ActionPlanforPleasantdaleElementarySchoolLibrary

DanielleJohnson LIS773 22April2014

AboutPleasantdaleElementarySchool

PleasantdaleElementaryisanaveragesizeelementaryschoollocatedinthewestern suburbsofChicago,asapartoftheschooldistrict107.StudentsattendPleasantdalefrom KindergartenthroughFourthGrade.Thereare19studentsintheaverageclassroom.According totheIllinoisStateReportCard,studentstestsignficantlyhigherthanthestatehighaverage, andabithigherthanthedistrictaverage.Readinglevels(whichareparticularilyrelevanttothis study)met85%ofmeeting/exceedingontheIllinoisStandardsAchievementTestin2013, showinganincreasefrompreviousyearsandplacingPleasantdalewellaboutthestateaverage inthisregard.

ImagesfromIllinoisReportCard:

StatisticsandimagesofPleasantdalesdemographicsandacademicsweretakenfromtheIllinois ReportCard.

AboutthePleasantdaleElementaryLibrary:
ThePleasantdaleElementaryLibrary,ortheLearningResourceCenterasitissometimes referred,isunderthedirectionofLibrarianMaggieSmith.Ms.Smithhasbeenthelibraryat Pleasantdalesince2006,andbeforethatworkedatseveraldifferentschoollibraries.Shehas herMastersDegreeinLibraryScience,andalsohasaMastersinEducationinCurriculum& Instruction.SpeakingwithMs.Smithinaninterviewgavemeacomprehensivepictureofthe PleasantdaleElementaryLibrary,itsmainfunctionsandresponsibilities. StudentsfromKindergartenthroughFourthGradevisitthelibraryasaclass,andthelibrary scheduleisruntoaccommodatethisfixedscheduling.Thelibraryiscompletelyseparatefrom theInformationTechnologyelementsofthePleasantdaleSchool;thereisacomputerlabthat existswithoutreferencetothelibrary,sostudentsvisitthelibrarymainlyfortraditionallibrary needs,namelybooksandreferenceinstruction. Becauseofthelibrarysetup,thecollectionofthePleasantdaleLibraryisprimarilyprintmaterials. Studentscancheckoutbooks(twoaweek),whilefacultyandstaffcancheckouttheelectronic materialavailable.Ms.Smithhasproposedmoreopencheck-outpoliciesforstudentsaswellas budgetallowancesformoreelectronicresources,whilethishasyettobeapproved.Developinga collectionthatisbroadenoughtoprovidematerialthatcanconnectwitheveryyoungreaderisa priorityofMs.Smith.Atthebeginningofeachyear,sheposesthequestiontoherclasses: Whyaretheresomanybookswhenthereonly400studentsinthewholeschool?

Studentsgetexcitedbytheconceptofsomanybooks.Whenareluctant

readerapproachesMs.Smithsheisafirmbelieverinfindinga bookforeveryreader.Duringtheinterview,IgottheimpressionthatMs.Smithwas
veryeffectiveinaccomplishingthismissionofmakingeveryonefeelthatPleasantdalelibrarywas aplaceforthem. Inmakingselectionsforthecollection,Ms.SmithusestheFolletautomationsystem.She mentionedthatsheisusingarecentlyupgradedversionofFollett,andisnotoverlyimpressed withtheupgrade;Sheisfindingthatsimpletasksnowtakethreetofourstepswhenpriortothe upgrade,thesameprocesstookonlyoneortwo.Thereisnoofficialselectionpolicy,thoughMs. Smithsayssheevaluatesmaterialonquality,reviewsandrelationtoschoolcurriculumbefore makingapurchase.

Inregardstomultilingualresources,thereisnotahugedemand,althoughMs.Smithhasseena smallincreaseintheneedforspanishlanguagematerial.Inresponsetothisneed,Ms.Smith hascollaboratedwiththeSpanishteacheratPleasantdale,whoverygenerouslyhasmade suggestionsanddonatedmaterialtothelibrary. Ms.SmithhasworkedwiththefellowteachersatPleasantdaleElementary,mainlyina supportiverole.Sheexplainedshewilloftenfindmaterialsfortheteachersuponrequest.Alsoif shecomesacrossmaterialthatsupportsthecurriculumoraprojectsheknowsateacheris workingon,shewillmakeitavailable.WhileMs.Smithoftenworkswithteachers,shedesires moreopportunitiestocollaborate,andhaveavoicewithincurriculumplanningparticularly.One mainchallengeshefindsisalackofunderstandingofwhatsheandthelibrarycanoffertothe school.Sometimesshefeelsismetwiththeattitudethatknowingalphabeticalorderand readingbookstochildrencompletelysumupherjobsresponsibilities.Whileitisan

importantandrewardingaspectoftheprofession,Ms.Smithfindsitimportant fortheschooladministrationtoacknowledgestorytimeisjustthebeginningofa librariansduties,andshehasmuchmoreresponsibilityandeducationalinstructiontooffer

thestudentsatPleasantdaleElementary. Perhapsduetothisattitude,Ms.SmithhasnosupportstaffworkingatthePleasantdaleLibrary service.Whilethepromiseofsupportstaffhasbeenmade,Ms.Smithhastorelyonher volunteersforanyassistanceinthelibrary.Fromapoolofabout30PTAparentsand communitymembers,volunteersworkwithonamonthlyrotatingschedule. sMs.Smithnotesthatoftenherentire25minutemorningplanningperiodisspentcheckingin books.

AftertheInterview:SWOTANALYSIS
InterviewingMaggieSmithandlearningaboutthePleasantdaleElementarySchoolgavemealot information,andineffortstoorganizeanddecidewhatareaofthelibrarywouldbethebestto createaSWOTanalysistohelpmeobserveherlibrary. Strengths: Anawesomelibrarian:) focusonfindingmaterialsforeverychildagegroup asemi-focusedagegroup(K-4) specialclasses:libraryskillsforolderchildren activePTAandvolunteergroup Weaknesses: SUPPORTISSUES:NoSupportstaff,mustrelyonvolunteers,

Follettupgrade=simpletasksnotaseasyaspossible Opportunities: NewMiddleSchoolLibrarianpossiblecollaborationopportunity workingwiththecomputerlabandIT,toprovidemoreintegratedlibraryexperience continuetobuildmultilingualcollectionwithSpanishteacher Threats: lackofsupportresultinginlackoftimeavailableformeaningfullibrarydevelopmentplans lackofunderstandingofthemanylibraryresources--missedopportunitiestoimpactstudentspositively failedpromisesforsupportstaff alltechnologyfocusedinveryseparatearea--mayappeartomakelibraryseemlessrelevantin technologyinfusedacademicenvironments

ACTIONPLAN:

GivenMs.Smithstimeconstraints,Iwantedtocreateanactionplanthatwouldbelowbudget andeasytoimplementbytheendoftheyear.FrommyinterviewIsawthebiggest opportunityforgrowthinthesupportandunderstandingthelibrarysresources,beyondthebook collection.Ithereforedevelopedanactionplanthatwouldexpandanalreadyexistinglibrary program,aLibrarySkillsClassthatisanoptionalactivityavailabletoThirdandFourthGrade students.Thisclassmeetsonceaweektopracticallibraryskillssuchaskeywordsearchesand learningthebeginningofaresearchmodel.Ms.Smithinformedmethatthestudentswho participateinthisstudyshowgreatenthusiasm,andIdevelopedanactionplanthatwouldnot onlypromotethisopportunityineffortstogetmorestudentstosignupinthefollowingschool year.Thesecondobjectiveofthisactionplanfocusesondocumentingthepositivelearning outcomeoftheLibrarySkillsClasstodemonstratetheeducational-instructionvalueofthe PleasantdaleLibrarytoboththefacultyandadministration.

ACTIONPLAN:Objective#1
OBJECTIVE#1:IncreaseStudent ParticipationinVoluntary ExtracurricularLibrarySkillsClass TASK

1 IdentifyStudents Graduatingfrom Pleasantdale Elementary2014

Funding

PersonResponsible Resources forTASK Required MaggieSmith notapplicable

2 IndentifyPotential MaggieSmith, NewStudentsfor currentLibrary 2014-2015(siblings SkilssStudents ,friends) 3 Inquireaboutnew studentswhomay beinterestedin takingin participatingin libraryskillsclass, orwhowould benefitfromthis class MaggieSmith, Pleasantdale Elementary Teachers

notapplicable

notapplicable

4 CreateShort MaggieSmith Surveyfor LibrarySkills Classtofillout*** 5 CreateSurveyfor teachersofcurrent studentsin Libraryskillsclass 6 Createreportof surveys MaggieSmith, Pleasantdale Elementary Teachers MaggieSmith

officesupplies, alreadyfactored intoyearlybudget officesupplies, computer(thiscan bedonebyemail orgoogledocs) computer,word processing Pizza

$50

7 EndofYearPizza MaggieSmith, Lunch(alsohand Volunteers, outcreated surveysatthis lunch)

ACTIONPLAN:Objective#2
OBJECTIVE#2:PromoteAwarenessofLibrarySkills ClasswithinLibraryCommunity:(Faculty,Administration andStudents,Parents) TASK

Person Responsible

Resources Required Intercom

Funding

1 AddLibrary MaggieSmith, SkillsClassPizza Office PartytoMorning Administration Announcement: 2 AnalyzeSurveys MaggieSmith Collectedfrom Students& Teachers

not applicable

3 Inquireabout addingshort summaryof LibrarySkillsto Library Webpage

MaggieSmith, PleasantdaleIT Manager

Computer

4 Contact MaggieSmith, Pleasantdale MiddleSchool MiddleSchool Librarian Librarian,Inquire aboutnoticed areasfor improvement 5 CompileStudent MaggieSmith &Teacher SurveyData, attendance records&Middle School Informationinto transferable document 6

not applicable

Computer

POSSIBLEOBSTACLES:
Havingteacherscollaborate,ordoanyextraworkcanbedifficultduringtheendoftheyear.This actionplanallowedforthisobstaclebyutilizingaveryconcisesurveythatcanbesenttoteachers electronically.AnotherpossibleobstacleiscontactingtheMiddleSchoolTeacherLibrarian,asMs. Smithmentionedinherinterview,theyhavenothadachancetocollaborateyet.

TIMEFRAME:3Weeks&SummerFollow-Up
Week1:CreateSurveys,distributeSurveystoteachers,ReservelibraryroomforPizzaLunch, ContactMiddleSchoolLibrarian Week2:HostPizzaLunchforLibrarySkills2013-2014(haveaddedtomorning announcements) Week3:CompileSurveyData,Follow-uponanyunfinishedsurveys,Writebriefsummaryof LibrarySkillsClassfortheyear,ContactITtoaddthissummarytowebpage, Week3-Summer2014(dependingontime):OrganizeSurveyDataintoattractivedisplay,to beusedtopresenttoadministration,identifypotentialnewstudentsfor2014-15LibrarySkills Class,adjustLibrarySkillsClassObjectivebasedonSurveydata.

 ACTIONPLAN:INTERVIEWSAMPLES
EXAMPLEOFSTUDENTSURVEY: Name: RateHowyoufeltaboutLibrarySkillsClass:(smileyfaceratingsystemisonesuggestion) Whatwasonethingyoulearnedinlibraryskillsclass? (orCircleyourfavoriteactivity) WillyoujoinLibrarySkillsClassnextyear?Doyouhavefriendswhowouldbeinterested? - POSSIBLETEACHERSURVEY: Didanyofyourstudentsparticipateinthelibraryskillsclass? Ifyes,howmanystudents? Doyouhaveanyrecommendationsforstudentswhowouldeitherbeinterestedinbuildingtheir libraryskills(keywordsearches,beginningresearchmodels,etc)orwouldbenefitfromthisclass? Ifsolisttheirname. Haveyouheardabout_____(insertanyothernewprogram,orderedmaterialortopicabout libraryyouwouldliketopromote)andareyouinterestedinbeinginvolvednextwiththis programnextyear?

Thankyousomuchforfeedback!Iamalwayslookingfornewprojectstoworkwith classroomson,andifyouhaveanyideasletmeknow! ResourcesUsed IllinoisReportCard. Smith,Maggie."InterviewwithPractitioner:MaggieSmithfromPleasantdaleElementary." Personalinterview.Mar.-Apr.2014.