Managing the Successful School Library: Strategic Planning and Reflective Practice - Softcover

Farmer, Lesley S. J.

Softcover

ISBN 10: 0838914942 ISBN 13: 9780838914946

Publisher: ALA Neal-Schuman, 2016

Synopsis

To ensure their libraries survive and thrive, school library managers need to be both responsive and proactive. Looking past the day-to-day operations of a school library, Farmer's book serves as a reality check: school libraries must align with school mission statements and policies, while simultaneously negotiating for proper budgets and resources alongside other departments. It's a daunting prospect, but Farmer demonstrates how it can be done with the proper attention and systematic planning.  Taking a deeper, more professional look at management that applies theories and principles to real-world situations, this book

• introduces the concept of school library programs and provides an overview of school library program management;
• examines professional and legislated standards for school libraries, and discusses the part a manager plays in meeting them;
• links management with leadership, differentiating the two, and showing how the school librarian can carry out both roles;
• helps readers assess their own skills, knowledge, and dispositions in order to set short-term and long-term goals;
• explains how to manage resources and learning environments to meet the needs of teachers, administrators, parents, and other stakeholders;
• offers guidance for developing and working with budgets, obtaining additional funding, and using collaboration to support the school library program;
• provides concrete advice on hiring, training, supervising, assessment, and recognizing library workers and other library team members; and
• includes tools for communicating effectively and getting the message across.

More than just a compendium of management theories, this book provides much food for thought that will help readers gain important insights into their own roles as school library managers and leaders.

About this title

About the Author

Lesley S. J. Farmer coordinates the Library Media Teacher program at California State University Long Beach, where she also serves as a reference librarian for the university s library. She is the author and co-author of numerous books, including Technology Infused Instruction for the Educational Community (Scarecrow, 2004) and Information Literacy Assessment in K-12 Settings (Scarecrow, 2007).

From School Library Journal

School librarians who are balancing the demands of curriculum and teaching, collection development, and technology may not see themselves as managers or leaders, but according to Farmer, they are. The author emphasizes how, beyond vision and mission statements, librarians need to take the time to analyze what it means to manage a successful school library in order to strengthen their programs. Delving into what an ideal school library program looks like and how the library should align with school goals, she challenges readers to examine their own schools and their cultures and to consider their personal management styles. Many helpful resources are included in each chapter, along with a list of references. "Managing Resources" offers some useful tools for maintaining print and electronic materials. In "Managing Funding," the author refers readers to websites that provide fund-raising advice, but there is no listing for library grants. That omission notwithstanding, the content is valuable. Throughout, "Food for Thought" boxes raise questions for contemplation. Each chapter ends by encouraging users to apply the tenets of school librarianship to themselves. VERDICT Whether readers have just begun their careers or have years of experience, they will benefit from this thorough dissection of each aspect of managing a school library. An excellent addition.—Laura Fields Eason, Parker Bennett Curry Elementary School, Bowling Green, KY

Edition details

• Publisher: ALA Neal-Schuman
• Publication date: 2016
• ISBN 10: 0838914942
• ISBN 13: 9780838914946
• Binding: Paperback
• Language: English
• Edition number: 1
• Number of pages: 264