New on the Job - Softcover

Toor, Ruth; Weisburg, Hilda K

Softcover

ISBN 10: 0838909248 ISBN 13: 9780838909249

Publisher: ALA Editions, 2006

Synopsis

Transitioning from library school to a real world job or even from a different type of library can pose significant challenges for school library media specialists (SLMS). From job search strategies and discovering your work philosophy to the nitty-gritty details of creating acceptable use policies, New on the Job serves as a wise mentor for new SLMS. Expert authors Ruth Toor and Hilda K. Weisburg share the joys and perils of the profession along with a wealth of practical advice from a combined six decades of experience in library media centers and as collaborators on books, presentations, and workshops. Learn the secrets to successfully collaborate with teachers. Navigate new roles and responsibilities with confidence. Create dynamic interactions with students to deepen their learning experiences. Master the art of communicating with the principal, IT experts, and vendors.

About this title

About the Author

Ruth Toor is now a consultant after retiring from her job of twenty-nine years as the school librarian at Southern Boulevard School in Chatham, N.J. Having been president of the American Association of School Librarians (AASL) and a member of ALA Council, she still works actively on ALA, AASL, and ALSC committees. During her AASL presidency, she was its representative to the National Forum for History Standards and helped critique the National Social Studies and English/Language Arts Standards. She was also a member of the Implementation Committee for Information Power: Building Partnerships for Learning, the former AASL National Standards. She is an Internship Adviser for Professional Development Studies at Rutgers University s School of Communication and Information. She was honored with the President s Award as well as the Lifetime Membership Award of the New Jersey Association of School Librarians (NJASL). She earned her BA at the University of Delaware where she was inducted into the Alumni Wall of Fame, and her MLS at Rutgers.

Hilda Weisburg retired as library media specialist at Morristown High School in Morristown, N.J. in 2004. She has taught graduate courses at William Paterson University and Rutgers University. A past president of the New Jersey Association of School Librarians (NJASL), she is the association s delegate to AASL s Affiliate Assembly, on which she has served as chair and Region II director. Currently, she is a member of the ALA Literacy Committee and the ALA/CBC (Children s Book Council) Joint Committee. She is the chair of the 2010 National Institute (Fall Forum). She has given presentations at AASL and state library media conferences and given staff development workshops for many school districts. In addition, she has been a library consultant for several New Jersey districts. With Ruth Toor, she has written thirteen books for librarians, the most recent being New on the Job: A School Library Media Specialist s Guide to Success. The duo has been writing and editing the School Librarian s Workshop since 1980.

Reviews

For newbies–or for veterans moving into unfamiliar territory, whether site or grade-level–this first-rate guide to handling that initial critical year is a welcome addition to any library media specialist's personal collection. The 12 chapters roll out logically from developing a personal philosophy through the application process; initial staff introduction; organizing time; reaching students, staff, and supervisors; developing advocacy and site plans; dealing with technology; working to standards and ethics; and wrapping up the first year on the job. Each whimsically titled chapter (e.g., A Matter of Principals) opens with a cool quote (buttons should be created that state, I think, therefore I am a school library media specialist) and concludes with a shaded list of key ideas (e.g., Show support in order to get it). Unlike texts that overwhelm the new LMS with more information than they can read, let alone deal with, this breath of fresh air has the potential to be an ongoing guide for getting through that toughest year with style and panache, if not complete self-assurance.–Mary R. Hofmann, Rivera Middle School, Merced, CA
Copyright © Reed Business Information, a division of Reed Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

Toor and Weisburg, editors of The School Librarian's Workshop, have written this book for new school library media specialists or those moving to another grade level (e.g., middle school to high school) or a new district. In 12 chapters, they take newbies through topics such as finding their way around their new library media center; reaching out to their students, colleagues on the staff, and administrators; considering ethics and standards; and reviewing the school year and planning for the next one. All in all, helpful where no district-level personnel are available to provide professional development for a new school library media specialist and also as an aid to creating professional development where such personnel exist. Esther Sinofsky
Copyright © American Library Association. All rights reserved

Edition details

• Publisher: ALA Editions
• Publication date: 2006
• Language: English
• ISBN 10: 0838909248
• ISBN 13: 9780838909249
• Binding: Paperback
• Number of pages: 224