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Library Media Program

Vision

The School Library Media Program is essential to student learning and achievement and integral to the entire educational process, providing all students and staff members with equitable and timely access to ideas and information through a collaborative integrated instructional program which empowers students and staff to be effective users of ideas and information, to evolve as life-long learners, and to choose to read for pleasure. Our mission is carried out by providing an intellectually free and welcoming environment that is physically attractive, as well as well-maintained and run by highly qualified staff. Ideally, when students leave Charles County Public Schools, the Library Media Program will have aided them in becoming active and creative locators and users of information to solve problems, to formulate ideas, and to satisfy their own curiosities.

Mission

The mission of the Library Media Program for Charles County Public Schools is to empower staff and students to be effective users of ideas and information.

This mission is accomplished by:

  1. Engaging in collaborative planning and instruction with staff in all curricular areas to facilitate student learning and ongoing collection development.
  2. Providing an instructional program that is integrated into the curriculum and results in student achievement of learning outcomes in information literacy, independent learning, and socially responsible, ethical use of information and information technology.
  3. Providing learning opportunities that develop critical thinking skills in order to perform authentic research and reference activities.
  4. Fostering an appreciation of literature and a lifelong love of reading in support of classroom reading instruction and school-wide reading initiatives.
  5. Supporting students and staff in the development of information literacy skills in effectively understanding, using, and producing media that includes various formats of current technology.
  6. Providing equitable and timely access to organized collections of resources and delivery of services.
  7. Developing diverse collections of information resources that support curricula and encourage staff and students to pursue personal interests.
  8. Providing facilities that are inviting, nurturing and conducive to learning.
  9. Providing appropriate and adequate staff that includes a certified library media administrator at the county level, certified library media specialists and full-time media support personnel whose sole responsibility is to support the library media program.
  10. Developing partnerships with parents and community members to establish and foster a community of learners. Informing the school community, comprised of students, staff, parents, and community members about the library media program and its contribution to that community of learners.
  11. Performing ongoing program evaluation to facilitate improvement and to determine the direction of the library media program through goals and objectives based on continuous evaluation and data collection.

Research Strategies

To be information literate, a person must be able to recognize when information is needed and have the ability to locate, evaluate, and use effectively the needed information
~ American Library Association, 1989

Information Problem-Solving Model

  • Step 1: Define topic and develop questions
  • Step 2: Locate and gather information sources
  • Step 3: Organize and cite sources
  • Step 4: Make a product to communicate information gathered
  • Step 5: Present information
  • Step 6: Reflect on the process

Book Awards and Reviews

ALA Book Awards

Black-Eyed Susan

International Children's Digital Library
Explore a world or children's books written in 32 different languages

For questions regarding the library media program, please contact:

Dedra Van Gelder
Content Specialist for Library Media
Charles County Public Schools
Jesse L. Starkey Administration Building
5980 Radio Station Road
P.O. Box 2770
La Plata, Md., 20646
dvangelder@ccboe.com