Class 5: Field Trip!

This past week we were able to visit a practicing school librarian in the area (who just so happens to also be a recent alum). Spending the afternoon at an actual school library was a great opportunity to observe some of the practices and problems from the readings in the real world and to fill in some gaps about what school librarians actually do all day (or all afternoon).

What particularly impressed me about Julie's teaching was her ability to maintain control of her environment while promoting a positive learning experience for all students. When someone volunteered an incorrect guess, she reinforced the positive quality of the contribution and gently reminded the students of the task at hand. (Of course, her instructional abilities are even more impressive considering she had seven extra people in the room observing her!)

The library space itself was inviting and the collection seemed well-curated. The setup was comfortable and the books were arranged so that they were browse-able (a lot of spinners and face-outs!) I was surprised, however, by the lack of a technology presence in the library. There were only a few computers and an attached technology lab/computer classroom, but I was expecting to see a greater emphasis on computers/technology. As a library within a preschool-8th grade school, though, this arrangement probably makes more sense than I had originally thought.

After the students had left, Julie shared some of her observations from her first year on the job, and it was interesting to hear about perceptions vs. reality in school libraries (especially because I would imagine many of her findings would translate to other types of library/work settings as well). Her talk also made me think a lot more about the difficulties of implementing new curriculum and ideas in the face of long-standing traditions and administrative ways and how to establish a sort of presence for oneself within a school.