Philosophy

I believe that the role of a media center has evolved over the years. A 21st century

library media center should be positioned around our students. If the media center is the heart of

the school, then that means that the school library media specialist has many roles to make sure

that everything flows and serves its purpose within the school.

The media specialist should allow teachers and students to utilize resources within the

media center. Therefore, the resources and book collections should be up to date so that the

teacher and students would automatically walk in. The media specialist should either create or

network to receive a variety of literacy programs, host events, and promote opportunities for

students throughout the year. All stakeholders and committee members would have a say so

regarding the library’s daily functions, purchases, collections, technology, and other resources

for the academic growth of all students.

I would be available to assist teachers and students with any technology concerns. I

would create a Bitmoji Virtual Library for the students learning from home to have an

opportunity to continue to either read to learn or learn to read. I would stay current with

technology and online resources. My school website would be student, teacher, parent, and

stakeholder friendly. With the click of a button on the curated resource made from Peartrees,

they would be able to navigate to a plethora of current resources.

The media center’s book collection would be diverse, and there would be many genres.

Some popular books would have multiple books available for checkout because there will be a

demand for many books. I would promote both popular and unpopular books through my

weekly book review and book trailer. The type of literacy resources would not be restricted to
students and their reading levels would be based on current data. The 21st century media center

book collection grows because teachers and students have been asked which popular

topics/authors they wanted to see on the shelves. A 21st century media specialist would take

chances even when others are against them like refusing to pull a book because it’s controversial

to other members and parents.

My media center would adhere to student’s intellectual freedom. All students would be

recognized through literature, posters, resources, and more. As a media specialist I would not

judge a student by their personal beliefs, nor by their point of view, gender, race, culture, sexual

orientation, disability, religion, socioeconomic status, or political beliefs. As a media specialist

the media center would be a safe haven for students to ask about certain topics to check out and

request for books to be ordered.

As a media specialist, my understanding of self-censorship is when I would place my

own opinion to the back of my mind. I would not allow my personal beliefs, views, or opinion to

determine how my media center would be organized. Self-censorship is important in my school

library because it would allow me to be equal and gain the trust from students. I would maintain

an open mind and allow that to be seen by all students and staff. As a media specialist, the

environment within my school library media center would be for all students to feel welcomed.

I would advocate for my students in different ways. The media center’s hours of

operation that would be available to teachers, students, staff, and the community. One way is to

create book clubs with parent permission to allow students to read controversial topics and

inappropriate language. Another way to advocate for my young readers is to purchase books in

the library that should be censored and with a signed permission slip per book students would be

able to check those books. The final way I would take a leadership effort in my school’s
community is to include teachers of what censored books are available. With permission from

parents, some students reading on a high school level would qualify for these readings. Being

the media specialist, I would be the person to bridge the gap from the student to the media center.