Amesbury Public Schools

School Library Media Centers
2004-2009
5-Year plan Committee Members
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Robert Day |
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Student, |
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Nancy Frick |
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Parent |
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Madelyn Gray |
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Les Murray |
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Principal, |
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Julia Phelps |
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Administration |
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Stan Schwartz |
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School Committee |
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Amesbury Public Library |
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Anne Verret-Speck |
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Administration |
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Debra Bibeau |
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Deborah Comick |
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Robert Gosselin |
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David Hildt |
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Mayor - Chairperson |
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Charles LaBella |
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Darrell Taylor |
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Administration
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Dr. Stephen J Gerber. |
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Superintendent |
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Normand R. Sanborn |
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Business Administrator |
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Dr. Julia D. Phelps |
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Coordinator for Curriculum, Professional Development
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Michael F. Curry |
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Principal, |
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Peter Hoyt |
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Principal, |
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Gail M. Korpusik |
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Principal, |
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Leslie R. Murray |
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Principal, |
Table of contents
I. Description of Plan’s
Methodology and Development........................................................................ 7
II. Community
Profile................................................................................................................................ 8
III. Mission Statement of the
Amesbury School District...................................................................... 10
IV. Mission Statement of Amesbury
Schools’ Library Media Centers............................................... 10
V. Current Status of the Library
Media Centers.................................................................................. 11
Amesbury Elementary School................................................................................................................ 11
Cashman Elementary School................................................................................................................. 14
Amesbury Middle School....................................................................................................................... 16
Amesbury High School........................................................................................................................... 19
VI. Needs Assessment............................................................................................................................ 22
Student Survey Results........................................................................................................................... 22
Eighth Grade Students........................................................................................................................................................................ 22
Senior High School Students............................................................................................................................................................. 23
Teacher Survey Results.......................................................................................................................... 27
Pre K - grade 4 Schools....................................................................................................................................................................... 27
Middle School...................................................................................................................................................................................... 27
High School.......................................................................................................................................................................................... 27
VII. Five-Year Plan Goals and
Objectives............................................................................................. 31
VIII. Action Plan, FY 2004...................................................................................................................... 34
IX. Approval of the governing board...................................................................................................... 39
Appendices................................................................................................................................................ 41
i. Minutes of Meetings
ii. Sample Student Survey
iii. Sample Teacher Survey
iv. Massachusetts School
Library Media Association Standards
v. Evaluation of the Amesbury
Public Schools’ Library Media Centers based on the Massachusetts School Library
Media Association rubrics
The Amesbury Public Schools’ planning process began with
Susan Babb, from the Northeast Massachusetts Regional Library System, coming to
our high school and meeting with all the library media specialists as well as
Dr. Stephen Gerber, Superintendent of Schools, to explain the process of
writing a five-year plan. Ms. Babb
introduced and explained the
The work of this productive and dedicated committee is reflected in the minutes of our meetings which are included in Appendix i. There was much lively discussion and honest debate on the issues of what makes a quality program at every level. The results of the student and faculty surveys demonstrated to us that our work has just begun in making our clients aware of what we do, and what we are able to do for them. Our goals and objectives, as well as our Action Plan for year one reflect those survey finds, and give us direction in what we will accomplish. The results of the Model School Rubrics (see Appendix v) also clarified the direction our programs need to progress to go from being basic or proficient to becoming exemplary in all areas.
On
The Community Profile in this report was taken from the Amesbury High School Accreditation Report for the Fall of 2002.
Amesbury is a town of 16,076 people. It is located in the northeastern corner of
Amesbury has five public schools: Horace Mann (preschool),
Amesbury’s total school population is 2,667 students,
approximately 800 of whom are in grades 9 through 12.
There are 63 faculty members at AHS, of which 23 are male
and 40 are female. Ninety-two percent of
these teachers have majored in their subject area and another 3% have minored
in the area they teach. The
student/teacher ratio is approximately 19 to 1.
Of the class of 1997-1998, 65.9% went on to four year
colleges, 12.7% went on to 2 year institutions, 15.9% went directly to work,
and 21.3% dropped out of school. The
ethnic composition of the student population is 98.2% Caucasian, which reflects
the community’s lack of cultural diversity.
The Amesbury area is rich in local history and is close
enough to
AHS students are active outside the classroom. Over 200 students successfully completed an
internship in 1999-2000. All seniors
complete 75 hours of community service as a graduation requirement. On average, approximately 200 students
compete on athletic teams each season.
There are also 13 extra-curricular organizations with membership ranging
from 6 to 54.
Students have the opportunity to earn numerous academic and
nonacademic awards. An annual Honors
Awards night recognizes students who have made the honor roll several times
with medals, watches, and dictionaries.
The area Chamber of Commerce holds a dinner for the top 10% of the
junior class annually. There are
chapters of the National Honor Society, the Quill and Scroll Society, and the
Tri-M Music Honor Society. Some
individual subject areas also give academic awards. In sports each team has an annual awards
banquet and students who earn 10 or more varsity letters earn an award blanket
from the Booster’s Club. Underclassmen
receive awards such as Book Prizes at an assembly in late May and seniors
receive many awards at the annual Baccalaureate assembly during senior
week. Students who are named to the
honor roll during every quarter of high school receive a special award at
graduation. Many art students are also
recognized by the Boston Globe scholastic art competition and Congressional Art
Competition. Over $75,000 in local scholarships
and awards are presented annually at graduation. Students have the opportunity to try out for
Northeast Junior/Senior band and chorus.
The local American Legion sends two students to Boys’ State Leadership
Conference each year.
Currently the only performance requirement for graduation is
a term paper/presentation in English, although performance assessments are
being discussed in other subject areas.
AHS tends to rank in the average range in terms of performance on
standardized tests such as the SAT and MCAS tests. The latest available MCAS scores show AHS
scoring slightly above the state average in all three of the subject areas
reported with a total score of 698 as compared to the state average of
683. AHS MCAS scores are in the middle
when compared to the four closest area high schools.
Challenges facing the school in the coming years include adjusting to a new administration, and possible administrative restructuring, raising MCAS scores, improving the transition from school to career via articulation agreements, lack of space for both courses and meetings, insufficient courses (especially applied and practical arts and sciences) to meet all students needs due to lack of staff and lack of space, large class sizes in some areas, insufficient special education resources, increased demands placed on classroom teachers to individualize instruction in larger classes for special needs students, and problems associated with block scheduling such as frequency of changing courses every 9 weeks, attention span of some students in a 80 minute period, and retention when students do not have a subject for a semester.
The
The
mission of Amesbury Public Schools’ Library Media Centers is to be fully
integrated into and supportive of the district curriculum. In addition, the Library Media Centers will
ensure that all students and teachers are effective users of ideas and
information. This will result in
everyone becoming lifelong, independent readers and learners.
1. Describe
briefly your library media program as it currently exists.
The library media center serves
the school student body and staff to support the district and state curriculum
frameworks. Classes are scheduled for
lessons on a weekly basis.
·
Students in grade Pre-K have the opportunity to
attend a half hour class in which they are read stories and participate in question
and answer time.
·
Students in kindergarten begin each year with a
half hour lesson, but increase their time in the library media center to
forty-five minutes after February vacation.
They enjoy a variety of literacy and basic library and information skill
readings and activities as well as circulation time.
·
Students in grades one through four visit the library
media center on a weekly basis for forty-five minutes in which they participate
in a four week cycle of literacy and information research (genre study, Big 6
skills, author study, and non-fiction appreciation), technology and media
training (Internet searching, digital
camera, overhead projector, audio recording) as well as circulation activities.
2.
What special programs does your library media center
provide?
The library
media center special programs support literacy, community respect, peer
leadership, and cultural awareness.
·
Amesbury
Readers Are Leaders (RAL) is a community/school/family reading program that
promotes non-fiction reading and use of the public library as a partner in
elementary education. In collaboration
with the Amesbury Rotary Club, the library media center sponsors three or four
drawings per school year to reward students who have participated in the
program. RAL
also supplies the source of the materials selected for fiction
reading in the summer.
·
Amesbury
for Africa is also a community project in which students are actively
participating in the educational needs of its sister school’s students in
·
Before School Programs
Ø
History
Kids is one of three new before school programs for grades K-4 to learn
about famous events in world history and biography. It meets every Monday. Class size is twenty.
Ø
Book
Buddies is a simple partner reading program for an older grade/younger
grade team. This is also a new before
school program. It meets every Tuesday. Class size is twenty.
Ø
Caldecott
Club is the third before school reading program that allows students to
read Caldecott winners and do simple activity sheets. It meets every Wednesday.
Class size is twenty.
3.
How do students get access to the library media center?
Classes are on a fixed schedule
with the aforementioned time periods, but flexible class and individual visits
are available daily in forty-five minute blocks. Circulation of materials occurs mostly during
fixed class visits, but checkout and book return are available at anytime
during the day. Students use the book
drop and write their own paper checkout slips.
4. How
do teachers access the services of the library media center and of the library
media specialist?
5. Are
you working on developing a flexibly accessed library media program? If yes, how?
I currently have a mixture of
both. It allows me a structured lesson
time as well as an in-class or library media center research support time for
student projects. It is quite
sufficient.
6. Is
the library media specialist involved in cooperative planning with the
classroom teachers?
Yes. Teachers and I work together in a variety of
ways: materials preparation for class
assignments, report writing skills that relate to library media center use
(citations, bibliographies, author study), Walk for Literacy kits, Keebook Internet CDs for in-class use, specialist projects,
and audio supplements for Special Education reading assignments. Library skills writing assignments are often
used for extra grades in fourth grade classes and assessments.
7. Is
the library media specialist involved in curriculum development with the
classroom teachers?
Yes, but not as much as I would
like. Grade level meeting times are not
accessible because I am used as the “prep time” during the meeting. I have had successful collaboration through
individual meetings, and have been able to support new curriculum changes
because the teachers have been very supportive of the library media center’s
goals to supply updated material.
8. Describe
how technology is integrated into the library media program.
9. Describe
library media center involvement with the reading program and literacy
development in the school.
The Bay State Reading Program
maintains its own literacy room on the second floor of the building. It contains guided reading materials, audio
book group materials, big books, and other items to support the
initiative. The library media center
supports and enhances this collection by organizing its own materials in a
genre enriched environment. In other
words, the three sections (non-fiction, readers, and picture book) are
organized by genre rather than alphabetical order.
10. What is the
budget for the school library media center?
(Include breakdown by categories).
The library media center’s budget
has had its ups and downs, but it has been generously endowed by the district
in times when other communities have downsized library media center
materials.
Budget (FY 2002-2003)
School Department Funds
Print materials $2,500
Subscriptions/Periodicals $ 500
Audio/Video Materials $ 500
Other $ 500
Scholastic Book Fair Funds
Print materials $4,000
Walk for Literacy Funds
Literacy Kit materials $3,261
Title V Grant
Print materials $1,000
1. Describe
briefly your library media program as it currently exits.
·
The library media center is in a state of
updating its collection to meet the district and state frameworks. We are a Pre-k through 4th grade
school and on a fixed schedule. Classes are seen at least once a week depending
on the grade level. The library media
center has been moved twice because of renovations and materials are still
being classified and cataloged. Students
receive services relating to the frameworks and teacher selected
activities. Research and critical
thinking skills are the foundation of all instruction including literacy
appreciation and support.
·
Students have open access to the library media
center and use it appropriately.
2. What
special programs does you library media center provide?
3. How do students access the library media center?
4. How do teachers access the services of the library media center program and the library media specialist?
·
Teachers enter and sign out materials on an as
needed basis and due dates are flexible. This occurs throughout the day to
accommodate the needs of the staff.
·
New books are put on display for a period of
time.
·
Training has been given, by allotted staff
meeting time, on the use of
·
The library media specialist is available by
phone, e-mail and when a class is not in session.
·
The library media specialist delivers books
requested and assures that all needs have been met through personal visits to
the classrooms requesting materials.
5. Are you working on developing a flexibly accessed library media program? If yes, how/
Currently, there
is a fixed schedule but students use the library media center at the discretion
of classroom teacher and availability of room in the library media center. Often, there is a class and several students
from other classes using the facility.
6. Is the library media specialist involved in cooperative planning with the classroom teachers?
As a member of the
Building Literacy Team, collaborative planning has been introduced and
discussed for future scheduling of team meetings. Presently, collaboration is done by personal
visits to classrooms, quick conversations at lunchtime and in the hallways.
7. Is the library media specialist involved in curriculum development with the classroom teachers?
The library media
specialist collaborates with grade level teachers for development of the
library media program. Presently, the health and physical education benchmarks
are being re-evaluated. When an
applicable committee is reconvened, I hope to be involved.
8. Describe how technology is integrated into the library media program?
9. Describe library media center involvement with the reading program and literacy development in the school.
The library media center houses
the literacy closet that supports our Guided Reading Program. The library media specialist coordinates with
the Literacy Specialist on materials acquisitions. The library media specialist is also a member
of the Literacy Team.
10. What is the budget for the school library media center?
Budget (FY 2002-2003)
1.
Briefly describe your library media program as it
currently exists.
The library
media center and its collection support the curriculum and literary needs of
our school community. The library media center staff is actively involved in
promoting print and non-print resources and in teaching students and staff how
to access and use those resources. Teachers reserve time to bring their classes
to the library media center in a variety of ways: by stopping by to talk with
the library media center staff, by phoning us or emailing us. Some teachers
book research or book talk visits months in advance. With our flexible schedule, the library media
center services an average of 100 students a day who visit the library media
center from a class or study hall to use a computer, do research, or browse for
a book independently. (These students are in addition to the students who come
in with a teacher for book talks or research projects).
2.
What special programs does your library media program
center provide?
·
5th Grade Orientation – a series of 6
lessons which introduce the students to policies and procedures, the library
media center collection and the automated catalog. Each team visits the library
media center with their Language Arts teacher 6 different times in September
and October to complete the series.
·
Team Meetings – The library media specialist
meets with each team of teachers during the fall to distribute and review the library
media center handbook which the library media specialist updates yearly. The
handbook contains information about library media center policies and
procedures, research databases, the professional library and library media
center resources.
·
BookTalks – book talk
programs are offered for grades 6 – 8 throughout the year. The library media
center staff promotes new books, award winners, high
interest books for reluctant readers and old favorites. Many Language Arts
teachers bring their classes to the library media center for book talks once
each quarter.
·
AMS Reads – This parent and child book
discussion program is held in the evening twice a year: once in the fall for
grades 5 and 6 and once in the spring for grades 7 and 8. Students who register
for the program receive a copy of the book to be discussed from the library
media center staff. The student and a parent or guardian are
expected to read the designated title. A
book discussion program is led by the library media specialist and several
teachers.
3.
How do students get access to the library media center?
4. How
do teachers access the services of the library media center and of the library
media specialist?
·
Teachers phone or email the library media
specialist to check for availability of library media center services. Many
teachers stop by to meet with the library media specialist during a prep period
or before or after school. Teachers may want to bring their students in for
research or to borrow books. Some teachers want to borrow a cart full of books
about a specific topic. Some teachers want to reserve a section of the library
media center to use the Smartboard with their
students. Some teachers want to reserve time in room 209, the library media
center’s minilab.
·
Teachers who are planning research projects in the library media
center meet with the library media specialist to collaborate on the assignment
and identify print and non-print resources to be introduced and information
literacy skills to be taught.
5. Are
you working on developing a flexibly accessed library media program?
We have had a flexible schedule
for the last 15 years.
6. Is
the library media specialist involved in cooperative planning with the
classroom teachers?
The library media specialist is
involved in cooperative planning with Language Arts and Social Studies teachers
for the most part. A few Science teachers work with the media specialist but
most of them do not. Science teachers tend to ask for a cart of books on a
topic.
7. Is
the library media specialist involved in curriculum development with the
classroom teachers?
The library media specialist has
been a member of the Social Studies Curriculum Planning Committee in the past
and plans to serve on future curriculum committees.
8. Describe
how technology is integrated into the library media program.
Our catalog is automated and can
be accessed at each computer station in the library media center and in room
209. When students work with the library media specialist on research projects,
they are taught how to use research databases (that pertain to the assignment),
how to cite computer sources for a bibliography, how to check websites for
authority of the author or organization and currency of the information.
Students are also taught how to access the research databases from home. Since
January 2003, the library media specialist has been using a Smartboard
and data projector to teach students about the computer sources. The entire
class can now clearly see the database and webpage screens. Our in school
webpage allows students and staff to access MVLC, research databases and
websites that the library media center staff has bookmarked, in addition to the
internet in general. Students are encouraged to use Google as a search engine
though they are allowed to use other search engines. The library media center has
2 scanners which are used often to print out color pictures for reports or for
inserting graphics and pictures into power point presentations.
Our video and audio book
collections are very small due to lack of funds.
9.
Describe library media center involvement with the
reading program and literacy development in the school.
There is a great
demand for novels in the middle school for book reports and for promoting
literacy and love of reading. Due to budget cutbacks, it has been difficult to
provide the necessary materials for a wide variety of reading levels and also
to be able to purchase multiple copies of popular fiction titles or titles to
be used in the classroom
for literature circles. Our book talk programs have been very
successful in promoting reading among middle schoolers.
There is a need for multiple copies of those titles (which include recent award
winners). Budget cutbacks combined with curriculum changes have made it
difficult to purchase the necessary non-fiction titles in recent years. Middle
school students need variety of print and non-print materials in a range of
reading levels for research projects.
Our reference collection is beginning to suffer as well since there have
been insufficient funds to update our reference collection in most areas.
10. What
is the budget for the school library media center?
Budget (FY
2002-2003)
$8,900.00 –
books, supplies, videos, audiobooks, periodicals,
reference books,
$ 1,500.00 -
textbook rebinding
$499.00 –
$3,000.00 –
grant money
$600.00 –
donations from students and their families (AMS Gift Book Fund)
1.
Describe briefly your library media program as it
currently exists.
The library media center and its
collection supports the district and state curriculum
frameworks. We are a teaching center and
accessed by all departments. Classes are
scheduled by teachers signing-up in advance and filling out an “Assignment
Alert” sheet to help us understand the assignment so that we may provide
assistance and direction. Attached is a
sample sheet.
2. What
special programs does your library media center provide?
Special programs we provide
include:
3. How
do students get access to the library media center?
Students access
the library media center in several ways:
·
They come as they choose between
·
Students also are brought as an entire class to
use library media center resources and/or get formal instructions on the use of
specific resources to begin a project;
·
Students can access the library media center
with a pass from their teacher to do work for a specific class or project on an
individual or small group basis;
·
Access to the
databases is available in the classrooms and from home with the use of a public
library card.
4. How
do teachers access the services of the library media center and of the library
media specialist?
Teachers access the services of the library
media center staff by stopping by and meeting with us as their schedule allows.[mr1] Library media center projects are planned
with the library media center staff and the teachers working
collaboratively. Teachers are shown appropriate
materials in the collection (subject media-ographies
are offered), and which databases or web sites will provide the best
information. We provide inter-library
loans (
5. Are
you working on developing a flexibly accessed library media program? If so,
how?
We have a flexibly accessed
program.
6. Is
the library media specialist involved in cooperative planning with the
classroom teachers?
The library media specialist is
widely involved in cooperative planning, but not with all teachers. We are used heavily by the English and Social
Studies Departments. We are beginning to
make connections with the Science and Foreign Language teachers. We are striving to do cooperative planning
with all Departments, as is reflected in our goals.
7. Is
the library media specialist involved in curriculum development with the
classroom teachers?
Library media specialists were
represented on the Curriculum Planning Committees system-wide.
8. Describe
how technology is integrated into the library media program.
Technology is an integral
component of our library media program.
We have 16 computers in the library media center, all with internet
access. Our homepage provides access to
the MVLC and NMRLS databases, we well as a Local History Collection. We are using a data projector to instruct
classes in the use of our homepage. Our
card catalog is on-line and all facets of our library media center operations
are automated. We have just received a
Smart Board and will begin giving student instruction using this new
technology. We provide materials in videorecording
and audio book format to accommodate differing learning and teaching styles.[mr2]
9. Describe
library media center involvement with the reading program and literacy
development in the school.
The library media center has suffered a blow in our support of pleasure reading and literacy when our entire fiction collection was moved from the library media center to a classroom adjoining the library media center. Students have access to this classroom before and after school and we have noticed a decided drop-off of students choosing fiction books from our collection. This situation will be remedied when we move into our new library media center, scheduled to open September 2004, and we will again have our entire collection in one area.
10. What is the
budget for the school library media center?
(Include breakdown by categories).
Budget (FY 2002-2003)
Circulation books / reference books /
professional books / Periodicals &
newspapers $17,000.00
Bindery / staff training /
memberships / consortiums $1,350.00
A-V (books on tape / VCR tapes / DVDs /
blank
disks / A-V supplies / DVD players $2,350.00
Service contract for
Title V grant $1,700.00
Rob Day, the student representative to the Long Range
Planning Committee, volunteered to do a statistical report and analysis from
the results of our student and staff surveys.
He was just completing a statistics course at the
These students were quite thrilled with their library media
center. There were 78 responses, and it
was almost a perfect record. The biggest
problem was that many students did not have enough time to use the library
media center. 25 out of the 78 students
said that they did not have time to use the library media center; that is
32%. Only 6% of the students did not
usually find what they were looking for.
This is excellent. The most
impressive statistic is that 96% of the students felt that the staff was
helpful and approachable. Students who
responded no to that question did not seem to take the survey seriously, which
was evident in some of their comments.
Another positive response was that only 14% felt that the
"information" specialist did not offer guidance with research. Only 12% were not confident with the library
media center resources. Only 10% were
not confident with the electronic databases.
Only 15% did not have adequate information skills. The worst thing was that 62% could not find
something that they looked for in the library media center. 68% of the students use other library media
centers. Yet another impressive
statistic is that 96% of the students thought the library media center was a
comfortable place to visit. On a more
humorous note, one student thought we could improve the library media center by
"Getting more computers, pool, hot tub, bathrooms, helicopter pad,
statues, a great white shark in the fish tank, a water fountain, and a stereo
system". There is a good Christmas
list for the Middle school library media center to look into. On the other end of the spectrum there was a
student who was very enthusiastic. She
thought "everything" was the best part of the library media center. She thought that the only possible
improvement would be to air condition room 209.
She also thought the rules were "very fair". I cannot suggest anything to improve from
these surveys, because everything was extremely
positive. Keep up the good work!
Overall none of the library media centers were disastrous. Aside from many of the things being addressed in the renovations there is clearly very little for the staff and students to complain about. The staff comments and rating were also unbeatable. Nice Job!
All of these results are based on the response of 59 members out of 165 students of the class of 2002. More surveys were given out, but this is all that was returned.
The first questions was in regards to when students visit the library.
Option: Percentage
With class 76%
Before school 20%
During lunch 37%
After School 8%
Many of the students who did not visit the library very often only went with classes. The students who visit the library on their own time, and of their own choosing, do it during lunch or a study.
The second question was in regards to how often the students visit the library.
Number of Times Per Month: Percentage:
0 5%
1-5 59%
6-10 14%
11-15 8%
16-20 2%
21-25 2%
26-30 0%
30+ 2%
Most students fell in the 1-5 range because they would only go when the class went. Students who visited of their own choice tend to go between 5 and 15 times per month. Only three students went to the library more than 15 times per month.
The third section was in regard as to why students use the library.
Option: Percentage:
Find materials for assignment 86%
Find materials for pleasure 20%
Do homework 63%
Meet friends 22%
Socialize before school 12%
Study before school 24%
Study after school 8%
Word process 36%
Prepare multimedia presentation 2%
Read magazines and newspapers 29%
Email 2%
Internet 3%
Most students are using the library for school related reasons. This is easily seen in the fact that most students use it for finding materials for assignments, and homework. This third most popular option was for word processing, which is likely for school reasons. The top three reasons students use the library are clearly dominated by school related activities. As far as choice goes, the newspapers and magazines are very popular with about one third of the respondents reading them.
The next questions regarded whether the students had the time to visit the library. 78% of the respondents said that they had ample time to visit the library. Some students commented that it should open earlier, and that outside of the school day they rarely have the opportunity to visit the library. One student commented, “I get frustrated when teachers use it for classes or it is closed.”
The next questions asked if students found what they were looking for while in the library. 88% of the respondents said they could find what they were looking for. Students said that the virtual card catalog was very helpful, and so were the librarians. Some students thought it was sometimes hard to find what they wanted.
Question six asked if the staff was approachable and helpful. Only 5% of the students thought that the staff was not approachable. This is quite impressive, but a few students thought the staff was sometimes rude or moody. Other students commented that the staff is always happy to help, and they are courteous and kind.
The next question asked if the library information specialist offered guidance with research. A very high 78% of the respondents said that they were helpful, but 14% thought they were not helpful. 5% did not even know what the question was asking.
One of the most definite answers came from question eight. 95% of the respondents said that they were confident using library resources. Some people thought the information was outdated, but many students thought the reference room was helpful. 83% of the students were confident using the electronic databases. Some of the students thought they were hard to use and unreliable. 97% of the respondents thought they had adequate information skills. This shows that students are pretty confident in their own abilities to use the library and its resources.
The next question had an interesting response. It asked if students have previously looked for materials that the library did not have. This was pretty close with 56% saying they had looked for materials that they did not have, and 36% said that they did not look for anything that the library did not have. This question also allowed students the opportunity to write down some book authors or genres that they would like to see in the library.
· Dean Koontz
· Up-to-date encyclopedias
· More variety of magazines
· Skateboard stuff
· Better books
· Updated books
· Scientific/paranormal research
· Cosmetic surgery
· Biographies
· More classics
· Newer books
· More fiction
· Music literature
Question 12 asked if students used
other libraries. 85% of the students do
use other libraries, and of that 85% 100% of them use the Amesbury Public
Library. 14% of them used college
libraries, and 6% used
Question 13 asked if the library was pleasant and comfortable. 86% of students thought that the library had a good environment, and only 10% thought that it did not. Of those that did not think the environment was good several said that it was too loud or the rules were too strict.
The next question was open ended and asked what students thought was the best thing about the library. The environment was a popular option, as were the computers, resources, location, and the Internet. Mrs. Blondin and Mrs. Rowlands each got a vote for the best thing about the library.
Students were also asked what could be improved about the library. Students thought the computers could be improved, and the library should get more books, and more space. Many students thought that they should be allowed to eat as long as they were not at the computers, or possibly that eating in the library should be a senior privilege. Two students thought that the Macs should be taken out of the library as well.
Surprisingly 64% of the students thought that the rules were fair, and only 29% thought that they were not. Of those who replied that the rules were not fair many cited not having computer games, food or talking as their reasons. One student thought some of the rules were tedious like having screen saver passwords and having to ask to use the iMac mouse.
The next section inquired what rating students would give to various parts of the library based on a 1-5 scale; 1 being poor and 5 being excellent. The facility got an average of 4.32 with 4 being the most common response. As for access it was given the lowest rating of 3.28 with a 3 being the most common response. Assistance rated 3.74 with 4 being the most common response. The library collection rated a 3.66 with a 4 being the most common response. Overall they all scored above average which means things are going pretty well.
There was also a section for students other comments, but few students replied in this part. The only comment that stood out was “Clone Mrs. Blondin for other libraries.”
Conclusions: This survey had a pretty low return. It was given to the entire graduating class and less than half of them replied. This has an effect on the results, but hopefully these results will reflect the thoughts of the rest of the school population. Some things I can definitely conclude is that most students come to the library with classes instead of individually. It is also evident that students use the library relatively little. It is also quite obvious that students usually visit the library for schoolwork, but the magazines and newspapers are also popular. Most students have time to go to the library and most of them find what they are looking for. The students seem to enjoy the staff, and gain much from them. Most students thought that they were well equipped and confident to use the library resources. The electronic database could be improved, but the other resources scored very high. There are a lot of things that students would like to see in the library that are not currently there, but there is a decent
collection right now. Most students use other libraries, but most
of them use the public library. A few of
them have used other city’s libraries as well and, even, college
libraries. The library is thought to be
quite a pleasant and comfortable place to study and work. There are a lots of
things that students like about the library, and there are some things that the
students listed that should be improved.
The rules seem to be fair to the students, but there are always going to
be people who do not like the rules.
Overall the library is in pretty good condition and students seem happy
with it.
These library media centers brought in rave reviews.
10% felt that the library media center did not have
sufficient materials
21% believed the library media center did not promote
student and staff use of information resources
19% felt that they were not comfortable using the CD-ROM's
17% felt that they were not comfortable using the automated
card catalog
14% felt that the library media center did not have enough
computers
12% felt that there was not enough space in the library
media center
There were 58 responses to this category, and these were the
topics that stood out most.
This library media center also seems to be in good favor
with its staff, and there are few real complaints.
The Middle School was most impressive. There were only 14 responses, but within these 14 responses there were only 3 complaints. They were three separate complaints so this means that each complaint only represents 7%. They included: The teachers were not informed about new materials; they did not feel comfortable with the card catalog, and there were not enough hours to meet staff needs. It was a low return, but it seems that the library media center is in excellent condition. Nice Job!
The strengths of the high school program as reflected by the staff survey are as follows:
80%-100% gave favorable marks to such categories as:
·
They could get help at any time
·
Staff was helpful and approachable
·
Were comfortable using the card catalogue and
databases
·
The library media center was a comfortable
environment
·
The library media center promotes student
learning
·
The collection was adequate
·
They had ample time to make purchase suggestions
·
The library media center has sufficient
professional materials
·
The library media center was a good work environment
·
The library media center did promote use of
professional materials
·
Bibliographies were prepared at their requests
·
The library media center staff did have good
rapport with the public librarians
·
The library media center staff did have good
rapport with the community
·
Believed the library media center keeps them
informed of new materials
·
Feel the library media center was a place where
they and their students feel welcome
·
Believe their requests for materials were met in
a timely fashion
When looked at on the whole, the library media center, and
its staff, received overwhelmingly high marks.
There were about 25 questions on each survey, and on average fewer than
4 complaints per survey. This proves
that the library media center is doing well.
However, since this survey was intended to tell us what we are looking
to improve, I took a different approach to it than the others. I searched all of the surveys for ratings of
less than three (3), which was average.
I then found the percentage of people who thought unfavorably of each
topic in their specific stata. If a topic from the survey is not addressed
that means that it received no rating less than three. The results are as follows:
Foreign Language
·
40% of the foreign language department believed
that we did not have enough computers
·
20% believed that they could not get help at any
time, were not satisfied with the way their students used the library media
center, the library media center staff did not keep them informed, believed
that the staff was not accessible for students and teachers; believed that the library
media center did not have enough space and was not open long enough.
These numbers do seem large, but there were only 5 responses
from the FL department so that a 20% is only one negative response.
Specialists
·
66% believed that there were not enough
computers
·
66% believed that there were not enough hours
·
33% believed their requests for materials were
not met in a timely fashion.
There were only 3 responses from this department so these
numbers are highly inflated.
History
·
43% believed the library media center did not
keep them informed of new materials
·
29% did not feel the library media center was a
place where they and their students felt welcome
·
14% believed that they did not have ample opportunity
to make purchase suggestions
·
14% believed the staff was not approachable for
staff
·
43% thought that bibliographies were not
prepared at their request
·
14% believed that staff was not approachable for
students
·
14% felt their requests were not met in a timely
fashion
·
14% felt that reserve collections were not set
aside at their requests
·
43% thought the library media center did not
have enough space
·
29% felt that there were not enough hours for
students and staff
There were 7 replies from this department.
SPED
·
80% felt that there were not enough computers
·
20% felt that the library media center did not
have sufficient materials
·
20% felt the library media center staff did not
provide suitable help for students
·
40% felt that there were not enough hours for
students
·
20% felt there were not enough hours for staff
·
20% felt that there was not enough space
There were only 5 responses from this department
English
·
66% felt that there were not enough computers
11% agreed on the following:
·
The library media center staff was not
approachable for students
·
The library media center staff was not
approachable for staff
·
Bibliographies were not prepared at their
requests
·
The library media center staff did not have good
rapport with the public librarians
·
The library media center staff did not have good
rapport with the community
·
Did not feel comfortable using the databases
·
The library media center was not a place where
they and the students felt welcome
·
The library media center did not have sufficient
hours for staff and students
There were 9 responses from this department
Math
·
38% felt that they were not comfortable with the
databases
·
38% felt that there were not enough computers
13% Agreed on the following:
·
The collection was not satisfactory and
up-to-date
·
The library media center did not promote use of
professional materials
·
They are not satisfied with the way their
students use the library media center
·
The library media center does not support
student learning
·
The library media center was not a “work”
environment
·
The library media center did not have enough
space
·
The library media center did not have enough
hours for students and staff
There were 8 responses from this department
Technology
There were only 2 responses from this department and neither
had a single complaint
Science
·
33% agreed that the library media center staff
did not demonstrate a strong team-teach approach with teachers, and that there
were not enough computers
22% agreed:
·
There were not enough computers
·
The collection was not sufficient
·
The library media center does not provide
materials to encourage a variety of learning
·
They were not satisfied with the way their
students use the library media center
·
11% agreed:
·
They were not given ample opportunity to make
purchase suggestions
·
The library media center does not have ample
professional materials
·
Students and staff cannot always get help
·
The library media center does not support
student learning
·
The library media center does not have enough
hours for students and staff
There were 9 responses from this department
Overview and Analysis
There were not too many things that really stood out from
this survey. It is kind of a small group
to survey, but it was able to highlight some key things. 49% of the respondents believed that there
were not enough computers to support the curriculum. This does seem to be the key complaint and it
is likely to be legitimate, and not an isolated event.. It also seemed a common trend that the
teachers were not happy with the way students use the library media center. Teachers also raised concerns about the space
in the library media center and the hours of the library media center. Most of the teachers seemed quite pleased
with the library media center. Some of
the other responses were only due to isolated events or the teachers’ own lack
of use of the library media center. The
staff had great reviews, and many comments as to being the best part of the library
media center. When asked about the best
part of the library media center a teacher responded, “The librarians, they are
so friendly and helpful”.
1.
Goal:
See appendix for the Massachusetts School Library
Media Association standards
Objectives:
The District will:
A. Provide
cutting edge technology to enhance student learning
B. Provide
sufficient space to house a collection of resources in a variety of formats
that supports the curriculum
C. Provide
sufficient space to support and promote all learning and teaching styles.
The Library Media
Specialist will:
D. Provide
a comfortable space where students and teachers feel cared about, nurtured, and
welcomed.
2. Goal:
Collaboration will be increased
between the teaching staff and library media center staff to provide students
with meaningful research experiences to attain mastery of information literacy
skills.
Objectives:
The Library Media Specialist will:
3. Goal:
Library media center staffing
should be increased to meet the Massachusetts School Library Media Association
recommended level so that effective services can be provided to all students
and staff.
Objectives:
The District will:
Establish a level of staffing that
is consistent with state standards and each school’s size and needs
Provide technical support so a
response time is within twenty-four hours.
4. Goal:
The school library media program will
be funded at 5% of the district’s school budget in order to maintain all
aspects of the existing program and provide the funds for expanding enrollment
and evolving curriculum initiatives.
Objectives:
The
Library Media Specialist will:
5. Goal:
The
(American Association of School Librarians. Information Power.
A.
Elementary and
B. Middle and High School – continue attending the free training offered by Northeast Massachusetts Regional Library System to keep current on technology
C. All schools – continue attending regional conferences, seminars and workshops to maintain awareness of new books and trends
D. All schools – Library media specialists will offer workshops and training to their staff on
1. Print sources
2. Electronic sources including databases
3. Utilizing information literacy skills in content areas
4. Smart board use
5. Automated catalog searching
1. Goal:
Library media center facilities
will be spacious, visually inviting environments where students can feel safe
and supported. The environment will
encourage students to independently and collaboratively find and use
information and to enjoy literature. The
standards of the Massachusetts School Library Media Association will be adhered
to when new library media center facilities are planned.
See appendix for the Massachusetts
School Library Media Association standards
Objectives:
B.
Provide
sufficient space to house a collection of resources in a variety of formats that
supports the curriculum
·
Elementary School – Replace shelving to address
the safety issues presented by overcrowding
·
·
Middle School – expand shelving to allow for
continuing growth of the collection to support the curriculum
Timelines: Completed September, 2004.
Measures to determine progress:
Observation followed by written report.
C. Provide
sufficient space to support and promote all learning and teaching styles.
·
High School – continue planning for the new library
media center by continuing to meet with the Principal, and building architects
Timelines: May 2004 to June 2005.
Measures
to determine progress: Dates and minutes
of meetings.
The
Library Media Specialist will:
D.
Provide a
comfortable space where students and teachers feel cared about, nurtured, and
welcomed.
Timelines: September 2004 - ongoing.
Measures
to determine progress: Reports on surveys
completed by students and staff.`
2. Goal:
Collaboration will be increased
between the teaching staff and library media center staff to provide students
with meaningful research experiences to attain mastery of information literacy
skills.
Objectives:
B.
Increase
collaboration within the school and throughout the community
·
Begin attending grade level meetings once a
month at the elementary levels to promote integration of library media centers
with the curriculum
Timelines: Begin January 2004.
Measures
to determine progress: Log of meetings.
·
Public library staff will offer workshop on the
MVLC automated catalog
Timelines: Begin January, 2004.
Measures
to determine progress: Evaluation of
workshop by the library media specialists.
D. Develop
an information literacy skills curriculum K-12 to be used to teach lessons in
context with the curriculum.
·
Begin examining models of information literacy
skills curricula – pre K through grade 12 – so that the skills can be embedded
in the Amesbury Public School System’s curriculum
Timelines: January 2004 to January 2005.
Measures
to determine progress: Log of meetings
and timelines.`
3. Goal:
Library media center staffing
should be increased to meet the Massachusetts School Library Media Association
recommended level so that effective services can be provided to all students
and staff.
Objectives:
The District will:
Establish a level of staffing that
is consistent with state standards and each school’s size and needs
A.
Maintain a
full-time system-wide professional certified school library media center director
with equal status to other system-wide administrators
·
Appoint a new director of library media centers
upon the retirement of the current director in 2004
Timelines: September 2004.
Measures
to determine progress: Personnel
reports.
B.
All schools
will maintain a full-time certified Library Media Specialist
Timelines: September 2004.
Measures
to determine progress: Personnel
reports.
C.
Elementary
school will increase support staffing to one full-time support staff with broad
based skills to support the library media specialist in compliance with the
D.O.E. Library Media Standards
·
Share a para-professional between the Elementary
and Cashman schools
Timelines: September 2004.
Measures
to determine progress: Personnel
reports.
4. Goal:
The school library media program
will be funded at 5% of the district’s school budget in order to maintain all
aspects of the existing program and provide the funds for expanding enrollment
and evolving curriculum initiatives.
Objectives:
A.
Collaborate
with teachers and administrators to develop a budget that maintains and
improves materials and services
Timelines: September 2004.
Measures
to determine progress: Log of meetings
with administrators.
B.
Maintain
current information about the costs of library media center materials and
services and be aware of school budget changes and/or limitations
Timelines: September 2004.
Measures
to determine progress: Log of meetings
with administrators.
C.
Investigate
and use financial resources within the district and community to meet the library
media center materials and services needs.
·
Investigate community, state and federal
resources and grants
·
Investigate collaborative grant writing
opportunities with the Public Library.
Timelines: September 2004.
Measures
to determine progress: Minutes of
meetings and report on the investigation.
5. Goal:
The
(American
Association of School Librarians.
Information
Power.
Objectives:
Timelines: September 2004 - ongoing.
Measures
to determine progress: Professional
Development Points and certificates from NMRLS.
Timelines: September 2004 - ongoing.
Measures
to determine progress: Professional
Development Points and certificates from NMRLS.
Timelines: September 2004 - ongoing.
Measures
to determine progress: Professional
Development Points and certificates from NMRLS.
1. Print
sources
2. Electronic sources including databases
3. Utilizing
information literacy skills in content areas
4. Smart
board use
5. Automated
catalog searching
Timelines: September 2004 - ongoing.
Measures
to determine progress: Workshop
evaluations by staff.
The undersigned have reviewed and approved the attached Long
Range Plan for the library media centers of the

Signature of the Superintendent of Schools Date
Signature of the School Committee Chairperson Date
* From the report presented to