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Annual ReportSubmitted by Katherine Lowe, library directorJune 2004This report provides information about the library program during the 2003-04 school year in the following areas:
Our most significant
achievement this year was being named the National School Library Media Program
of the Year (NSLMPY) by the American Association of School Librarians (AASL).
Also noteworthy was the advent of the Power Readers reading incentive program. We began the year with the challenge of maintaining our services despite the added stress of the window replacement project, which caused some classes to be relocated to the library. We overcame the drastic reduction in funding from the BPS because of the grants we received and funds provided by both schools from other sources. We are grateful that our staffing level has been maintained, as it is the most vital component of our program and the sole reason we are able to offer such exemplary services to our school community. Teaching and Learningv
581 classes visited the
library this year, an 18% increase over last year. v
Library users borrowed
4159 library materials, exceeding last year’s total by 15%. v
782 fiction books were
checked out, an increase of 28% over last year, due in large part to the
enthusiasm generated by the Power Readers program. v
Students and faculty
conducted 26,298 online subscription database searches, a 36% increase over last
year. v
All 9th
graders participated in hands-on library orientation sessions in advisory (BAA)
and Foundations (Fenway) classes. v
Humanities classes used
the library for projects on immigration, United States history from the 1840s
through the 1950s, the USA Patriot Act, inventions, the Harlem Renaissance, and
the artist and aesthetics. v
Students in science
classes used the library to prepare science fair and science symposium projects,
develop leaflets on color and light, and to research astronomy, environmental
issues and genetic conditions. v
Students in math classes
used the library to investigate design and to prepare for Math Fairs and
exhibitions. v
Arts students used the
library to select monologues and dramatic scenes, to search for graphics, create
gallery guides, and to research choreographers, recital repertoires, masks,
opera legends, controversial topics in the arts, historic theatre design and the
Comic Book Code. v
World Language students
researched Spanish-speaking countries, Hispanic artists, Christmas traditions,
and the cultures of Central and South America. v
Fenway Foundations of
Literacy students researched poetry and the history of the Blues. v
Advisory classes came to
the library to select books to read, prepare for junior review, complete
portfolio and exhibition products, and to research colleges and careers,
significant works of art and controversial social issues. v
I initiated the
Power Readers program to encourage students to read for enjoyment, purchased
over 200 books recommended by our most avid student and faculty readers, and
created “Read @ your library” posters and a web page with photos of our
Power Readers and students’ book recommendations. (http://fenway.boston.k12.ma.us/library/for_students/power_readers.htm) v
I met and
planned with all content and grade-level teams during the year, focusing on
humanities and grade 9. v
I worked with
the BAA humanities team on their curriculum map, unit outlines and outcomes
documents. v
I participated
in the initial meeting to plan next year’s music curriculum. v Bob Roth met several times with the theatre department. v
Mary Ann Kearns met regularly with the visual arts team and designed a database
for their revised curriculum.
Access and
Delivery of Information
v
This year we
added the following materials to the collection: §
364 nonfiction
books §
84 biographies §
356 fiction
books §
75 volumes of
reference books §
9 music scores §
22 DVDs §
27 videos §
1 ASL CD ROM v
Purchases were
based on the curricula of both schools, along with recommendations from teachers
and students. v
I maintained
our participation in the Boston Regional Library System (BRLS), which provides
us with free access to Infortrac, NewsBank, Net Library, and several other
online subscription databases. v
I developed
online research pathfinders for the Fenway Science Fair and for research
projects on capital punishment, immigration, the USA Patriot Act, and the New
Deal, short stories, and added them to the library web page.
(http://fenway.boston.k12.ma.us/tools/Pathfinder_main.htm) v
I developed a
web page featuring the BU Creative Scholars program. (http://fenway.boston.k12.ma.us/library/for_students/BUCS.htm) v
I did a
presentation about the library program for Fenway’s Parent Council. v
I worked with
Abdi Ali and Robin Hennessey to update the summer reading lists for both schools
and made a display of summer reading books in the library. v
I
presented an overview of our program for Simmons professor Jim Baughman’s
School Library Management class. v
I did
presentations for music teachers who spent professional days at the BSO ERC from
the Mildred Ave. School, and from the Lawrence and Danvers public schools. v
With the BSO
education staff and BAA music faculty, I hosted two open houses for BPS music
teachers and librarians to introduce them to the arts resources available to
them in the BSO Education Resource Center and BAA recording studio. v
I participated
in a Fenway Institute roundtable for visiting administrators from San Diego. v
I wrote
articles about library grants, the NSLMPY award, and the Power Readers program
for both schools’ newsletters and the local media and appeared in an OIT-produced
video presentation about libraries and technology for the Boston School
Committee.
v
As
a result of the NSLMPY award, I have been invited to speak in October at the
Washington (state) School Library Media Association’s annual conference and
asked to collaborate on a presentation for the Coalition of Essential Schools
Fall Forum in San Francisco next November with Elizabeth Marcoux from the AASL. v
The
New England Educational Media Association has asked us to host a site visit
during their annual Leadership Conference to be held in Boston next January. Program Administrationv
I
supervised and mentored the library support staff and two interns from the
Simmons College Graduate School of Library and Information Science. v
I
attended the Leadership Team meetings of both schools once a month. v
I
participated in BAA’s scheduling committee and Fenway’s Teaching and
Learning committee. v
I
met with the registrars of both schools to streamline the sign-out process. v
I
nominated Linda Nathan for MSLMA’s Administrator Advocate Award and hosted the
awards breakfast in our library. v
I
met with representatives from the Boston Regional Library System to discuss
cooperative ventures. v
I
worked with grant-writer Ellen Weiner on a successful proposal for AASL’s
School Library Media Program of the Year. v
I oversaw the
library budget, spending $7500 from the BPS for online databases, magazine
subscriptions, and books. v
$7500 from the
BAA Foundation was used for books, videos and DVDs, two DVD players, display
shelves for the Power Readers books, an enclosed bulletin board for the hallway,
and library supplies. v
$4100 in Title
1 funds ($3100 from BAA; $1000 from Fenway) was used to purchase Power Readers
books and to augment the fiction collection. v
$3600 provided
by the BSO was used for books and magazine subscriptions to support arts
education. v
I administered
the LSTA Library Incentive Grant, submitted quarterly reports to the Mass. Board
of Library Commissioners, and used the $5000 grant to purchase nonfiction books
and videos for research projects in both schools. v
$2500 from the
LSTA Preservation Survey Grant (administered by Bob Roth) was used to hire a
consultant who made recommendations for archiving both schools’ historic
documents and memorabilia. v
I attended
monthly meetings at Symphony Hall with the BSO education staff and, with Bob
Roth, coordinated logistics for Saturday workshops throughout the year. v
I updated and
submitted the 2004-05 Action Plan for our library’s five-year strategic plan
to the Massachusetts Board of Library Commissioners. v
I
used the Massachusetts School Library Media Associations’ Model School Library
Program Rubrics with faculty to evaluate our library program. v
I
created a survey for students to evaluate the library program.
A small group of Fenway seniors completed the survey and participated in
a debriefing session during the AASL visit. v
I
prepared a rubric to assess teachers’ level of collaboration with the library
staff and piloted it with the BAA humanities team. v I planned and hosted the site visit by members of the AASL for the NSLMPY award.
Professional Developmentv
With
other BPS high school librarians, I toured the various departments of the Boston
Public Library, visited the Frederick Law Olmstead Historic Site and Archives in
Brookline, and attended workshops at Campbell Resource Center on NEASC
accreditation, library orientation, creating pathfinders, and library
management. v
I
co-hosted a school librarian’s breakfast roundtable with Connie Dudgeon from
the Boston Regional Library System (BRLS) at the Novel restaurant in the Boston
Public Library. v
Other
professional development activities in which I participated this year were: the
BRLS annual meeting at the Boston Athenaeum, a two-day MSLMA/MetroWest Library
System workshop on community relations and program planning, and the
Massachusetts School Library Media Association (MSLMA) Conference: No School
Library Left Behind, v
I
served on the following committees: BPS
Library Media Advisory Committee, BPS Acceptable Use Policy Committee, Fenway
Teaching and Learning Committee, MSLMA Executive Board – Boston Area Director
and Listserv Moderator. v
I
will be MSLMA president-elect during 2004-05. v
I
convened a meeting of the building-wide technology committee where we shared
common concerns and met with our OIT and OIS representatives. v
Bob
Roth attended a two-day workshop at Facing History and Ourselves and completed
his coursework at Cambridge College for his school library certification.
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