The Texas State Library Standards and Guidelines for Texas is a detailed guideline for exemplary library programs to unacceptable library programs. There are four grading scales that are directly related to school rating guidelines. These rating guidelines are as follows: exemplary, recognized, acceptable, and below standards. The site also provides a link to all six standards with principle explanations under each. This is a site that can be utilized by human resources, parents, and administrators to have a better understanding of the staffing needs of the entire district and individual campuses.
Reflect on the staffing situation in your school library (or a school library in your past experience for those of you not currently working in a school)— including student workers and parent volunteers.
Reflection:
"The librarian manages staff, volunteers, and partners to support the curriculum, to satisfy learners’ diverse needs, and to encourage lifelong learning ("Texas State Library". 2005)."The state of Texas has outlined exactly what a head librarian needs to do in regards to staffing the library based on the population on any campus in the state of Texas.
501 - 1,000 ADA
At least 2 Certified Librarians
At least 1.5 Certified Librarians
At least 1 Certified Librarian
Less than 1 Certified Librarian
1,000 - 2,000 ADA
At least 3 Certified Librarians
At least 2 Certified Librarians
At least 1 Certified Librarian
Less than 1 Certified Librarian
("Texas State Library", 2005)." According to the chart provided below by the Texas State Library site every school I have been employed would have been rated as recognized and acceptable.Directly out of undergraduate school, I began working at a Middle School. The student population was around 800 students, and there was only one certified librarian on staff, and according to the Texas Library guideline, 2 librarians were necessary. This school would have been rated acceptable. I then began teaching at a high school, and the school had over 1,500 students, and there were only 2 certified librarians, this campus would have been considered recognized.
501 - 1,000 ADA
At least 2 Para- professionals
At least 1.5 Para- professionals
At least 1 Para- professionals
Less than 1 Para- professionals
1,000 - 2,000 ADA
At least 3 Para- professionals
At least 2 Para- professionals
At least 1.5 Para- professional
Less than 1.5 Para- professionals
("Texas State Library", 2005)". I do not recall ever seeing any para-professionals working in the library to support the librarian at any of the schools I have been employed. The middle school where I was employed required at least to para-professionals, but had none, and would have been rated as below standards in this area. The high school would have required at least 3 para-professionals and had none; it would have been also been deemed as below standards.
With one to five librarians, a district needs,"1 All-level Director/ Coordinator with library certification; may have other district responsibilities "A school district with more than 82 librarians need the following, "1 Technical Services/ Coordinator, 1 Library Technologist with library certification, 1 Professional Librarian with library certification, 8 Para- professionals (+ 1 for every 20 schools above 82) ("Texas State Library", 2005)."The middle school where I was employed did not have a district coordinator, each librarian was simply required to report to the principal. The district where I worked for the high school, there was a district coordinator, but no technologist, no technical services coordinator, nor 8 para-professionals. The ratings at both the middle and high schools would have definitely been below standard.
As a future librarian, I will ensure that the administrator on staff is informed of the state guidelines. In that way, if the campus budget does not allowed for the exemplary campus requirements, maybe the goal for recognized can be met. (As the module points out, professional staffing is normally a decision made at the district level. Clerical support if often a district-level decision, too, in order to maintain equity across campuses; but sometime the principal does have some discretionary funds, like Title money, to pay for salaries.) In the case that the budget still does not permit this, I will ensure that parents, students, and community members are involved by creating arecognition board(I am unfamiliar with this term. Did you maybe mean a Friends of the Library?), newsletter, and celebratory page on the library and school website. It will definitely be a priority for all stakeholders to know what the state requirements are for the library, so a clearer concept of what it takes to run an efficient library. I can tell that you worked hard on this. In any case, providing information and data and building relationships and advocacy are worthwhile strategies.
Summary:
The Texas State Library Standards and Guidelines for Texas is a detailed guideline for exemplary library programs to unacceptable library programs. There are four grading scales that are directly related to school rating guidelines. These rating guidelines are as follows: exemplary, recognized, acceptable, and below standards. The site also provides a link to all six standards with principle explanations under each. This is a site that can be utilized by human resources, parents, and administrators to have a better understanding of the staffing needs of the entire district and individual campuses.
Citation:
Texas State Library and Archive Commission. (2005). School Library Programs: Standards and Guidelines for Texas. Retrieved from
http://www.tsl.state.tx.us/ld/schoollibs/sls/stand2.html.
Prompt Selected:
Reflect on the staffing situation in your school library (or a school library in your past experience for those of you not currently working in a school)—
including student workers and parent volunteers.
Reflection:
"The librarian manages staff, volunteers, and partners to support the curriculum, to satisfy learners’ diverse needs, and to encourage lifelong learning ("Texas State Library". 2005)." The state of Texas has outlined exactly what a head librarian needs to do in regards to staffing the library based on the population on any campus in the state of Texas.
With one to five librarians, a district needs,"1 All-level Director/ Coordinator with library certification; may have other district responsibilities
"A school district with more than 82 librarians need the following, "1 Technical Services/ Coordinator, 1 Library Technologist with library certification, 1 Professional Librarian with library certification, 8 Para- professionals (+ 1 for every 20 schools above 82) ("Texas State Library", 2005)." The middle school where I was employed did not have a district coordinator, each librarian was simply required to report to the principal. The district where I worked for the high school, there was a district coordinator, but no technologist, no technical services coordinator, nor 8 para-professionals. The ratings at both the middle and high schools would have definitely been below standard.
As a future librarian, I will ensure that the administrator on staff is informed of the state guidelines. In that way, if the campus budget does not allowed for the exemplary campus requirements, maybe the goal for recognized can be met. (As the module points out, professional staffing is normally a decision made at the district level. Clerical support if often a district-level decision, too, in order to maintain equity across campuses; but sometime the principal does have some discretionary funds, like Title money, to pay for salaries.) In the case that the budget still does not permit this, I will ensure that parents, students, and community members are involved by creating a recognition board (I am unfamiliar with this term. Did you maybe mean a Friends of the Library?), newsletter, and celebratory page on the library and school website. It will definitely be a priority for all stakeholders to know what the state requirements are for the library, so a clearer concept of what it takes to run an efficient library. I can tell that you worked hard on this. In any case, providing information and data and building relationships and advocacy are worthwhile strategies.