Monday
Jun142010
If your position is eliminated, who will suffer?
Monday, June 14, 2010 at 06:56AM This came from David Loertscher on the AASLforum listserv (via Buffy Hamilton):
Tragedy strikes the best. But examine this report for the stereotypes:
http://www.nj.com/news/local/index.ssf/2010/06/parsippany_laying_off_a_teache.html
What does the picture say?
What does the principal value the most?
Throughout my career, I've always hoped that if my position were eliminated, other people would really suffer.
I know, that sounds vindictive, mean-spirited, even vengeful, but it's not.
If you are offering services truly important to your boss and staff, and your position goes away, people will suffer. The more important the jobs you've been doing, the greater the agony.
Summer is a good time to reflect on what priorities we give the tasks in our jobs. Which ones will others miss; which ones will only YOU miss doing?
Reader Comments (12)
It sure doesn't help our value when articles like this focus on "shelving books" and "taking photos at school events". In library school right now, there is a big focus on learning to advocate for yourself and for the value of the library. Oh, were it not so, but it must be done! It's just a shame that we constantly prove our worth. When was the last time you heard about TEACHERS being trained to collaborate with the library? Every class I am in (Dominican, School Library Media Program, GSLIS) teaches us the value of collaboration. The shame is that the profs are preaching to the choir. Someone needs to tell the TEACHERS-in-training, and the principals-in-training, just how important we are to the school as a whole and how to best take advantage of all we have to offer.
Some interesting worksheets for evaluating/demonstrating your programs&services: http://hrlc.org/valuing_libs/valuinglibs.htm
Unfortunately I don't know how long that site will be available, since that organization just lost its funding!
I will be posting them to this new venture: http://act4sl.wikispaces.com very soon!
Alice
I actually cringed when I saw that photo of her shelving the books!
Thank you for this post---I am in the process of reassessing next year's priorities in the aftermath of our losing our media clerk.
Best,
Buffy
Hi Shelly,
I tried to answer the why do librarians need to justify their position when others don't here:
http://doug-johnson.squarespace.com/blue-skunk-blog/2010/4/23/why-us.html
Doug
Alice,
Those resources look invaluable. If you really think the website is going away, maybe the owners could be persuaded to host them elsewhere?
Doug
(Response from Alice: I will be posting them to this new venture: http://act4sl.wikispaces.com very soon!)
Hi Buffy,
And I am sure she is a wonderful person, great teacher and may not have had much say over what picture was used in the paper. (The media does sort of what it wants, I find.)
Great photo, as David pointed out, to consider when thinking about our image, however.
All the best,
Doug
Hi Doug!
Oh, absolutely! I totally understand that sometimes the press marches to it own beat. :-)
While not a newspaper article, I worked actively with our yearbook staff this year for them to develop a layout for the library section that focused on the teaching, learning, and activities in the library, not just the traditional perceptions. We were all very pleased with how the final copy and emphasis on a student centered library program!
Best,
Buff
This my sound warped and cocky, but I think the staff and students suffered at my old school. Hopefully they weren't just paying me lip service when I came back to help in my new position. What's sad, is there was no talk of reinstating any jobs, but can't really expect that to happen in these economic times. I hope as things improve, the powers that be consider brining back at least a portion of the 8 media positions that were cut.
Well I have joined the ranks of the "eliminated". Is it any wonder that the US ranks so poorly in literacy? The issue is that society in general does not value what we have to offer, I personally broke my neck advocating. I am sick and tired of trying to convince others of my worth as a librarian. Education, it has been my experience, has no foresight. They implement changes, buy expensive equipment and then wonder why they did it or forgot to plan for training for those who are responsible for it.
When I was gone so often from the building because of AASL and state obligations, my most fervent desire was that someone was suffering that day and wondering where in the hell is he -- I need him today.
I agree--photos of librarians shelving books & having principals laud them for taking pix at public events is not going to help our cause. I'm sure this librarian does *far* more than that and I'm sure she is an excellent educator, but this pic is awful.
You are completely right--If we aren't seen as true partners to the teachers & if their lives would be more difficult without our contributions (information literacy & research skills, not our ability to photograph public events), we probably won't be missed as much as we might like to think we would be.
Hi Nathan,
Unfortunately, for many teachers and administrators the choice becomes choosing the lesser of two pains - the pain of having too many kids in a class and the pain of not having support services.
All the best,
Doug
Hi Cathy,
My condolences on the loss of your position. It's tough times, for sure, and I think many good people are disillusioned with what's happening in schools.
To brighter days ahead,
Doug
Self-promotion is certainly de rigueur these days, although I can't put much stock in that being a foolproof protection from the budgetary blade. I agree with Buffy that the photo was awful, and I wonder if that is the kind of picture that typically persists in the imaginations of those who are presently slashing staffing and services in school libraries. I've just completed my first year as a media specialist in a district that is cutting several of my colleagues to half-time or even deciding to run media centers with a clerk in the future. At my school, I'm still officially the media specialist for next year and have retained my clerk, but I've also been given a year long math literacy class to teach one period a day. Maybe two. And, yes, I have lots of company within my county from media specialists in similar (or worse) situations. Here's my to-do list for next year:
1) Do an amazing job with my new teaching assignment, simply because to do less than my best would make me unhappy with myself.
2) Continue to offer instruction in collaboration with content area teachers. I can give them the option of having me teach every period except the one I'm otherwise spoken for (and they can teach it once), or the teacher could cover my literacy class so I can teach all his or her classes.
3) Increase the information I provide to my administrator about what I'm actually doing. Even though I attend a weekly admin meeting in which I summarize my activities and the events occurring in the library, I fear that it doesn't really make as much of an impression as I'd like. Especially since everyone there is also disseminating their own information in a sort of round table situation. Information overload is not a good thing when you're trying to get your news to stand up and be noticed, right? I'm thinking of a weekly podcast or an emailed link to an update glog.
4. Make it to every scheduled media specialist meeting/training. If I stop attending because I have a teaching obligation, doesn't that send the message that I've basically abdicated the role of librarian? I don't want my responsibilities as a media specialist to be seen as unimportant. They aren't unimportant.
I'd appreciate any other ideas that you veterans out there might be able to share.
Hi Pat,
I don't think anybody has a sure-fire means of keep a position anymore the way so many budgets are and the weight testing is being given. In addition to your good ideas, though, I'd get as many tech responsibilities as I could too. Seems like that is one area that is only growing in importance, for better or worse.
Thanks for sharing your ideas!
Doug