STANDARD V: LEARNER-CENTERED CONNECTIONS TO THE COMMUNITY

STRATEGIES FOR LIBRARIANS

Goal: To provide information equity by working for universal literacy; defending
intellectual freedom; preserving and making accessible the human record; ensuring
access to print and electronic resources; connecting school faculty, staff and students to
community resources and services as needed; and by connecting community members
to school resources and services as appropriate
Principle 1.
The librarian develops a school library program that offers students, faculty and
staff, families, partners, and community constituents opportunities for
participation and collaboration in the library and educational community. The
librarian promotes/encourages broad school and community-based advocacy for
the school library program to support student success. In the following Program
Development stages, the librarian:
In the area of Principle 1, I rated the librarian as Recognized. In the first subfield A., I
did rate the librarian as Acceptable as I did find that the librarian often collaborates with
those outside of the library as well as outside of the school. She often works with the
PTA program for fundraising along with multiple parent volunteers who help with various
programs in the library. However, in the other three subfields, I found that I was able to
give a rating of Recognized. The librarian provides opportunities for families, students,
as well as faculty and staff to participated in school activities. During the book fair, the
faculty was given ample notice and information on the times and days of the book fair.
Also, parents were invited to visit the book fair during parent night and for an hour after
school on other days.
Principle 2.
The librarian facilitates broad access to library resources and provides
opportunities for use for students, faculty and staff, families, partners and
community constituents. In the following Program Development stages, the
librarian:
The rating for Principle 2 is an Acceptable rating overall, though a few areas are rated
below standard. In the first subfield, the librarian provides access to library services for
the students' families when needed. On parent night, the parents were given access to
the computers so they were able to complete the online forms that the school was
requiring to be returned at the beginning of the year. Along with this, the librarian made
the parents aware of the accessibility of the library website which she maintains on a
regular basis. During the school year, maximum access is allowed, however, during the

summer months, there is no one at the school to monitor the library so there is no
access. The online library is still available for students and their families to use during
the summer and this is something that the librarian encourages at the end of each
school year.
Principle 3.
The librarian is knowledgeable about learning differences and ethnically and
culturally diverse interests of the school and local community and develops a
school library program that responds to these unique community characteristics.
In the following Program Development stages, the librarian:
In this area of Principle 3, the rating given is a straight Acceptable. The librarian is fully
aware of the needs of diverse learners and is aims to have a multi-cultural selection
whenever she is ordering books to be added to the collection. For example, she was
just discussing that she needed to order more Spanish language books because there
were not enough LoneStar books available for the Spanish-speaking student
population. Students with special needs are also accommodated for by the librarian.
She has gathered a small collection of books that are appropriate for varying levels of
special needs students including those who require larger printed text and even books
published in Braille. The librarian is in complete compliance with all regulations for
special needs students.
Principle 4.
The librarian, in partnership with community organizations, develops, maintains,
and markets the vision, goals, and needs of the school library program to the
broadest community constituency to promote the library and student success. In
the following Program Development stages, the librarian:
For Principle 4, the rating is Acceptable. The librarian understands what resources are
available for the success of students at our school. As well, she is in connection with a
few, if not all, of the other district librarians if she needs to obtain certain resources.
At the beginning of the year, the librarian informs the staff of the overall mission of the
library services that are provided to the campus. There is not a formal communication of
the vision, goals, services, or needs, however, they are available to anyone who needs
them on the library services main page.