Madeleine Hoss, Librarian
mmhoss@ilstu.edu
Metcalf Laboratory School
Illinois State University
Normal, IL 61790-7000
(309) 438-2527
"No librarian is an island,
No librarian stands alone."
We are all aware of the constantly changing role of the librarian. With the revolution in education and technological developments, the modern library has not only become a storehouse of knowledge for all kinds of media, but the librarian has become responsible for transmitting what is housed in the library to users whether they are students, teachers, staff, administrators or parents. Now the focus is on the librarian for formulating exciting, fun, and educational programs and projects to entice its users to use the library. The whole image of the librarian has changed from one who stamps cards and stands at the circulation desk for service to one who creates ways for children to WANT to come into the library than HAVE to.
The library jingle:
You can take children into the library
But you cannot MAKE them read.
Please do take them to the library
The librarian will make them
WANT to read and read.
The librarian cannot do all this alone. To accomplish all these goals and objectives interaction is a must. No librarian can function effectively without the interaction and team work with the classroom teacher, area teachers, administrators, students, parents and the community. Reaching out for all this interaction is crucial to the survival of the library.
This world of interaction has been so valuable to me at Metcalf Laboratory school in Normal, Illinois. Since multicultural skills are becoming as essential componentsof today's educational environment, the collaboration of the librarian with the classroom teacher is necessary to make this a part of the curriculum. This collaboration is just the first step to bring the world into the classroom. Global awareness and celebrating diversity and traditions is a wonderful avenue to communicate the real basics of world cultures and to promote the importance of geography and ecology in the school system
The second step is to locate ethnic speakers from the local community, friends or parents of the children to share their country's culture, ethics, mores, folkways and values. The "Coming to America" program at Metcalf Laboratory School has been a big success. The librarian planned these programs on monthly basis. "When is the next show?" children often asked. They were the evaluators of the library's multicultural program. The teachers signed up to bring their classes to attend. The map of each country presented was attached to some pictures of the culture, some language words and mathematics numbers, and a bibliography for further research and reading. Students, parents and teachers looked forward for the next ethnic presentation and tried to plan around it. The general evaluation of this global awareness program was that it did route its way from academic circles into the kitchen, songs, and dance floor as well as into the world of artifacts and costumes.
Also librarians will not forget their vital interactions with books, non book materials, CD ROM's and of course on-line connections. Turning young children into eager researchers and readers is our main goal, and our task is to find unique fine literature appropriate for children of today. A survey of what our children liked to read found that the categories of humorous, mysterious and adventurous were most popular.
Escaping from reality for a while is that some children really like. "It is so nice to fly away on a magic carpet and see the world." Librarians can provide and accomplish that mission with the selection of balanced books for pleasure reading whether they are fantasy, historical fiction, or just funny. Books that bring satisfaction, happiness, and peace to children are wonderful selections to maintain. Librarians are aware that children can promote or break a book for circulation.
World interaction for librarians is a mission for all and can be accomplished.