Library Media Center Annual Report

[Bruce Pomerantz]

i will archive messages and documents on this site.

[Bruce Pomerantz]

AN OVERVIEW OF THE LIBRARY MEDIA CENTER ANNUAL REPORT


Numerous studies have shown a link between strong library media center programs and student achievement. State Library Services worked with several library media center staff appointed by MEMO to create a Minnesota School Library Media Center Annual Report. Data was first submitted starting with the 2007-08 school year. The 2007-08 data is available at as an online database at http://connect.informata.com. The 2008-09 data, except for financial information, will become available at the end of October.

Library media center staff can use the data to assist in determining strengths and weaknesses of library media programs to better serve their students successfully. Library staff will be able to do this by identifying trends over time, determining correlations such as library resource use and student achievement, and comparing comparable libraries’ results. A library media center’s accomplishments and needs can be provided as reports to principals, superintendents, and boards of education. At the state level, the collective state data will be presented to policy makers and legislators.

I am available to assist in learning how to retrieve from the database. You may also obtain assistance by calling a Baker & Taylor product support devoted exclusively to this web application. The phone number is 1-866-785-9935. I will shortly provide several brief archived online presentations.

You will be asked to submit 2009-10 data online beginning April 15, 2010. Data that changes infrequently from year to year, such as number of computers, square footage, website URL, weekly hours, etc., will be automatically filled in for you. You will have the ability to change these responses if necessary.

[Bruce Pomerantz]

PLANNING FOR THE 2009-2010 LIBRARY MEDIA CENTER ANNUAL REPORT


State Library Services will conduct the third annual school library media center report starting April 15, 2010.

This memo reminds you that five questions require activity tallies.

§ Licensed library media center specialists provide the typical number of hours devoted weekly for different responsibilities in Question P10.

§ L01 asks for an approximate number of students that visit the library, L03 for small group instruction and L04 for individual student instruction

§ L02 asks for the total number of class instructions by library media staff provided during the school year.

Below are the definitions for these five questions. The definitions include recommendations on how to obtain a representative sampling for four of the activities. The attached files provide the complete 2008-09 worksheet and definitions for preview. The 2009-10 questions will remain the same. However, based on responses to the customer survey, some of the definitions will be clarified. You will receive the 2009-10 worksheet and definitions in March 2010.

P10-Licensed Library Media Specialist Duties

Indicate the amount of time that all library media specialists at this school devote in a typical week to the below responsibilities. If a licensed library media specialist performs a duty only during specific weeks or months, such as fund raising, pro-rate the amount to a weekly time increment to create the typical week. In case of partial hours, round to the nearest quarter hour (Examples: .25, 1.50, 2.75) If there is more than one licensed library media specialist, combine the hours for all licensed media specialists for that responsibility. The number of hours totaled should approximate and not be more than what the full-time equivalent staffing (FTE) of licensed library media specialist staff entered in S01 calculates to in hours.

Note: This definition deliberately excludes additional personal hours that an individual may devote to these various responsibilities. An ad hoc committee of MEMO members discussed this matter at length. They concluded not to account for personal work hours (1) because of the record keeping burden, (2) for comparability and (3) because every teacher works beyond 40 hours a week much of the school year.

The committee considered asking for a percentage of a work week devoted to each activity. Then, it seemingly wouldn't matter when comparing a person who worked 40 hours with a person who worked 60 hours. However, we would not know if, say, 20% accounted for 8 hours (40-hour week) or 12 hours (60-hour week). We felt it was more important to know the actual time a librarian spent on these activities. For example, spending 8 hours a week out of 40 in the classroom has less impact than spending 12 hours a week out of 60. Providing a percentage would disguise this difference.

a Preparation for instructing information and technology classes
b Class instruction in library with teacher present
c Class instruction in teacher’s class room with teacher present
d Class instruction with no teacher present
e Instructing students individually
f Materials check out
g Collection development
h Collaboration planning with teachers
i Fund raising (e.g. book fair)
j Other library media center duties

L01 Annual Student Visits

The total number of students entering for any reason the library media center and computer labs under the responsibility of the school library media center.

Note: There are several methods to estimate visits for a year

· Determine an annual estimate by counting visits during a typical week in October and multiplying the count by the number of weeks in the school year. A "typical week" is a time that is neither unusually busy nor unusually slow. Choose a week in which the library is open its regular hours.

· Libraries may also estimate by using one week in October and another in April, adding these numbers and multiplying by half the number of weeks in the school year that the library is available to students.

L02 Annual Class Instruction

The total number of classes instructed during the school year by library media center staff.

Keep a running tally for this activity.

L03 Annual Small Group Instruction

The total number of groups of 10 or fewer students instructed during the school year by library media center staff. These are instructional occasions that do not occur in a class setting but rather are provided in the library media center for a limited number of students, either scheduled or spontaneous.

Note: There are several methods to estimate visits for a year

· Determine an annual estimate by counting visits during a typical week in October and multiplying the count by the number of weeks in the school year. A "typical week" is a time that is neither unusually busy nor unusually slow. Choose a week in which the library is open its regular hours.

· Libraries may also estimate by using one week in October and another in April, adding these numbers and multiplying by half the number of weeks in the school year that the library is available to students.

L04 Annual Individual Student Instruction

The total number of individual student instruction instances. Individual instruction occurs when a library media center staff member instructs one or more students in using one or more resources in response to a question requiring general or specific information. With young students, this includes finding specific titles. Information sources include printed and non-printed materials, machine-readable databases, and catalogs. Count as individual reference instructions the number of students taught simultaneously.

Note: There are several methods to estimate visits for a year

· Determine an annual estimate by counting visits during a typical week in October and multiplying the count by the number of weeks in the school year. A "typical week" is a time that is neither unusually busy nor unusually slow. Choose a week in which the library is open its regular hours.

· Libraries may also estimate by using one week in October and another in April, adding these numbers and multiplying by half the number of weeks in the school year that the library is available to students.