Library Media Program Self-Evaluation Report

for SEBMS Media Center

Part 1: Memo to Principal and Better Seeking Team
To: Dr. Torian White, SEBMS Better Seeking Team
From: Kayla Jackson
Subject: School Media Center Evaluation
Recently, Mrs. Shannon Robertson and I sat down together to evaluate the
operations of our schools media center. For this evaluation, we used the GLMA &
GLA 2013 Library Media Program Self-Evaluation Rubric to guide our thinking
and assess our areas of strength and weakness. The rubric consists of five major
categories, each one with specific target indicators. Based on these target
indicators, we rated our library on a 3-point scale: 1 being Basic, 2 being
Proficient, and 3 being Exemplary. We rated the library as exemplary in 13
indicators, proficient in 6 indicators, and basic in 3 indicators. While the rubric
proved to us that the media center is running very efficiently and is exceeding the
standards in many categories, there is still room for improvement.
Therefore, together we are developing a plan of action to improve those
weaker areas, and would like the advice and assistance of our Better Seeking
Team.
For now, our plan means to move those categories rated basic into the range of
proficient, and those deemed proficient into the realm of exemplary. Attached you
will find our planned course of action for each. We look forward to hearing your
feedback in order to make the best library even better!

Part 2: Action Plans for Areas Defined as Basic

Category 2: Technology
8. Technology Integration: The school library media specialist integrates the use of
emerging technologies as a means for effective and creative teaching and to
support P-12 students' conceptual understanding, critical thinking and creative
processes.
Action Plan
While the school library offers its technologies for use by any student or
teacher, the media center does not conduct instruction with new technologies often.
For this our plan of action is to have brief monthly technology sessions with
teachers to showcase new and exciting technologies available for their use, held at
the beginning of each months faculty meeting. We will discuss what these
technologies are and how they can be used to add to support student learning and
understanding. We will also push the use of the media centers available
technological resources, such as Chromebooks, video recording devices and
editing software, digital cameras, etc. for teacher and student use. This will assist
student learning by having them go beyond basic understanding and into
creation-based learning.
Category 4: Facilities, Access, and Resources
10. There shall be a plan for flexibly scheduled library media center access for
students and teachers in groups or as individuals simultaneously throughout each
instructional day. Accessibility shall refer to the facility, the staff, and the
resources and shall be based on instructional need.
Action Plan
Currently, our library is only open from 7:45 AM (when school begins) to
3:30 PM (when school ends). While this may seem like a substantial amount of
time for students to visit the library throughout the course of the day, it does not
take the schedule of the school into consideration. For instance, when testing, such

as the Georgia Writing Assesslet or the Milestones are taking place, due to the
command for computer access, the media center is often host to classes who are
testing. On these days, other students are not allowed in the library. Also, teacher
reserve the library for a day so that whole classes can work on computers/projects/
etc. it makes it more difficult for other students to access the computers and other
resources.
Therefore, we are considering the implementation of before and after-school
library hours on select days of the week. On these days, students can come into the
library up to 30 minutes before school or 1 hour after school. The after school hour
could also double as a tutoring, as the high school BETA club has offered to assist
students with their homework, study skills, etc. 2-3 days a week. Myself and Mrs.
Robertson will switch duties from week to week, ensuring that the workload is
divided and that students always have more opportunities to access the library and
its resources.
Category 4: Facilities, Access, and Resources
15. One of the national educational technology goals states: Effective and
engaging software and on-line resources will be an integral part of every schools
curriculum. The GALILEO Virtual Library provides Georgia students and
teachers access to exceptional on-line resources at no cost to the local school
district.
Action Plan
Currently, the QUEST Advanced Placement teacher at our school is the only
person taking advantage of GALILEO. Many teachers consider GALILEO to
complicated for our middle-school aged students. Therefore, our plan of action is
to introduce teachers and students to GALILEO Teen, a version of the popular
Online Library that will find articles specifically for students grade 6-8. This
version of GALILEO is a lot more user-friendly and will provide students with
materials that more closely matches their level of understanding. We will share
GALILEO Teen during one of our monthly technology sessions for teachers. We
will also implement a yearly (or possibly bi-yearly) discussion of GALILEO Teen

with students of every grade level. We will offer content-specific class workshops
using GALILEO Teen to teachers who would like to use it with their students.
Part 3: Action Plan for Area Defined as Proficient
Category 1: Student Achievement and Instruction
1. Information Literacy Standards are integrated into content instruction
(Information Power; Principle 2; Pg. 58) AASL Standards for the 21st-Century
Learner are integrated into content instruction. ( http://tinyurl.com/3q8dpa)
Action Plan
This area is our main concern at the moment, as we have already become
proactive in moving our program from being proficient to being exemplary.
This is something we are working to improve as a district. We have our next
Bulloch County media specialist professional learning community meeting, our
goal is to unpack the Standards for 21st-Century Learner and decides which
standards will be our focus, or Power Standards. This will ensure that all of our
libraries, elementary through high school, are working towards the same goals and
valuing the same concepts that are deemed most important for every level of
education.
Once we have met with the media specialist community, each media
specialist will be charged with relaying the Power Standards to the faculty and
staff within our school in order to ensure that these standards are being taught
within the content areas as well. Furthermore, when we will work with our
classroom teachers to create units for collaborative learning that meet these
standards as well as the content area standards.