Academic Content Standards for School Library Media Programs
The Guidelines for Effective School Library Media Programs will identify
benchmarks and indicators for effectively managing a school library media
center, building a resource collection that is mapped to the curriculum,
delivering literacy and library programming that fosters a love of reading,
and defining the essential information literacy, technological literacy, and
media literacy skills instruction necessary to provide Ohio's K-12 students
with quality school library media programs. (Office of Curriculum and
Instruction)
Guideline 1 School and Library Program Leadership:
Effective school library media programs support the mission and continuous
improvement plan of the school district.
School library media programs services support the evaluated needs of
education stakeholders and are designed to impact student achievement.
Library services are developed from research based best practices and
evaluated program data. Library program leadership is provided by
credentialed school library media specialists.
Guideline 2 Collection Development and Curriculum:
Effective school library media programs support and enhance the curriculum
and are an integral part of teaching and learning.
The school library media program provides all students with up-to-date
resource collections consisting of print, nonprint, and electronic materials
that are aligned with the local curriculum, support Ohio's academic content
standards, and selected with input from education stakeholders. The school
library media specialist collaboratively plans curriculum-based school
library activities, instruction, and assessment with the classroom teacher.
Guideline 3 Literacy and Reading Support:
Effective school library media programs promote and encourage reading for
academic achievement,lifelong learning and leisure pursuits.
School library media programs offer reading enrichment programming through
participation in national and state reading celebrations and initiatives.
The school library media specialist collaboratively plans reading activities
with classroom teachers. School library media staff read to students,
promote literature, reinforce reading skills, and encourage independent
reading for personal enjoyment.
Guideline 4 Library Technology:
Effective school library media programs provide, integrate, and utlize a
technology rich environment to support teaching and learning.
Expanded access to information is achieved by providing cutting-edge
technologies that enable the school library media center to function as a
virtual gateway to information. Technology is used to acquire, organize,
produce, and disseminate information. Assistive technologies equalize
access to information for all students. The school library media specialist
provides leadership to students and staff in the use of the Internet,
electronic resources and other library based technologies.
Guideline 5 Information Literacy:
Effective school library media programs provide information literacy skills
instruction.
Information literacy is the ability to locate, process, evaluate, and
utilize information. School library media programs provide information
resources in a variety of formats and readability levels. The school
library media specialist teaches students how to access, use, and evaluate
information resources efficiently and ethically based on academic or
personal need. This instruction should be correlated to specific academic
content standards and taught as an integrated process.
Guideline 6 Technological Literacy:
Effective school library media programs provide technological literacy
skills in the usage of library-based technologies.
Technological literacy skills include appropriate and ethical use of
technology for information access, retrieval, production, and dissemination
via electronic resources networks and the Internet.
Guideline 7 Media Literacy:
Effective school library media programs support the learning of media
literacy skills in collaboration with classroom teachers, technology
integration specialists and technology coordinators.
Media literacy encompasses the use of communication competencies and
critical thinking skills, including the ability to access, interpret,
evaluate and communicate information delivered in a varity of medium
formats. Media-based resources include print and non-print materials,
that use image, text, language, and sound and motion to convey informational
communications and messages.
AMERICAN ASSOCIATION OF SCHOOL LIBRARIANS STANDARDS FOR THE 21ST CENTURY LEARNER
The standards and common beliefs include:
COMMON BELIEFS
The learning standards begin by defining nine foundational common beliefs:
+ Reading is a window to the world.
+ Inquiry provides a framework for learning.
+ Ethical behavior in the use of information must be taught.
+ Technology skills are crucial for future employment needs.
+ Equitable access is a key component for education.
+ The definition of information literacy has become more complex as resources and technologies
have changed.
+ The continuing expansion of information demands that all individuals acquire the thinking
skills that will enable them to learn on their own.
+ Learning has a social context.
+ School libraries are essential to the development of learning skills.