The Change Master

When Jim Hundemer took over as manager of library services, in the fall of 1998, the Houston Independent School District's 276 libraries were in sorry shape: their infrastructure was sagging under the weight of old electrical wiring, outdated furniture, and shoebox-size facilities. To make matters worse, the average book collection was 23 years old, and there weren't enough computers and databases to serve the city's 210,000 K-12 students.

Much to his dismay, Hundemer, a former district teacher, also discovered that librarians were often excluded from teacher-training sessions and elementary school media specialists were expected to supervise classes while teachers planned their lessons-a practice that made some librarians feel like glorified baby-sitters.

But Hundemer was undaunted.

His first order of business was to convince then-superintendent Rod Paige, now U.S. Secretary of Education, that Houston's dismal school libraries needed a complete overhaul. Just as important as gaining the central office's support, say media specialists, was Hundemer's clear vision of what exactly an exemplary library program should be-one that promotes quality readers who are better prepared for more rigorous education and tougher testing. Hundemer's vision also calls for the librarian to be 'the key curriculum person,' someone who 'collaborates with every teacher.' 'The librarian [needs to] build an exciting program, where the children are interested in reading, interested in doing quality research, and where those kids contribute significantly to the quality education program' in their schools, he says.

But Hundemer faced some formidable obstacles. His first hurdle was to secure more money-and that meant getting principals on board. Since Houston's schools fund their own library programs, principals must determine how much of their budget will be allocated to the media center. Thanks to the district's new School Library Improvement Plan, $12 million has been infused into improving library programs since 1999. Hundemer's goal was to maximize those funds by persuading principals to match a majority of the dollars. His case was strengthened by a series of recent studies that exposed the dilapidated library collections and technology in Houston's public schools.

The strategy worked. In 2000, the district earmarked $3 million of its library improvement funds for new books and periodicals, which was matched by principals, bringing the total to $6 million. Houston's schools allocated an additional $1 million to purchase the district's first centralized automation system, and more than $1.5 million to buy computers.

At the moment, the district is moving toward its goal of ensuring that elementary schools have at least 12 computers on each floor, as well as 24 and 36 computers, respectively, on the floors of each middle school and high school. So far, 75 percent of Houston's public schools have met those goals. 'Every child needs a screen if we're going to build a quality library program,' explains Hundemer.

All of Houston's school librarians now have their own laptops, and this year, newly hired media specialists will receive a $5,000 signing bonus. Both perks were originally slated only for teachers. 'You have to work to convince [administrators] that [librarians are] more important,' says Hundemer. 'We're as important in the educational curriculum of a school building as anyone else is.'

In another coup, Hundemer was able to quash a common misperception among some administrators that the Internet alone was a sufficient resource for student research. 'Children can waste their time in the library finding one thing on the Internet,' he says. Now, all of Houston's school libraries boast nine databases. '[Students] have to be able to do quality research and be able to use technology that will serve them well their entire lives,' he explains. Producing tech-savvy kids who know their way around computers is not just a good thing, Hundemer says, it's vital knowledge that library programs must foster.

He credits Paige and Kaye Stripling, his current superintendent, for the district's eventual turnaround. However, Linda Cochrane, a library specialist who works at several of the district's schools, says Hundemer's being a bit modest. 'He's able to get people to listen,' she says. 'He's a man who takes a stand.'

Paige remembers Hundemer's enthusiasm for turning a lackluster program into a first-class act. 'Jim is a wonderful combination of visionary and team player, so while he imagined this wonderful possibility, he worked within the system to make it a reality,' he says. 'He developed a logistical plan for how to make it happen in an effective way using the resources the school district already had, and he really brought the library system with him so it was a true team effort to get it done.'

Hundemer certainly knows what it's like to labor in the educational trenches. After graduating from the University of Texas at Austin in 1967 with a B.A., he spent 10 years teaching social studies at the district's Yates High School. During that time, he earned a master's degree in education administration from the University of Houston. In time, he managed the district's library program as its assistant superintendent for instructional media services, a position that, ironically, used to report to Hundemer's current job as manager of library services. Those experiences made him realize that school libraries need to play a central role in school districts, and that's become his mantra ever since. 'Now there's someone who will talk to my principal and [back] me,' says Debbie Hall, the district's library technology supervisor.

Still, Hundemer is quick to deflect praise and will tell you that his panel of library 'experts' was a great impetus for rejuvenating Houston's school library program. Shortly after becoming manager of library services, Hundemer assembled an advisory council of 40 librarians. 'They honed my strategy, corrected me, and then we marched off to the superintendent,' he says.

Another key to reviving the district's library program is what Hundemer refers to as his 60/40 rule. It calls for elementary school librarians to supervise teachers' classrooms for no more than 40 percent of the day. Media specialists should devote the remaining 60 percent of the workday to building their library programs, which includes collaborating with teachers and working with classes on assigned projects. Most principals have bought in to the 60/40 rule, but there are still some who feel they can't afford to put a clerk in the library to free up their media specialist.

The district's 300 school librarians have, of course, been beneficiaries of Hundemer's efforts-and morale is up. 'Now, librarians matter,' says Hall. Cochrane concurs: 'It's like Christmas in July with all of our librarians.'

Librarians are now a big presence at training sessions. '[Paige] felt if you didn't put a quality training program together, you wouldn't improve the library,' says Hundemer. Five out of six librarians showed up at Houston's most recent conference, hosted five times a year by the district's Library Services Department.

Hundemer and his staff happily offer input into the design of libraries built for new schools, suggesting things like storytelling areas. And they've successfully contended with old state standards that only allot 2,700 square feet for school libraries, even though the size is clearly too small to meet today's school library needs.

Like many school districts nationwide, Houston has a shortage of qualified media specialists-a problem that has been compounded by stricter state requirements for librarians seeking certification. 'We're growing our own,' says Hundemer of the district's efforts to find the 'best and brightest' staffers and groom them into librarians.

Hundemer also faces the challenge of integrating new technology while budget cuts loom. For example, Houston's hopes to have wireless technology in all of its public schools so that students can more easily access the library's databases and other resources. 'We're marching down the road to where principals believe that's a reasonable goal,' says Hundemer.

Hundemer, like his colleagues, also thinks that every student should be reading at grade level or above. 'We have to see to it in the library program that that happens,' he says.

Of course, new books, advanced technology, and bulked-up libraries are only part of Hundemer and Houston's success story. The real proof is in the kids. And lately, more and more of them are headed for the same after-school destination. 'At 2:40 p.m., there's a stampede to the library,' he says.

Meg McCaffrey is a contributing editor for School Library Journal .