SCHOOL LIBRARY SYSTEMS: SUCCESSFUL COLLABORATIONS

By the School Library Systems Association of New York State, December, 1997

• The vision of the School Library System (SLS) is to empower all school library media specialists to be recognized as instructional experts in their schools. As educational leaders, SLS provide unique services that support the learning process of students, teachers and staff.

School Library Systems do this by collaborating with members of school communities to:
• Strengthen instructional practices
Provide continuing education in a supportive environment for library staff and users (best practices, technology resources)
Integrate and customize access to local resources utilizing technology
• Enable students, teachers and staff to evaluate, apply and synthesize information
Create resources and opportunities for access to information
Optimize available resources
• Implement the NYS Learning Standards
Identify standards and how the Library Media Center can support them
Train library staff in the standards
Use cooperative collection development plans to assure that learning materials and support necessary for the standards are available
• Foster literature appreciation
• Engage students in the learning process through the use of varied resources
Electronic databases
CD-ROMS
Online catalogs
• Optimize the collective strength of our members
Coordinate resource sharing
Combine limited finances to provide online services for school library media centers

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