Key Concepts on Resource Development
Lillian Storm Info 5345
The Art of Managing Volunteers in the School LibraryBy Gayle Bogel
Key POint
Application
Managing volunteers involves several key steps including:
While I do not currently have any volunteers in my library program, I do have student aides who are assigned to the library as an elective. When I began the year, I had not anticipated having student helpers in the library, and I did not know quite what to do with them. I gave them a borrowed orientation and since then have not always made the best use of them. I know going into next year I want to have a much more formal structure for my student aides with expectations, roles, and daily tasks. Reading Bogel's article has given me a great outline for how to handle these students. I know I need to determine what roles I want my aides to fulfill, start the year out with a personal orientation, and be sure to foster their connection with the library program through personal relationship and acknowledging the vital role they will play in my library program. I am excited for the possibilities of what these students will bring to the program.
- Organize: The school librarian should set short and long term goals and then consider what volunteers will be able to handle. Then the librarian should set them up for success by identifying what will be needed for the job to be completed.
- Train: New volunteers will need to be given an orientation covering basic expectations as well as library policies. Clear communication will set expectations for all volunteers and ensure the library program maintains its quality.
- Sustain: Creating and maintaining a personal relationship with volunteers will help them feel like an integral part of the library program. Acknowledging their contributions through shout-outs and signs will also increase their connection to the program.
Looking for Peace and Quiet by Ray Palin
Key POint
Application
As the library becomes a central hub for many different activities, in some cases it has lost one of its defining features, quiet. The classic library is a silent haven of reading a study. Today, the library learnings common model has turned it into an active hub of collaborative work and socialization. While this has reinvigorated libraries and given many neglected spaces new life, students seeking a retreat from the busy school atmosphere may feel that the transformation has done them a disservice. So, how do we maintain an active library while providing peace and quiet for those who need it? Palin suggests some ways to add intentional quiet back into the library space. White noise or quiet music can be used to isolate an area from the general hubbub of the main library. Identifying small areas that can be converted into quiet zones allows students a retreat. When possible, integrating access to the outdoors gives students a way to disconnect. At the end of the day, doing the best with your space is all you can do.
There are many times during the day when my library is not quiet! Particularly during lunch. I allow a set number of student to come into the library during lunch with no set programming or expectations. With the rigid schedule of the day, I know my students need a little bit of freedom. This does mean it can get quite hectic during lunchtime. I know I have seen a few students visit once, try to read, and never come back again. This makes me sad because I relate to these students. However, I know I can reach many more students when I allow more freedom. So, I would love to consider ways to add a little more peace and quiet back into my library space. My main hesitation is with allowing students into areas that are more difficult to supervise. I am concerned some students may see this as an opportunity to get away from adult eyes. With this in mind, I may focus on using sound to create pockets of relative calm, or try to engineer easy to monitor, but isolated spots within the main library room.
Reflections on Managing a school library by Martha J. spear
Key POint
Application
Spear reflects on her past 40 years as a librarian and discusses the managerial skills she wishes she had been taught in her master's degree. She states that school librarians are managers and that they deal with a combination of responsibilities particular to their field of librarianship. She makes suggestions for master's courses serving school librarians in training and offers some of her own advice as well. Some of those responsibilities and challenges Spear addresses are the isolation of the typical school librarian, the challenge of managing student behavior in the library, and the need to work within the school's bell schedule. She suggests that mater's programs add school librarian specific courses when possible. If that is not an option, then differentiated assignments unique to the management of a school library should be added into the management course. Spear then tells students to know and use their strengths, build their community, and always have a little cash fund for "serendipitous" purchases.
When starting my career as a school librarian I was not prepared for many of the managerial roles of the job. Of course, I also chose to start without having finished my master's, so the fault is mainly mine. Even with only about 2/3rds of a year of experience, I definitely relate to many of the challenges Spear reflects on in her article. In particular, the solo nature of the job has been a challenge. I am fortunate to have a great team of librarians and district personnel that I can reach out to, but ultimately most decisions are up to me. So, I think the number one piece of advice I need to apply from Spear's article is when she says, "embrace your inner manager." I need to accept this part of the role and work on improving my skills. This is a career I am excited to pursue. In order to do that I need to work on trusting myself more and also giving myself grace to try, make mistakes, and learn from those mistakes. Applying what I learn in this course will also help me manage my library.
References
Bogel, G. (2013). The art of managing volunteers in the school library. School Library Monthly, 29(4), 26-28. Palin, R. (2014). Looking for peace and quiet. Knowledge Quest, 42(4), 16-21. Spear, M. J. (2018). Reflections on managing a school library. Journal of Library Administration, 58(5), 503-518.
Key Concepts on Resource Development
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Transcript
Key Concepts on Resource Development
Lillian Storm Info 5345
The Art of Managing Volunteers in the School LibraryBy Gayle Bogel
Key POint
Application
Managing volunteers involves several key steps including:
While I do not currently have any volunteers in my library program, I do have student aides who are assigned to the library as an elective. When I began the year, I had not anticipated having student helpers in the library, and I did not know quite what to do with them. I gave them a borrowed orientation and since then have not always made the best use of them. I know going into next year I want to have a much more formal structure for my student aides with expectations, roles, and daily tasks. Reading Bogel's article has given me a great outline for how to handle these students. I know I need to determine what roles I want my aides to fulfill, start the year out with a personal orientation, and be sure to foster their connection with the library program through personal relationship and acknowledging the vital role they will play in my library program. I am excited for the possibilities of what these students will bring to the program.
Looking for Peace and Quiet by Ray Palin
Key POint
Application
As the library becomes a central hub for many different activities, in some cases it has lost one of its defining features, quiet. The classic library is a silent haven of reading a study. Today, the library learnings common model has turned it into an active hub of collaborative work and socialization. While this has reinvigorated libraries and given many neglected spaces new life, students seeking a retreat from the busy school atmosphere may feel that the transformation has done them a disservice. So, how do we maintain an active library while providing peace and quiet for those who need it? Palin suggests some ways to add intentional quiet back into the library space. White noise or quiet music can be used to isolate an area from the general hubbub of the main library. Identifying small areas that can be converted into quiet zones allows students a retreat. When possible, integrating access to the outdoors gives students a way to disconnect. At the end of the day, doing the best with your space is all you can do.
There are many times during the day when my library is not quiet! Particularly during lunch. I allow a set number of student to come into the library during lunch with no set programming or expectations. With the rigid schedule of the day, I know my students need a little bit of freedom. This does mean it can get quite hectic during lunchtime. I know I have seen a few students visit once, try to read, and never come back again. This makes me sad because I relate to these students. However, I know I can reach many more students when I allow more freedom. So, I would love to consider ways to add a little more peace and quiet back into my library space. My main hesitation is with allowing students into areas that are more difficult to supervise. I am concerned some students may see this as an opportunity to get away from adult eyes. With this in mind, I may focus on using sound to create pockets of relative calm, or try to engineer easy to monitor, but isolated spots within the main library room.
Reflections on Managing a school library by Martha J. spear
Key POint
Application
Spear reflects on her past 40 years as a librarian and discusses the managerial skills she wishes she had been taught in her master's degree. She states that school librarians are managers and that they deal with a combination of responsibilities particular to their field of librarianship. She makes suggestions for master's courses serving school librarians in training and offers some of her own advice as well. Some of those responsibilities and challenges Spear addresses are the isolation of the typical school librarian, the challenge of managing student behavior in the library, and the need to work within the school's bell schedule. She suggests that mater's programs add school librarian specific courses when possible. If that is not an option, then differentiated assignments unique to the management of a school library should be added into the management course. Spear then tells students to know and use their strengths, build their community, and always have a little cash fund for "serendipitous" purchases.
When starting my career as a school librarian I was not prepared for many of the managerial roles of the job. Of course, I also chose to start without having finished my master's, so the fault is mainly mine. Even with only about 2/3rds of a year of experience, I definitely relate to many of the challenges Spear reflects on in her article. In particular, the solo nature of the job has been a challenge. I am fortunate to have a great team of librarians and district personnel that I can reach out to, but ultimately most decisions are up to me. So, I think the number one piece of advice I need to apply from Spear's article is when she says, "embrace your inner manager." I need to accept this part of the role and work on improving my skills. This is a career I am excited to pursue. In order to do that I need to work on trusting myself more and also giving myself grace to try, make mistakes, and learn from those mistakes. Applying what I learn in this course will also help me manage my library.
References
Bogel, G. (2013). The art of managing volunteers in the school library. School Library Monthly, 29(4), 26-28. Palin, R. (2014). Looking for peace and quiet. Knowledge Quest, 42(4), 16-21. Spear, M. J. (2018). Reflections on managing a school library. Journal of Library Administration, 58(5), 503-518.