Library Information & Technology Programs in a Time of Uncertainty Adapt, Change, or Perish Brands matter Mike Eisenberg

Sarah Applegate Lisa Layera Susan McBurney Special thanks to Sarah Applegate Lisa Layera Susan McBurney for content, graphics, and inspiration.

Are you relevant?

if the library program were eliminated really what would happen? ^

in terms of performance on state tests measureable student learning classroom teaching?

Perceptions - still? If this is still the perception

If this is still the perception

change

re-think

sacred cows Rethink every aspect Who is the competition? Key services? Allocation of staff time and effort Key resources –

Some Sacred Cows Collaboration Flexible scheduling The physical library Collection development Wikipedia – It’s all about reading Rethink every aspect Who is the competition? Key services? Allocation of staff time and effort Key resources – Physical library – impt but so much more

instead

LIT Programs Comprehensive & Accountable Defined Predictable Measured Reported DeePer MoRe DPMR

What it takes… Vision Strategy Marketing

vision

Your mission: To ensure that students are effective users and producers of ideas and information. LIT framework

To ensure that students are effective users and producers of ideas and information.

To ensure that students are effective users and producers of ideas and information.

To ensure that students are effective users and producers of ideas and information.

LIT: 3 Functions Library Information and Technology Agenda . Information & Technology Skill Instruction Reading Advocacy Information Management & Services . Love this image gears push each of other. Nothing works in isolation in the library. When one moves, so do the others. Also- you can think about the size showing the relationship between the different roles. Gears- LIT always have the agenda behind my work. My story: instruction and instructional coaching. Needed at my school. Meeting with principal. literally how I conceptualize my work. and it is important to keep the LIT agenda, as I like to refer to it, at the forefront of your mind. k12 training years ago, I began using these as my job foci and daily activity filter- does what I am doing fulfill one of these essential roles in my school? Mike suggests looking at it through percentages- how much of your day is spent doing each of these roles. Every once in awhile, I sit and think through this. I think about what students, teachers and administrators need from me, compare that to what I have been doing, and then work on making what I do match what they need. What I have learned, especially over the past couple of years of working part time, and losing assistant time, is that I can’t do it all. Something has to give. And I go back to the roles, reflect on my strengths, meet with my administrator, attend program leader and department meetings, and connect with my colleagues for ideas, inspiration and support. I have decided that my school needs me to work as much as possible on instruction in a variety of ways- teaching skills, co creating and delivering lessons, doing “instructional coaching lite”, coordinating instruction between departments, presenting to and training staff to use tools that will improve and enhance their instruction and helping to design instructional and cultural foci in the school. This is my focus, and it has been derived from talking to and working with school leaders, observing student and teacher behavior and looking at my own strengths. And while I do reading advocacy and information management, these are probably the weaker pieces for me. Honestly, I have had to just accept that my book displays are mediocre at best, and terrible at worst. The shelves aren’t always tidy, the chairs aren’t always pushed in. I am not always able to get everyone up to speed on the best shortcuts in word or the latest free technology web tool (though after Richard Byrne’s preconference session yesterday, I might actually be able to make a dent in it!) but I know that I am working on helping students develop a continuum of skills that will help them make sense of information. Really sticking to these core concepts helps me stay focussed on my mission as a TL. I am a teacher first, librarian second, and putting the 2 together makes me powerful. I focus on the teaching of students and staff, and then do what I can with the other pieces of the job. That works well at my school, though I am working toward understanding of the systems necessary to strengthen the support systems for the teaching. Library Information and Technology Agenda

INFORMATION & TECHNOLOGY SKILLS INSTRUCTION Leads information literacy instruction including evaluation and analysis of the credibility, relevance and currency of information. Coaches instructional staff in support of curriculum, information technology and information management. Teaches students to be critical consumers and producers of information. Teaches students and staff to use emerging learning technologies for school and lifelong learning. Teaches students to be safe, ethical and responsible digital citizens. BIG6 x MONTH

ONLINE – ONLINE - ONLINE READING ADVOCACY Establishes and models a powerful and ubiquitous culture of reading in the school community. Motivates and guides students to read for enjoyment and understanding. Develops a relevant collection of fiction and non-fiction in a variety of formats, ensuring quality reading choices for all students. Manages resources in support of established curriculum and student passions. ONLINE – ONLINE - ONLINE

INFO MANAGEMENT & SERVICES Provides open and equitable access to resources, technology and information services for the entire school community. Develops and administers inviting and effective physical and digital library environments. Manages resources to support teaching and learning. Administers information management systems to support student learning and school and district programs. BYOD – DEVICES – 24/7 ACCESS – ONLINE CONTENT

super-strategic

Being Super Strategic Whose library information & technology program is it? Whose library is it? Whose website or virtual library is it? Tomorrow – LIT Advisory Committee.

Tomorrow – LIT Advisory Committee.

Be Strategic It’s not my library or library information and technology program. It’s the total school community’s library information and technology program. Form your Advisory Team – asap – and use it! Engage students, faculty, administrators in pie-chart planning. Tomorrow – LIT Advisory Committee. Let them feel ownership! Advisory Committee? Steering Committee? Strategy Committee?

Info Management & Services Pie-Chart Planning Info & Tech Skills Instruction Reading Advocacy Info Management & Services Emphasis % Time and Effort

TL Roles in Functions Teach Plan, Manage, Coach 30

Alternative TL Roles/Approaches Function Delivery-Centered Management-Centered Info & Tech Skills Instruction Teach integrated lessons/mini-lessons to students.. Plan, manage, and coach the information & technology skills instructional program. Reading Advocacy Provide direct reading guidance and promotion activities. Plan, manage, and coach the reading guidance and promotion program. Information Management Deliver information & technology services, systems, resources—virtual and physical, 24/7. Plan & manage information & technology services, systems, resources—virtual and physical, 24/7. 31

Super Strategic Target directly to school-wide goals and teacher/classroom-centered curriculum and assessments. Deliver defined, predictable, measured, and reported instruction and services. Embrace and champion the virtual, the online, the digital – first! Rethink the sacred cows Document the targeted instruction and services as well as the resulting student achievement. Be positive, upbeat—recognized as a problem-solver and essential player.

Being Super Strategic Be positive, upbeat—recognized as a problem-solver and essential player.

Attitude is everything! or

marketing

Marketing Brand Mission Functions Technology 21st Century Skills

Brand Teacher-Librarian Library Information and Technology Program – LIT To ensure that students are effective users and producers of ideas and information.

Functions Essential 21st C Information & Technology Skills Reading Advocacy Chief Information Officer (CIO)

Info Management & Services Each Function Defined Predictable Measured Reported Info & Tech Skills Instruction Reading Advocacy Info Management & Services

Reporting Audience Options Grades on assignments Students Monthly/quarterly reports about student performance Monthly/quarterly reports on the program Report card grades Displays of student work _________________ Students Other Teachers Administrators Parents Public

in closing…

Moving from saving your library …

transforming your library. … to transforming your library.

LIT Program Checklist embrace the brand own LIT mission & functions decide teach vs. manage? do pie-chart planning leverage technology & space be accountable make it fun! Eisenberg 2011

A LIT program can put the world in students’ hands. CC some rights reserved: noticelj http://www.flickr.com/photos/noticelj/2878326718/

CC some rights reserved, Stephen Depolo http://www.flickr.com/photos/stevendepolo/3968766889/