SCHOOL LIBRARY MEDIA CENTERS:AN URBAN COMPARISONLinda DovelUniversity of Dayton

Research Questions How do urban teachers benefit

from school media center?

Are the roles attributed to an urban library media specialist different from those in effective schools?

How does an urban school library compare to effective libraries?

Setting and Participants

Urban High School 926 Students

Grades 9-12 78% Free/Reduced

Lunch 26% Identified

Disability ED Unit

English Language Learners

86 Teachers

Urban Media Center 2009-10

Number of Classes 698Number of Students

24,259

Book Circulation 3818Books Added 288Budget $4,000

54%41%

4% 1%

Demographics

African AmericanCaucasianHispanicOther

Data Collection Survey One

Likert Scale Open Ended

Survey Two Likert Scale

Library Statistics 2009-2010

Class Visits to Library/ Urban Library Statistics

Weekly Monthly SemesterAnnually Never0%5%

10%15%20%25%30%35%40%45%

Urban

Teacher Reports Initiated Collaboration with LMS/ Requesting Resources from LMS

Weekly Monthly Semester Annually Never0%

10%20%30%40%50%

Urban

Weekly Monthly Semester Annually Never0%

10%

20%

30%

40%

50%

Urban

Teacher Reports LMS Initiates Collaboration with Teacher/ Offers Resources to Teacher

Weekly Monthly SemesterAnnually Never0%

10%20%30%40%50%

Urban

Weekly Monthly Semester Annually Never0%

10%20%30%40%50%60%

Urban

Teacher Reports Information Literacy Skills Integrated into Teacher’s class/ Information Literacy Skills integration when working with LMS

Excellent Good Fair Poor0%

10%20%30%40%50%60%70%

UrbanIndiana

Excellent Good Fair Poor0%

10%20%30%40%50%60%

UrbanIndiana

Teachers’ Perspective on LMS Roles

Library Media Specialist Roles

YESUrban

YESIndiana

Reading Motivator 85.3% 79.9%

Teacher 90.0% 66.0%

Instructional Support 100.0% 86.3%

In-Service Provider 77.4% 51.2%

Instructional Resource Manager 86.7% 68.5%

School Leader 86.2% 48.9%

Curriculum Designer 65.5% 14.2%

Computer Manager 93.3% 41.0%

At-risk tutor 80.6% 8.5%

Website Manager 76.7% 23.3%

Administrator 70.8% 14.9%

Recommended District Changes Add Staff and Resources to Library Media

Center Make it possible for library media specialist

to reach teachers currently not utilizing the media center

Free library media specialist to better fulfill roles

Expand library hours for students and staff Open hour earlier and stay open hour later

Offer more professional development classes on integrating information literacy skill in the classroom

Recommended Library Media Center Changes Use pacing guides to determine when to

collaborate with teachers not utilizing the library media center.

Work with teachers to integrate information literacy skills in their classrooms.

Utilize district information literacy tools in library to help teachers become comfortable with them.

Library media specialist can focus on most important roles.

Questions