“… We owe it to our students as future citizens
… to provide quality school libraries
— anything less would be a disservice.”
~ Sam Reed, Washington’s Secretary of State
From 1999 to 2003, the Maryland Legislature earmarked approximately 7 million dollars for the School Library Enhancement Program. This program was successful at improving the currency of library materials in school library collections across the state. This source of cashflow has "dried up," and funding shortages are rampant nationwide. As the media specialist, I must relentlessly advocate for my principal's ongoing support if we are to maintain a quality school library media program. Artifact 1 reflects an analysis and evaluation of the 900s section of a school library. I present my findings in charts and graphs (2nd page). This data supports my request for additional funding to replace inadequate materials and update the collection.
There are state and local policies that also require me to maintain a quality collection. Tools are in place to monitor the extent to which I carry out the tenets of these policies. Artifact 2 is a portion of the Standards for School Library Media Programs in Maryland. Standard 5 of this document deals with Resources and Resource Services. Under the Resources section, Indicators 5.01.01 and 5.01.04 outline state policies concerning collection development and allocation of funds. Appendix 2 specifically provides criteria for collection development planning. It states that "a quality collection includes [materials] that are up-to-date and in good condition." In addition, Artifact 3 provides sections of the 2006 Annual State Report Summary. Each year the state seeks to analyze a specific copyright-sensitive section of its school library media centers. Included are samples of the types of information that all Maryland media specialists are required to report.
At the district level, MCPS Regulation EDA-RA School Library Media Center [Section IV. A. 8 (page 2)] states that as a program administrator, the library media specialist will, “prepare short and long range plans for keeping the resources collection and network technology current." Correlating a thorough plan with the school's mission and goals will produce a more effective advocacy campaign. Stakeholders armed with information are more likely to be moved to action in order to maintain the integrity of their school's library media program.
OBJECTIVE: Managing Program Resources: Human, Financial, Physical
