Field Study Mentor Questions

Field Study: Questions for Mentors
	Directions to the Graduate Student: Arrange a visit as as team to your mentor school. Make sure you explain your purpose and how you appreciate their time and expertise. Do not send the questionnaire to your mentor school prior to the interview or expect your mentor school librarian to write the answers to the questions. It is your task to organize these questions, interview, gather, and compile the responses. Email to Della only ONE compilation (Microsoft Word) per group visit. The compilations will be added to our course website for use now and in the future.
Question		Notes
Teacher Role
	How do you most effectively manage large or multiple groups in your library?
	In your opinion, what library skills should an middle school student have before entering a high school?
	How do your school (student and community) demographics affect your selection and planning process?
1	How do you work with the classroom teacher to teach not only the lesson at hand but also information literacy skills? What strategies are effective and engaging in accomplishing both missions?
	What learning experience do you provide for a 45/90 minute period with middle school students?
2	A. Describe a lesson that you think was highly effective for students. B. How did this lesson connect to the Information Literacy Standards for students?
	How do you encourage reluctant readers to come to the library?
	How do you promote literature with your students when you don't have a set library schedule to meet with all students?
	What are some strategies you use to encourage reading?
	Identify best practices for ensuring that inclusion and ESOL students receive instruction that meet the requirements of their IEP. Please give examples of modified instruction.
3	In your opinion, what library skills should an elementary school student have before entering a middle school?
4	What do you find is the best way to share literature with middle school students?
5	What suggestions do you have to get students with poor reading skills and no interest in school to work on research?
6	Do you make sure the classroom teacher informs you of students with special needs? Have you ever had to make accommodations for these students? Explain.
7	Are you using the Online Research Models that integrate information literacy with curricular content? If so, how? If not, what are the barriers? Note: For counties other than BCPS, ask the question, "Are you using an information literacy process model, e.g., Big Six?
8	How do you keep abreast of units that are being taught at each grade?
9	How do you monitor or ensure that all students receive instruction in Information Literacy Standards for Student Learning, Library Media Learning Outcomes, and your county's information literacy curriculum?
	Do you have a method of monitoring units taught at all grades? INFORMATION
	At what grade do you begin teaching research skills?
	What supplemental aides work best with elementary and middle schoolers (eg. Puppets, Velcro board, etc…)?
	How often do you read aloud to middle schoolers?
	What type of hands on activities are most engaging and best for teaching literacy and media skills?
10	What are some of your best sources of help for lesson planning, instructional ideas, student research?
Instructional Partner Role
	Describe your use of Collaborative Planning and delivery of instruction.
11	In what ways do you collaborate with teachers?
	When do you usually collaborate with teachers (planning, after school, etc…)?
12	What are some methods of getting reluctant educators into the library for student projects?
13	How do you collaborate with your staff to integrate information and technology literacy outcomes with the subject area content outcomes?
14	In what ways have you participated in team/grade level /department meetings, and what was your purpose for participation?
15	How do you work with teachers to develop lessons?
	Do you ask that teachers schedule use of the library, computer labs, etc. Or do you allow them to come in on an as needed basis?
	Do teachers give you an opportunity to review their lesson plans BEFORE they bring classes into the library/media center?
	Do you work with your technology liaison or computer teacher to ensure that research skills are taught integrated with technical skills?
	What things do you do to get teachers to use all the resources you have in your library?
	What reference skills do you teach middle school students?
	How do you teach your students to evaluate resources?
16	In what ways do you encourage teachers to work with you as an instructional partner? Get examples of forms, communications, etc.
Information Specialist Role
17	What sources do you consult for evaluations of materials?
18	What types of books/materials do you select for ESOL students? How do you decide and how many to purchase?
19	What resources are a must for your professional library?
20	Which databases are most useful to students? to teachers?
21	What staff development are you providing for your teachers? (For example, how do you encourage their use of the databases provided by BCPS?)
22	How do you teach students to evaluate Internet resources? What are some best strategies and resources?
	Do you share information about outside inservice activities for teachers?
	Do you have a good cooperative relationship with your local public library?
	How do you find out about new resources to use in the library or media center?
	How do you inform the rest of the faculty about new materials, websites, etc…?
23.	How do you acquaint students with the telecommunications policy and ethical use of the Internet?
Administrator Role
24.	When opening a new school library, how do you know where to begin? Or, if you have not opened a new school library, what would you recommend as a starting point?
	How do you promote the library as being the center of a school to your colleagues and administration?
	How many books are the students allowed to check-out?
25	What came first (priorities) in opening a library?
	Do you have before and after school hours? If so, how do you manage it? If not, why?
	Do you allow students to use the library during lunch? If so, how do you manage it? If not, why?
27	How much time did you have for the planning process?
28	What are your Vision and Mission statements and how to they tie into you school improvement plan?
	How many days in advance do teachers have to make a request for library time?
	What protocol has been devised for teachers to sign-up for library use? How do you encourage teachers to regularly utilize the library?
	What protocol has been devised for those who would like to use the library for professional meetings, after-school classes/programs, etc.?
	What strategies do you utilize to make the media center the "hub" of the school?
	How do you encourage parents/guardians to familiarize themselves with the materials in the school library?
29	Are you involved with the School Improvement Team? What role do you play?
30	Which of the library media specialist's roles do you find consumes the majority of your time? Why?
31	Which one of the library media specialist's roles do you find most challenging? Why?
32	Do you have any school-wide programs that encourage student reading? Please provide details.How
34	Describe your library media center staffing and what are their duties.
	How do you budget for the year?
35	What is the library media budget, where does it come from, how is it determined, and how is the money spent?
36	How is library media center time scheduled? What type of scheduling do you have?
	A. Describe a (professional) activity that you think was highly effective for the faculty? B. How did this activity connect to the expectations of collaboration and leadership and/or information access and delivery?
37	How do you encourage media center visits in a flexible scheduling situation?
	What are the hours (outside of the school day) that the students can use the library?
38	What are some of your strategies that you used to increase the number of teachers using the library media center?
39	How and when do you conduct circulation of library media materials?
40	How do you avoid chaos during checkout, especially with students who have no interest in reading?
41	What special programs do you offer parents and the community? Do you allow parents to check out books? Are there any special campaigns for promoting the library to the community?
42	What is your relationship with the Baltimore County Public Library and how do you utilize these resources?
43	Do you have a TV studio and how is it being utilized? Who manages it? What are the benefits to students? Is it worthwhile in an elementary school?
44	Do you have a mobile laptop lab? If so, how do you use it?
	Are media supplies part of your budget, or the tech liaison’s budget?
	What are you expected to purchase with the funds alloted to you by you principal? Do you have to buy AV equipment, replacement bulbs etc?
	What technology is the library/media center responsible for in the building, i.e. copiers?
	Does the media center provide access to multiple technological resources, including the Internet, image scanner, color and/or b&w printer, LCDs, whiteboards, wireless tablets, etc.
45	Do you have any plans to purchase a mobile lab? What would be the basic equipment that you would want?
46	How do you get support from your principal?
47	What are your effective classroom management strategies and ideas for the Media Center?
48	What is key to success in administering the library media program?
49.	How do you market/advertise your services as a library media specialist to staff?
50	Do you have library media policies? Do you have them posted? How do you share these (in a brochure, for instance)? Do you have a copy available?
	What protocol has been devised for teachers who would like to check-out books from the school library?
52	What is your relationship with department chairs? How does this relationship help your library media program?
53	How do you perform collection development? Do you solicit input from students, teachers, and parents?
54	How are materials ordered? What vendors do you use? Do the materials arrive shelf-ready?
55	Is your library automated? What system do you use? How does it help you do your job?
56	If you could change the layout of your library media center, what changes would you make and why?
	What do you do to promote the use of the materials you have for professional use?
	Describe the layout of your ideal middle school library.
	Where do you place the professional texts? Is there a prominent display?
57	What recommendations do you have for signage?
58	How have you arranged your computers to allow for passive supervision?
59	How has your furniture enhanced the program? Would you change anything?
60	Have you ever had library media center materials challenged? If so, how did you deal with it? If not, what procedure is in place to address challenged materials?
61	How important is your library's web presence? Do you have a library website? If so, who designed it? If you do not, what are the road blocks?
	A. Do you sponsor any extracurricular activities? If so, describe the activities? B. If not, do you plan to in the future? If you created such a activities, what would the activities entail?
	Could we have a copy of their vision and mission statements?
	Could we have a copy of their annual library budget?
	As far as ordering materials is concerned what other materials besides books do you have available for students?
	Challenges & Ordering materials - are there any "taboo" topics that would be more appropriate for high school rather than middle school?
	Do you have library helpers and if so what area their responsibilities? What is your best resource in this role?
	What strategies do you use to support staff and volunteers that enable you as an administrator to maintain the position of an administrator -NOT the primary "DOER"?
	What are some ways you manage all of your responsibilities?
	How many assistants/aids would be necessary to run a successful middle school library?
	What are some of the ongoing assessments for improvement in your library?
	Do you encourage other students to check out the ESOL books?
	Do you think the Patriot Act will affect the level of confidentiality in your school's library? If so, how? If not, can you think of any government policies that may after your school's library?
	Do you share your library policies with parents via a newsletter or the school bulletin? How do you communicate your incentives with parents?
	What would your ideal library consist of? No rules, no budget.(Allow the middle school librarian to dream a little bit. This would give us a little more insight to what a middle school library needs and should have.)