Library Media Specialists - Research Paper Example

Flexible scheduling Introduction A literature review accounts for what took place in a research. In reference to this research, a library designed to facilitate education initiatives. Flexible scheduling is a tool used to enhance the use of the library as a source of guidelines in supporting the educational processes. It has been noticed that the library has not been fully exploited by students because its purposes is directly linked to that of a classroom. This idea has resulted from poor time allocation which is a failure on school’s library media specialists’ crew (McCracken, 2001)Flexible schedulingIn reference to school library media specialists, flexible scheduling together with flexible access are terms used to refer to the practice of direct access to library media centers any time of the day, other than the specific scheduled time.

This term has been used to eliminate the set schedule in school library where a specific class has a specific time to access. It allows variations and does not give a specific program to be followed to facilitate this flexibility. It also aims at removing the idea that the library is a classroom extension where it is visited in time of need. The argument on whether time schedule should be fixed or flexible arises in high schools, where in the primary school level, it is frequently isolated and therefore the library materials are have to be borrowed following a specific schedule.

This article evaluates how the library specialists implement their roles. Background informationGuidelines for School Media Programs (1998) and Information Power Guidelines for School Media Programs, generated by the American Library Association, list and describe the standards for a good library media program. The guidelines were designed to improve library services so that students would fully benefit from it as it facilitates education initiatives together with other education programs.Aims of the researchThe research aimed at evaluating on whether the library specialist follows the provisions of an ideal library schedule.

The research was to involve equally distributed schools in USA to avoid biased results. The results would later be used to evaluate whether libraries in these schools help in supporting the education programs because that is their major role. MethodologyThe proposal has suggested the use of the quantitative and qualitative research methodologies because of reliable results associated with them (McCracken, 2001). According to this research, the most suitable technique is data collection through interviews.

Flexible scheduling evaluates the capability of essential information access, basing an argument of a library being a logical source of guidance, and information. The research targeted interviewing principals, teachers, and schools media library specialists (SMLSs) in 6 elementary schools in USA. It evaluated how school libraries have successfully and keenly made use of flexible scheduling in the library operations. The results, which were to include the findings and conclusion are to be compared with Rodger’s theory; diffusion of innovation as well as Shannon’s study (1996) on Flexible Scheduling.

For quality results, the interview required some length thus involved many people. Semi-structured interview method was used to facilitate incorporation of emerging issues, because the structured method is objective. Unstructured interview also brought up a basis for comparison of the findings. The chosen schools were evenly distributed in USA to avoid biasness of the research; it was incorporated with telephone interviews where the parties being interviewed were not available for personal interviews.

Teachers and principals were interviewed once while SLMSs were interviewed twice for clarity purposes. The survey was distributed to a random sample of 1,000 school library media specialists. The results were gathered from 505 returned surveys.FindingsThe finding from the interviewees; teachers, SLMSs, and principals were later discussed in reference to assertions that can be put across about the approaches used in the schools concerned. In the appendix, a provision of school stories was made, “Successful implementation stories on Flexible scheduling,” giving details of each situation.

Summarization is not advisable in this kind of research, and also a conclusion on each situation is always important. According to the findings, it was clearly depicted that there was hardly any evidence that Flexible Scheduling was a tool facilitating program features in the curriculum of the schools. The most frequent barriers for implementation were lack of time, including lack of time to plan with teachers; lack of adequate funding; lack of interest and support of classroom teachers; use of a fixed schedule; lack of clerical staff; and too many students to provide for (McCracken, 2001).

ConclusionIt is difficult to generalize conclusions in this research. However, different implications can be drawn in reference to the findings. One common conclusion is that Flexible Scheduling is hardly a tool that helps the progress of other programs. None of the school implemented the Schedule and tried to earn its benefits. SLMSs also failed in their role by not separating educational initiatives from flexible scheduling and so it did not play its role in supporting the education initiatives.

The SLMSs are advised to implement the schedule and by so doing they will be selling the program by practically showing how it has enhance other program.ReferencesMcCracken, A. (2001). School library media specialists perceptions of practice and importance described in information power. Chicago: American Library Association.