Tracie Sammons

Journal

EDUT 6115

Summer 2009

Mathews Elementary- Mrs. Beth Beasley, Retired Media Specialist

 (May 28, 2009)

Columbus Public Library- Ms. Lyn Seaman, Media Specialist

Statement of Educational Philosophy-The media center plays an important role in the educational development of students. The media center can foster a love for reading by establishing a climate that is inviting and friendly. In today’s media centers students come for more than to check out books, they come for the technological aspect and to become informational literate. The media specialist should be seen as an instructional partner that helps teachers prepare for standard based lessons. A well established media center is equipped with resources for teaching and learning that enhance the curriculum. The media center should be seen has an extension of the learning environment.

Journal

Mathews Elementary

History of the facility -Mamie J. Mathews Elementary was originally named Lynch Road School in Midland, Ga. The school was renamed on May 11, 1959 to Mamie J. Mathews in honor of Mrs. Mathews who taught there for many years.  The library has undergone several renovations. The last change took place in 2005. Students are allowed to visit the library once a day or unless a student has a note form a teacher. Students are encouraged to come to the media center for research or to complete projects. The media specialist often put students’ projects on display. Code of conduct is not posted but students are told the rules and what is expected. Students are given a reasonable amount of time to select a book. If a child seems to be playing the child is spoken to and hopefully the misbehavior is corrected.  A student that continues to misbehave is sent back to the classroom. Some students are restricted from the library for serious infractions. In the back of the Media Center there is a work room for faculty to use. Presentations and faculty meeting are often held in the Media Center.

Organization of the collection – The books are categorized by Easy, K &1^st grade leveled books are in a cart,  Accelerated Reading Books are separated by level of difficulty and coded with stars and colored dots to indicate reading level, fiction, nonfiction, reference books, and fiction paper backs.

Ordering policies – Books are ordered based on Standards.

Patron Services -   Destiny is the automated card catalog system and can be accessed from any computer; students are allowed to check out two books at a time, Accelerated Reading Program, and the Six Flags Reading Program.

Budget – The budget is based on the number of students and the Board of Education decides how much money is allotted for the Media Center’s budget.

Self Analysis

  5/7/09- Today was my first day learning about the media center. Mrs.Beasley asked me to help her with the Accelerated Reading program ice cream party celebration. I helped her set up for about 30- 40 students. These students reached a goal set by the state standards. We had to scoop ice cream for the students, luckily parents came to help. That would have been a lot of work for one person to do alone. I see to do this job you need a lot of stamina to sustain all the activities that go on in one day. I think I would enjoy interacting with more than 18 students. A media specialist gets to know the entire school population.

5/12/09 – Today I helped shelf some more books. Mrs. Beasley talked about budgeting and the Media committee. I am on the Technology and Media Committee. The committee decides where to place computers in the school. The committee has a teacher from each grade level participate. After talking to Mrs. Beasley I think I will enjoy working with all the faculty members in a school. I know it want be easy dealing with different personalities.

5/14/09 – Help with ice cream party for the Six Flag reading program. These students had to read 600 minutes. About 80 students participated. I realized a media specialist’s duties are similar to a classroom teacher’s duties. We all do things outside the teaching realm. The working conditions are comparable but media specialist do not have to grade papers, complete report cards, or attend parent/teacher conferences.

5/15/09 – Mrs. Beasley showed me a catalog she uses to orders some of the books for the library. I think this would be a concern for a new media specialist who wouldn’t know how to order new books or which books to order. Each year the media specialist is given a budget to order new books. To make sure you order sufficient books you need to be familiar with the standards for each grade level. We talked about a parent who complained about a book titled My Brother Sam is Dead. The book is not in our library, but Mrs. Beasley was on the committee to listen to the complaint. As a new librarian I would worry about ordering a book that a parent finds objectionable. The more time I spend with Mrs.Beasley I’m beginning to see being a manager of a media center is not an easy job.

5/18/09 – Today the Technology committee met to discuss the Computer Refresh Project for the upcoming school year. We had to decide where to place the new computers. As a media specialist, I would need to continuously learn new technology in order to be able to keep the teachers up to date with technology. I enjoy learning and sharing what I learn with others.

5/28/09 – Today I helped inventory computers for disposal.  That was a lot of work. I had to check inventory tags on about 30 computers. After spending time in the media center with Mrs. Beasley there is a lot of work and responsibility involved in running a media center. A media specialist does not sit behind a desk and check out books all day long. The media center is like variety store inside a mall.

Library Environment- Mathews’ media center is full of books, resources, and DVDs, that complement the state standards. Students are constantly checking out books or on the computers. Mrs. Beasley taught my class and other third grade classes reference skills and geography skills to help prepare for the CRCT. Mrs. Beasley attended some of our grade level meetings to listen to us and to help us and herself prepare lesson plans.

Career Exploration - I would prefer to work in an elementary school library mainly because I am an elementary school teacher. The task I think I would enjoy most is being able to help others learn more technology as I learn more technology. I am interested in the academic facility.  I like working with a team of people and collaborating on ideas. I do not have preference when it comes to working with patrons. I feel that I can work with patrons that are skilled or ones with deficiencies. I taught in an inclusion class for two years and enjoyed team teaching.  At this time I have not applied for a media specialist position. I am aware of the step and procedures for applying for a job. I hope to learn more about services offered by college and university.

Columbus Public Library

 History of the facility - The Columbus Public Library opened January 2005 with more than 3000 visitors the first day. It is located in Columbus, Georgia in an area called Mid Town. The architectural firm Robert A. M. Stern, Associates designed the building.  The library is 100,000 square feet building with two and half story building. One of the first floor rooms is devoted to children. The room is the Aflac Children’s Room which also contains the Children’s Story Room. Also on this floor is the room for Popular Material.  The second floor is the adult circulation materials.  On the second floor adults can enjoy Genealogy and Local History Department and the W.C. Bradley Memorial Reading Room (Reference Department).

Organization of collection -The children’s room is divided into Easy, Easy Fiction, Fiction, Nonfiction, Bilingual-Spanish Easy, Easy Fiction, Fiction, Nonfiction, Magazines, Parent Guide books, and Boardbooks.

Budget - The library is given a yearly budget to purchase more shelving, furniture, and equipment. The budget is submitted in January to the Board of Education for approval. The budget is submitted by each department.

Ordering Policies - The Selection Committee does orders books for the Children’s Department.

Patron Services – There are over 30 programs available for patrons to enjoy such as  Reading programs for children and teens, Story Time, Creative Kidz,  Audiotapes, Meeting Rooms, Family in the Garden, Movies, Books on Tape, Computers, Outreach programs, Online catalog, Library for the Blind and the Physically Handicapped, and the Bookmobile Services.

The code of conduct is no on display but set by the standards for most public libraries. A patron will be asked to leave by security if he or she is unruly. Patrons are trusted and respected in the facility. Patrons are free to move about to select books or to use the computers. When every a patron needed help, someone helped or answered a question respectfully.

The prep room is located on the Children’s Room. This is where the media specialist prepares for programs such as Story Time, Tiny Tales, Time for Tots, Creative Kidz, or other programs.

Self Analysis

June 1, 09 - Today was my first lab visit to the Aflac Children’s Room. I arrived at 10:30 and feeling pretty excited about learning how the children’s department is organized in the public library.  Ms. Lyn Seaman, Media Specialist, talked about activities and ideas I could perform during my lab visit. She expressed a need for books to be reshelved for circulation. Reshelving books was my first duty in the public library. There were at least 60 – 80 books that needed to be placed back on the shelf. I was hoping to shadow Ms. Seaman and learn more about her job. Ms. Seaman seemed sort of flustered because she found out that Story Time was scheduled.  She is the only certified librarian in the children’s department.  Fortunate for her no one came, but sort of sad that children where missing a great opportunity to have a fantastic book read to them. After we talked I got a cart of books and began shelving. The books on the cart were already in order for the shelves which made it a little easier and faster. I had to really concentrate on the call numbers to make sure I put the books in the correct place. The children’s room is divided into Easy, Easy Fiction, Fiction, Nonfiction, Bilingual-Spanish Easy, Easy Fiction, Fiction, Nonfiction, Magazines, Parent Guide books, and Boardbooks. So there were a lot of section and books and books to put away. I noticed by back was beginning to hurt from bending. I didn’t realize that many children used the public library. Ms. Seaman said the summer is the busiest time for them. I had hoped to spend more time with Ms. Seaman. At 11:05, I went into the Aflac Story Room to observe Tiny Tales ages 0 -24 months. Ms. Seaman was great with the children. She was very animated when she sang and read to the children. After she read her books, the children had experimental time with puppets and musical instruments.  While the babies and toddlers moved around the room, I got a puppet and played with the children. After leaving Tiny Tales I went back on the floor. The library is managed very well. The patrons that were visiting knew the rules. The children’s area was very quiet. There were not many children in that day to check out books. Most of the children there were on the computers playing games. Later in the day Ms. Seaman asked me to make new displays for the selected books on display.  Ms. Seaman gave me a few titles and I had to create the remaining titles. So, I walked the aisles and found books I thought would peak children’s interests. I enjoyed being given that responsibility and allowed to be creative. As I was leaving the library and thinking about all the activities that had taken place today, I learned the public library is a busy place like a classroom. Ms. Seaman was active all morning. There wasn’t any spare time for her to sit and talk. The only time she got a break was when she left for lunch. Her schedule made me aware of the many different tasks that are involved in being a media specialist. My day in the public library reminded me of my classroom.

June 4, 09 – I discovered from my first visit that the Children’s Room in the library is like a grand size classroom minus the graded papers.  A media specialist has to have a lot of stamina, patience, continuous learning and creativity.  My assignment today was to complete the displays. As I was working on the displays I was stopped several times by patrons that needed help. Some of the questions I could answer and some I couldn’t. The questions I couldn’t answer I had to direct them to the volunteer who comes regularly. I enjoyed the experience of helping someone find what they needed. This is when I learned a media specialist is stopped several times in the middle of doing something to answer a question just like a teacher is interrupted. The displays took longer than I thought, but I was able to complete the tasks. Ms. Seaman was alone today in the library. Her coworker came today but had to leave because she was sick. Ms. Seaman seemed a little discouraged because the library is short staffed and has been for a while. Her crestfallen demeanor made me think about myself on the days when there is so much to do and there isn’t a second person to help. I stayed longer than I was scheduled. Ms. Seaman and I got a few minutes to talk. She was very apologetic when she answered my questions. Being short staffed is a problem that I would expect to encounter being a new media specialist. To help myself with this problem, I would try to prioritize the important to the least important.

Log sheets and field assessment sheets are below: