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Information Power: Building Partnerships for Learning

Program Administration Principles of School Library Media Programs

These principles were identified and developed by the Information Power Vision Committee, reviewed and commented upon by the profession, and approved by the AASL and AECT Boards as the cardinal premises on which program administration within the effective school library media program is based.

Principle 1: The library media program supports the mission, goals, objectives, and continuous improvement of the school.

Principle 2: In every school, a minimum of one full-time, certified/licensed library media specialist supported by qualified staff is fundamental to the implementation of an effective library media program at the building level.

Principle 3: An effective library media program requires a level of professional and support staffing that is based upon a school’s instructional programs, services, facilities, size, and numbers of students and teachers.

Principle 4: An effective library media program requires ongoing administrative support.

Principle 5: Comprehensive and collaborative long-range, strategic planning is essential to the effectiveness of the library media program.

Principle 6: Ongoing assessment for improvement is essential to the vitality of an effective library media program.

Principle 7: Sufficient funding is fundamental to the success of the library media program.

Principle 8: Ongoing staff development--both to maintain professional knowledge and skills and to provide instruction in information literacy for teachers, administrators, and other members of the learning community--is an essential component of the library media program.

Principle 9: Clear communication of the mission, goals, functions and impact of the library media program is necessary to the effectiveness of the program.

Principle 10: Effective management of human, financial, and physical resources undergirds a strong library media program.

Excerpted from Chapter 6, "Program Administration," of Information Power: Building Partnerships for Learning. Copyright © 1998 American Library Association and Association for Educational Communications and Technology. ISBN 0-8389-3470-6. Order by phone at 1-866 SHOP ALA (1-866-746-7252).

  


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