Alice in InfoLand

A sad reality is that — too often — classroom teachers just don’t know how to effectively utilize the skills of a school librarian.  Here’s the text of a flyer I gave out to teachers every year:

The mission of our School Library program is to:

• develop information-literate students
• create lifelong learners
• help teachers teach

I CAN HELP YOU BY:

• working with you to develop authentic research activities for your classes.
• coordinating information and research skills strategies with classroom curriculum.
• recommending additional resources to extend your classroom materials.
• presenting booktalks about new/relevant books for your classes.
• preparing Project Pathfinders to guide your students to the best resources for your assignments.
  
• brainstorming project ideas, lesson strategies, and topics with you.
• providing guidance relating to the ethical use of information.
• notifying the public library of any class assignments.
  

 YOU CAN HELP ME BY:

• notifying me as soon as possible of any planned resource-based class projects or assignments.
• meeting with me to develop/plan effective resource-based activities.
• reserving class time in the library as far in advance as possible, and notifying me as soon as possible of any schedule changes.
• understanding both the extent and limitations of the School Library’s resources and schedule.
• remaining with your students and supervising their behavior while they are in the library.
• sending no more than two students at a time to the library on a pass, unless prior arrangements have been made.

and the tag line on every notice I sent out:

Having these guidelines clearly defined made connections/cooperation/collaboration by teacher and librarian so much easier for everyone concerned!