Welcome
to the Clark County
School Librarians Association's
Introduction

This page answers many commonly asked questions about Library Media Specialists in the Clark County School District, Nevada. Our district is now the sixth largest school district in the county as it serves the population of Las Vegas and surrounding communities. Once called "Librarians," the elements of this profession now include much more than teaching and the maintenance of a collection of books. Library Media Specialists "wear many hats," as the information below describes their increasingly complex and essential role.

To read this entire page, scroll down.
To move to a specific part of this document, click on the desired directory item.

What do Library Media Specialists do for students?
What do Library Media Specialists do for teachers?
What does a Library Media Specialist do for the library?
How do Library Media Specialists help implement the curriculum?
What are some issues you should discuss with your Library Media Specialist?

Information Specialist

Technology is now an important part of the library experience.

Library Media Specialists -

Inspire students to become avid and competent readers by providing them with appropriate reading materials and the guidance to find those materials when needed.
Connect students to information within and beyond the classroom walls
Teach students the search strategies needed to sort through the vast array of information available via print and electronic resources
Teach students the processing skills to use information analytically to solve problems

Library Media Specialists -

Help teachers to find the content and context in which goals will be achieved
Participate in the development of grade level benchmarks and assessments
Assist classroom teachers in locating interesting materials and bringing the resources of the world into the hands of the students
Collaborate in designing curriculum that integrates content areas with information literacy skills
Teach and coach students in using the research process

Instructional Partner

Teachers collaborate with Teacher-Librarians.

Program Administrator

Library Media Specialists -

Participate as team players with their building principal and the Learning Improvement Team to help set the educational tone and direction for their building

The Library Media Specialist manages:

The Library Instructional Program
Staffing the library
Supervision of volunteers
Library Media Center schedule
Selecting and ordering materials
Library Media Center budget
Implementation of appropriate technologies

Implementation
The Clark County School Librarians Association can assist your school in implementing the Nevada Curriculum Standards by providing the following information:

Lesson plans for implementing the Nevada Curriculum Standards
Policies and procedures impacting schools and school library media centers
Information literacy
Technology considerations and planning
InterAct links

Issues

These issues need to be considered to optimize your library program. Talk to your Library Media Specialist about them today.
Open access to library during the school day
Extended hours beyond the school day
Staffing to adequately meet student access needs
Increased resources to support quality book collections and new technologies
Time for classroom teachers and Library Media Specialists to develop collaborative learning projects
Ongoing training for Library Media Specialists in technology and best practices
Censorship

What does the research tell us about the measurable value of a Library Media Specialist to the school as-a-whole? click me to find out. This is something every teacher, administrator and parent should read!

Home | The Introduction | Literacy Standards | Online Libraries | HTML for Librarians | Become a School Librarian | The Library Calendar | Membership | Vendors | The Links Page