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Overview
The library media specialist's job is a complicated one, and whether you're a novice or have years of experience, here's the one handbook you need. Created with the practitioner in mind, you'll find useful advice and information you can start using today.
Synopsis
Thelen, a library media specialist at an elementary school in Texas, offers advice on collection development, administrative roles, day-to-day life in the media center, time management, and budgeting for novice and experienced elementary library media specialists. She provides ideas for supporting the reading advocacy role of the library media specialist, and gives tips on successful collaboration with teachers, parents, and administration. A sample library volunteer handbook is included, and appendices list Spanish language, bilingual, and ESL publishers, subscription service providers, and information literacy standards. Annotation ©2004 Book News, Inc., Portland, OR
School Library Journal
This quick, readable guide covers the basics of school librarianship, with special emphasis on the one-person operation. Facilities planning, budgeting, technology advocacy, reading motivation, and student discipline are among the topics included. Each chapter contains checklists, graphic organizers, and other practical information. Beginning media specialists, as well as those facing a job change, will be especially interested in the "Starting Over" chapter-a treasure trove of useful survival tips for making a smooth move to a new position. There is also an excellent section on recruiting and managing library volunteers, with ideas for training, schedules, and rewards. Throughout the book, Thelen emphasizes the need for "solo" media specialists to network with others in the profession through state and national associations as well as through online communities. A handy and functional volume that will be appreciated by both newbies and veteran media specialists "in transition."-Elaine E. Knight, Lincoln Elementary Schools, IL Copyright 2004 Reed Business Information.
Editorials
From the Publisher
"This is an abundantly comprehensive guide to elementary school library management. Each chapter has been created to directly demonstrate efficient and practical ways to manage a school library. Keep this book handy if you are planning a new school media center, taking a position at an established school, or looking to improve your own program and facility. Implementing change can be a gentle process for the entire school when you consider the tips Thelen offers regarding time management, scheduling, budgeting, grant writing, collaboration, and more. Included in this guide are several lists of 'must haves' for presenting an organized media center with a successful program, from basics like a stapler to a/v equipment like video cameras. The author provides many samples of handouts and charts, which are easily reproducible. Low quality grayscale images contradict the otherwise clear and precise presentation of the material. . . . A detailed index and table of contents help you find your answers quickly; and appendices provide information for further references, pertinent periodicals, standards in information literacy, and more. This book would well serve as a text for courses in school library management, as it is designed for the practitioner. It is not a theoretical or research-based book: it is simply a handbook of tips based on the experiences of a single school librarian. Let's all learn from her success! Highly Recommended."
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Library Media Connection