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| Main Author: | |
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| Format: | Recurso educativo Open Access |
| Language: | en |
| Published: |
2012
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| Subjects: | |
| Online Access: | https://eric.ed.gov/?id=EJ981483 |
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Table of Contents:
- Colorado Library Program Assessment Russell, Becky Library Services Mentors Flexible Scheduling School Libraries Librarians Professional Development Library Development Program Evaluation Program Effectiveness Program Descriptions Professional Recognition State Policy Performance Technology Colorado school librarians are in the midst of a crisis. According to a 2009-2010 survey of public schools in Colorado, just 23% of elementary schools have an endorsed librarian, while 37% of middle schools and 32% of high schools report having an endorsed librarian. This report also shows how these percentages have dropped in just a two-year span. The "Colorado Power Libraries Program," begun in 1998, recognized school librarians who applied for either a "High Performance (HP)" or "Developing" designation. Librarians were ineligible to participate in the program at either level if certain elements were not in place (such as a flexible schedule or lack of certification). Librarians who earned HP were recognized as going above and beyond in developing a high-quality school library program. In many cases, these librarians also provided mentoring for those in the Developing phase. The "power" of this model was that it provided recognition to librarians with high-quality library programs and, despite limited funding, was a way for librarians with Developing libraries to get mentoring from these HP librarians. However, the challenge of this program was that it excluded librarians who didn't have certain elements in place (like flexible scheduling or a collaborative culture). In this article, the author describes how the program was restructured to provide opportunities for all school librarians to improve, participate, and design competencies that reflected what a 21st-century school library should look like. (Contains 3 figures.)