EXEMPLARY SCHOOL LIBRARIES IN ONTARIO

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EXEMPLARY SCHOOL LIBRARIESIN ONTARIO

• Don A. Klinger Gay Stephenson
• Elizabeth A. Lee People for Education
• Christopher DeLuca
• King Luu
• Queens University

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Our Goal

• Understand the functioning of exemplary school
  library programs.
• Describe the characteristics of exemplary school
  library programs.
• Highlight teachers and students use of
  exemplary school libraries.
• Describe the policies and practices that support
  exemplary school libraries.

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Why Study Exemplary Library Programs

• Our previous research found a relationship
  between library staffing and student achievement
  and student attitudes towards literacy.
• Other research has not focuses closely on actual
  school library operations.
• Exemplary school library programs provide a
  window that explores effective teaching.

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Our Model of Study

• Case studies
• 2 relatively detailed case studies
• 6 smaller case studies.
• Interviews
• Observation
• Document Analyses
• Student Surveys

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Principals

• Provide key support for the school library
• Help to promote and enhance the function of the
  school library
• Find ways to promote the use of the school
  library and teacher librarian.
• I consider the library as the core place for
  the school for the success of learning and
  teaching

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Teachers

• Effective partnerships with the teacher librarian
  to support teaching and learning
• Collaboration
• Partnerships
• Shared planning, teaching, and assessment.
• The teacher librarian is a master teacher
• I wish that we could multiply our
  teacher-librarian because shes involved in so
  many things

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Teacher Librarians

• The library is a place for learning and teaching.
• A hub in the school
• Collaboration and partnering
• One of the important qualities makes the program
  successful is that a lot of it is open flexible
  partner time. We all bring different strengths so
  that when we plan a unit, or when we are teaching
  or marking it we all bring different
  perspectives

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Students

• Positive views of the school library and the
  teacher librarian.
• 60 of students want to be able to use the school
  library more often.
• Varied use of the school library.

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Exemplary School Library Programs

• Two common features
• Exemplary programs have teacher librarians who
  maximize teaching time.
• Exemplary teacher librarians continually strive
  to modify the existing contexts.
• Exemplary programs are defined as being exemplary
  within the context they operate.

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Factors that Affect Context

• Policy, funding support
• Ministry level
• Board level
• School level
• Principal and teacher knowledge experience.
• Teacher librarians experience and skills.
• Context facilitates or hinders implementation of
  library programming

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The Interactive Process

• Context is not static but shaped by the teacher
  librarians efforts to change it.
• In exemplary programs the context evolves through
  the continuous efforts of the teacher librarian.
• Programs exist along a continuum.

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A Continuum of School Library Programs

• Context creates a continuum of school library
  programs.
• It is not set of attributes.
• Each level identifies contextual factors that
  facilitates or hinders the school library
  program.
• Differentiated by a greater emphasis on
  instruction and deeper integration of the library
  program into all aspects of the school.

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Continuum of School Library Programs
Level 1 Level 2 Level 3 Level 4
Librarys role in school Operates within school culture Partnerships are building Library is central to learning Ongoing systematic support
Teacher-librarians role in school Peripheral resource Important resource Equal partner
Instruction Parallel or independent teaching Cooperative teaching Collaborative teaching
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Level 1 School Library Programs

• Current context Many limiting factors
• Part time position.
• Flexible open scheduling difficult.
• Prep coverage basic library functions rather
  than instruction.
• Teachers principal have limited understanding
  of the instructional role of the library.

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I have been directed by our Board that right now
my role is an emphasis on research skills in
Grades 4 to 8.

• Teacher librarians provide independent
  instruction that is not systematically
  coordinated with the classroom.
• Teacher librarians continually work to develop
  partnerships in order to be more directly
  involved in instruction.
• Sometimes I have to go out and hunt people down.

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Agents of Change

• The kids are all trained on book exchange so when
  I'm not here the classes come in.
• Initiate procedures that free time to provide
  instruction and begin to work more directly with
  teachers.
• Efforts to implement change are difficult and may
  encounter resistance.
• Teachers may perceive these partnerships as
  additional, time consuming work.

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Looking for Opportunities

• Teacher librarians in exemplary Level 1 programs
  work to establish and build library programs.
• Enhance the profile of the school library
• I was the one who took that Smart Ideas concept
  and applied it to the research processI was able
  to focus on the different stages of the research
  process

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Level 2 School Library Programs

• Current context Fewer constraints
• More administrative support
• Principal has broader view of the role of the
  library within the school culture.
• Principals provide partial funding of prep
  coverage so librarian can focus on instruction.

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Shes constantly bringing the library to usits
a very proactive type of relationship and that
makes it much easier for us to make better use of
the library.

• Principals active support influences how library
  is viewed and used by teachers.
• Teachers more open to working cooperatively.
• Teachers acknowledge the important role of the
  teacher librarian.
• I think shes the key, shell come in and do
  anything

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Agents of Change

• It's been a process. If you'd have come the first
  year it would have been finding the teachers
  you know would be on board
• Proactive efforts to change the way the library
  is used.
• School culture changing due to librarians
  efforts.
• I cant even imagine a literacy program without
  the support of your library and librarian

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Looking for Opportunities

• Teacher librarians in exemplary Level 2 programs
  are able to have an increased emphasis on
  coordinating their instruction.
• Enhance the role of the school library
• Staff, students and parents all come together,
  and every year we change it to keep it fresh but
  still supporting the whole theme of literacy

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Level 3 School Library Programs

• Current context Enabling
• Prioritized support and funding by administration
• Focus on student learning.
• Library has a critical and integral role
  supporting students, staff, and the schools
  mandate and mission.
• Staff share a vision of the library as a place
  for learning and teaching.

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I think it is empowering staff and students. It
is not my library, it is not my computer, it is
not my collection, it is ours

• Ongoing Collaborative teaching a given
• Teacher-librarians were outstanding teachers who
  are able to shine
• Serve on leadership teams
• Involved in school operation
• Positive outlook on students and staff
• What I really try to do is to listen to teachers
• try to figure out how I can best support them

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Agents of Change

• Teacher librarians provide ever-changing support
  to teachers based on shared needs.
• Continuous improvement model, with an ever moving
  target for their program
• Life-long learners, seeking opportunities to
  acquire new skills and enhance their program
• I took a full year of drama training and created
  a literacy through drama program and reported on
  drama expectations for the teachers

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Looking for Opportunities

• Level 3 programs were characterized by intriguing
  and unique library programs
• Teacher librarian recognized the challenges faced
  by their schools but interpreted these as
  opportunities
• I started a parent-child book club after school
  in the library as I belong to one with my child
  in my neighbourhood

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Level 4 School Library Programs

• Imagine a Level 3 program with systematic
  administrative support at the school, board, and
  provincial levels, both in funding and policy.
• Trained teacher librarians with continuous
  opportunities to build skills.

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The Reality

• We could not find examples of Level 4 school
  library programs.
• Intermittent support
• Need to continually justify school role
• This lack of systematic support hinders the
  development of library programs.
• Hard won expertise and knowledge vanishing from
  the educational system

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Reaching for exemplary
Facing the ongoing challenges
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Dollars and sense

• Money exemplary
• Libraries require adequate funding and support
• Exemplary libraries require a dedicated and
  skilled teacher librarian
• Exemplary libraries student success

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Making a commitment

• Putting it on paper.
• Provincial policy
• The cornerstone we need to move forward.

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Principals matter

• we consider the library
• as the core place for
• the school for
• the success of learning
• and teaching.

• I have a critical role to play tooit is to be
  supportive in whatever way I can.

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The peril of excessive prep time coverage.
Caught in a bind
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Becoming an advocate

• True
• We dont know what weve got till its gone.
• But
• If we never had it and never experienced it,
• we dont know what were missing...

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Dire need for systemic policy
When will we connect the dots?
Province
Board
School
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Conclusions

• Exemplary librarians are outstanding teachers and
  key providers of instruction in their schools
• Exemplary libraries can be a hub in the school, a
  central place of activity and learning.
• School libraries such as these can only flourish
  and thrive with support from principals, boards
  and the Ministry of Education.
• Our research illustrates ways that school
  libraries can enhance instruction and learning in
  schools.

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Questions?