1. Philosophy<br />As a library media specialist, it is my duty to uphold the Library Bill of Rights and fulfill the five roles outlined by the AASL in order to serve my students, faculty, and community and provide them with a diverse collection of print and non-print resources in order to meet their needs for personal inquiry and reading for pleasure. <br />I believe that it is my duty as a leader to be a model professional for my fellow staff members. When engaging in collaborative activities, I will listen to and be respectful of the ideas presented by my coworkers. I will recognize subject area experts within my school and defer to their expertise during collaborative instruction and seek their advice in developing a diverse collection that supports the curriculum. I also believe that I should be proactive in seeking out new learning opportunities and sharing the latest teaching methods and instructional technologies with staff members. I will promote the library media program and be an advocate for intellectual freedom.<br />As a program administrator, it is my responsibility to develop a program that meets the needs of all learners. I will conduct regular needs assessments and collaborate with faculty and community stakeholders to develop library goals that will ensure the success of all students. I will consult with the special education department to ensure that the library and its services are accessible to students with special needs. I will develop a physical space that encourages group activities and supports the latest trends in technology. I will work with administration and staff to develop a library schedule that meets the learning community’s needs. Patrons will be given 24-7 access to the library through an Online Public Access Catalog and library website where they may access online databases for research purposes. The collection will represent a diverse, multicultural society. I will not exclude an item from the collection based on my personal beliefs. <br />I will elicit the cooperation of fellow teachers to build collaborative lessons that provide a meaningful content for the study of 21st Century skills and to help drive student achievement. As an instructional partner, I will work with others to evaluate the effectiveness of our instruction and make modifications when necessary to ensure student success. <br />I believe that it is my duty as an information specialist to encourage students to become critical thinkers who engage in personal inquiry and can successfully utilize both print and electronic resources to locate information through effective search strategies. I will encourage them to become critical consumers by evaluating sources of information for such aspects as authority, currency, and bias. I will teach and model throughout the year the ethical and safe use of technology for my students. <br />As a teacher, I will promote a love of reading amongst my staff by utilizing such methods as book talks and storytelling and developing extracurricular activities such as book clubs. I will encourage cooperation amongst students through collaborative assignments while also challenging them to complete independent projects. I will challenge them to independently solve problems and to produce innovative projects that demonstrate their understanding of curriculum based concepts and technological skills. <br />