Teacher Orientation
Welcome to the D.L. "Dusty" Dickens Elementary School
Library Media Center
Our Mission
What can the Dickens LMC help me do?
Okay, fine. That's great. But how will the Dickens LMC make my life easier as a classroom teacher??
And we can share your teaching responsibilities with you by collaborating on lessons, units, and
special projects. (And we're not just saying that to be nice. We really WANT you to collaborate with us!) When students learn information in context (such as in the library while you're teaching similar topics and skills within your classroom), they will retain the information. To get collaborating, simply come by and schedule an appointment. 
We can also introduce you to new educational technologies, web-based tools and resources, and provide you with
instructional materials. (We'll call our mini-workshops Tech 2sdays.) The topics will be posted in advance so you
can clear your schedule if there's something that really interests you--and we promise, there will be!
If there are specific books, kits, or other resources you're looking for, let us know. If the purchase is feasible and
supports the overall efforts of the Dickens LMC program, we will purchase them so we can all benefit! And to make
it easier on you (and us), we've prepared a simple Materials Request form on our LMC website at 
http://www.MrsBentheim.com 
Remember, too, that the Dickens LMC is here not
just for students and parents, but for you, too. If 
you need assistance locating a resource for a
course you're taking, or have a random question
you're curious about, come talk to us! We don't
know all the answers, but we can definitely help
you find them!
I don't know about all this. I thought the library media specialist is just supposed to check out books to students and provide me a break from teaching for my prep.
Well, let's go ahead and clear that up. The school library media specialist is first and foremost a licensed teacher with
a master's degree in curriculum and instruction, as well as school library science. Her classroom just happens to be the school library (where she can be surrounded by the things she enjoys most--kids, teachers, technology, books, and reading)! 
Also, the concept of the school library has recently experienced a paradigm shift. There's no doubt that the school library media center here at Dickens this year will not mirror the library you had growing up. 
Alright. Well when can I come into the library media center?
We're open EXTENDED HOURS every day from
8 a.m. to 3:30 p.m.
This means all parents, classroom
teachers, and students are welcome
in the Dickens LMC during those hours. 
(Groups of 2-3 students will need their 
ID cards and a quick note from you if they're coming when their class is not scheduled.)
And the Dickens LMC is open 24 hours a day, 7 days a week via our website at http://www.MrsBentheim.com.
What will I find on the Dickens LMC website?
We're glad you asked! Here's a quick snapshot of our home page. Just click on it to see details. 
Alright, so what else do I need to know?
Well, we can't possibly cover everything in this one presentation. But we can tell you to explore our website (http://www.MrsBentheim.com) for starters. And just so you know, it's best to view the site from an unfiltered computer.
But in the mean time, just keep these ten points in mind ... 
The librarian doesn’t own the library. You and your students do. You can
recommend materials and have a voice in library policy making. Volunteer to
become a member of our school’s library advisory committee.
The library should be considered an “intellectual gymnasium.” It’s not a student
lounge, study hall or baby-sitting service. The students in the library, including the
ones you send, should have a reason for being there. Whether for academic
purposes or personal use, students should be in the library because they need the
library’s resources, not just because they need to be somewhere.
The best resource in the library is the librarian. I can help you plan a project, solve a
technology problem, find professional research, give insight into an ethical problem,
or answer a reference question. And if I can’t do it, I will help you find someone who
can. I can help find interlibrary loan materials you need that are not in the school
library itself. Helping others gives me a huge sense of satisfaction so please never
hesitate to ask me.
Planning is a good thing. Advanced planning with me will greatly increase your and
your students’ chances for success with projects that require information resources.
A well-planned research unit or technology project will greatly decrease frustrations
for everyone involved. With my experience, I can let you know what strategies work
and don’t work.
Recognize that the library provides access to both print and electronic information.
I can determine which one best suits your and your students’ needs. Students do
not always realize that print resources are the best for many purposes. It breaks my
heart to watch a student spend a frustrating hour trying to find the answer to a
question on the Internet that could have been answered with a print resource in
minutes.
The librarian can be helpful in evaluating the information found on the Internet. One
of the greatest challenges of using the Internet is determining whether the facts and
opinions found there are credible. I have the training and tools to do just that. And it
is my mission to teach students effective evaluation skills as well.
The librarian can help create assessments for your students’ projects. The findings
of research projects presented in electronic form, conclusions drawn from primary
resources, and research that calls for higher-level thinking to be demonstrated all
call for good authentic assessment tools rather than a simple gut-reaction
comments or an objective test. I can help you find examples of these sorts of tools
as well as help you create and administer them yourself. Let’s work together to
make your students’ learning experiences as meaningful as possible.
The librarian can be your technology support center. I’m no technical guru, but I can
help you and your students with technology applications. Need to use a scanner or
digital camera? I can show you how. Need to create a multimedia presentation? Let
me give you a quick lesson. Looking for effective ways to search the web? Ask me.
I’m not a technician, but I can sometimes help locate that kind of help for you as
well.
The library can help your students’ performance on standardized reading tests.
Research has proven that children become more adept at reading by extensively
practicing reading at or just below grade level. The library contains a wide range of
material in print format that students can use to improve reading skills. And I can
help match just the right book or magazine with just the right reader. If you need a
book talk for your class or help with a student struggling to find something of
interest, just say so.
The librarian will be your partner when trying new things. It’s been said that some
teachers during their career teach one year, thirty times. Can you imagine how long
those thirty years must have seemed? If you need somebody to share the glory or the
shame of a new unit, activity, or methodology, I’m the one.
Thank you for letting us help you get acquainted with the Dickens LMC. We
hope you won't be a stranger. And we can't wait to start working with you!
We can put rotating book baskets together so that you and your students always have reading materials in your classroom. When you're finished with the books, just bring them back and exchange them for another batch!
Program Goals
To build and maintain a collection that is current and reflective of the school’s curricular needs and achievement goals. 
To establish and increase collaboration between the media center and teachers. The target goal is to collaboratively plan a lesson, project, or unit with every teacher at least twice per year. 
To encourage a love of reading and promote reading for pleasure as well as for informational purposes. 
To create and implement collaboratively designed lesson and units of study with teacher that will target information literacy skills that students need for the 21st century. 
Technology Goals
Foster lifelong learning by providing resources and assistance for individuals seeking and evaluating information.
Provide dependable and reliable information.
Provide adequate training opportunities for staff and volunteers.
Align library technology services with community needs.