School Libraries - Keystone Area Education Agency

Effective school library programs and professionally trained teacher librarians play an essential role in the instructional program of each school and student achievement. In 2006, a requirement that each school district in Iowa employ a qualified teacher librarian and have in place an articulated, sequential K-12 library program became a part of 281--Iowa Administrative Code 12.3(12).

For information about meeting Iowa Code for Library Programs while engaging in continuous improvement, please refer to the Iowa Department of Education School Library Program Standards Guidance as well as Iowa School Library Program Standards.

OUR MISSION

Our Mission

The mission of the Keystone AEA Media is to offer equitable, effective, and efficient library services for our partner schools and families. The Media Program desires to meet the information literacy and research needs of our school communities while supporting teaching and learning through Board/administration/teacher/student/community collaboration, technology, life-long learning skills, and desire for reading. We are intentional about collaborating with all parts of the AEA system to maximize the positive impact on the broader educational system in our state by supporting high quality teaching and learning. To facilitate our work, each AEA has staff members who lead and support media and technology programs and services in the following areas:

BELIEF STATEMENTS

WE BELIEVE:

life-long learning is the ultimate goal of schools in our society, and that the library program is vital to creating independent, informed, responsible learners who are ready for college, career and life.
qualified teacher librarians lead effective school library programs and have been educated and certified to perform interlinked, interdisciplinary, and cross-cutting roles as instructional leaders, program administrators, educators, collaborative partners, and information specialists.
the teacher librarian works in collaboration with teachers, administrators, support staff and parents to provide learning experiences that promote student achievement.
the school library is a classroom.
the library program promotes critical thinking, engagement with information in all its forms and the responsible use of technology to enhance teaching and learning.
the library program fosters and supports the development of literacy and reading for enjoyment and for information as reading is the core of personal and academic competency.
the library curriculum promotes inquiry learning through information literacy instruction that enhances and reinforces classroom content and instruction.
the library program cultivates connections with the larger learning community by providing students access to learning resources and activities beyond classroom and school walls.
all students have the right to access age-appropriate, multicultural, and gender fair literature, information and information technologies.
the diverse needs and learning styles of students require variability in learning resources and instruction.
a rich, diverse and abundant collection of resources is essential to meet diverse learner needs.

Professional Roles of Teacher Librarian

School Librarians at the Heart of Transformation

INFORMATION SPECIALIST

Technology plays a crucial role in every aspect of the teacher librarian (TL). As an information specialist TLs use technology tools to supplement school resources, assist in the creation of engaging learning tasks, connect the school with the global learning community, communicate with students and classroom teachers at any time, and provide 24-7 access to library services. A teacher librarian introduces and models emerging technologies, as well as strategies for finding, assessing, and using information. I am a leader in software and hardware evaluation, establishing the processes for such evaluation to take place. Doing so requires frequent evaluation of the use

Expertise in the ethical use of information also remains a cornerstone of this teacher librarian's role as information specialist. As copyright options continue to expand for creators, the teacher librarian must be versed in the theoretical grounding and practical application of such Iaws in order to teach the ethical use of information to the learning community. This involves new understandings of fair use and forms of licensing that allow users to modify original content. Students, teachers, and other members of the educational community look to the teacher librarian to set guidelines for navigating fair use issues.

TEACHER

In the role of the teacher the TL empowers students to become critical thinkers, enthusiastic readers, skillful researchers, and ethical users of information. The TL supports students' success by guiding them to:

read for understanding, breadth, and pleasure
use information for defined and self-defined purposes
build on prior knowledge and construct new knowledge
embrace the world of information and all its formats
work with each other in successful collaborations for learning
constructively assess their own work and the work of their peers
become their own best critics

The teacher librarian advocates for reading for pleasure and supports reading comprehension skills across all formats. The teacher librarian has the resources to build a library collection that reflects the needs of learners from a variety of backgrounds and cultures, and with diverse abilities and aspirations. A leading SLMS stays abreast of both national trends of popular reading material and student interests within the school community. I advocate for reading in all formats, such as graphic novels, periodicals, and online sources.

INSTRUCTIONAL PARTNER

As outlined in Information Power: Building Partnerships for Learning the teacher librarian works with members of the school community to develop the policies, practices, and curricula to guide student learning. The teacher librarian collaborates with classroom teachers to develop assignments that are matched to academic standards and include key critical thinking skills, technology and information literacy skills, and core social skills and cultural competencies. The teacher librarian guides instructional design by working with the classroom teacher to establish learning objectives and goals, and by implementing assessment strategies before, during, and after assigned units of study.

PROGRAM ADMINSTRATOR

PROGRAM ADMINISTRATOR

As program administrator, the teacher librarian ensures that all members of the learning community have access to resources that meet a variety of needs and interests. The implementation of a successful school library program requires the collaborative development of a program mission, strategic plan, and policies, as well as the effective management of staff, the program budget, and the physical and virtual spaces. The teacher librarian also addresses broader educational issues with other educators in the building, at the district level, and at the professional association level.

Ethical Principles

ETHICAL PRINCIPLES
EIGHT GUIDING PRINCIPLES

ETHICAL PRINCIPLES

The Keystone AEA Library Program serves as a learning and resource hub for our staff, administration, teachers, students and other members of the school communities to share information and ideas (ALA Bill of Rights). It is the responsibility of the Media Administrator and Librarian to educate, promote, and protect the intellectual freedom of all our patrons and to align services with the Agency's mission, vision and values to improve learning for all.

We understand the importance to make known the principles that guide the work of Keystone AEA Media Services. The American Librarian Association states the values to which we are committed and embodies the ethical responsibilities of the profession in this world's ever-changing information environment (Code of Ethics, ALA).

Keystone AEA is committed to serving each patron's intellectual freedom rights, their right to privacy, all the while promoting, protecting and educating patrons on the standards of copyright. These principles are ethical frameworks that guide this school library program's decision making to best serve our school library patrons to provide a positive learning environment.

Citations:
American Library Association. (2019). Access to Resources and Services in the School Library Media Program: An Interpretation to the Library Bill of Rights. Retrieved from: http://www.ala.org/advocacy/intfreedom/librarybill/interpretations/accessresources
American Library Association. (2019). Code of Ethics. Retrieved from: http://www.ala.org/tools/ethics
American Library Association. (2019). Library Bill of Rights. Retrieved from: http://www.ala.org/advocacy/intfreedom/librarybill

EIGHT GUIDING PRINCIPLES

Our Guiding Principles

ONE

TWO

THREE

FOUR

FIVE

SIX

SEVEN

EIGHT

NINE

GUIDING PRINCIPLE 9

We affirm the inherent dignity and rights of every person. We work to recognize and dismantle systemic and individual biases; to confront inequity and oppression; to enhance diversity and inclusion; and to advance racial and social justice in our libraries, communities, profession, and associations through awareness, advocacy, education, collaboration, services, and allocation of resources and spaces.

Resources for Learning

FRAMEWORK FOR INSTRUCTION FOR THE SCHOOL LIBRARY LEARNER

As a component of School Library Program Standards (TL1) adopted by the Iowa DoE in 2019, an optimizing school library program offers a knowledge-rich K-12 library curriculum as a component of Multi-Tiered System of Supports (MTSS) universal instruction. The purpose of a K-12 Framework for Instruction for School Library Learners is to showcase the key facts (knowledge), skills (be able to do), and experiences that can only be gained firsthand through the school library program. The school library is a classroom and learners are supported. This framework is a roadmap designed to support a K-12 scope and sequence to curriculum implementation at the District and building levels.

Mock-up Framework for Instruction for the School Library Learner

BOOKS

BOOKS:

Butler, Rebecca P. School Libraries 3.0: Principles and Practices for the Digital Age. Lanham, MD: Rowman & Littlefield, 2015.

Miller, S., Bass, W. Leading from the Library: Help Your School Community Thrive in the Digital Age. International Society for Technology in Education, 2019.

In Bristow, B. A., In Spires, K., Sears, M. E., & H.W. Wilson Company,. (2018). Sears list of subject headings. 23rd Edition.

Donham, Jean (2005). Enhancing Teaching and Learning: A Leadership Guide for School Library Media
Specialists. New York: Neal Schuman.

American Association of School Librarians,. (2018). National school library standards for learners, school librarians, and school libraries.

Gorman, M. (2004). The concise AACR2. 4th edition. Chicago: American Library Association.

Lowe, K. (2009). Resource alignment: Providing curriculum support in the school library media center. Millers Creek, NC: Beacon Consulting.

Moreillon, J. (2007). Collaborative strategies for teaching reading comprehension. [electronic resource] : maximizing your impact. Chicago : American Library Association, 2007.

School Libraries Work! Scholastic Publishing, 2016.

Stripling, B. K., & Hughes-Hassell, S. (2003). Curriculum connections through the library. Westport, Conn. : Libraries Unlimited, 2003.

Wildemuth, Barbara M. (2009). Applications of social research methods to questions in information and library science. Westport, CT: Libraries Unlimited ISBN 978-1-59158-503-9.

Publication manual of the American Psychological Association (6th ed.). (2009). Washington, DC: The Association. ISBN 978 1 4338 0562-2

CONFERENCES

Professional Conferences

AASL (American Association of School Libraries) National Conference

Future of Education Technology Conference (FETC)

IDEA (Illinois Digital Educators Alliance) Con

Iowa Technology and Education Connection (ITEC) Annual Conference

Iowa Library Association Conference (ILA)

Keystone AEA's Premier Education Conference

ISTE ( International Society for Technology in Education) Events - National Conference

JOURNALS

JOURNALS

Lance, K.C., & Hofschire, L. (2011, September 1). Something to shout about: New research shows that more librarians means higher reading scores. School Library Journal, 57, 28-33.

Lance, K., & Hofschire, L. (2012). Change in School Librarian Staffing Linked with Change in CSAP Reading Performance, 2005 to 2011. Denver, CO: Colorado State Library, Library Research Service.

Todd, Ross. "The Evidence-Based Manifesto"School Library Journal 54, no. 4 (April 2008): pp 38-43.

Todd, Ross J."School Libraries & Evidence: Seize the Day, Begin the Future"Library Media Connection 22.1 (2003): 12-18.

WEBSITES

WEBSITES

Family Literacy

What the research tells us
We encourage families

What the research tells us

Many studies have been done in regards to the importance of successful experiences with children's literacy development (McGill-Franzen and Allington (2003), Guthrie and Anderson (1999), Cunningham and Stanovich (1998), Anderson, Wilson and Fielding (1988). What the research says has been clear. Children raised in homes that promote family literacy grow up to be better readers and do better in school than children raised in homes where literacy is not promoted.

Keystone Area Education Agency is an invested promoter of literacy within our school community and want to foster a love of literacy within the homes of our students. We understand that reading proficiency by third grade is an important predictor of school success, and that early identification and ongoing support for readers who struggle is an essential component (Anne E. Casey Foundation, 2013). According to Iowa law (Iowa Code section 279.68 and 281--Iowa Administrative Code 62) beginning in 2017, school districts must provide an intensive summer reading program for any student between their 3rd and 4th grade year who exhibits a substantial deficiency in reading. To support this effort, Keystone Area Education Agency would like to encourage a love of literacy within the home as well as encourage parents and guardians to get involved with their children's literacy efforts within the summer months.

We encourage families

Read Together

As a parent or the guardian there are easy ways to encourage reading in the home. Here are a few helpful tips to covet a love of literacy with your family:

Point out print in everyday life—the back of the cereal box, toys, fast food restaurants, traffic signals. This helps children learn that print is all around them.
Listen to music, sing songs, say little poems or Mother Goose rhymes, and play rhyming word games with your child. Rhyming will become important as children learn to read.
Read aloud to your child. Point to the words on the page. Move your finger from left to right as you read.
Ask older children to read to younger children.
Ask your child to read to you (or to pretend-read to you). Make this reading fun. Don’t worry if your child does not read all the words right. Make sure your child knows that you think he or she is a good reader.
Have books, magazines, and newspapers around the house. Let your child see that you like to read.
Ask your child to write. Ask your child to read the writing to you. Praise him or her for being such a good writer. Don’t worry about spelling.

Visit Local Library

Visiting the library together is a great way to foster family literacy activities. Not only do libraries often offer access to books on a wide range of literacy levels and subjects, there are many community literacy projects happening throughout the year as well. Guest speakers, reading clubs, poetry reading, workshops, storytelling and craft projects are among some of the activities both of our local public libraries offer to their patrons. Please see enclosed website links for additional information.

Visiting the library together is a great way to foster family literacy activities. Not only do libraries often offer access to books on a wide range of literacy levels and subjects, there are many community literacy projects happening throughout the year as well. Guest speakers, reading clubs, poetry reading, workshops, storytelling and craft projects are among some of the activities both of our local public libraries offer to their patrons.

Keystone Literacy Resources

For more information