6.25-27+Policies+Manual


 * Policies and Manual Project **

BACKGROUND INFORMATION Every library should have a policy and procedures manual. Sometimes policies are kept separately (or replicated in your board policies) but library procedures definitely belong in every library. Toni Koontz hit on this in an LM_NET posting:

//1. It provides a written history of what has happened in the library - why things are arranged, how and why decisions were made, instructions on how you made those changes.//

//I had three different positions during my career. The first I was fortunate to work with the librarian for a year before she left so I knew everything I needed to run it. The second one I started the first day of school and had no idea where anything was or the routines or procedures for doing anything in that particular library. And again, the last one, the outgoing librarian spent exactly 2 hours with me- mostly talking about her new post and promising to leave me with instructions. Her instructions were about three pages in a small notebook with information about the keys and the passwords and how to turn on the system, but nothing about why some books weren't catalogued as similar ones, or which teacher needed or wanted certain sets of materials or equipment. When I left each one I left a detailed Procedures Manual with as much information as I could - and always made sure to give a copy to the Principal or Head Librarian. I wanted no one to have to be as uninformed as I was in a new position.//

//2. It provides a written and verifiable record of just what professional duties you perform. --//

//How many of you are now having to fight for your jobs or are worried about them? This handy binder would be a great way to document just how much you do and the professional decisions you make. Add to it a second one with lesson plans, information about research projects, ideas for collaboration and a list of when and the topic you actually did collaborate, etc. and you have a good resource when you need to show all that you do. It will also come in handy when you get asked to do a Year End Report.//

//3. It is invaluable when you leave - take a copy with you to help you at your new post. The one you leave will give your replacement a starting point. And, again, give one to the Principal or Head Librarian.//

//The last post I had, I had given a copy to my Principal and to each of the Vice-Principals a month before the end of the school year as that is when we had our Reviews. My Principal said that in a pinch he felt he could even keep the library going for a day or two until they got my replacement if he needed to do so. But he was glad he didn't think it would be necessary. He also felt it would be a great id when they were doing interviews for my replacement. I was retiring from this post. However, the Manual also came in handy a couple of years before that. I had to have knee replacement surgery on both knees. I left the library in the hands of my best volunteer and my paid Aid. The only experience they had was in working with me. But, with my Procedures Manual they kept things going and when I got back in the Fall, I had no problem getting caught up with those things that they couldn't handle and there was no disruption to the service of the students and teachers.//

Toni Koontz Retired Librarian Columbus Ohio fussbgt@yahoo.com LM_NET, 4 Oct. 2012 http://listserv.syr.edu/scripts/wa.exe?A2=LM_NET;2d06c66a.1210

There is such a wealth of materials on the Web that can serve as resources for developing our own individual operations manual for the library media center that the problem becomes limiting the flow of information. There is a lot of similarity in the policies from district to district and it is easy to select one from among many and **adapt** one to your own needs. I very much like the thesis by Marjorie Pappas in her article in //School Library Media Activities Monthly// from January 2005, "Virtual School Library Media Center Management Manual" < [] > that manuals should be on the Web for ease of updating. In addition, there is a lot of discussion in the profession about transparency and having procedures and collection development policies on the Web means that our patrons can access the information readily.

Unfortunately, this article by Pappas is old and almost NONE of the links work any longer. What still works is Pappas' thesis that manuals need to be on the Web (I would recommend a wiki) and she has a good listing of the kinds of material that should be in your procedures manual. A policies and procedures manual is normally a collaborative effort among the librarians in a district and a wiki makes a perfect vehicle for collaborating on a document.

SOURCES TO GET YOU STARTED
 * Bertland, Linda. "Library Media Center Management." //Resources for School Librarians.// Web. 10 June 2012. <[|http://sldirectory.com/libsf/resf/manage.html#top]>.
 * Lamb, Annette and Larry Johnson. "Information Access & Delivery: Policies and Procedures." //The School Library Media Specialist.// 2009. Web. 10 June 2012. <[]>.

EXAMPLES
 * "Alabama's School Library Media Handbook for the 21st Century Learner." //Alabama Learning Exchange//. 11 Sept. 2008. Web. 10 June 2012. <[]>.
 * "Liberty County School System Media Handbook." //Liberty County School System.// n.d. Web. 10 June 2012. <[]>.
 * "Norman Public Schools Library Media Program Procedures Manual." //Norman Public Schools.// n.d. Web. June 2012. <[|http://staff.norman.k12.ok.us/~klewis/Handbook/index.html]>.

Your final assignment is to
 * Copy Pappas' article into your blog (or if you have a wiki already set up, copy into the wiki. When you get through with the assignment, post a link to your wiki in your blog.)
 * For each link I want you to replace it with a link to a policy or procedure that would work for your library. Don't limit yourself to any one site when looking for a policy. You can use any of the any school or district site including the examples from above. Find a comparable policy document to the one that Pappas has suggested. Pappas' article is meant to be a template for the kinds of information that librarians ought to consider for their own manuals and her examples are suggestions. (**20 points)**
 * For example, the ALA collection of documents, "Complete Copyright" is no longer valid. Correct the link to a page that you believe fits your philosophy and would integrate with minor modifications into your school's position. An example might be the copyright page from the Hillsborough County Public Schools, < [] >.
 * Computer Network/Internet Use Agreement is no longer valid. Find a new Internet use agreement that you think is a good example. You can start with examples listed in the Lamb/Johnson or Bertland links from the readings above or search for an example from any other source. There are lots of examples on the Web.
 * Since most of the links don't work and because the article is so old, I want you to replace **ALL** of the links in Pappas' article – unless you find a link that absolutely works and you can’t find a good replacement for it – such as the //Librarian’s Yellow Pages//.
 * If you have procedures manual in your library, by all means link to it! (If your manual is not on the Web, and you want to use your own information, copy the policy information into your blog with a notation as to the source. For those of you with your own library, this would be a great opportunity to start your own wiki of policies and procedures - this project will get you started.)
 * Double-check your links that they work
 * Make sure the links go to the section of the site for the specific information that you are highlighting. In other words, make sure the link doesn’t go to the home page and then I have to search to find the specific information that you wanted me to see for this assignment.
 * Source at least 5 different school sites in your revision of the Pappas' document in addition to the Hillsborough site listed above. **(5 points) Your entries will have the name of the policy followed by the name of the site and a direct link to the policy. It will look like this:**
 * "Copyright" (Hillsborough County Public Schools) http://lms.mysdhc.org/handbook/Copyright
 * Your paper will be graded **on making sure all of the links work** and that you have chosen a good example as an entry for this template for manuals.
 * ** ADDITIONS TO THE PAPPAS MANUAL FOR THIS ASSIGNMENT (5 points) **
 * ** To the "Examples of Forms" I want you to add **Disaster Preparedness**//.// In light of the Joplin disaster, what policy should the library have in case of flooding or other disasters.**
 * **Guidelines for blogging by students and staff**
 * **Guidelines for dealing with student plagiarism**
 * **Guidelines for BYOD (not 6/2013)**

Grading 20 points - replace each link in Pappas' document with a new content 5 points - at least five different sources used and labeled correctly 5 points - Disaster, blogging, and plagiarism, BYOD additions

When you complete your assignment, post a link to your blog on the DISCUSSION BOARD.