Curriculum Partner: Redefining the Role of the Library Media Specialist (Greenwood Professional Guides in School Librarianship) - Hardcover

Kearney, Carol A.

Hardcover

ISBN 10: 0313310254 ISBN 13: 9780313310256

Publisher: Libraries Unlimited, 2000

Synopsis

School library media specialists will find this book invaluable, helping them fulfill their role as curriculum partner with teachers and administrators in the collaborative development, implementation, and assessment of the instructional program. Current theory and research, the practical experiences of over 40 library media specialists, and step-by-step instructions will assist both the new and experienced school library media specialist to function as a full curriculum partner in the 21st century.

Chapters on leadership, change, and vision present the current models of leadership and explain the importance of being proactive, initiating change, and creating a vision for the school library media center as the center of learning that others in the school community will support. Suggestions for building a relationship with the principal and teachers, implementing flexible scheduling, and creating advisory groups and library advocates are presented here, along with techniques for successful staff development. Collaborative planning, implementation, and assessment of instructional plans (including special focus on technology, interdisciplinary curriculum, cooperative learning, and learning styles), complete with examples from all types of schools and grade levels, will inspire school media specialists to fully participate in creating information literate students in the 21st century.

About this title

About the Author

CAROL A. KEARNEY is a retired elementary, junior high, and senior high school media specialist, former director of the library media program of the Buffalo, NY, public schools, and past president of the New York Library Association. She currently divides her time between New York and Florida./e

Reviews

A comprehensive look at how school library media specialists are redefining their roles. Using research and writings from the best and brightest in the field, Kearney summarizes their ideas in a meaningful fashion. She includes chapters on leadership, change, vision, partnering, collaborative planning, staff development, and advocacy and provides examples from the experiences of practitioners to support her ideas. The author also presents steps, strategies, and techniques that library media specialists can use to take a central role in reforming their buildings. This book will be invaluable to beginning professionals in learning the ropes and to veterans as they look for ways to improve their practices in these pressure-cooked days of school reform.-Sandra L. Doggett, Urbana High School, Ijamsville, MD

Copyright 2001 Cahners Business Information, Inc.

Kearney, a retired school library media specialist, offers her colleagues practical advice on working with other educators to design learning experiences for students. She stresses leadership, working with the principal, setting program goals, collaborative planning, program assessment, and library advocacy. She also discusses current research on library practices and the role of the librarian in staff development and educational change. In a relatively few pages, she presents a great deal, but her use of boldface section titles, bulleted information, and text summaries keeps the presentation from becoming overwhelming. Added bonuses are the quoted comments from library practitioners (including one from Bill Gates' elementary-school librarian) that echo Kearney's main points. This will be welcomed in classes on school librarianship as well as by seasoned media specialists hoping to keep current. Kay Weisman
Copyright © American Library Association. All rights reserved

Edition details

• Publisher: Libraries Unlimited
• Publication date: 2000
• Language: English
• ISBN 10: 0313310254
• ISBN 13: 9780313310256
• Binding: Hardcover
• Number of pages: 208