Stark, Sikes, Hullender

Key Assessment
FRIT 7331
Lisa Hullender, Amanda Sikes, & Jason Stark
Section I: Description and Analysis of the School Library Media Program
Geographic Location
Long County Middle School is located in Southeast Georgia in a small town named Ludowici.
The population of Ludowici is 1,964 people (US Census Bureau, 2013).
Grade Levels
The Long County School Media Center is shared by 2 schools: Walker Elementary School and
Long County Middle School. The current grade levels served by the media center are grades 4-8
as well as Pre-K.
Socioeconomic Makeup of the School Community
There are 804 students in the two schools. This includes 565 economically disadvantaged
students (over 70%). The school has 89 students that have a disability. There are 29 students with
limited English proficiency and 21 migrant students. The school is a title 1 school.
Size of Student Population
There are 804 students in the two schools. Of these students, 54% are males and 46% are
females. The school has 409 Caucasian students, 211 African American students, 117 Hispanic
students, 60 multiracial students, 4 Asian Islander Pacific students, and 3 American Indian
students.
Size of Faculty
There are 81 certified employees in the school and 23 staff members.
Scholastic Standing

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CRCT Data was gathered for students in Long County Middle School which is the main focus of
our research. Students in grades 6th-8th were examined in areas of Math, Reading, English
Language Arts, Social Studies, and Science. In Math, the percentages were as follows: 26.1
exceeded, 58.7 meets, and 15.2 did not meet. In English Language Arts, the percentages were:
24.4 exceeded, 62.3 meets, and 11.3 did not meet. In Reading, the percentages were: 35.9
exceeded, 53.9 meets, and 4.7 did not meet. In Science, the percentages were: 23.4 exceeded,
55.1 meets, and 21.5 did not meet. In Social Studies, the percentages were: 32.3 exceeded, 41.7
meets, and 20.7 did not meet. Long County Middle School has been a focus school for the last 3
years because of the gap in test scores between the special needs students and the gifted students.

Section II: School Library Media Center Philosophy/Mission Statement

Original Mission Statement:
The Long County School Media Center exists to serve the needs of students and faculty. The
mission of our media center is to aid the learning process by providing a friendly welcoming and
accepting atmosphere and by providing programs and services to meet the individual needs. The
media center will serve both students and faculty in supporting and promoting the learning
experiences necessary to promote the curriculum and create life-long learners. It is an open
media center on a flexible schedule plan, which enables the media centers resources, services,
and facilities to be available to all students and teachers.
Philosophy:
Long County Students are the Media Centers prime users. We strive to meet their needs through
support of the curriculum, their social development and their recreational development. The
media center will endeavor to create a pleasant environment for the enhancement of the learner.

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In achieving this goal, the Media Center shall also endeavor to offer students a variety of
learning opportunities by presenting materials in a spectrum of forms.
Correction Paragraph
According to Downs (2010), the roles and mission of the school library should be clear and they
should also strive to accomplish the overall mission of the school. The Long County School
Media Center (LCSM) mission seems to be repetitive. The opening statement declares the
commitment to serve both students and faculty and later states how it will serve both students
and faculty. There is room to further clarify other standards set down by the American
Association of School Libraries. This statement from the Empowering Learners text seems
appropriate for the mission statement revision: In this increasingly global world of information,
students must be taught to seek diverse perspectives, gather and use information ethically, and
use social tools responsibly and safely (AASL, p. 12). Teaching students to be ethical users and
creators of information will help focus a mission statement in the current 21st-century learning
environment. Also, the mission states they are on a flexible schedule plan which supports
equitable access to all children. The statement is positive but could be moved to the goals section
and substituted with a statement supporting our commitment the students freedom to access
information in all formats. As professional librarians, our roles in helping others understand the
principles and importance of intellectual freedom are among the most important duties we have
(Johnson, 2013). Changing the philosophy to goals and simplifying how the media specialist
plans to achieve the mission statement will help give an overall purpose. The current mission
statement does address the goal of developing lifelong learners and working in collaboration
with teachers.
Media Center Mission Statement

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The Long County School Media Center is the information hub of the school. In support of the
Long County School Districts commitment to higher educational standards, the library media
center encourages and attempts to ensure that all students have intellectual access to all available
formats of information including a wide range of ideas while encouraging its ethical use. The
media center will serve both students and faculty in supporting and promoting the learning
experiences necessary to promote the curriculum and create life-long learners.
LCMS Goals:

Provide a friendly welcoming and accepting atmosphere and by providing services and
programs to meet individual needs.

Provide an open media center on a flexible schedule plan, which enables the media
centers resources, services, and facilities to be available to all students and teachers.

Provide collaboration with the faculty and staff to create an extension of the classroom by
planning literacy and technology lessons.

Provide our students with the skills to be researchers, ethical users and creators of
information through the media center, technology, and direct instruction.

Section III: Long County School Library Media Center Services Overview
Circulation Policy
Long County Media Center does not have a written circulation policy. After speaking with the
media specialist, she explained her policies to us. At this time, they are working on developing a
media center handbook that includes policies and media center information.
Long County School Media Center has a large collection of books that can be checked out by
students. The students can use Destiny to access the book catalog online. The media center
serves all students in fourth grade through eighth grade. In order to check out materials from the

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library, students are required to have an ID or at least provide their ID number. Once a book has
been checked out by the student, the student can keep the book for two weeks. If not returned on
time, there are late fees of .05 per each school day that it is not returned. The different grade
levels are acknowledged with the use of color coding. Each grade level has a different color.
These color codes are hanging from the ceiling in the different areas of fiction books. Teachers
may request magazines, videos or other equipment from the library at any time.
Analysis and Critique Based on Needs of 21st Century Learners
The current policy does not meet the needs of 21st century learners. They are provided with
online access to the library catalog at school, but they are not provided any access from home.
They are also not allowed to check out technology or devices to use. They can only use these
devices while in the media center. Students are not able to renew their books online, and there
are also no E-books available in the library.
Analysis and Critique Based on BYOT/BYOD
Long County Middle School prohibits students from bringing any electronic device to school. If
caught with an electronic device, it is taken away for 30 days. If this policy is revised, the
circulation policy would need to be edited to include digital resources for students to use.
Analysis and Critique Based on Web 2.0 Technologies
There are no Web 2.0 technologies mentioned in the circulation policy. The library website does
provide a few links; however, not many students even know the website is available.
Analysis and Critique Based on E-Books
E-books are not an option for students in Long County. According to Johnson (2013), E-books
should be considered because they can be beneficial to both students and teachers.
Analysis and Critique Based on Creative Commons

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This policy is not affected by the use of creative commons.
Final Thoughts on Circulation Policy
This policy is very basic. It covers the minimum details of circulation including how to check out
books and fines for books. It does not do anything to acknowledge the changing world of
technology. Nothing is mentioned about web 2.0 tools or E-books. Students at this school have
no access to the library from home. The lack of BYOT policy in this school limits the library
since they only have a few desktop computers and chrome books available for use.
The policy clearly addresses the fines for students but not for teachers. This policy is clearly
more traditional and focuses on issues that do not promote literacy in the 21st century library.
Students should be given unlimited access to books without the risk of fines to better promote
literacy. Overall, this policy is outdated and should be revised to include aspects that promote
21st century learning.
Scheduling
Long County School Scheduling or hours of operation are from 7:30 a.m. to 3:30 p.m. daily for
teacher use. The hours of operation for students are from 7:45 a.m. to 3:15 p.m. daily.
The media center uses a flexible scheduling option. Students are allowed to visit the library
during school hours as long as they have a pass from their teacher. Each teacher can send two
students at a time to visit the library.
Teachers are allowed to reserve the library for classroom instruction. A whiteboard and laptop
are provided in the classroom area of the library. To schedule a visit, email the school media
specialist. Students are allowed to use the media center while it is being used for classroom
instruction. A paraprofessional is provided to assist students if the media specialist is busy with

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classes that have reserved the library. Students are not able to use the library outside of school
hours. There are no polices in place that allow this to happen.
Students are free to use any of the technology devices while they are in the library provided they
are not being used for group instruction. Students are not allowed to reserve the technology
devices. All devices are on a first come first serve basis.
Analysis and Critique Based on Needs of 21st Century Learners
This policy adequately addresses the needs of 21st century learners. They are allowed to visit the
library as many times as they would like as long as they have a teachers permission. They can
come during break or lunch as well. The media center provides space for group instruction as
well as small group workspace at the tables for students to collaborate and learn. The library also
provides technology (laptops and Chrome Books) for use during the instructional day. However,
more polices should be developed to better allow teachers and students to schedule the library for
use. Currently, there is not much collaboration going on between the media specialist and other
teachers. An online calendar would be a good addition to the library website so that teachers
could plan specific times for collaborating with the media specialist and they could also schedule
class sessions using this calendar.
Analysis and Critique Based on BYOT/BYOD
Students are not allowed to bring their personal devices to school. If this policy is ever changed,
it should not affect the scheduling of the media center. Although the media specialist may need
to establish guidelines for students using their devices while visiting the media center.
Analysis and Critique Based on Web 2.0 Technologies
The scheduling policy does not include anything about Web 2.0 technologies. Very few Web 2.0
tools are provided on the media center website. These tools are available from home or school.

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Analysis and Critique Based on E-Books
The scheduling policy does not mention the use of E-books. If E-books become available at this
school, it will not affect the scheduling for the media center.
Analysis and Critique Based on Creative Commons
The scheduling policy does not affect the use of creative commons.
Final Thoughts on Scheduling
The scheduling policy does a good job with promoting 21st century learning. Students and
teachers are provided unlimited opportunities to visit the media center. While they are in the
media center, they have access to all books, technology, and the media specialists services. If
the BYOT policy or the Web 2.0 tools are ever updated, the scheduling policy may need to be
revised just a little to include procedures for these options.
Services Policy
The media center provides very basic services for students and teachers. The media center can
make student and teacher ID cards. Lamination of items for teachers is also available if requested
in advance. It takes 24-48 hours for all requests to be filled. However, teachers are free to
laminate their materials if they do not want to wait for the media specialist. The media center
also provides book binding and poster printing as well as color photo/page printing for students
and teachers. Students must pay .10 cents for each color page printed in the media center. The
current media specialist does not offer many other services at this time. She does provide special
book readings for Read Across America Week as well as a special guest speaker once a year to
promote reading to each grade level. She has also organized a media committee that meets to
discuss needs of the library. She promotes collaboration; however, not many teachers have taken
advantage of this service.

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Analysis and Critique Based on Needs of 21st Century Learners
This policy does not seem to meet the needs of 21st century learners. It provides a basic outline
of the services provided. However, no services are provided to promote digital literacy. The
library does not provide access to Movie Maker or Adobe Photoshop. These programs are not
installed on any computers on campus. Also, making students pay to print does not encourage or
allow all learners equal access to materials. Not all students can afford to print a document,
especially if the document is multiple pages.
Analysis and Critique Based on BYOT/BYOD
Long County students are not allowed to BYOT to school. If they were allowed, the media
specialist might need to revise the services policy to include allowing students to print things
from their own devices or helping students install programs and software on their device.
Analysis and Critique Based on Web 2.0 Technologies
This policy does not address Web 2.0 technologies. A good idea might be for the media
specialist to have a list of Web 2.0 tools that are good for student use and then some that are
good for student use. A section on the media center website could be made that would provide
video tutorials on how to use these Web 2.0 tools.
Analysis and Critique Based on E-Books
This policy does not address E-books. If the school library ever gets E-books, the media
specialist may need to provide services to the students to show them how to access the E-books.
This could easily be done with video tutorials using Web 2.0 tools.
Analysis and Critique Based on Creative Commons

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This policy does not address creative commons. However, since so much work is done in the
library for group projects and individual projects, the media specialist should provide services to
the students to explain creative commons.
Final Thoughts on Services Policy
Long County Media Center services policy is very basic and simple. It provides information
about the few services that are offered in the media center. These services mostly relate to
outdated items like printing and making books and posters. The media center has to realize that
more services should be provided to promote 21st century learning. Students should be provided
with a wealth of information on Web 2.0 technology tools. They should also be able to have the
services of a media specialist to help create videos. The media center is a big area of
collaboration for the students. One of the services offered should be to show students different
ways to collaborate using technology.
The current services policy is mostly concerned with printing and fines. This policy should be
updated to include services relevant to students and teachers in todays school.
Ethics and Legal Principles Policy
The Long County Board of Education provides employees and students with access to
technology resources and the Internet for educational and instructional purposes. The School
District will enforce the following procedures. Although some examples may be stated, they are
intended as illustrations only and do not purport to be all inclusive of inappropriate use. Failure
to comply with the Long County School System Acceptable Use and Internet Safety Policy shall
be deemed grounds for revocation of privileges, potential disciplinary action and/or appropriate
legal action. Any parent/guardian who wishes to deny their child access to the Internet and/or the
technological resources of Long County Schools must do so in writing to the supervising

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principal of his/her child. All students must read the following Acceptable Use and Internet
Safety Agreement and shall indicate acceptance of the agreement by their signature (or their
parent's signature if under the age of 18) for the respective school's student handbook
ACCEPTABLE USE
Use of the Internet and technological resources must be in support of education and research and
must be consistent with the educational objectives of the Long County School System. Use of
any other organization's network or computing resources must comply with the rules appropriate
for that network. In addition to adherence to the policies and procedures of various networks and
any set forth by a service provider or host system, users must abide by all rules and procedures
specified and deemed necessary at the site from which access to the Internet is made. These
procedures may include but are not limited to, a logbook, user time restrictions, and limitations
on use of finite resources. Transmission of any material in violation of any United States or state
regulation is prohibited including but not limited to, copyrighted material, threatening or
obscene material, or material protected by trade secret. Use for commercial activities by forprofit institutions is not acceptable. Use for product advertisement or political lobbying is also
prohibited. Illegal activities are strictly prohibited.
UNACCEPTABLE USE
The user is responsible for all of his/her actions and activities involving the network and the
Internet. Examples of prohibited conduct include but are not limited to the following:
Accessing materials or communications that are inappropriate
Sending or posting materials or communications that are inappropriate

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Using the network for any illegal activity; Copying or downloading copyrighted material on any
system connected to the School Systems hardware/software/network without the owners
permission
Using the network for private financial or commercial gain or political lobbying
Wastefully using resources, including print resources
"Chatting" or visiting Chat Rooms on school equipment at any time.
Gaining unauthorized access to resources or entities
Invading the privacy of individuals; using another users account or password
Posting material authorized or created by another without his/her consent
Posting anonymous messages
Using the network for commercial or private advertising
Forging of electronic mail messages
Creation and sending of harassing electronic mail messages
Attempting to read, delete, copy or modify the electronic mail of other system users and
deliberately interfering with the ability of other system users to send/receive electronic mail
Using the network and access to the Internet in a fashion inconsistent with directions from
supervisors/teachers/administrators
Analysis and Critique Based on Needs of 21st Century Learners
This policy is very long and covers much information. Some of the policies do relate to 21st
century learning. A few statements are made about digital citizenship and things that are
inappropriate while online at school. However, it does not address much about copyright and
plagiarism that are huge issues in 21st century learning. These things should be added to the
policy to help reflect the 21st century world of education.

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Analysis and Critique Based on BYOT/BYOD
This policy does not address BYOT since students are not allowed to bring their own devices.
However, if this policy is changed, the ethical use policy will need to be changed. The policy
would need to reflect rules and regulations for students using their device. It might also be
helpful to include information on the policy to demonstrate how to connect to the school network
using a personal device.
Analysis and Critique Based on Web 2.0 Technologies
This policy does not address the use of Web 2.0 technologies. It does address proper use of the
Internet online. However, some of these policies should be revised to include Web 2.0 tools. For
example, one of the statements says, no chatting. This might need to be revised to include an
exception if the teacher has provided a private chat room for the class to collaborate or discuss
lessons. This policy does not address filtering of websites or how a teacher can request a site to
be unblocked for educational purposes.
Analysis and Critique Based on E-Books
There is no mention of E-books in this section. If the school ever gets E-books, the policy would
need to be revised. It would be wise to keep records of E-books and how they can be distributed
to students and teachers. This goes back to the statement mentioned above about the lack of
information on copyright laws.
Analysis and Critique Based on Creative Commons
This policy does a pretty good job explaining what not to do. However, it does not address
creative commons for students and how students can protect their work. A section should be
added to this policy to include this information.
Final Thoughts on Ethics and Principles Policy

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This is one section of the policy that was difficult to locate. The Internet policies were located in
the technology handbook found on the school website. The basic information found on copyright
was located in the old media center handbook that has not been updated in years. There was
nothing mentioned about creative commons, and this is especially important since students are
constantly creating new things using technology. The policy is also hard to understand and
includes a lot of generic statements that do not reflect things that are important in the world of
education today. It focuses too much on unacceptable use and does not focus enough on how to
use the technology provided in an ethical way.
Conclusion
The Long County Media centers services policies are very outdated. Each one of these policies
should be updated to reflect 21st century learning. Surveys should be given to stakeholders to
find out what kind of policies should be in place. Creative commons should be discussed in
detail, and a plan should be made for how to help students understand this concept. Many of
these policies refer and reflect concepts that are no longer important in education. Creating an
updated version of each policy would benefit all students, teachers and especially the media
specialist in Long County Schools.

Section IV: School Library Media Center Facilities

Physical and Virtual Environment
Learning climate:
Long County Middle School media center provides a friendly, welcoming, and accepting
atmosphere that supports a learning environment. The furnishings and decorations are clean and
comfortable but could be brought up to date. With the addition of technology, the overall
scholarly climate provides an atmosphere conducive to instruction and learning.

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The media center layout includes a print and lamination station, bulletin board area, book
section, instruction area with smart board, group learning area, reading space with a mat,
audio/visual section, the circulation desk and a computer area consisting of 10 new desktops. All
of these provide the necessary environment to facilitate a class and assist teachers.
The nurse station is located within the media center confines.
Furnishings:
There are 12 tables with a variety of available seating to set up collaborative student work. As
one walks into the library from the main entrance, this is the first area brought to the attention.
The area is wide and makes a person feel comfortable. There is plenty of room to spread out
without feeling you are infringing on anothers work space. The tables and chairs are of
matching color made of sturdy oak. There are chairs available for 44 students working in groups
of 6 and 4. The media center has a story reading area. This area contains a large colorful rug for
younger grade levels to sit comfortably for story time.
As one enters the main entrance of the media center, the computer stations are located directly to
the left. Each station is a small desk that supports two new desktop computers. There are both
power and data connections built into the floor for each station. The stations are spaced for easy
navigation without the worry of knocking over or damaging the hardware. All stations are
positioned where screens can be monitored from the circulation desk.
Throughout the book areas, there are blue bean bags scattered to give students a comfortable
setting to read individually. The book area is located to the left of the media center as you enter
the main entrance. Three main shelving areas along the wall provide the majority of book
shelving. Each area is six shelves high with five columns for a total of 30 shelves per area. In
addition to this area, there is another book area that includes four waist high shelves for books.

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Each of those shelves contains three levels of books that are easily accessed by all. The book
selection covers a wide range of genres including 000 General Knowledge, 100 Psychology and
Philosophy, 200 Religion and Mythology, 300 Social Science and Folklore, 400 Language, 500
Natural Sciences, 600 Technology and Applied Sciences, 700 Arts and Recreation, 800
Literature and 900 Geography and History. There is one shelving area dedicated to
encyclopedias and globes. The fiction materials are located in the main library area and are easily
accessible by all students. Fiction books are separated by grade level and have two main sections
labeled 4th-5th grade fiction and 6th-8th fiction.
Virtual and Technological Elements:
The facility has wireless technology but currently the school has not adopted a BYOT policy.
The students must use media center provided technology. Currently, the student body is not
utilizing the cloud. There is an ongoing initiative to make Google Drive available but are still in
the process of implementing.
Work/production areas not available to students:
Located directly to the left as one enters the main entrance, there is an area dedicated to teachers
for bulletin board creation and lamination. The area is restricted from student use.
Sounds, light, etc.:
The media center has very little ambient light. Sunlight enters through three 4x4 windows
along the left wall above the book shelves. The only other ambient light available originates from
an outside entrance located at the rear of the facility. The high ceiling provides an open feel to
the area. There are sections of fluorescent lighting intermingled with incandescent lighting. This
helps balance the overall effect upon the eyes. The facility is held at a comfortable temperature
throughout the school year. The media specialist can make temperature adjustments if needed.

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Acoustically the facility is quiet due to the carpeting. The floor is kept clean, and the carpet
shows very little wear despite the heavy traffic. Upon entrance, one is greeted with a pleasing
fragrance that has no hint of muskiness.
Accessibility:
All students and faculty have easy access to the facility. The atmosphere is open and inviting.
The computer stations in the first row are spaced adequately for wheelchair access. However, the
second row would be a tight fit for students in wheelchairs. All available tables are wheelchair
accessible. There is plenty of open walking space.
The facility lacks signs in other languages to help guide students that are non-English speaking.
Audio aids are available to students who are in need. Headphones make it possible to access
online media without disrupting other learning activities.
The circulation desk, located at the back right side of the facility, is accessible to all students
including wheelchair bound. There are two book return areas dedicated to different grade levels.

Virtual Facility
Resources available:
The school media center website is available to students, faculty and teachers. The website is
outdated and provides few resources. It contains a welcome page, useful websites page,
Accelerated Reader page and teacher technology resources page. Faculty members have access
to a small selection of videos to supplement instruction. These resources are stored in a small
room at the back of the facility.
OPACS:
Long County utilizes Destiny as the systems online card catalog. The online card catalog is
available to all students and faculty. It can be accessed from both school or home. Book searches

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and e-books are available, and other resources are accessible such as teacher professional
materials and technology.
Filtering software:
The Long County school system implements a basic internet filter for the entire network.
Students are restricted from using YouTube, social media, and other related sites. The filtering
restricts many useful sites. Teachers may request that a site be unblocked, but the process is
tedious and often gives no results.

Needed Changes
Elements that work well:
The facility is well lit despite the lack of ambient light. The addition of incandescent lighting
eases the harshness of the fluorescents. The overall space provides an environment conducive to
learning. There is ample seating for classes or small groups who would like to work
collaboratively.
Changes needed:
The nurse office needs to be relocated. Its presence increases the foot traffic in what is an already
busy space. The main shelving is too high for many middle school students. The center also
serves 4th and 5th-grade levels who certainly find it difficult to reach the upper shelves.
The media center website needs a complete overhaul. The site lacks current resources for
teachers, students, and parents. A modern, clean design with easy navigation and up to date
events and announcements would create online traffic to the site. The site should reflect the
media center as the hub of the school's learning resources and technology.
The library is shared between 5-grade levels which makes it crowded at times. The high volume
of students also decreases the availability for class reservation.

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Barriers:
Web filtering hinders access to some beneficial student and teacher resources. Due to the high
percentage of economically disadvantaged student population, many will be unable to utilize the
Google Drive and other beneficial online tools once they are available.
Environment conducive to learning:
Overall, the facility creates an environment that is conducive to learning. The media center is
very flexible with scheduling. Students can visit during lunch and break as long as they bring a
pass. Ten new desktop computers were installed this year for student use. The books are
sectioned by elementary and middle. The separation helps keep the two schools separate. There
is a para pro available daily to assist all students.
Facility Attractive:
The facility has a need for extra storage space. There is evidence of clutter that could be moved
out of sight. Student displayed projects help create a colorful environment along with decorations
around the facility. This help eases what is an outdated color scheme from an older building.
Education climate:
There is a positive educational climate. Students and faculty are all encouraged to take advantage
of the resources the media center has to offer.
Adequate space:
Due to the number of grade levels using the facility, space could be increased to handle the load
of users. Two classes at most may be serviced at one time. That is only with one fully seated, and
the other spread out through the facility. Teachers would benefit from having an enclosed work
space for bulletin board creation and lamination station.

Section V: Budget Resources

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Long County Media Center Budget
The line budget amount for the Long County Middle School Media Center this year was
$61,876. The media center served two schools for FY14 including Long County Middle School,
Walker Elementary School and the Long County Pre-K.
FTE Count and Formula
The total count for the FTE for media budget for 2014 was 690. This was based only on the Long
County Middle School and did not include the other schools. The dollar amount received per
student based on FTE count for the media center was:
$61,876 / 690 = $89.67 Budget
$69,584.01 / 690 = $100.84 Actual
Spending
The media center budget for 2014 was spent on the following items for a total of $69,584.01:
Salary

54.35%

$37,821.40

Benefits

33.89%

$23,580.29

Prof Serv.

.7%

$487.50

Supplies

2.32%

$1,611.52

Software

1.07%

$747.50

Equipment

1.00%

$697.99

Tech. Equip.

1.72%

$1,196.00

Books

4.95%

$3,441.81

Additional Funding
The Long County Middle School Media Center does get QBE funding. They receive QBE
funding for salary at $61.38 per FTE count and materials at $13.03 per FTE count. Other funding

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comes from book fairs that are held each year. The media center also has a school store that
provides funding as well as turtle book sales. In addition, the media center receives local
supplements that vary from year to year.
Adequacy of Funding
The media specialist feels the funding is adequate for the current needs of the media center.
Enough funding is available to purchase books and software for student use. However, additional
funds are needed to add more technology to the media center. According to Martin (2011),
communication is critical. If additional funding is needed, the media specialist must
communicate with stakeholders and vendors to try to come up with the best possible plan within
the budget allowed. The media center is in need of updating furnishings as well. However, the
system is currently breaking ground on a new school so it is likely that those updates will not
happen for the current media center.
As stated above, more funding is needed for technology so that students are able to use more Ebooks and other Web 2.0 tools. The school does not allow students to BYOT so students must
rely on using the technology provided by the media center. If the media center wants to move
towards a more 21st century focus, more funding will need to be allocated for purchasing
technology for student use. Harris (2013) suggests looking for funding within the school that
could be blended for use in the school library media center so this might be an option to help
LCMS media center shift more into a 21st century media center.

Section VI: Survey Stakeholders

Group 1 Key Assessment Library Stakeholder Survey
1. In an average week, how many times do you visit the library?
o More than 5 times
o
4-5 times a week
o 1-3 times a week

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o
Never
2. How many of the materials and resources in the library are user friendly?
o All of them
o Most of them
o
Some of them
o None of them
3. Do you know how to avoid plagiarism?
o Yes
o
Sometimes
o
No
4. Do you feel comfortable when you visit the library?
o Yes
o Sometimes
o No
5. The materials in the school media center are useful and relevant to my needs.
o Strongly Agree
o Agree
o Disagree
o Strongly Disagree
6. What is your favorite reason for visiting the media center?
o Check out Books
o Use Technology
o Get help from the Media Specialist
o I do not visit the media center
o Other:
7. What would make you visit the media center more often?
o A better selection of books
o More technology to use
o A friendlier media specialist
o Nothing would make me visit the media center
o Other:
8. The media specialist is helpful and available to answer questions when I need her.
o Strongly Agree
o Agree
o Disagree
o Strongly Disagree
9. List one thing you would change about our current media center:

10. List one thing that you DO NOT like about our current media center:
Survey Results

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The result of the survey shows that around 80% of people use the library about 1-3 times each
week. When these students visit the library, most of them only come to check out books. A small
portion of the students come for technology use and one person never visits the library. When
asked what could improve the frequency of library visits, there were several answers given. The
highest rated response indicated that the media center needed a better selection of books. This
was followed by more technology to use and a friendlier media specialist.
Most everyone surveyed felt comfortable visiting the library. They felt that the materials and
resources were easy to use and relevant to their needs. They also felt that the media specialist
was ready and willing to help them when asked.
Suggestions to Improve
There were a few things that could be improved based on the results of the survey. The media
center needs to get a comfortable section for reading. This was indicated by several people. In
addition, they would like a bigger, better selection that has more up-to-date books to choose
from. Another suggestion is to add in a video production station and student collaboration
station. One final suggestion was to update the interior of the media center by painting the walls
and changing the old worn carpet from the floor.

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Section VII: Planning for the Future

Long-Range Goal 1:
To collaborate with teachers and administrators to implement at least one lesson per 9 weeks per
grade level to meet the needs of 21st century learners.
Rationale: Librarians can and should add genuine value to the educational process through
collaborative planning and teaching. But this can only be done when the librarian is both
proactive and reflective.(Johnson, p 63) Bringing the media specialist together with teachers on
a regular basis will assist the educator in reaching their instructional goals. This is unattainable
without understanding what those goals are. Based on the survey results, one of the things
requested was more teamwork. Also, after speaking with the media specialist, there are only 1-2
teachers that currently collaborate with her to present lessons. Clearly there is a need for
development of a plan that would allow the media specialist and teachers to work together to
develop collaborative lessons to help meet the needs of 21st century learners. Also, the librarian
may learn from students and teachers respectively. The end product of this cooperation will
empower students to take a more dynamic role in shaping their education. By modeling such
collaborative relationships, the school librarian helps change the culture of the learning
community to reflect the kind of relationships that comprise the 21st-century work
environment. (ASSL,2009, p21).
Long-Range Goal 1:

Short-Term Objectives:

Evaluations:

To collaborate with
teachers and
administrators to
implement at least one
lesson per 9 weeks per
grade level to meet the

Action Plan 1:
1a. Create a media team
composed of the media
specialist, teachers,
administrators and
community members to

1a. The media team will meet at least

once each month to determine short
term goals for the collaborative
lessons.
1b. The media specialist and teachers

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needs of 21st century

learners.

collaborate on ideas for

implementing a relevant
lesson for students in each
grade level.
1b. The media specialist and
teacher will form lesson
plans, collaborative lessons
& activities, summative and
formative assessment plans
in order to present lessons
for students in each grade
level.

will decide on the biggest areas of

weakness for the students based on
performance in class, assessments or
other relevant data. They will work
collaboratively to design and
implement lessons that will target
these areas and to develop assessments
that will show improvement in these
weak areas.
1c. The media specialist and teachers
will create an online calendar so that
teachers can easily schedule coteaching sessions in the media center.

1c. The media specialist and

teachers will work together
to create a flexible schedule
and co-teaching plan so that
each grade level has an
opportunity to be taught
these lessons.
Long-Range Goal 2:
To improve the use of technology in the media center, the media specialist will incorporate more
ways to promote Web 2.0 tools for students and teachers and more professional learning to help
the staff learn how to use Web 2.0 tools.
Rationale: The use of Web 2.0 tools promotes students to have creativity, critical thinking skills,
team skills, and be self-motivated learners. These are all qualities and characteristics of 21st
century learners. Web 2.0 tools encourage collaboration and interaction among classmates and
teachers. Teachers will be more willing to use Web 2.0 tools in instruction if they feel more
comfortable with it themselves. Providing professional development in areas of weakness will
help teachers overcome the fear of using technology in the classroom.
Long-Range Goal 2:

Short-Term Objectives:

Evaluations:

To improve the use of

Action Plan 1:

1a. The media specialist will

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technology in the media

center, the media
specialist will
incorporate more ways
to promote Web 2.0
tools.

1a. The media specialist will

update the media center
website to include numerous
links for Web 2.0 tools as well
as videos and podcasts on how
to use the Web 2.0 tools
successfully.
1b. The media specialist will
provide training and
professional development to
staff on how to use Web 2.0
tools and how to incorporate
Web 2.0 into their instruction.
1c. The media specialist will
provide all teachers with a
curated list of helpful Web 2.0
tools to use in instruction.

periodically survey teachers to

determine areas of weakness in
technology.
1b. The media specialist will utilize
surveys after each professional
development to find out what the
teachers thought was beneficial,
what they need more help with, and
suggestions for future professional
development.
1c. The media specialist will ask for
a volunteer each week to post a
lesson plan where they use one of
the Web 2.0 tools from the curated
list.

Long-Range Goal 3:
In order to update the policies and rules of the media center, a new media center handbook will
be created.
Rationale: The current media center handbook is very old. In fact, the media specialist does not
even know when it was updated last but it looks like more than 10 years ago. The policies are
outdated and in need of major revisions. Hardly any of the policies in the handbook relate to 21st
century learning or using Web 2.0 tools.
Long-Range Goal 3:

Short-Term Objectives:

Evaluations:

Description: In order to
update the policies and
rules of the media center,
a new media center
handbook will be created.

1a. The media specialist will

develop a stakeholder survey to
find out what others would like to
see in the media center handbook.

1a. Data from the surveys will

be analyzed and presented to
the media committee for
approval.

1b. The media specialist will form

a media committee composed of
stakeholders from the school and
community to begin revising and
creating the new media center

1b. The media committee will

meet once each week to
discuss the revisions of the
handbook until the final copy
is ready for print.

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handbook.
1c. The media specialist will
include procedures and policies
related to 21st century learning,
especially ethical use of
information as it relates to
students and teachers.

1c. The media specialist will

be the final proofreader for the
media handbook and submit
the final copy to the
administration for review.

By accomplishing these three goals, the Long County Middle Media Center will be heading in
the direction of 21st century learning. The media specialist will be encouraging a culture of
collaboration with teachers to result in improved student learning and better understanding of
technology. The media specialist will also be striving to meet the needs of 21st century learners
by providing them with access to Web 2.0 tools as well as materials on how to use those tools.
Most importantly, the media specialist will work with stakeholders from the school and
community to do a total revision of the outdated handbook to bring it up-to-date with 21st century
learning. If all of these short-term goals can be accomplished, the media center will improve
drastically.

Section VIII: References

American Association of school librarians. (2013). Empowering learners: Guidelines for school
library programs. Chicago: American Library Association.
Bayliss S. (2013). Flipping the library: Tips from three pros- The digital shift. School Library
Journal. Retrieved April 20, 2015 from http://www.thedigitalshift.com/2013/10/k12/flipping-the-library-the-digital-shift-2013/
Downs, E. (2010). The school library media specialist policy and procedure writer. New York:
Neal Shuman.
Harris, C. (2012). Enter blended funding. School Library Journal. Retrieved April 21, 2015 from
https://go.view.usg.edu/content/enforced/867356-CO.390.FRIT7331.17980.20154/M112014/HarrisEnterBlendedFunding.pdf?d2lSessionVal=0c3oEYPcydrfILOBa9TTxbj1s&ou=867356
Johnson, D. (2013). The indispensable librarian: Surviving and thriving in school libraries in the

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information age. Santa Barbara, CA: Linworth.
McGregor, J. (2006). Flexible scheduling: Implementing an innovation. School Library Media
Research, 9, 1-34.
Martin, A. (2011). Tactics for tough budget times. Library Media Connection, 24-25.
U.S. Census Bureau (2013). Population in 2014 of Long County. Retrieved April 1, 2015 from
http://www.georgia-demographics.com/ludowici-demographics