One of the many responsibilities of a librarian is maintaining her facilities. The physical resources in the library should be working and the equipment should be up-to-date so that the library’s services are accessible to all users at all times. The space should also be organized to its maximum potential, and the area should be welcoming and appealing. I was fortunate when I inherited the Killebrew Library at Roland Park Country School, for it is a beautiful space with large windows to let in natural light, plenty of attractive wood shelving, a nice-sized area for teaching and a large open space for reading and other student activities. There is a separate computer lab that is part of the space, and there is a computer teacher who oversees it, but the she and I are very flexible about the sharing of space to support the school community. The Killebrew Library is ideal in many ways.
In the SLM 501- Administration and Leadership course, one of the earlier assignments was to write a vision and mission statement for our libraries. Since we are a K-12 school, we have two separate libraries separated for grades K-5 and 6-12. A departmental statement of purpose for our overall library program existed, but I had never written anything specific for my elementary level library. Rather than write something long and lofty, I decided to keep my mission statement very basic, something that even my youngest students could understand. I wanted to emphasize that my library “values and supports the love of reading and pursuit of knowledge.” Later on in the semester, we had to complete a library program assessment. I, of course, did mine on the Killebrew Library, and I focused on the facilities. I made a floor plan that showed the design of the library, and this helped me to view the space as a whole as well as hone in on specific areas. I was able to then evaluate what was working and what was not. I knew that the space was not being used to its maximum potential and that something needed to be done to liven up the stark areas that were not very welcoming.
The nice thing about this assignment was that I was allowed to evaluate my own library and make some of the necessary improvements immediately. For example, I did a complete overhaul of the book arrangement on the shelves and I purchased some book characters that added color and life to the book displays. I also included a wish list for future purchases. Little by little, I was able to get most of the wishes “granted” through a bit of gumption and not-so-gentle persuasion. For example, I knew that curtains for the windows in the picture book section would add warmth and color to the space. The Head of School was dubious about this, but she relented when the middle school librarian (who agreed to sew the curtains) and I ventured out and found the perfect fabric on
clearance. The finished windows looked amazing, and the Head of School admitted that the curtains were a great addition to the space. A similar thing happened when I advocated for a display case. I mentioned that I wanted one a few times to my department chair, and when she was in Ikea one day, she saw one of the perfect size and height for a very reasonable price. She went ahead and bought it immediately And when I heard that some of the rooms in the Lower School were being painted over the summer, I jumped right in and talked to the head of maintenance about the worn areas on my library’s walls that needed to be covered. That fall, I came back to a freshly-painted library. The squeaky wheel certainly does get the grease!
I believe that I now have a library that is both warm and functional. The enhancements are directly tied into my mission statement calling for “instruction, resources and services to all members of the school community, encouraging the effective use of ideas and information in a variety of formats.” The accompanying PowerPoint shows some of the changes as well as the wish list. Since I have accomplished even more since I took the course, now might be a great time for me to revamp the slide show and include all of the improvements that have been made from the beginning of my tenure to the present. I feel that I have been successful in my attempts to “ensure equitable access to all resources for all users”.
In the SLM 501- Administration and Leadership course, one of the earlier assignments was to write a vision and mission statement for our libraries. Since we are a K-12 school, we have two separate libraries separated for grades K-5 and 6-12. A departmental statement of purpose for our overall library program existed, but I had never written anything specific for my elementary level library. Rather than write something long and lofty, I decided to keep my mission statement very basic, something that even my youngest students could understand. I wanted to emphasize that my library “values and supports the love of reading and pursuit of knowledge.” Later on in the semester, we had to complete a library program assessment. I, of course, did mine on the Killebrew Library, and I focused on the facilities. I made a floor plan that showed the design of the library, and this helped me to view the space as a whole as well as hone in on specific areas. I was able to then evaluate what was working and what was not. I knew that the space was not being used to its maximum potential and that something needed to be done to liven up the stark areas that were not very welcoming.
The nice thing about this assignment was that I was allowed to evaluate my own library and make some of the necessary improvements immediately. For example, I did a complete overhaul of the book arrangement on the shelves and I purchased some book characters that added color and life to the book displays. I also included a wish list for future purchases. Little by little, I was able to get most of the wishes “granted” through a bit of gumption and not-so-gentle persuasion. For example, I knew that curtains for the windows in the picture book section would add warmth and color to the space. The Head of School was dubious about this, but she relented when the middle school librarian (who agreed to sew the curtains) and I ventured out and found the perfect fabric on
clearance. The finished windows looked amazing, and the Head of School admitted that the curtains were a great addition to the space. A similar thing happened when I advocated for a display case. I mentioned that I wanted one a few times to my department chair, and when she was in Ikea one day, she saw one of the perfect size and height for a very reasonable price. She went ahead and bought it immediately And when I heard that some of the rooms in the Lower School were being painted over the summer, I jumped right in and talked to the head of maintenance about the worn areas on my library’s walls that needed to be covered. That fall, I came back to a freshly-painted library. The squeaky wheel certainly does get the grease!
I believe that I now have a library that is both warm and functional. The enhancements are directly tied into my mission statement calling for “instruction, resources and services to all members of the school community, encouraging the effective use of ideas and information in a variety of formats.” The accompanying PowerPoint shows some of the changes as well as the wish list. Since I have accomplished even more since I took the course, now might be a great time for me to revamp the slide show and include all of the improvements that have been made from the beginning of my tenure to the present. I feel that I have been successful in my attempts to “ensure equitable access to all resources for all users”.