Managing your school library: guiding statement
Introduction to your Guiding Statement
The Guiding Statement helps your school community to have a shared understanding of the role of the school library. It provides a policy framework for developing and managing the library, and evaluating how effectively it supports teaching and learning in your school.
The attached example provides a model for writing your own Guiding Statement. Consult with your principal and teachers to ensure the statement reflects your school’s culture and the needs of your students.
Managing [Name] School Library: Guiding Statement (DOC)
Contents of this guide:
Rationale for the Library
Purposes of the Library
Guidelines covering specific policy areas
Rationale for the library
[School name] Library contributes to student achievement through supporting the school’s learning and teaching programmes, and through its print and online resources, services and programmes.
Purposes of the library
- To support our school’s reading programme and students’ literacy by promoting the links between the classroom, the library and the wider community to develop a culture of reading for pleasure, as well as for information.
- To underpin inquiry learning through the teaching, in context, of information literacy skills and strategies.
- To reflect Maori culture and heritage and the cultural diversity of our school.
- To provide access to a rich range of information resources and services in a dynamic and student centred environment, supported by professional expertise, and the school’s ICT infrastructure.
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Guidelines covering specific policy areas
Support for reading and literacy
- The library provides access to a wide variety of quality fiction and non-fiction, including online resources, to support the development of students as engaged and motivated readers.
- The library’s collection caters for a wide range of reading abilities and interests, based on reading data and user survey information.
- As part of the school’s professional learning programme, library staff and literacy leaders work collaboratively to increase teacher knowledge and awareness of NZ and international literature for children and young people, and to build a reading culture within the school community.
- Library staff help students choose resources in a range of formats taking into account students’ learning styles, abilities and reading interests, to encourage students’ reading, viewing and listening skills for information and personal enjoyment.
- The school’s reading data is analysed and student surveys [hyperlink] are conducted to inform targeted collection development, reading incentive programmes involving the library, special events supporting literacy, and any collaborations with outside resource agencies, such as the public library.
- The library’s impact on students’ reading and writing is monitored and evaluated as part of the assessment of the school’s literacy programme and initiatives. Data gathered includes issue statistics linked to students’ reading data, and library ‘booking’ sheets to show patterns in class visits.
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Support for inquiry learning and information literacy development
- The library staff work collaboratively with teachers in planning, implementing and evaluating a school-wide guided inquiry approach to learning and teaching, and to the development of students’ information literacy skills.
- The library staff work collaboratively with ICT staff and teachers to establish the library’s online services as an integral part of the school’s online learning environment (OLE), and develop collections of online resources that complement the library’s print and non-print resources, reflecting a diverse range of viewpoints.
- Library staff provide an orientation programme for teachers and students outlining the library’s resources, services, and programmes.
- Evidence of the ways in which the library supports students’ knowledge and abilities in inquiry learning is gathered and measured as part of the school’s assessment processes.
Strategic management of the library
- The school’s senior management provide leadership and support in promoting the library’s role in contributing to student learning, with the principal including significant library development in the school’s Strategic / Annual Plans and policies, and the Board of Trustees providing funding, staffing and ongoing staff professional development.
- The Guiding Statement is a foundation for, and is supported by, the following documents:
- The library supports the school’s equity goals and commitment to Te Tiriti o Waitangi / the Treaty of Waitangi in its facilities, resources, services and programmes.
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Library management team
- A team with relevant professional expertise, personal qualities and qualifications manages the library.
- Library staff are included in the school’s performance appraisal and professional development programmes, which comply with Ministry of Education requirements and employment contracts.
- Library staffing and hours are reviewed annually and reported in the Annual Report.
- The Library team is led by the Teacher with Library Responsibility (TLR) or Teacher Librarian (TL) or Library Manager (LM), who liaises regularly with school management, teaching staff and students.
- Student Librarians and volunteers help with day-to-day tasks, and are supported by the library team.
Financial management
- The TLR or TL or LM has delegated financial responsibility for the library and submits a budget proposal to the Principal for consideration by the BOT, and monitors spending within the allocated budget.
- The library’s collection and consumables budget is separate from the maintenance and development of library facilities, major development projects such as information technology, software and hardware upgrades, and library staff professional development.
- The school allocates a budget sufficient for sustainable library development to support current and projected needs.The library also receives funding from the school community through donations, grants and fundraising events, which are in addition to and not instead of the school’s library budget.
- School policy decisions on cost recovery are documented in the School Library Handbook. For example: lost or damaged resources; photocopier and printer paper.
- A collection stock-take is completed annually, complying with Ministry of Education audit requirements and guidelines.
- A financial report showing both budgeted and actual expenditure is appended to the School Library Annual Report for presentation to the Principal and Board of Trustees.
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Collection management
- Library staff co-ordinate the planned development of the collection, in accordance with our School Library Collection Guiding Statement
- Resources are purchased according to a Buying Plan and the annual budget.
- Student usage of online resources and Web 2.0 tools is monitored to inform collection development and inquiry learning assessment.
- Criteria for the selection of resources, and guidelines for handling donations and dealing with queries / complaints about a particular resource, are documented in the School Library Collection Guiding Statement, and the School Library Handbook.
- Teachers are encouraged to use external resource agencies, such as the National Library of New Zealand, and public libraries.
Day-to-day management of the library
- Standardised systems of operation are established and maintained according to the guidelines in the School Library Handbook.
- The library is open during school hours with fixed and flexible timetable options for classes, small groups and individuals.
- Ideally, classroom teachers have responsibility for supervising classes when using the library and assisting with lunchtime supervision.
- The library’s resources are available for loan to students and teachers for use within the school and at home, according to borrowing guidelines in the Library Handbook.
- Library users are made aware of their responsibilities under the Copyright Act (1994) and the school’s Cybersafety Use Agreement.
Reviewing the library management statement
A review of this Library Management Statement is carried out as part of the school’s policy cycle, to ensure that it continues to reflect the school’s philosophy, aims and objectives for the school library.
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