In the Dark: What's Keeping Principals from Understanding Libraries?
Dr. Patricia Wilson & Dr. Angus MacNeil -- School Library Journal, 9/1/1998
Here's a plan to remedy that.
A third-grade class enthralled by an old Texas tale shared by a storyteller. Two fourth graders eagerly creating limericks. A teacher introducing his students to biographical resources. And it's all happening in a well-used, lively library media center that prompts the question, "What made it so successful?"
We put that question to Linda Kinzer, School Library Media Specialist at the Armand Bayou Elementary School in Houston. According to Kinzer, the principal's active involvement was a key factor in making the library media center really work. But it wasn't always that way -- Kinzer herself trained her principal to understand what a library media center does.
While her principal was supportive from the start, he "admitted to me that he had very little knowledge of school libraries," said Kinzer. So the two met regularly to discuss everything from budgets and scheduling to curriculum and standards.
"As his knowledge about the library media center grew, so did our activities and programs," Kinzer said.
A success story? Well, yes. But what's disturbing is this: Why didn't the principal understand school libraries before meeting Kinzer? Don't principals learn about school libraries in their university principal-preparation programs?
The Answer Is No
Principals-to-be are unlikely to learn about school libraries during training, according to a 1996 survey we conducted.
To determine whether graduate principal-preparation programs provide principals with information about school libraries, we surveyed 250 programs at U.S. universities, such as the University of Kentucky, the University of North Alabama, and North Dakota State University, that are accredited by NCATE (the National Council for the Accreditation of Teacher Education).
Asked whether instruction about school libraries was included in their programs, more than three-quarters said no. Only 18 percent integrated school library information into coursework.
To determine what future principals learned in those programs that do cover library media centers, we talked to 14 professors who agreed to be interviewed by telephone.
Six indicated that they did indeed integrate the subject of libraries -- for instance, facility planning, budgeting for materials, and the role of the school librarian -- into one or two courses. One of the professors interviewed, a former library media specialist, includes library information in her courses due to her background. "It really is needed," she said.
The remaining eight who checked off "yes" when asked whether they included the topic of library media centers in their teaching apparently misunderstood the question, believing that we were asking whether they taught research skills to their graduate students. The misinterpretation indicates a troubling lack of awareness regarding what is required to supervise a school library.
A few professors we interviewed had reservations about the time it would take to integrate the topic into principal-preparation courses. One said: "Our courses are already packed with so much required information. I realize school library information is important, but we do not have much time available for more topics in our courses."
But most professors were receptive to the idea, and two appreciated that our survey gave them the idea to include school libraries in their courses. Most of the professors who misinterpreted our question also thought it was a good idea.
A Three-Step Plan for Change
What did our study and telephone interviews determine? They showed that professors believe principal-preparation programs should provide information about school librarians.
They're not alone. Principals and library media specialists also want the subject to be covered in coursework, according to the 1993 Wilson-Blake study (see below).
To that end, we developed a three-step plan to bring about change. The plan includes:
- a curriculum that universities and colleges may use in principal-preparation programs
- ways to help practicing principals learn about school libraries
- steps that library media specialists can take.
1. A Curriculum for Future Principals
To integrate school library information into principal-preparation courses, we've designed a curriculum based on the suggestions of professors, principals, and library media specialists who participated in our surveys. It's currently in use at the University of Houston-Clear Lake (UHCL). Once the model is refined, we will share it with other institutions.
Based on our conversations with professors, we came to believe that integrating one element of school library management into each course would create the most effective curriculum. For example, the school library component in the finance course focuses on library budgets. Similarly, the personnel course includes information about school librarian credentials and training. The school law course covers intellectual freedom and selection policies, while the course on special programs would introduce Information Power (ALA, 1998), the national guidelines from the American Association of School Librarians, as well as state standards.
We also recommend that principal-preparation programs team up with graduate library schools on the same campus. Library professors are excellent resources for future principals. At the same time, professors in principal-preparation programs have valuable knowledge to share with the school library program.
Our plan also calls for principal-preparation courses to:
- devote at least 45 to 60 minutes in each principal-preparation course to school libraries, allowing for discussion of two or three topics tied to that course
- invite guest speakers (e.g., library media specialists, book publishers, software vendors, copyright attorneys) to share relevant school library information
- arrange visits to schools with exemplary libraries to raise the expectations of future principals. The program may also require interviews with local school library media specialists to talk about credentials and training, daily responsibilities, standards, etc.
- require principals-to-be to spend time in a school library during internships.
2. A Plan for Practicing Principals
What about principals already on the job? How can we expand what they know about school libraries? We suggest that principals and their library media specialists meet for informal discussions on five topics that participants in the Wilson-Blake study identified as essential:
- state and national standards
- how the library media center fits into the school program, with an emphasis on scheduling
- what education is required to be a certified library media specialist
- what to expect from a library media specialist beyond cataloging and checking out books, such as curriculum planning
- audiovisual and computer technology.
We also recommend that principals visit outstanding school libraries to broaden their understanding of what may be possible and help them evaluate and set goals for their own media center and library media specialist.
3. A Plan for Library Media Specialists
If principals are to be better trained in the future, library media specialists across the nation must consider the following recommendations and act together to bring about reform. If you live near a university with a principal-preparation program:
- encourage professors to design a curriculum that reflects the UHCL model.
- volunteer to lecture for principal-preparation classes
- offer your library media center as a site for principals to visit during internships
- introduce professors to Information Power.
But Don't Stop There
It's not enough to persuade professors to follow the UHCL curriculum. To assure ourselves that future principals understand school libraries, we must convince accrediting agencies, such as NCATE, to require principal-preparation programs to cover school libraries.
The current NCATE standards, approved in 1995, call for principals-to-be to master 11 knowledge and skill domains, for example, instructional leadership. Tied to the domains are 63 sub-categories, such as understanding telecommunication systems. Right now, none involve library media centers.
We encourage you to write to one of the professional organizations for principals (see "Shedding Light on the Problem," below). Urge these organizations to contact NCATE and recommend that a standard on library media centers be added immediately.
|
That comment (1) surfaced more frequently than any other in the 1993 Wilson-Blake (2) study of principals and library media specialists. Are principals knowledgeable about library media centers? A resounding 90 percent of 572 school library media specialists responding said "no." Of the 423 principals responding, more than 68 percent admitted that they were not adequately prepared. Our second question asked whether principals-in-training should learn about the management of school libraries. An overwhelming 90 percent of the library media specialists said "yes." Even more interesting was the fact that a large majority of principals -- 78 percent -- answered "yes." Written comments further emphasized the need for university principal-preparation programs to provide principals with more training involving school library media centers. For example, one principal said: "No, I do not feel we had adequate knowledge of school libraries when leaving the university. I can't remember any class in college that dealt with school libraries and their management." (1) Wilson, Patricia, Martha Blake, and Josette Lyders. "Principals and Teacher-Librarians: A Study and a Plan for Partnership" in Emergency Librarian, SeptemberA?October 1993, pp. 18A?24. |
To alert the principal community that its training is inadequate when it comes to library media centers, write a letter to one of the following organizations. Urge these organizations to contact the National Council for the Accreditation of Teacher Education (NCATE) to recommend a standard that requires instruction about school libraries. American Association of School Administrators National Association of Elementary School Principals National Association of Secondary School Principals |
