Starting with the history of libraries, the foundations of the librarian profession are the backbone of what it means to be a librarian and run a library.  A strong foundation defines libraries and the librarian who strives to keep their library relevant, ethical, and effective.  The foundations are the background, the history, the advocacy, and techniques used to have effective communication throughout the library.  

It is important to understand the ethics, values, and foundational principles of the library and information profession.  In order to properly engage students and teach them how to be true digital citizens and library patrons, they need to understand its role.  To keep up to date with the changing trends and information in the world of library news, I am a member of ALA and PSLA.  Attached is my ALA membership.  I recieve news letters and e-mails about important updates from these two programs, and I have taken an interest to reading about school districts going 1:1 and how that new technology impacts libraries.  Twin Valley is going 1:1 with Chromebooks this year, so I try to keep up with literature about the ethics and values of introducing new technology to students and teachers. I have attached one article with useful Chromebook extensions that I share with the teachers of Twin Valley. How can the library be a hub for online learning?  What resources could the library have to help students in this new environment? ALA and PSLA help me answer some of these questions. During the MLS program at Kutztown, I learned about many of the ethics, values, and foundational principles of the library, and I apply this knowledge to my library at Twin Valley by using the tools and techniques that I have gained.

Students should have the freedom of expression, thought, and conscience that they need when they are in the library. The role of the librarian includes welcoming students and allowing them to have these freedoms. To demonstrate this, I have provided a copy of our literary magazine that I started two school years ago called The Valley Labyrinth.  Here is a publication that is a collection of poetry, artwork, and stories that have been written, edited, and published by the high school students. Attached is the full 2018 publication.

Aside from the literary magazine, I am including some pictures of the reading section of the library that I have genre-fied. This allows students to gravitate towards books that they enjoy reading, and they are given the freedom to read what they please.  Through the Junior Library Guild, I get 14 different categories of books a month, including Adult Crossover books. My principals and administration support me in not banning materials.  We participate in banned book week, and we learn about why books have been banned in the past while celebrating the freedom to not censor our collection.  We have something for every student!  In my LIB585, Child and Young Adult Literature class, we learned about the importance of a varied library collection.  This course encouraged me to start the weeding and genre-fying process so the students of Twin Valley could access books that were desireble to them and on their level.  

Current libraries cannot be fully appreciated unless we know about the history of libraries and how they have evolved.  Although may aspects of the libraries have changed over time, down to its core, the role of the library remains the same.  The need for cataloging and organizing information remains the same. To see how they go started and have developed, however, it essential to fully understanding today's libraries. 

In my LIB 513- Organization of Information class, I learned about cataloging books and the history of libraries.  At Twin Valley, we use Destiny Quest, and my book vendor supplies me with MARC Records for the new books that I add to my collection. Because od this, I never knew much about the MARC Records or classification system.  This class really opened my eyes to the history of libraries and collection development.  By researching the Library of Congress and SEARS subject headings, it alerted me to the complexity of collection development and how in-depth the process of building a library really is. I have included my LIB513 Midterm which shows what I learned about RDA, the Library of Congress Subjuect Headings, and Sears List of Subject Headings.  Thanks to Junior Library Guild, I do not have to catalog the new books, but it does make me appreciate the history of librarianship.

The image to the left is from The Ladies Book published in 1865.  It is part of my rare book collection, as are the two books shown in the picture attached. While re-organizing my library, I found a collection of old books.  I have these on display for the students to see, and I also have out an old card catalog to show how patrons used to find resources in the library.  The students are always intrigued by the evolution of the library and the new technology.  

Communication is essential in any educational setting, and is key in libraries.  There are many means of communication- interlibrary communication, communication with teachers and staff, and communication with students. During my program at Kutztown, I have been able to communicate with other students and my professors through the D2L, Desire to learn interface. Communicating with my peers and my mentors in all of my online classes has been integral to my success in this program.  Aside from communication though Kutztown, I am a part of the AccessPA Interlibrary loan system through ShareIT.  With this system, schools are able to communicate with each other and share resources as needed.  This is to provide all students with as many resources as possible, even if our own libraries do not own a certain resouce in our collection.  

I am also on the listserv for PASchools, and I see the communication in between schools when there are questions or concerns.  I am able to read the questions posted and respond, or I can ask a question to my fellow librarians.  I have come to rely on this comminication when I have a question or am stuck as to how to help a student or teacher.  The open communication is fundamental in being a librarian, and I appreciate everyone always being so willing to help. Attached is a picture of the Access PA Share IT logo (at the top of this section) and an e-mail from the SCHOOLS Digest through HSLC. 

Libraries are changing from rooms full of books into creative learning commons.   Library Media Centers are more common now than regular, traditional libraries, and I had the opportunity to learn about how to "revitalize your library space to enchance your library program."  In 2016, I attended a Bureau of Education & Research program to learn how to flip my library into a tech-savy and welcoming learning commons for students.  I have attached the front cover of the conference brochure for reference. I learned in this conferece how to update my library, weed and genrefy my collection, add in learning zones to my library, and how to really focus on the students and their creativity. This seminar was the jumping-off point for completely changing the Twin Valley library.  LIB509- Foundations of the Library, gave an overview of current types of libraries and information agencies. For this class, I looked into the Reading Public Library to see what type authority it was, and how it was run. Attached is my my review of the Reading Public Library (Library Agencies). 

In December of 2017, some of the teachers and administrators from Twin Valley had the opportunity to visit a school that is very progressive with their academics.  The students at Central York High School use MCL- Mass Customized Learning, and they have the freedom to learn at their own pace.  Because of this, their library is the HUB of the school, and is always packed with students using their own devices and taking their learning into their own hands.  The library had makerspaces, private rooms, a student-run tech booth, and much more.  I was able to learn from the district and the library to see how my library can be a HUB with open-campus style of learning to help my students achieve great acomplishments.  The superintendent of Central York admitted that they went to the HUB at Penn State University for their inspiration.  Attached is the agenda from our Central York visit.  

It is important to keep up with the current trends in education and library policies.  Many libraries are making a shift into a learning commons/media center and are adding in areas like makerspaces and creative zones.  My library has drastically changed over the course of my 4 years here, and I was proud to put together a presentation for my administration and school board showing them the changes that I wanted to make.  In April of 2015, I went t a school board meeting with this presentation, and I argued why the library should make these changes.  I explained how students would benefit from this new learning space and how it could enhance the students education.  The school board loved the presentation, and approved me to begin the transition.  A lot of what I did to the library came from ideas that I learned about at the BER conference for library revitalization.  I have attached the BER conference again as a reference. 

Libraries must follow legal frameworks just as classrooms must follow the rules,policies/procedures of a school district.  There are standards in place that educators must meet, and the American Association of School Libraries just issued a new set of standards for libraries.  The Twin Valley Librarians are currently re-writing the K-12 Curriculum, and we are using the new AASL standards as our guide to our new curriculum in hopes that we will meet the needs of all students in our libraries. Attached is the link for the AASL Standards Framework.  

Part of my job as the librarian is also to teach the students about copyright issues.  In my lessons, I frequently reference Perdue Owl's online resources.  I also have a subscription to Noodletools, and I teach the students how to properly cite their research with in-text citations and MLA Works Cited pages.  Perdue Owl and Noodletools are two great resources that the students can reference in order to abide by copyright laws. Both of these resources are available on my LibGuide. In LIB509, We studied Copyright laws and their role in the library.  Attached is my assignment on the Penn State's website of copyright laws. I found their resource to be user-friendly and helpful for students who needed help with citations or copyright information. 

With the many challenges that public schools are facing today, budget cuts frequently lead to the demise of a solid library media center or appropriate staff for libraries. Because of the ever-changing state standards and demands that are put on teachers, now, more than ever is the time where libraries should be fully-funded and fully-staffed to ensure that students are receiving the best possible resources for their education. With the many challenges that public schools are facing today, budget cuts frequently lead to the demise of a solid library media center or appropriate staff for libraries. 

Librarians must advocate for a strong program in their school because research has proven that it is the students who are most positively affected by having the proper resources and the staff to support them. With proper education and professional development, librarians can learn how to best advocate for their library and get students the resources that they need to meet the goals of the school and to become successful in their education.

In the high school at Twin Valley, I am fortunate to have a part-time aide with me who helps with the circulation of resources and managing some of my technology.  It is not, however, enough.  To be functioning properly, and to allow me to do what needs to be done, I need a full-time aide.  I continue to advocate for my library, but the district just cannot justify paying for a full-time aide. In LIB509, the core assignment revoloved library advocacy.  That assignment sums up the importance of effective advocacy for libraries and librarians, and I have attached it as my artifact. 

Because the library is constantly changing, there are frequently problems that occur.  When I became the librarian at Twin Valley High School, the library was in need of an upgrade and major weeding.  During my interview, I presented the district with my vision for the high school library. I told my administration that I wanted to see more students utilize the space and have them feel that they were welcomed at any time.  I wanted the atmosphere to be open for creativity, collaboration, quiet reading, makerspaces, and academics.  I proposed that I would teach more classes in the library and hold work sessions for students needing help with writing and research. Included is my budget request for my library vision.  It seems extreme, but I was asked to put together my 'ideal' library with no monetary boundaries.  After the vision was presented, and the request was made, I was giving about 10% of what I had in the vision.

The district also had a vision for our technology problems.  I became part of a technology committee for the district, and together, we made a vision for how to upgrade our technology and incorporate a 1:1 policy with Chromebooks.  This technology vision was worked through with the tech committee, administrators, parents, and community members.  We have now solved the problem of getting the technology because we have Chromebooks for all students in grades 8-11, and we have all high school teachers equipped with an interactive board.  However, new problems certainly arise with these added technologies. Attached are my library vision and the technology vision for Twin Valley

Communication is a key aspect of librarianship, and even Kutztown University shows comminication and critical thinking skills as a major source of knoweldge in their education framework.  Librarians must be effective communicators with both written and verbal skills. Communication is the root of success in schools, and a lot of that comes from the library as a hub of resources and communication. Communication can be seen in a library website or LibGuide, helping a teacher create an assignment, presenting a lesson to students, or creating a tutorial for teachers to use resources. At Twin Valley, I frequently present to the high school faculty.  Attached is one of my presentations for the in-service days at the beginning of the 2017/2018 school year.  In this presentation, I communicated with the staff what changes took place in the library and what new resources were available.  This is called "August 23, 2017."

Twin Valley has taken on a Google platform, and all communication between staff members happens through Google now.  We have a Google Classroom for staff information, announcements, and procedures.  Teachers use Google Classroom with their students as a means of communication- even when class is not in session. As the librarian, I don't have specific classes, but I do have Google Classroom pages for classroom management technigues for the 1:1 setting, my book club and Valley Labyrinth literary magazine, and even for my musical students. 

My LibGuide is another way for me to communicate with my students, teachers, and parents.  I have tabs for library-specific resources like the databases and catalog.  There are also tabs for different departments for whom I have made LibGuide pages for.  This year, I am also thankful for my new interactive board.  I am able to teach students and quickly navigate the pages and online resources that I need to show the students.  It is a wonderful piece of technolgy (and it's on wheels!), but I am a bit short for it, I think. 

The students feel proud to be able to communicate creatively through our high school literary magazine.  It's called the Valley Labyrinth, and again, I have attached a shot of one of the pages completed by a student. 

In 2014, I began my Master's of Library Science program at Kutztown Univsrsity.  Over the past 4 years, I have taken the required courses for my certification and also continued to meet the requirements for maintaining my education degree with with state of Pennsylvania.  Every year, we must complete professional development hours by getting ACT 48 credits to maintain our teaching certificates. 

There are also areas of specialization that require extra training, and one example of that is through Access PA.  To keep up-to-date with the interlibrary loan system, the online resouces avaialble, and the precess off using their databases, I go to Access PA trainings every few years.  Attached are my Acceptance Letter to Kutztown, and request for candicacy.