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MANAGEMENT
MATTERS
VOLUME XXI, NUMBER 5/JANUARY 2005
VIRTUAL SCHOOL LIBRARY MEDIA CENTER
MANAGEMENT MANUAL
by Marjorie L. Pappas
Marjorie L. Pappas, Ph. D., is an Associate
Professor at the School Library and Information Technology Online
Learning, Mansfield University of Pennsylvania. E-mail: mpappas@mansfield.edu
School library media specialists often post
messages on LM_NET and other state listservs I monitor, requesting examples of
information that I used to maintain in a management manual when I was a school
library media specialist. I started my manual when I was a student in the
organization and administration course we all take in library science programs
and I kept it current with information gleaned from conferences, workshops, and
networking with other school library media specialists. Manuals are easier to
maintain today because of networking through listservs and the Internet. In
thinking about the requests for information related to policies, job
descriptions, cataloging, resource acquisition, etc., I decided a virtual
version of this traditional paper manual might be an interesting and useful
concept.
SETTING UP MY VIRTUAL MANUAL
My concept of virtual is paperless. Virtual
manuals can be maintained without the challenge of adding pages and adjusting
page numbers. Virtual manuals can include hyperlinks to information located on
the Web. Before starting the development of my manual, I thought about who
might access the manual besides the school library media specialist. Library
assistants, volunteers, and, occasionally, substitutes should all be able to
access this manual. Also, the library media specialist should be able to access
the manual when working at home. The best way to achieve that flexibility is to
post the manual on the library media center's website or on the school's
network, assuming the network is Internet accessible. If a library media center
website or network is not available, the concept is still feasible, but a
little more challenging, because new versions would need to be loaded on
separate computers. Once this decision has been made, the next step is to scan
and/or key-in the existing information related to the specific library media
center. Following are sections and weblinks to include.
POLICIES
Some policies need to be written to fit the
unique needs of a specific library media center, for example, circulation
policies that establish the time periods books circulate and the cost for
replacing lost books. Other policies, like copyright, are based on federal
legislation. Links to Web-based copyright information will be useful to
supplement local policies.
POLICY WEBLINKS:
·
Computer Network/Internet Use Agreement. PDF.Hannibal school District computer/internet
usage agreement.
·
An example of a comprehensive acceptable use
policy for computer and Internet use by students and faculty. <http://www.lucascubs.org/FILES/AUP.pdf >
·
Copyright Basics and the Internet. University of New Hampshire School of Law IP Basics: copyright on the internet-
Prof. Thomas Field, Jr.
< http://www.cusys.edu/ip/copyright/downloads/Quick-Ref-Chart.pdg > chart of copyright guidelines for schools.
Library circulation guidelines from Library
Services Best Practice Guidelines.
·
Lamar County School
Library Media Center Policies and Procedures < http://www.alex.state.al.us/librarymedia/Lamar%20County%20Library%20Media%20Policy1.pdf >
PERSONNEL
The school library media specialist's job
description should be posted, but it also would be useful to link to job
descriptions for student and parent volunteers. The Web provides examples of
job descriptions for this section.
EXAMPLES
OF JOB DESCRIPTIONS:
·
Certified School Librarians: Duties and Responsibilities.
Librarian
Duties and Responsibilities, Office of Library Information Services: Baltimore
Co. Public Schools
·
Job Description: Library
Clerk. University of Phoenix: E How Money site from
Demand Media, Inc. Job Description for Library Clerk by Kelly Taylor
·
Job Description: Media Specialist .
Norman Public Schools Library Media Program Procedures Manual, job
description
·
Librarian and Media Staff Job
Descriptions. Idaho State Department of Education: School Librarians Information Manual
COLLECTION DEVELOPMENT AND ACQUISITIONS
The purchase of resources and technology for the
library requires access to information about producers and jobbers.
USEFUL
WEBSITES:
·
Acquisitions, Collection Maintenance
and Electronic Access . International Federation of Library
Associations and Institutions, by Sharon Johnson
·
School Librarians Directory Resources
for School Librarians: Publishers and Vendors; by Linda Bertland
·
School Library Collection
Development. School Library
Collection Development Policies: Directory of Books and Websites; Follett
Library Resources
FORMS
Examples can help school library media
specialists develop the forms for use in the library media center. This is a
section that can be developed over time.
EXAMPLES
OF FORMS:
·
Collaborative Planning. Indiana
Learns. Educational Broadcasting Corporation: Concept
to Classroom
·
Full-length Feature Films to be Used
for Classroom Instruction.
Policy 3200 Regulation: Dare County Schools Film use.
·
Faculty Recommendation for Library
Materials. Tucson Unified School District Form for
Teacher Material needs
DISTRICT PORTAL AS MANUALS
School library media services in larger school
districts have developed excellent portal pages. These portals provide school
library media specialists with both instructional and management resources and
tools.
EXAMPLES
OF PORTALS:
·
Baltimore Guidelines Library Management
Baltimore County Public
Schools Offices guidelines for managing a school library media center.
These virtual manuals and portals enable
parents, community members, and other school library professionals to view how
school library media specialists manage media centers and teach students to
gather and use information. Now all we need is a portal page to the portals.
