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Bibliographic Details
Main Author: Ewbank, Ann Dutton
Format: Recurso educativo Open Access
Language:en
Published: 2011
Subjects:
Online Access:https://eric.ed.gov/?id=EJ926867
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Table of Contents:
  • Values-Oriented Factors Leading to Retention of School Librarian Positions: A School District Case Study Ewbank, Ann Dutton School Libraries School Districts Advocacy Values Governing Boards Library Services Librarians Administrators Case Studies Urban Schools High School Students Superintendents Models Interviews Decision Making Labor Turnover Employees Employment The number of U.S. school librarians has greatly diminished despite advocacy efforts on the local and national level. This case study investigated the factors that led governing board members in a mid-size urban high school district to retain certified school librarian positions despite a major economic crisis. Data were collected through school district documents and interviews with the district superintendent, a governing board member, the director of finance, a school administrator, and a librarian. Using an organizational decision-making framework, the researcher constructed the following values-oriented themes contributing to the retention of librarians: employee involvement, transparency in communication, trust between district leadership and the governing board, a commitment to the district's core values, and the value placed on the school library program by the district's stakeholders. Findings indicated that practitioners can advocate on the basis of organizational factors that contribute to school librarian retention. Future research should investigate additional school districts' decision-making processes in the retention of school librarian positions. All locations and names used in this study are pseudonyms. (Contains 1 figure.)