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Library Media Services

Library Media Services

Leon County School District's school library media services provides support to all school libraries in our k-12 system. School libraries operate as the hub of our schools. Not only do we provide equitable access to district and state resources, school library media specialists encourage and foster a love of reading as a foundation for learning that will serve students for the rest of their lives. School media specialists teach students how to read critically, digital citizenship and information literacy skills, inquiry-based learning, STEM and STEAM activities.

It is the role of the school media specialist to connect independent, self-selected reading with student interest and ability. Additionally, the school library media specialist serves the entire school--students, teachers, paraprofessionals, administrators, and school community members. 

Many thanks to local author, Anna Drake for contributing copies of her book, Color Your Way Through Tallahassee, to each LCS elementary school. 

Posted: June 28, 2011, by Philip Bradley on his WEBLOG 

What Librarians and Google are for…

Librarians are there: 

To help, aid, assist. To teach, collate, enthuse. To catalog, index, arrange, organize. To find, discover, promote, display. To interest, intrigue, amuse and amaze. To instill wonder. To help children, adults, old people, the underprivileged, the rich, the poor, those with voices and those without. To protect resources, to archive them, to store them, to save them for the future. To provide differing viewpoints, to engender thought, conversation, research, fun. To provide the best answer possible, to match the answer to the enquirer, to provide just enough information without overwhelming the user, but enough to always help. To better a local community, a company, a school, a college, an organization, a country, the world.  

Google is there: 

To make money. 

    • Religion--factual materials that represent all major religions
    • Ideologies--philosphy that exert a strong force in society
    • Sex--pornographic, sensational, or titllating material is not included, but the evidence of sexual incidents appearing in the media does not automatically disquality its use (Reference Florida Statute 847.012)
    • Profanity--use of profanity does not automatically disqualify a selection; effort is made to exclude media using profanity in a lewd or detrimental manner
    • Science--factual information about medical and scientific knowledge
  • Criteria:
     

    • Purpose--is there a clear relationship with instructional objectives and/or the curriculum?
    • Reliability--are the materials accurate and authentic?
    • Quality--do these materials meet the threshold of academic merit?
    • Treatment--are these materials organized in a clear, comprehensible, skillful, and convincing manner?
    • Technical production--are these materials visually appealing and formatted well?
    • Construction--are these materials durable, functional, and safe for student use?
    • Special features--are there useful illustrations, photographs, maps, graphics, charts, and documentation included?
    • Possible uses--will these materials lend themselves to use with both large and small group instruction?
       

    The primary objective of each school's library program is to enrich, extend, and support the instructional program of the school. The school library makes available a wide range of materials at varying levels of difficulty attending to the needs, interests, and viewpoints of students and teachers. 

    Pursuant to Florida Statute 1006.40, any materials purchased with Library Materials Media funds must be: 
     

    • Free of pornography and material prohibited under s.847.012. 
    • Suited to student needs and his/her ability to comprehend the material presented.
    • Appropriate for the grade level and age group for which the materials are used or made available.