Letters

Your feature article ("The Only Young School Librarian?" May 2003, pp. 52–55) regarding the shortage of school librarians put me on a roller coaster. First, I thought yes, this is an issue that we, the older generation, need to address. However, upon more consideration, I realized that the shortage of staff not only affects school library media specialists, but is a problem facing public education in general. Many of the best and the brightest do not find a prospect of a lifetime in public education all that appealing anymore.

Then I read the editorial "A Letter to Jimmy Allen " (p. 13). I think that Ms. Linse is correct on both points—many librarians are not perceived as "real" teachers, and these positions are often the first to go in tough budgetary times. New York State does not even mandate library media specialists in elementary schools. This has always puzzled me given the hoopla surrounding "Why Johnny can't read."

After 20-plus years as a school library media specialist (a career I had never considered in my wildest dreams as a 20-something), I believe that one of our greatest challenges is the continuing ignorance among other educators about the instructional role of the school library media specialist. Since administrators are teachers first, the lack of communication between schools of education and library/information studies must be addressed.

Should all school librarians come from classrooms? I did not, but by working closely with skilled teachers and taking advantage of professional development opportunities—which in schools are generally targeted at teachers not librarians—I have become a more effective school library media specialist. I also taught English for eight years, after returning to college to obtain my English certification. This further enhanced my credibility with colleagues and students.

Stereotypes are, by definition, stubborn and difficult to dislodge. I think the best way to counteract them is to ignore them and focus our energies on developing the positive aspects of our professional lives. Of all people, we should know better than (forgive me) "to judge a book by its cover," with or without a bun.

Keep up the good work.
--Candace S. Broughton, School Library Media Specialist, Cattaraugus Little Valley Middle-High School, Cattaraugus, NY

I enjoyed the great articles regarding library standards in the April 2003 issue ("The Evidence Everyone Wants," p. 13, "Ohio Sets School Library Standards," p. 18, and "Irrefutable Evidence ," pp. 52–54). Louisiana has long had its Bulletin 1134 for traditional school library standards, but it has been updated in the past year to include standards-based benchmarks.

I worked with a team of educators during the summer of 2002 to develop such a standards-based library curriculum for Calcasieu (LA) Parish County Schools. It was not an easy job, and our professional philosophies sometimes clashed. However, under the direction of District Library Coordinator Melissa Strauss, we produced a document that is a thorough grade and subject-oriented work that incorporates much of Louisiana's new Bulletin 1134. The Calcasieu Parish document was distributed to all of the district's 66 school libraries in September 2002.

It's nice to know that Louisiana and Calcasieu Parish are at the forefront in connecting school libraries with academic classroom standards. Excuse my enthusiasm, but I feel compelled to toot our horn!
--Helen Curol, Media Librarian, LaGrange High School, Lake Charles, LA

Mr. Allen states in his letter (April 2003, p. 15) that any professional librarian could "teach bibliographic instruction" without the benefit of training provided by professional schools dedicated to training teachers. Maybe. Then again, maybe not.

It is a challenge in many of today's schools to motivate students to learn anything. An experienced teacher-librarian has the training, skill, and knowledge to plan and execute lessons that facilitate learning and keep students engaged in the process. Some nonschool librarians might be able to make the transition; others, however, would not be able to do so. When adults fail to teach effectively, students fail to learn.

ALA and the business community will not allow me, a trained teacher-librarian with three years experience working in a public library, to be recognized as a professional in their territory. Yet they demand instant acceptance into my territory. Furthermore, I am appalled at Mr. Allen's statement that a "professional librarian" must possess an ALA degree. I am a teacher with 12 years of classroom experience, as well as a school library media specialist with eight years experience. Possessing an ALA degree does not necessarily make Mr. Allen more qualified than me to administer a school library program. Nor does it make him more of a library professional. Our roles are different; our degrees reflect the differences between us.

If we are going to advocate changing the laws, then the change needs to be reciprocal. Even more important than reciprocal laws is reciprocal respect for one another's qualifications, training, and experience. Regardless of which degree we possess, we are all librarians. Can't we all recognize and respect both our similarities and differences?
--Carol S. Dial, Media Specialist, G. P. Babb Middle School, Forest Park, GA

The argument may go on and on in schools regarding certification of librarians. What a librarian needs depends on the particular school and school system. There is no set course of study that serves all. My investigation into media certification in North Carolina revealed different requirements at each of the universities offering media courses.

My lateral entry to the library two years ago was a great new experience. Well, not exactly new! I had previously been an elementary school librarian, as well as an AV director. What do I do? My job is 90 percent instructional. We have a fixed schedule. We circulate 7,500 items each month from our 8,500-volume collection. We have open library from about 8 to 10 each morning. For the rest of the day, the classes arrive, K–5, some 400 students. We are fortunate to have the Follett online catalog and buy most of the materials preprocessed. In our few spare moments, we handle equipment check-in and ordering, maintain the home page, and laminate teacher materials.

We also give computer instruction to each student and assist the faculty with their computer problems. With our 35 library computers, we help provide grade-appropriate instruction in keyboarding skills and Internet use. Planning with the grade-level chair is short and sweet considering time constraints. But we do align with the curriculum and reinforce classroom instruction.

The media center is a real hub of activity. Without the classroom background and years of instructional experience, this position would become a nightmare. Do I want to continue at this pace? #@&$% NO! The main reason is the certification requirement. The job has changed! The needs of school librarians have changed! Certification has not changed. The one-size-fits-all library degree is appropriate for public libraries. Adding one more certification to the five I already hold is overkill.

Jimmy Allen is welcome to visit Mull Elementary and spend just one average day. His tune will change quickly. He does not speak for the folks in the field.
--Michael J. Hebert, Ed.D Media Specialist, Mull Elementary School, Morganton, NC

I was recently sent a copy of a review of one of my books, Journey into Africa (Oxford Univ., 2002; Sept., p. 246). I'm less concerned with the fact that the review seems to oscillate wildly between high praise ("stimulating visual feast"; "informative, chatty and dramatic") and strong criticism ("grossly misleading"; "sensationalized") than with the inaccuracy of the reviewer's own assertions. Kokodoko's confident pronouncement that elephants, cheetahs, and giraffes are confined to "specific regions of Southern and East Africa" reveals a basic lack of familiarity with African biogeography, undermines the reviewer's own credibility, and calls into question his/her right to judge the book a "letdown." A cursory glance at the distribution maps in The Kingdon Field Guide to African Mammals will illustrate my point. I trust that there's a copy in the Oakland Public Library.
--Tim Knight, Oxfordshire, England

I believe that my review presented a balanced assessment of the book. The child-friendly writing style and dramatic photography were duly noted. Conversely, the potential for children to make erroneous assumptions about the distribution of regional wildlife to the entire continent was discussed. The author does not clarify the geographic location for the safari trip other than a reference to Victoria Falls and the Zambezi River. The latter is simply pinpointed as "flowing through the heart of Africa." Even the title suggests that the content is a reflection of the entire continent. While it is true that native animals are found throughout the continent, they do not roam freely as they do in certain areas of the east and south. In West Africa, most large animals have disappeared from heavily populated areas, such as Nigeria, as cited in Africana: The Encyclopedia of the African and African American Experience (Civitas, 1999). Knight's book is readable and highly visual, but geographic descriptions are needed lest youngsters come away with a "Lion King" impression of Africa.
--Ajoke' T. I. Kokodoko, Children's Librarian, Oakland Public Library, Oakland, CA

The July 2003 News article "Libraries Boost Student Learning " (p. 24) incorrectly identified Keith Lance as the author of school library studies done in Massachusetts and Texas. James Baughman of Simmons College did the MA study and Ester G. Smith of EGS Research & Consulting did the Texas study.

Paperback reprints published between January and July 2003, listed by publisher, are now available on SLJ's Web site. The publication date of the original hardcover book is included with each entry in parentheses. All entries were submitted by the publishers and are not necessarily endorsed by School Library Journal.