A Tale Of Two Libraries:My School Visitations and Action Plan

Elly RifkinDecember 6, 2010

Highland Park High School District 113 Highland Park, Illinois

Jamieson Elementary Chicago School District 299Chicago, Illinois

School Profiles

Wealthy & affluent district; high teacher salaries; ranked high academically in IL

Part of CPS, average teacher salaries; ranked high academically in Region 1 of Chicago

Highland Park High School ~2,000 students

(~18/class) in G9-12 95% graduation rate ~11% low-income, ~3%

LEP ~79% Caucasian, ~16%

Hispanic ~15% students with

disabilities Not making AYP in

Mathematics

Jamieson Elementary 820 students

(~23-~36/class) in pre-K-8

~96% attendance rate 75% low-income, 22%

LEP ~33% Caucasian, ~27%

Hispanic, ~32% Asian/P.I. ~12% students with

disabilities Making AYP

Jamieson’s Library Limited capacity Outdated technology K-5+: fixed schedule 2010 curriculum: Scholastic’s Reading Counts Supportive principal

Limited budget Minimal collaboration Circulation relatively low Helpful parent volunteers

Jamieson’s LibrarianKathleen Loftus

Doing MORE with LESS!

State of the Library 2010CHALLENGES RECOMMENDATIONS

Growing groups of immigrant/LEP students

Many children with special needs

Minimal collaboration with teachers

Limited parent involvement

Translated books from ICDL, order more multicultural materials

Appeal to principal to hire more aides or require a 2nd adult during library time

Work with collaborating teachers to present to faculty the value of the library

Devote funds to hosting more Reading Nights (& effective marketing)

Highland Park High School Library

Highland Park High School Library

Well-funded Abundant

technology Multiple

classrooms Pleasing design

and lighting Very busy Lots of teacher

support Well-staffed Library plays key

role in curriculum

HPHS Library DirectorAnne Isaacson

Manages budgeting & programming; supervises• 1 certified librarian• 3 library assistants• 1 secretary

Improving Aesthetics at HPHS

State of the Library 2010GOALS RECOMMENDATIONS

Expand access to resources

Improve student-teacher relationships

Communicate the importance of good research skills to ALL faculty members

Increase collaboration by unblocking social networking sites like Facebook

Collaborate on more formal staff development presentations with the Media Center

Be sure to include teacher success stories.

Continue making presentations to faculty at before and after-school meetings

Collection Development Action Plan for the HPHS Library

Communicated Area of Need: High-interest nonfiction titles which

tell “true stories of teens and young adults that have overcome major life obstacles.”

Action Plan Objectives Primary: Improve collection management

through scheduling regular collection analysis and inventory periods.

Secondary: Acquire more high-interest nonfiction titles for the collection that include true stories of teens and young adults whom have overcome serious challenges.

Action Plan: Tasks1. Designate an annual or biannual block of time to conduct

Collection Analysis using TitleWave2. Prepare a brief report that summarizes the Collection Analysis

results3. Identify areas of need in the collection4. generate a list of titles needed to improve the collection; be sure

to include the cost of each item and the number of copies needed for sufficient use; and

5. From the titles generated, prioritize the books needed immediately.

6. Prepare a budget and spending rationale for acquisitions7. Use TitleWise and book review sources to search for specific

nonfiction titles8. Use Booklist, VOYA, School Library Journal, and other review

sources to narrow selections9. Create a Wish List of new titles using Follett’s TitleWise software10. Formally assess the usefulness of TitleWave and TitleWise as

Collection Development tools

Action Plan: Resources Time TitleWave tutorial video Electronic file with all exported

MARC records Access to review sources $600-800 to devote to specific

nonfiction titles of immediate need

Action Plan: Responsible Persons Building Principal: approves funding Library Director: manages the Collection

Analysis effort; scheduling, budgeting, weeding, instructing library staff to use TitleWave and TitleWise, selecting new titles, delegating tasks to library staff, etc.

School Librarian/Library Assistants: support the Director by completing assigned tasks such as preparing reports, using TitleWise to search for new “true stories” nonfiction titles, etc.

Elly Rifkin: provides the initial Collection Analysis report to the Director via e-mail using Follett’s TitleWave

Action Plan: TimeframesTIMEFRAME TASKSOngoing • Director spends 4-5 hours per week on collection management improvement

• Library staff members help Director weed any outdated or damaged nonfiction titles from the collection

Immediate Elly Rifkin will provide Library Director with TitleWave Collection Analysis report

Jan. 1–Feb. 1 1. Director assesses collection areas of immediate need and prepares a report2. Director compiles and submits budget proposal for Principal indicating how

funds will be spent and rationale for adding high-interest nonfiction books to the collection

3. Director trains library staff to use Follett’s TitleWave and TitleWise software4. Assigned library staff members locate new nonfiction titles using Follett’s

TitleWise software and create a new “Wish List” to be reviewed by the DirectorFeb. 1–Mar. 1 1. Director assesses TitleWise Wish List of nonfiction titles through examining book

reviews from various sources2. Principal approves funding for nonfiction collection development3. Director purchases nonfiction titles using the Follett’s TitleWise software

*Note: any additional areas of immediate need identified through via TitleWave Collection Analysis report (prepared by Elly Rifkin) can be added to the purchase order if funding allows

Mar 1–April 1 1. Director conducts a meeting with library staff to assess whether or not Follett’s TitleWave and TitleWise programs have improved collection management

2. Director holds a follow-up meeting with Principal to determine if allocated funds met the collection development needs of the school library

Action Plan: Funding$600-800

(for new nonfiction books that tell true stories of teens/young adults that have overcome major life challenges)

Action Plan: Potential ProblemsTIME

The biggest obstacle to improving collection management and analysis and researching new nonfiction titles is time.