Sun West School Library/Learning Commons Handbook

The school library program is comprised of planned learning activities that are integral to the implementation of the curriculum, and contribute to the development of independent, self-directed learners and decision makers.

An effective school library program:

·      Connects with the instructional program of the school.

·      Results from the instructional role afforded by a qualified librarian in the school.

·      Serves students, teachers, school administrators and, where appropriate, community members.

·      Focuses on student achievement of provincial curriculum learning outcomes.

·      Focuses on the development of literacy capabilities.

·      Teaches students to access information, and to develop the critical thinking skills necessary to analyze information, and use it for a variety of purposes.

·      Creates a climate that fosters the responsible and ethical use of information.

·      Assists students to develop technological literacy skills.

·      Includes both formal and informal learning activities.

·      Integrates with classroom instruction through collaborative planning and teaching between the librarian, the PeBL Mentor and the classroom teacher.

·      Provides numerous opportunities for students to work with a wide range of materials in many different formats.

Connections: Policy and Guidelines for School Libraries in Saskatchewan.

Focus Areas for School Library Programs

Provincial Curriculum Learning Outcomes

Sun West School Division library collections are developed to support curricula. Activities undertaken by the school librarians within the library program that support curricula include:

·      working with teachers and PeBL Mentor to identify resources that support curricula outcomes and indicators

·      supporting and promoting the use of resources

·      helping students locate and assess the accuracy and appropriateness of real and virtual resources.

Literacy Development

School library programs in Sun West School Division place a high priority on reading literacy.  School librarians promote reading and the acquisition of reading skills in a number of ways including:

·      promoting the libraries’ resources through book-talks both informally and formally

·      conducting promotional activities such as author visits, book fairs, and reading contests and the Saskatchewan Writers Guild

·      maintaining the facility and creating displays to peak student interest and reflect curricula.

Information Literacy Competencies

Information literacy competencies include the ability to access, evaluate, analyze, and use information for a variety of purposes in a respectful and ethical manner. School librarians ensure that these competencies are developed in the following ways:

·      promoting to teachers that information literacy skills are integrated into learning tasks in authentic ways (see Appendix C: Information Literacy Competencies)

·      assisting teachers in providing direct instruction on specific competencies required to access information effectively

·      providing a library collection that contains a variety of resource formats with breadth and depth.

Public Relations and Advocacy for the Library Program

Positive public relations by school librarians support the library program emphasizing that reading is crucial.  It is through public relations that the staff and students will be encouraged to utilize the library and that understanding and support for the library program will be developed.

Public relations for the school librarian may include the following activities:

·      facilitating staff orientation sessions and in-services, where appropriate

·      participating on school committees

·      facilitating parent/community groups participation

·      promoting the school library program through the production of brochures, bookmarks, etc.

·      creating attractive, informative bulletin boards

·      highlighting library programming in school newsletters