?
Dr Lesley Farmer, of CSU Long Beach offers some insight into why it is that more folks don't know about what it IS that school librarians do....
...and then,
Dr. Jeanne Nelson describes what the TEAM of librarian and library assistant does - those things that we ALL tend to think will always be there.
When the TEAM aspect goes away, then 1/2 of what makes a strong school library disappears.
BACK STORY
A "singleton" school librarian still has to be there at the circulation desk checking books in/out; repair the books, shelve the books, and all those "gotta be done" things.... while missing out on opportunities to teach, provide professional development and collaboration with their classroom colleagues.
A "singleton" clerk is there handling those same duties...while the students have no access to instruction, the faculty has no one to collaborate with and there is no one to provide the 'big picture' approach to the school site curriculum that a librarian can provide. There is no one to provide the professional administration of that library.
Our students need the team.
I attended a meeting where one of the "Washington Moms" noted that no one doesn't like libraries... they're disappearing through neglect - through the assumption that they will always be there. But as we, in California are discovering... that's just not true. The threat occurs each year - March 13th notices are handed out and each year school librarians find themselves facing the budget ax...
