FLEXIBLE SCHEDULING

Did You Know? In the school library media center, students can explore classroom subjects or areas of personal interest, develop critical thinking skills, learn research and communication skills, and develop an appreciation for literature. Over 32 million students visit their school library each week, with the average student visiting at least once a week. The development of the school library has been an important advance in education for students and educators everywhere.

SCHEDULING OPTIONS Fully FlexibleTeachers sign up for circulation times Teachers sign up for instructional units Flexible/FixedClasses visit weekly or biweekly at a set time for circulation Teachers sign up for instructional units Flexible/FixedClasses visit weekly or biweekly at a set time for circulation Teachers sign up for specific skills or number of instructional units Flexible/FixedYounger grades are on a set schedule. Older grades have circulation as needed Younger grades are on a set schedule> Older grades sign up for instructional units Flexible/FixedAll classes visit at set times for weekly or biweekly circulation Skills at set times, with open blocks for sign up sessions Fully FixedRegularly scheduled times for circulation Regularly scheduled times for instruction

RESEARCH FINDINGS 1 Ken Haycock reported that the LMC on a flexible schedule permits the SLMS more than 30 minutes to engage in collaboration with the classroom teacher.

3 According to Deborah Monck, “Flexible scheduling is not for the easily flustered or the control freak. It requires patience, flexibility, compassion, and an enormous sense of humor because media centers are not static places.” RESEARCH FINDINGS (continued)

4 Fox states: “To work well, the flexible schedule must recognize change as a given and support it.” She also writes, “…look at the schedule in terms of needs, not time. Scheduling becomes creative, something designed to fit your needs and those of staff and students.” RESEARCH FINDINGS (continued)

FLEXIBLE SCHEDULING AAdvocates of flexible scheduling, including Marjorie Pappas, Joyce Needham, and Betty Sheppard assert that students are helped by flexible scheduling to learn and practice information literacy skills when they are relevant.

MANY BENEFITS Flexible Scheduling fosters independent use of the library media center; develops confidence in using libraries through successful experiences; offers more time and opportunities to explore areas of interest; provides the flexibility needed to access technology, such as on line databases.

SLMS EXPERTISE AVAILABLE Flexible Scheduling allows greater access to the expertise of the LMS at all times; provides greater access to information, and flexible scheduling allows students to learn and to master a research process.

LIBRARY POWER TThe Library Power project was a national U.S. initiative involving 700 schools in 19 school districts, insisting on cooperative planning and teaching and flexible scheduling of the library. RResults indicated there were:More collaborative work environments and instructional programs focusing on interdisciplinary, inquiry and problem-based learning. More frequent visits to the library as a result of implementation of flexible scheduling. More engaging and educationally rich learning activities for students.

AASL STATEMENT TThe American Association of School Librarians says: “The integrated library media program philosophy requires that an open schedule must be maintained. Classes cannot be scheduled in the library media center to provide teacher release or preparation time.Students and teachers must be able to come to the center throughout the day to use information sources, to read for pleasure, and to meet and work with other students and teachers.”

WORKS CITED/CONSULTED AASL and AECT. Information Power: Building Partnerships for Learning. Chicago: American Library Association, Print. Berstein, Allison. "Flexible Schedules: Quality Learning Time." Library Talk May-June (1997): 11. Web. Buchanan, Jan. Flexible Access Library Media Programs. Englewood, CO: Libraries Unlimited, Inc., Print Grazizno, April. "Moving to Flexible Scheduling." Massachusetts School Library Media Association. Nov June Web. Johnson, Doug. "It's good to be inflexible: are flexible library schedules better than fixed ones? Not necessarily." School Library Journal (2001): Web. "Position Statement on Flexible Scheduling." American Association of School Librarians. June American Library Association. 28 June Web. Flexible Scheduling." Nebraska Educational Media Association. 28 June Web. Sheppard, Betsy C. "Flexible Scheduling in the Library Media Center: A Position Paper." 27 June Web.

This Power Point Presentation was created by Jerome Manigan, School Library and Information Technologies graduate student at Mansfield University in Mansfield, PA. March 2010