School Library mission statements

Reflection Journal #3

What is the mission of the modern school library and how do the mission's relate to the common beliefs?  After class discussion, and your thoughts last week how have your reactions to the common beliefs changed (maybe they haven't).  If you had to write a mission statement what do you think would be important to include?

The purpose of the mission of the modern school library is to establish a baseline for assessment of how the library is doing.  The mission statement helps provide accountability.  If the staff of the school library has not put in writing what “it’s purpose of the organization, its reason for existence, and what it hopes to accomplish” (Woolls, 2008), then it is almost impossible to accomplish anything meaningful.

Missions relate to the common beliefs because the beliefs should be incorporated into the library mission statement.  The common beliefs are central to the success of a school library, and the mission statement should be the expression of how that success will be achieved.

My thoughts on the common beliefs have become more clear since the last class discussion and also the feedback that was provided on my last reflection journal entry.  

If I had to write a mission statement, (and I really do), it would be important to:

1.      Keep it short!  Too many mission statements are too long.  I believe a mission statement should be able to be memorized easily.  Short, sweet, and to the point, please!

2.      Mention all community members

3.      Make sure the mission statement provides accountability without getting too detailed (remember keep it short!)

4.      Include words that reflect we need to teach students how to have the 21^st century skills necessary to be well-balanced adults who are able to communicate effectively in a world that is much larger than the United States.

A rough draft of a mission statement for the middle school I work at is:

The mission of the Harvest Park Middle School Library is to create a community of life-long learners.

Hmmm…I kind of like it just like that.  I have added and deleted sentences, but keep coming back to just this one, strong, powerful statement.  This one statement allows for differentiated instruction, individual differences and individual creativity.  The mission statement allows me flexibility in using various technologies, materials, and teaching methods.  I like that the question I would keep coming back to if I was asking myself if the library was following its mission statement is “Am I encouraging and helping this student (or students) be a life-long learner?” 

            I would like to somehow incorporate that I would like to encourage each child to take responsibility for his/her own learning.  If each child is taking responsibility for his/her own learning, then they own that aspect of their life.  If they own that aspect of their life, no one can “take it away” and it  becomes part of their “arsenal” to help them get through life.  If they can see the positive aspects of this, then they will more likely become “life-long learners.”

            A possible mission statement could be:

The mission of the Harvest Park Middle School Library is to create a community of life-long learners where individual differences and creativity are encouraged in meeting academic and social needs, and each student is encouraged to take responsibility for his or her own learning.

Thoughts?

Woolls, B. (2008). The School Library Media Manager.  Westport, Connecticut:  Libraries Unlimited.