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What
does a “librarian” do? Last summer when I
visited one of my uncles, he asked me how my job was going. I responded that
everything was fine and he said, “It must be fun being around all those books
all of the time.” I politely responded that yes it was. Then my cousin, who
was sitting next to me at the time, spoke up and said, “You know Dad that
libraries aren’t what they were when you were a kid. There is a lot of
technology involved and of course, Sheila teaches classes every day.” “What? You
teach!” he exclaimed. “I just thought you were a librarian.” I love my uncle
dearly but his misconception of just what a school librarian does is
unfortunately not uncommon. Listed below are some of “other things” that go
on in school library setting besides book circulation: A school librarian… ·
Selects materials and equipment in accordance with district
policies ·
Works directly with classroom teachers and specialists to create
instructional lessons that support the classroom curriculum and that also
enhance the use of technology. ·
Organizes, catalogs and supervises the circulation of library
materials ·
Maintains and updates school web pages ·
Organizes the scheduling and taping of instructional television ·
Supervises computer labs in the library ·
Develops and implements policies dealing with the use of library
materials and equipment. ·
Provides inservices on new technology to the staff ·
Troubleshoots computer problems in the computer lab and on
teachers’ classroom computers ·
Troubleshoots any A.V. problems, change light bulbs on projectors,
etc. ·
Go through purchase orders, unpacks, sorts items and writes
receiving reports. ·
Generates any new purchase orders that need to be and corresponds
with any companies regarding problems with received items. ·
Supervises any fund-raising efforts (Readathons, book fairs, etc.)
on behalf of the library ·
Supervises and schedules any author visits or special library
celebrations (i.e. National Library Week etc.) ·
Stays current with the latest information in the library
profession and is a member of professional organizations and listservs. ·
Updates bibliographies (after receiving new books) ·
Collects and pulls books for displays relating to classroom themes
or areas of study ·
Sends out letters to students who still have books checked
out/damaged ·
Generates communications with staff regarding any new developments ·
Prepares and maintains an IMC budget Samuel Johnson once said,
“Knowledge is of two kinds. We know a subject ourselves, or we know where we
can find information upon it.” |
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