’ ram#:mmmsmrn:92.»;sn12:2'-- via-w we" .;- I - ;,. ; .;. ;. , I. . . . Um, ‘ . ,4 _. ;_.‘ “#5. ‘-‘l‘-V-" ..... . . I ' . . _ v . A SURVEY OF TRAINING» PATTERNS AND 'PERCEIVED '. PRIORITY PROFESSIONAL NEEDS OF SCHOOL LIBRARY MEDIA PROFESSIONALS IN SELECTED ILLINOIS SCHOOL DISTRICTS * Dissertation for the Degree of mo. - MICHIGAN STATE UNIVERSITY. - ' JACQUELINE R. WOLFF 1975 \. ‘ .. gum (m LIFE/9 R Y Michigan State University v WV This is to certify that the thesis entitled A SURVEY OF TRAINING PATTERNS AND PERCEIVED PRIORITY PROFESSIONAL NEEDS OF SCHOOL LIBRARY 'MEDIA PROFESSIONALS IN SELECTED ILLINOIS SCHOOL DISTRICTS presented by Jacqueline R. Wolff has been accepted towards fulfillment of the requirements for Ph . D . degree in Secondary Education and Curriculum \ .- Q <:*><;CXL3\>_ \1- (eke, QA'\_~L \ Majof- professor Date ,4//j//7j mgr“ WT Pete-:3“ I‘l Z. I \ 9‘“: Alert]; 199: ABSTRACT A SURVEY OF TRAINING PATTERNS AND PERCEIVED PRIORITY PROFESSIONAL NEEDS OF SCHOOL LIBRARY MEDIA PROFESSIONALS IN SELECTED ILLINOIS SCHOOL DISTRICTS By Jacqueline R. Wolff Purposes of the Study_ The purpose of this study was threefold: I. To ascertain the nature and scope of training of school library media professionals; To identify those aspects of training perceived as most valuable by school library media pro- fessionals; To recommend the kinds of training that should be required of a school library media specialist. Specifically, the study attempted to answer the following questions: l. What is the extent and kind of training typical of today's school library media professional? How do school library media professionals per- ceive the relative importance of specific courses in relationship to performance require- ments of their present positions? Is there a significant difference between the training of elementary school library media pro- fessionals and high school library media pro- fessionals? What do practitioners in the school library media field suggest for improving the preparation of school library media specialists? Jacqueline R. Wolff Procedures The study was accomplished by surveying 371 school library media professionals in 100 public school districts in the state of Illinois. Data were gathered by using a survey instrument which con- sisted of the following: Question I (Part I) required the respond- ent to give a fixed response to a list of school library media related subject areas in which they had formal undergraduate or graduate training. The subject areas were placed under six major competency areas: Media, Management, Learning and Learning Envi- ronment, Human Behavior, Planning and Evaluation, and Research. The competency areas were suggested by the Behavioral Requirements Analysis Checklist, an instrument which was used during Phase III of the School Library Manpower Project. Part 2 of the first sec- tion required the respondent to indicate by use of a Likert—type 4 point scale the relative importance of each of the subject areas listed in relationship to performance requirements of their present positions. Question II, open-ended in nature, offered the respond- ent an opportunity to make suggestions for the improvement Of training programs for school library media specialists. The last section of the instrument, Personal Data, called for demographic characteristics of the respondent. The data gathered were analyzed to determine the frequency and percentage of respondents who had acquired academic training in the six major competency areas. Also, mean scores were derived to determine course values made by reSpondents in relationship to per- formance requirements of their present positions. In addition, the Jacqueline R. Wolff Chi-square test of homogeneity was utilized to determine if there were any significant differences between the training of elementary school library media professionals and high school library media professionals. Finally, suggestions for the revision and/or expan- sion of school library training programs were examined, grouped according to mutual concerns, and reported. Major Findings l. The degree of training in the six major competency areas varied greatly among the school library media professionals partici- pating in the study: Media; Respondents clearly showed evidence of a high degree of training in the courses which have traditionally comprised the "core" Library Science curriculum. Seventy-four percent of all respondents indicated some training in these print-oriented courses. The acquisition of training in Media courses which have a non-print orientation was reported by 33 percent of the respondents. Management: Training in Management was indicated by 50 percent of the respondents. Learninggand Learning_Environment: An analysis of the data revealed that Sl percent of the respondents had acquired some train- ing in areas related to Learning and the Learning Environment. Human Behavior: A course in Human Growth and Development was taken by 66 percent of all respondents with a slightly higher frequency reported by elementary school library media professionals. Planning and Evaluation: Twenty-one percent of all respondents reported training in this competency area. Jacqueline R. Wolff Research: A study of Library Research was reported by 41 percent of the respondents. 2. Total mean scores for each of the six major competency areas revealed that respondents regard courses in Media-print (1.80), Management (1.70), and Human Behavior (1.99) as "Very Impor- tant" to "Important" in their present positions. Less value was placed on courses in the competency areas of Media-non-print (2.53), Learning and Learning Environment (2.13), Planning and Evaluation (2.03), and Research (2.28). 3. No significant difference was found between the train- ing of elementary school library media professionals and high school library media professionals. 4. Suggestions for the improvement and revision of school library media training programs varied widely in scape and emphasis. Major concerns related to training focused on program requirements, the need for classroom teaching experience, the inclusion of an internship experience, the need for technical/clerical skills, and training differentiation for elementary and high school library media specialists. Questions for Further Study 1. What kind Of relationship should exist between under- graduate programs and graduate programs of school library education? 2. Can a fully trained school library media specialist be produced in a one-year graduate program? A SURVEY OF TRAINING PATTERNS AND PERCEIVED PRIORITY PROFESSIONAL NEEDS OF SCHOOL LIBRARY MEDIA PROFESSIONALS IN SELECTED ILLINOIS SCHOOL DISTRICTS By 0%“ Jacqueline R. Wolff A DISSERTATION Submitted to Michigan State University in partial fulfillment of the requirements for the degree of DOCTOR OF PHILOSOPHY Department of Secondary Education and Curriculum 1975 DEDICATION To my Mother and Father who have always understood my need to grow ii ACKNOWLEDGMENTS The author wishes to express her sincere appreciation to the members of her Doctoral Guidance Committee: Dr. Dale Alam, Chair- man, Dr. Richard Gardner, Dr. Louis Romano, and Dr. James Page. A very special thanks goes to Dr. Louis Romano who has con- sistently been a supportive friend and colleague throughout my entire professional career in education. I value highly the confi- dence that he has given to me particularly during some of the more discouraging moments. Sincere appreciation is also expressed to Robert Carr of the Office of Research in the College of Education for the many hours he Spent giving me assistance in the statistical portion of the study. To the school library media professionals in the sample pOpulation who participated in the research, I also express my thanks. TABLE OF CONTENTS Page LIST OF TABLES . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . vi LIST OF APPENDICES . . . . . . . . . . . . . . viii Chapter I. THE PROBLEM . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 1 Purpose . . . . . . . . . . . . . 1 Need for the Study . . . . . . . . . . . 1 Importance to Education . . . . . . . . . 7 Definition of Terms . . . . . . . . . . . 8 Limitations of the Study . . . . . . . . . 10 Research Questions . . . . . . . . . . . 10 Overview . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 11 II. REVIEW OF THE LITERATURE . . . . . . . . . . 13 Historical Development of the School Library Media Center . . . . . . . . . 13 Personnel and Manpower Studies . . . . . . . 27 Swmmw . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 47 III. DESIGN OF THE STUDY . . . . . . . . . . . 49 Research Method . . . . . . . . . 50 Selection of Sample Districts . . . . . . . 52 Participation in the Study . . . . . . . . 54 Procedures of the Study . . . . . . . . . 55 Treatment of the Data . . . . . . . . . . 57 Smmmw. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 57 IV. ANALYSIS OF THE DATA . . . . . . . . . . . 59 Analysis of the Characteristics of the Population . 60 Research Question I . . . . . . . . . . . 66 Research Question 11 . . . . . . . . . . 73 Research Question III . . . . . . . . . . 78 Research Question IV . . . . . . . . . . 79 Swmmw . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 85 iv Chapter Page V. SUMMARY, CONCLUSIONS, AND RECOMMENDATIONS . . . . 89 Smmmw . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 89 Conclusions . . . . . . . . . . . . . 91 Implications . . . . . . . . . . . . . 97 Recommendations . . . . . . . . . . . . 98 Questions for Further Study . . . . . . . . 100 BIBLIOGRAPHY . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 102 APPENDICES . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . l09 LIST OF TABLES Size Of Sample . Participation in Study According to School Level Assignments . . . School Level Assignments of School Library Media Professionals . . . . . . . . . Degrees Earned According to School Level Assignment . . . . . Types of M. A. Degrees According to School Level Assignment . . . . . . Years of Teaching Experience According to School Level Assignment . . . . . Years of School Library Media Experience According to School Level Assignment . Type of Media Certification Held by School Library Media Professionals . . . Frequency and Percentage Of Respondents With Training in Media (Print-Oriented) Frequency and Percentage of Respondents With Training in Media (Non- Print Oriented) Frequency and Percentage of ReSpondents With Training in Management . Frequency and Percentage of Respondents With Training in Area of Learning and Learning Environment . . . . . . . . . Frequency and Percentage of Respondents With Training in Planning and Evaluation Mean Course Value Scores of Respondents in Media (Print) Area . . . . . . . . vi Page 53 55 60 61 62 63 64 65 67 69 7O 7T 72 74 Table 4.13. 4.14. 4.15. 4.16. Mean Course Value Scores of Respondents in Media (Non-Print) Area . . . . . Mean Course Value Scores of Respondents in Management Areas . . . Mean Course Value Scores of Respondents in Learning and Learning Environment Area Mean Course Value Scores of Respondents in Planning and Evaluation Area . vii Page 75 76 77 77 LIST OF APPENDICES Appendix A. Letter to Superintendents Requesting Permission to Conduct Survey . . . . 8. Introductory Letter to Respondents Accompanying Questionnaire . . . . . . . . C. Questionnaire for School Library Media Profes- sionals . . . . . . . . 0. Letter and Criteria for Evaluation of Questionnaire Sent to School Library Media Experts . E. Matrix of Library Training Institutions/Course Offerings . . . . . . . F. Standards for Media Services--Media Certification Requirements, Illinois, 1974 G. Courses Acquired by ReSpondents According to School Level Assignment . . . . . . . . H. Mean Course Value Scores of Respondents According to School Level Assignment . . . . I. Calculated Chi-Square Values and Significance Levels of Courses Acquired in the Six Major Competency Areas . viii Page 110 112 114 119 122 124 128 130 133 CHAPTER I THE PROBLEM BEERQEE The purpose of this study is threefold: 1. To ascertain the nature and scope of training of school library media professionals; 2. To identify those aspects of training perceived as most valuable by school library media pro- fessionals; and 3. TO recommend the kinds of training that should be required of a school library media specialist. Need for the Study The school library has much to contribute to the enrich- ment of the educational program. During the 19405, the school library was popularly referred to as "the heart of the school" or the "hub of the educational wheel." Thirty years later, it is still doubtful that more than a féw school libraries in this coun- try have been more than just passive partners in the educational process. In its Yearbook (Part II) entitled The Library in General Education, the National Society for the Study of Education spelled out the role of the library in relation to the social changes then taking place. It recognized the need for an enlightened citi- zenry; it saw the quality of education measured by the quality of library service.1 However, the school library never quite rose to these expectations. During the war and the post-war period, an attitude of anti-intellectualism existed. Conservative groups opposed the increased taxes needed to build schools, pay teachers' salaries, and purchase instructional materials. Subsequently, the school library was sadly neglected. The impact of technological developments in the 19505 was to have a decided effect upon the role of the school library. NO longer was the book to be considered the only viable medium through which a child could learn. Education programs would encompass a wide range of media, based on the presmise that: --Learning occurs through all senses. These modalities are utilized with varying degrees of effectiveness by individuals who learn in different ways, at different rates, and for different purposes. --The potential of each medium, when used either singly or in combination with other media, varies with the content, the subject area, and its presentation. --The use of educational media should enhance individual choice, creativity, and self-directed inquiry. --Specific minimum levels of media and media services should be available to all students regardless of school size and geographical location. --The media program must support the educatign program reflected in the philosophy of the school. Officially, the American Association of School Librarians (AASL),1attheir convention in 1956, stated in a resolution that the school library "should serve as a center for instructional materials." Instructional materials included books-~the literature 1Martin Rossoff, The School Library and Educational Change (Colorado Libraries Unlimited, Inc., 1971), p. 51. 2Pearl Ward, The School Media Center (New Jersey: Scare- crow Press, 1972), p. 62. of children, young people, and adults-~other printed materials, film recordings, and newer media developed to aid learning.3 Since that time strong forces have pushed for a change in title from "school library" to "instructional materials center," "learning center," "educational media center," "school library media center," and even "resourceteria." The name really makes no difference. What is important is that there is evidence of a fundamental change in media services and utilization develOped in response to new patterns of learning, curriculum, and administration. During the decade of the '605, the revolution in education continued. Greater emphasis on the individual learner, independent learning, changing patterns of school organization, and changes in instructional materials placed the school library in a more stra- tegic position. In 1969, new national standards for school library programs were published, prepared jointly by a committee of the American Association of School Librarians (AASL) and the Division of Audiovisual Instruction (DAVI) of the National Education Associ- ation (NEA). For the first time, school librarians and audiovisu- alists were to be treated as equal partners in the educational enterprise; print and non-print materials were to have equal status in the educational program. The new Standards for School Media Programs strongly endorsed a unified audiovisual/school library program. 3Rossoff, The School Library and Educational Change, p. 41. There is evidence that the field is moving toward a merger of the two programs; however, the merger is far from being achieved in most instances. As Kremple states, The thing to keep in mind is the purpose for the develop- ment of the Learning Resources Center, which most defi- nitely is not to preserve the status of either of its components, but to serve a vital need in a more complete and efficient manner. This requires more than ths mergence of materials, facilities, and processes. He further asserts that "the traditional role of the librarian will be changed from one of mainly a dispenser of learning materials to one of active participant in the dynamics of the teaching-learning 5 process." Sleeman and Goff6 feel that this person must not only have the foresight and readiness to accept a new role for instructional materials in the teaching/learning process, but must also be acceptable to new roles for himself, roles involving planning, cur- riculum design, public relations and innovation. 7 sees the effectiveness of an instructional materials Witt center depending directly upon the adequacy of its staff. He con- tends that the media specialist must play a strategic role as a participant in curriculum activities. In terms of educational 4F. A. Kremple, "Integrating the Library into Learning Resources," Catholic Library,World 39 (March, 1968), 479. 5 6Phillip J. Sleeman and Robert Goff, “The Instructional Materials Center: Dialogues or Discord," AV Communication Review (Summer, 1967), pp. 162-163. 7Paul Witt, "High School Libraries as IMC's," NAASP Bul- letin 43 (November, 1959), 112-118. Ibid. training, Witt suggests that persons selected should first have professional preparation and experience in education. They should know what it is to teach. In addition to preparation as teachers, the media specialist should have professional prepara- tion in the areas of supervision, curriculum development, and educational administration. 8 Gottardi views the professional in a school library media center working closely with classroom teachers and functioning on the following levels: 1. As a master teacher 2. As a materials specialist 3. As a media program engineer selecting the correct combination of print and non-print materials to facilitate learning Goldstein offers a summary of skills he feels should be expected of media specialists at the professional level: Media personnel . . . will be those who are proficient in selecting, organizing, relating, producing, using, and evaluating the newer devices and their associated equip- ment. These specialists . . . or generalists . . . will have . . . backgrounds in the . . . knowledges and compe- tencies . . . associated with school librarians: ability to select a variety of media, skill in finding and using appropriate media to provide for a variety of specific individual needs and to promote individual self-direction in learning, evaluation of all kinds of media for their potential values in the educational program, and skill in effective regationships between all members of the educa- tional team. 8Leslie Gottardi, "Instructional Media Center Services in the Nongraded Elementary School," AV Instruction 16 (April, 1971), 30-33. 9Harold Goldstein, "Media Standards and Education fOr Media Service," Illinois Libraries 52 (September, 1970), 661. With school library media center programs taking on new directions, Norberg ‘0 suggests that the services of the media pro- fessional must be based on: 1. Insight into learning and communication processes. 2. Understanding of curriculum and new instructional patterns. 3. Ability to inSpire and gain the respect of other professional staff members. 4. Skill in management of media services. 5. Comprehension of the broad spectrum of technology in instructional communications and its place in education. Savagen of the Department of Library and Audiovisual Edu- cation at St. Cloud State College, Minnesota, reports that the goal of their graduate program is to educate and train "generalists" who can function in any situation, at any place, and at any time in the media field. It may be easier to find a facility that is truly a school library media center than to find a person within that facility who is truly a media specialist. It may be easier and more realis- tic to find specialists--in library science and in audiovisual techniques--who are trained with an understanding of the other's position and a general knowledge of the other's tasks, but are trained to concentrate in one area or the other, to grow 10 Kenneth Norberg, "The Role of the Media Professional in Education," AV Instruction 12 (December, 1967), 1026-1029. 1]Carl C. Savage, "A Total Media Program Implemented,“ AV Instruction (September, 1969), 26. professionally in one direction or the other, and to serve the schools in one capacity or the other. An Audiovisual Task Force Survey, supported by the American Library Association and completed in 1970, recognized that colleges and university programs "responsible for career preparation of librarians and audiovisual service personnel . . . were inadequately preparing people to conduct (school) library media programs."12 It is most apparent that the varied specialists in educa- tional media, that is, the librarians and audiovisualists, do not completely agree on either the dimensions of the field or the func- tions of those who work in it. They do concur on the need to con- tinue working toward a concensus. Importance to Education The role of today's school library media specialist is seen in a variety of ways by a variety of people according to their own training and work experiences. Because of the change in the con- cept of the school library media center, the question has been raised as to whether we can expect the respective librarian and audiovisualist to assume the roles and responsibilities of a media specialist without retraining. It has also been suggested that a new "media type" is emerging--this person is neither a librarian nor an audiovisualist, but combines many of the skills of both specialities and at the same time becomes an integral part of 12Eli Ginsberg and Carol A. Brown, Manpower for Library Services (New York: Conservation of Human Resources Project, Columbia University, September, 1967). curriculum development. Despite the new media person emerging, few training institutions are producing media specialists capable of functioning in a multimedia setting. The concept of the school library media program will not reach fulfillment until leaders in both fields make further attempts to determine what kinds of professional personnel will be needed to staff such centers. It is appropriate that further attempts be made to determine the kinds of training that will be needed to prepare the school library media specialist. And finally, training insti- tutions must then prepare themselves to offer the appropriate training for these emerging media specialists-~this will require vast and dynamic changes. Definition of Terms School Library Media Centers: Units administered in indi- vidual schools where printed and audiovisual materials are made available to students and teachers. May also refer to transi- tional units where collections presently consist largely of printed materials. Other terms Often applied to the school library media center are school library, instructional materials center, learning center, learning resources center, educational materials center, etc. School Library Media Program: The type of curricular inter- action between the media personnel, teachers, students and media in terms of utilization, administration, and selection of the media collection; availability of services as an integral part of the learning program of the school. CertifiedLQualified Media Staff Member: A certified teacher with a minimum of 18 hours in library science and/or audiovisual education who has responsibilities as a staff member of a school library media program. Certified Media Staff Member: A certified teacher who has responsibilities as a staff member of a school library media pro- gram. School Library Media Specialist: "The first level of pro- fessional responsibility on the school library media center staff; the incumbent participates as a specialist in instructional media, applying the knowledge of media categories to the development and 13 implementation of curriculum." Printed Materials: Books; magazines; newspapers; pamphlets; clippings; and ephemeral materials; catalogs, and printed programed materials. Audiovisual (Non-Print) Materials: Filmstrips; films; tape and disc recordings; slides; graphic materials, including study prints; art prints; pictures; posters; charts; diagrams; globes; maps, microfilm; transparencies and transparency masters; realia; kits; art Objects; video tape recordings; and dial access programs. Elementary,School District: A district composed of schools classified as elementary by State and local practice and composed 13Robert N. Case and Anna Mary Lowrey, School Library Man- _power Project, Phase I--Final Report (Chicago: American Library Association, 1970), p. 18. 10 of any span of grades not above grade eight. The term includes kindergarten and pre-kindergarten levels if they are under the control of the local board of education. SecondaryASchool District: A district composed of schools comprising any span of grades beginning with the next grade fol- lowing the elementary school and ending with or below grade 12, including junior high schools, the different types of high schools, and vocational or trade high schools. Unit School District: A district composed of schools compriSing any span of grades beginning with kindergarten and end- ing with or below grade 12. Limitations of the Study_ The validity of this study is affected by the following factors: 1. The degree of frankness and sincerity of response to the instrument administered. 2. The school districts were selected through the School Approval Section, Department of Recognition and Supervision and Instruction of the Office of the Superintendent of Public Instruction, Illinois. All districts are visited and evaluated on a three- to four-year cycle, with no regard for geographic distribution, size, or type of school. 3. Non-public schools were not used in this study. Research Questions The following research questions will be investigated to assess the professional training of school library media profes- sionals, to ascertain which aspects of their training are perceived 11 as being most valuable, and to determine suggestions for improving their professional preparation: Research Question I: What is the extent and kind of training typical of today's school library media professional? Research Question 11: How do school library media professionals perceive the relative importance of specific courses in relationship to performance requirements of their present positions? Research Question III: Is there a significant dif- ference between the training of elementary school library media professionals and high school library media professionals? Research Question IV: What do practitioners in the school library media field suggest for improving the preparation of school library media specialists? Overview It has been the intent of this first chapter to describe the purposes of this study and to explain why there is a need for further research in the area of training media professionals. Terms vital to the understanding of the study were then explained, followed by a statement of four research questions to be investi- gated. In Chapter II, a detailed review of the literature in two major areas will be presented. The first part of the review will trace the historical development of the school library media center concept. This will be followed by a review of major manpower and personnel studies, projects, and seminars in the library media field. The chapter's final section will briefly summarize the findings in these two major areas of review. 12 The design of the study will be described in Chapter III,. includingaadescription of the population and the nature of the sample used. This chapter will also include a description of the survey instrument used. The method of administering the instru- ment will be followed by a statement of the statistical method- ology to be used. Chapter IV will be devoted to an analysis of the data gathered in this study. Findings will be given in the same order as were the research questions presented in Chapter I. The last chapter will contain a summary of the study and the conclusions reached. Concluding Chapter V will be implications, a list of recommendations, and questions for further study. CHAPTER II REVIEW OF THE LITERATURE Due to the focus of this study on the training of school library media professionals, it is necessary to review the literature in two major areas. The first part of the review will trace the historical development of the school library media cen- ter concept which was influenced by two fields--the school library and the audiovisual program. The second section will concern itself with the literature on major manpower and personnel studies, projects, and seminars in the library media field. Historical Development of the School Library Media Center School library development was pioneered as early as the 18305 in the states of New York, Massachusetts, and Michigan. Even in the early stages of its growth, school library proponents called for the necessity of utilizing instructional materials above and beyond the traditional textbook. In 1839, Horace Mann approved the establishment of school libraries to compensate for the informational limitations of the text.] 1Horace Mann, Life and Works of Horace Mann, 5 vols. (805- ton, Mass.: Lee and Shepard), vol} 3: Annual Reports of the Secretary of the Board of Education of Massachusetts, 183911844, p. 49. 13 14 In 1915, Mary Hall, a librarian, strongly emphasized the necessity for the library to provide both print and non-print materials: In the new high school library many Of our schools have found it worthwhile to bring together all lantern slides, pictures, victrola records and post cards, and to orga- nize them according to modern methods of classification and cataloging so that they may be available for all ggpzrtmegzsaa: allatimeslgsttgfiy are not available when p p r men co c Pressures for the rapid development of school libraries came not only from librarians but from educators and educational administrators as well. The need for acceptable guidelines to establish school libraries led to the development of the first formal standards edited by Mr. C. C. Certain, chairman of the NEA's Committee on Library Organization and Equipment. In 1917, the NEA adopted the Certain Standards, and approval was also given by the North Central Association of Colleges and Secondary Schools. In 1920, the American Library Association officially published the document. Although the Certain Standards were concerned with second- ary school library development only, they were considered a land- mark in the history of school librarianship. Advisory in nature, they were an attempt to codify acceptable high school library practice in quantitative terms. The concern over library staffing and qualifications received considerable attention in these early standards: 2Mary E. Hall, "The Development of the Modern School Library," Library Journal (September, 1915), p. 672. 15 The librarian should combine the qualities of the good teacher and of the good librarian; have a college degree plus a year's professional library educatiog; and have the status and salary of a department head. The Certain Standards were followed in 1925 by a report on Elementary Library Standards, which appeared first in the Fourth Yearbook of the Department of Elementary School Principals and was later published by the American Library Association.4 With the continuing development of the school libraries in the 19205, another movement emerged which was to ultimately have significant effects on education and school library programs. The period 1918-1924 became known as the "visual instruction” era. Several events occurred during this period as a result of the tech- nological develOpment of projected still and motion pictures: --The first formal credit courses in visual instruction were offered for teachers at the college level. --The first visual instruction professional organizations were founded at local and national levels. --The first systematic visual instruction research studies were reported. --The first professional visual instruction journals appeared. --The first administrative units of visual instruction were organized in the public schools, colleges, universities, and state departments of education. 3Norman Beswick, "The Certain Standards in Context: A Study of the American School Library Materials Centre Concept," Journal of Librarianship(July, 1970), pp. 160-174. 4National Education Association and American Library Association, Elementary School Library Standards (Chicago: American Library Association, 1925)} 5Paul Saettler, A History of Instructional Technolggy (New York: McGraw Hill, 1968), pp. 119-120. 16 Saettler believes that there is not a simple answer to the question of why the visual instruction movement evolved as it did or when it did.6 Factors such as a revolt against formalism and verbalism in educational practice, the extraordinary features of film, the use of training films during World War I, and the develop- ment of a theoretical rationale for the use of visual materials may explain why a strong interest in the use of instructional media came about. Commercial interests can be credited with strengthening the visual instruction movement. 'Also, the move taken by the NEA to establish a Department of Visual Instruction (DVI) in July, 1923, added credibility to the work of the movement. Nelson Greene, editor Of Educational Screen, commented: Some thousands of earnest educators, to be sure, have been working along these lines for years, but against fearful odds. The wise action of the NEA will give a strong addi- tional impulse and incentive to their work. In the minds of many other thousands, visual education will now cease to be a fad--as they were afraid it might be--because the fist of the great Association has been set upon it. The visual movement now has its credentials, with the official vise upon them.7 Due to the steady growth of the movement, the demand for formal teacher education in the techniques of visual instruction came about. In 1922-23, approximately 21 educational institutions 8 were offering courses in visual education. The growth of formal visual instruction courses offered continued steadily. 61bid. 7Nelson Greene, "The New Department of the NEA," Educa- tional Screen, Vol. 2 (September, 1923), p. 317. 8Saettler, A History of Instructional Technology, p. 133. 17 Administratively, it appears that visual instruction departments were usually established on the state, university, and district levels. The status of the early visual instruction directors was one of many problems encountered. McClusky, in a survey conducted in 1923, made the following recommendation: The administrative status of directors of visual instruc- tion needs to be clearly defined. Their work should be so organized that the utmost cooperation is made possible between them and other school officials.9 At that time, there was little evidence that visual serv- ices were administered to students and teachers on the building level. Thus, it appears that school library services were admin- istered separately from audiovisual services in the emerging years of the movement. It wasn't until the 19405 that efforts to integrate instructional materials services in schools were attempted. Brown and Norberg report of such integrated services in widely separated school systems: Portland, Oregon, 1941; the state of Virginia, 1941; Rochester, New York, 1941; the state of Washington, 1947.10 In 1940, H. L. Cecil, Superintendent of Schools in Tona- wanda, New York, included the following statement in a basic platform for the development Of school library service: 9F. Dean McClusky, "The Administration of Visual Education: A National Survey" (unpublished report made to the NEA, 1923), p. 193. 10James W. Brown and Kenneth D. Norberg, Administering Educational Media (New York: McGraw Hill, 1965), p. 262. 18 Since 1900, one of the characteristic features of school organization has been the school library. Its growth and importance have paralleled the expansion of the school pro- gram from the narrow static course of study of the 19th century to the broadened enriched and socialized program today, and changes in methods of teaching which require the use of many library materials rather than the dependence upon the single textbook. Another event which signified the active movement toward a multimedia approach to library services was the publication of the 1945 national standards, School Libraries for Today and Tomorrow, sponsored by the American Library Association's Committee in Post- War Planning. It stressed the following: In addition to books, challenging new materials are becom- ing an important part of library resources . . . Librarians should take the initiative in making these aids known and often in securing and promoting their use. Where the services Of a director of audio-visual education . . . are available, the librarian will work closely with him in pgder that the whole materials program may be main- tained. World War II was the setting for an expanded utilization of instructional media by the Armed Services. Because of the tremen- dous expansion of military training, demands for aids were on the increase. Thousands of men had to be trained quickly and effi- ciently, so every possible type of aid had to be utilized. Films 11H. L. Cecil and Willard Heaps, School LibrarygService in the United States (New York: H. W. Wilson Co., 1940), p. 311. 12AmericanLibrary Association, School Libraries for Today and Tomorrow (Chicago: American Library Association, 1945), pp. 23-24. 19 found their place among the most valuable and most modern aids to instruction.]3 Research on the effectiveness of these training aids was sparse due to a lack of time and necessary personnel. What can safely be said is that the use of visual aids in the Armed Services far exceeded any past or present civilian usage of them. Miles and Spain in their study of audiovisual aids in the Armed Forces suggest that civilian educators strongly consider utilizing all types of instructional materials at all levels of education for all types of learners.14 In part, the war experience gave the audiovisual materials Inovement a more significant and sophisticated place in the instruc- tional area. In 1946, Edgar Dale strengthened the theoretical rationale about the effectiveness of audiovisual materials by constructing a "Cone of Experience." This pictorial device explains the inter- relationships of the various types of audiovisual materials, as well as their individual positions in the learning process.15 Various types of audiovisual materials are arranged in the order of ilicreasing abstractness as one proceeds from direct experiences. 13John R. Miles and Charles R. Spain, Audio-Visual Aids in 1153 Armed Services (Washington, D.C.: American Councilion Educa- tlon, 1947), p. 65. 14Ibid., p. 92. 15Edgar Dale, Audio-Visual Methods in Teaching(New York: l:"Wden Press, Inc., 1954), pp. 42-43. 20 In subsequent research on the effectiveness of materials, the following claims were made: When properly used, they (audiovisual materials) can accomplish the following: 1. They supply a concrete basis for conceptual thinking and hence reduce meaningless word responses of stu- dents. They have a high degree of interest for students. They make learning more permanent. They offer a reality of experience which stimulates self-activity on the part of pupils. They develOp a continuity of thought; this is eSpecially true of motion pictures. They contribute to growth of meaning and hence to vocabulary development. . They provide experiences not easily obtained through other materials and contrgbute to the efficiency, depth, and variety of learning. \I 05 01 #00“) Since the emergence Of the visual instruction movement in the 19205, the NEA had been one of its most active supporters. This support was strengthened further after World War II in 1947 *when the NEA provided the organization, named the Department of .Audiovisual Instruction (DAVI), with an executive secretary and a full-time staff. The increased activity of the organization was recognized by numerous significant publications and production projects. In 1949, recognizing that the school library program would eventually have to give more emphasis to the audiovisual, Margaret liufsvold wrote a guide for the traditionally book-oriented librarian. 'The publication, sponsored by the merican Library Association, was 16"Audio-Visual Materials," Encyclopedia of Educational We rev. ed. (New York: Macmillan, 1950), p. 84. 21 intended to provide assistance in setting up and administering "new media" materials and services.17 A more official policy statement related to the expanding nature of the school library program was made by the American Association of School Librarians at the American Library Convention in 1956. In addition to strongly endorsing the "instructional materials center" concept unanimously, this group also outlined some professional requirements for the "new school librarian": School librarians are normally educated as teachers and meet state requirements for regular teaching certificates. They must also receive special training in analysis, edu- cational evaluation, selection, organization, systematic distribution and use of instructional materials. The pro- fessional education of school librarians should contribute this basic knowledge as well as provide understanding of fundamental learning processes, teaching methods, and the psychology of children and adolescents. Also, the school librarian must be familiar with the history and current trends in the development of school curriculua . . . the well trained school librarian should anticipate service as both13 teacher and as an instructional materials special- ist. Concern over the professional training of the "instructional materials“ specialist was mutually expressed by the Joint American Association of School Librarians (AASL), the Association of College and Research Libraries, and the Department of Audiovisual Instruc- tion (DAVI) of the NEA in 1958. For the first time, these three professional associations shared responsibility for the recruitment, 17Margaret I. Rufsvold, Audio-Visual School Library Service: A Handbook for Librarians (Chicago: American Library Association, 1949). 18Ruth Davies, The School Librgry: A Force for Educational Excellence (New York: R. R. Bowker Co., 1969), pp. 294-295. 22 professional education, and certification of those who were or would be serving as instructional materials specialists. The Joint Committee agreed that the most likely sources for acquiring the needed competencies were: Successful Teaching Experience: Instructional materi- als specialists should first of all be experienced teachers . . . . It is essential that instructional materials specialists secure experience on curriculum committees and that they gain experience in guidance and supervision. Foundation Areas: Instructional materials specialists should have coursework in (a) educational administration and supervision; (b) principles of learning; (c) curriculum develOpment; (d) guidance and counseling; and (3) mass communications. Specialized Areas: Instructional materials specialists should have course work and in-service experience in the following areas relating directly to the nature and effec- tive use of materials: (a) analysis of instructional materials, their nature and content; (b) methods of selecting and evaluating materials; through study of indi- vidual media as well as through cross-media study by cur- riculum unit or grade level; (c) utilization Of materials; (d) production of apprOpriate instructional materials, including laboratory work with specific media; and (e) processes for the orggnization and maintenance of materials and equipment. One of the most significant events which had a decided influence on the use of media in education was the National Defense Education Act (NDEA) Of 1958. Title VII of the Act called for "research and experimentation in more effective utilization of tele- vision, radio, motion pictures, and related media for educational 20 purposes." Title XI of the same Act came into existence in 1964 as an amendment to the original bill. It provided for and '91bid.. pp. 296-297. 20"National Defense Education Act," School Life Magazine, XLI, 2 (October-November, 1958), 5-26. 23 encouraged institutes to train teachers and librarians in the use of instructional media. During the 19505, advanced graduate programs for the prepa- ration of audiovisual personnel were limited to a few institutions. As these programs expanded, professional certification of audiovisual personnel became the concern of some states. Further indication of the perceived importance of profes- sional preparation for the audiovisual specialist was evidenced by the sponsorship of several seminars and studies by DAVI and the NEA. The PEMS Commission (Professional Education of Media Special- ists) was one such project. The U.S. Office of Education became involved during this period and sponsored several studies such as The Content and Pattern for the Professional Training of Audiovisual Communication Specialists (STEMS),21 The Professional Education of Media Service Personnel,22 Interdisciplinary Graduate Programs in 23 Communication: A Descriptive Study, and A Studyyof Regional Media 24 Resources: Phase I--Manpower. 21Robert 0. Hall, ed., The Content and Pattern for the Professional Training Of Audiovisual Communication Specialists, NDEA, Title VII, Project No. B-208, U.S. Office of Education, 1964. 22C. W. Stone, ed., The Professional Education of Media Service Personnel (Pittsburgh: Graduate Library School, Ufiiversity of Pittsburgh, 1964). 23F. O. Holtzman and A. W. Vandermeer, Interdisciplinary Graduate Programs in Communication: A Descriptive Study (Univer- sity Park, Pa.: Pennsylvania State University, T965)Z 24Ann M. Martin, A Study Of Regjonal Instructional Media Resources: Phase I--Manpower (Pittsburgh: Center for Library and Educational Media Studies, University of Pittsburgh, 1965). 24 In 1960, the American Association of School Librarians pub- lished a new set of Standards which provided both qualitative and quantitative guidelines for school libaries serving as multimedia 25 learning laboratories. Five years later, DAVI published Quantitative Standards for Audiovisual Personnel, Egupment, and Materials.26 In 1969, these two professional organizations jointly pub- lished Standards for School Media Programs.27 It was felt that standards for media programs would be greatly strengthened if they were prepared jointly by the two professional asso- ciations most closely identified with the reggurces for teaching and learning in the schools . . . . The 1969 Standards placed considerable emphasis on the pro- fessional education and preparation of the media staff: Regardless of the organizational arrangement for the media program in which they work, all media specialists who are responsible for instructional decisions should acquire, as part of their professional preparation, a knowledge of certain fundamentals in the general field of education and in areas related to media resources and services. The former should contain content dealing with curriculum structure, student growth and development, instructional methods, and psychology. The subject matter in the media area should include: analysis, evaluation, selection, and design of printed and audiovisual materials; procedures for the utilization of materials by students, teachers, and 25American Association of School Librarians, Standards for School Library Media Programs (Chicago: American Library Associ- ation, 1960). 26DAVI, Quantitative Standards for Audiovisual Personnel, Eguipment, and Materials (Washington, D.C.: NEA, 1966). 27American Library Association and NEA, Standards for School Media Programs (Chicago: The Association, 1969). 28Ibid., p. x. 25 other school personnel; the objectives, functions, and pro- gram of the media center; the administration and organiza- tion of materials and media services; communications theory; and information science, including the understgnd- ing of the theory and design of instructional systems. 9 The need for specialization in the school media field and in the professional education of media specialists was recommended 30 in the 1969 Standards. The level of school, subject matter, or type of media could be the focus of this specialization. The professional education of media specialists was further emphasized in the 1969 Standards when the Committee called for a careful review in this area: Not only do specifics of content need to be delineated but other problems merit study: the place, sc0pe, and nature of undergraduate professional education; the types and pro- grams of specialization; the relationships or sequences of undergraduate, fifth year, sixth year, and doctoral pro- grams; and the criteria for accrediting or approving programs of professional edgcation for media specialists in colleges and universities. Unification of college and university training programs was also recommended in the 1969 Standards: In those universities and colleges having separate programs in library science and audiovisual instruction, the devel- opment of a unified or closely coordinated program is desirable. If only one program is presented, it is essen- tial that its scope be broadened to cover resources and services relating to both print and audiovisual materials. 32 The 1975 Standards represent the "continuous revision" called for in the 1969 Standards. Media Programs: District and School basically calls for the same kind of preparation that was 3O 32 29 31 Ibid., p. 12. Ibid., pp. 12-13. Ibid., pp. 13-14. Ibid., p. 14. 26 recommended in the 1969 document. The 1975 Standards, however, strongly assert that "the media specialist holds a master's degree from a program that combines library and information science, educa- tional communications and technology, and curriculum."33 The greatest stimulus to school library development was the enactment in 1965 of the Elementary and Secondary Education Act (ESEA). (If the five major sections in the bill, the most sig- nificant for school libraries was Title II. Sizable sums were awarded to various states for library books and other instructional materials. The impetus of this money gave schools the opportunity to strengthen their collections. Curricular trends in the 19605 presented challenges to library media specialists. Team teaching, flexible scheduling, and the new focus on individual study demanded all types of materials to implement a varied curriculum. Crawford states: The sixties have brought us closer to the concept of the library as part of the instructional system responding to teacher and student needs and even creating needs within that system.34 As the decade of the '705 arrived, two major streams of school library media, the school library and the audiovisual program, which traditionally had been independent of one another, revealed continued attempts to merge. Progress is evident, but slow. The different historical origins of these two fields may suggest, 33AASL, ALA, and AECT, Media Programs: District and School (Chicago and Washington, D.C.: ALA and AECT, 1975), pp. 22-23. 34Lura E. Crawford, "The Changing Nature of School Library Collections," Library Trends (April, 1969), pp. 383-398. 27 however, why the field of school library media still remains in a state of flux. Personnel and Manpower Studies The development of the school library media center concept brought with it a shared concern by library media educators over the manpower needs for the new centers. The role changes required and the additional competencies needed have been subjects of dis- cussion and controversy amongst educators, audiovisualists, and librarians. Sleeman and Goff questioned the adequacy of both the librarian and the audiovisualist for meeting the demands of the new role required: From the changed role of the persons involved, it is evi- dent that the training of neither librarian nor audio- visualist is in itself satisfactory for supervision of an Instructional Materials Center. Rare is the person who combines the talents of both fields into one general area.35 Meirhenry addressed himself to manpower concerns by sug- gesting: The new demands which are being made, however, call for the education of new types of media generalists who are capable of managing the broad range of communication forms utilized in education today.3 35Phillip J. Sleeman and Robert Goff, "The Instructional Materials Center: Dialogues or Discord," AV Communcation Review (Summer, 1967), pp. 162-163. 36Wesley C. Meirhenry, "Programs for the Preparation of Media Specialists," in The Professional Education of Media Service Personnel, ed. C. Walter Stone (Pittsburgh: University of Pitts- burgh, 1964), p. 7. 28 Quinby calls for a "new breed" of librarians who must be conversant with the theories of human learning and instructional programming.37 Other library educators were concerned about the reluc- tance of school librarians to accept their new roles. Janke charged that little change had come in the traditional school library because the librarian has not been convinced that content can be provided to boys and girls in many different forms, and that the means is secondary to the end.38 Gaver, who felt strongly the need to upgrade the compe- tencies of the present pool of manpower, saw the difficulty of too nany school librarians preferring to continue the clerical jobs with which they were familiar rather than working with new and unfamiliar programs and tools. As a short-range step, but not immediate in impact, Gaver recommended that the most effective classroom teachers, who may have expressed an interest in librarian- ship, be provided Opportunities to secure the added qualifications.39 Jetter, using the Delphi technique in her study, concluded that the job of the school library media specialist will require expertise in areas such as instructional development and technology, 37W. J. Quinby, "Carrels for Learning," Library Trends (April, 1971). p. 467. 38Leslie H. Janke, "School Librarianship," in The Profes- sional Education of Media Service Personnel, ed. C. Walter Stone (Pittsburgh: University of Pittsburgh, 1964), p. 48. 39Mary V. Gaver, School Activities and the Library (Chicago: American Library Association, 1967). 29 behavioral sciences, learning theory, curriculum theory, informa- tion sciences, and computer sciences as well as the conventional library and media areas.40 With the redefinition of the school library media program and the job requirements of school library media specialists, professional education would also be expected to undergo some major revisions. Gaver, in an article on the crisis in school library man- power, concluded that one cause of such a crisis were the library education agencies that have not modified their programs so as to produce either the number or the kind of personnel needed for the new school library media programs.41 Hartz and Pringle also reported little progress in keeping library education programs in line with the new needs of our schools. In December, 1965, after examining the catalogs of accredited library schools, they found that only 15 of the 32 schools which answered the inquiry Offered separate audiovisual courses; one of the 15 offered three courses; one of the 15 had a specific curriculum designed for training school librarians as instructional materials specialists. They concluded that although most of the library schools were offering some training 40Margaret A. Jetter, "The Role of the School Library Media Specialist" (Ph.D. dissertation, Michigan State University, 1972 . 4lGaver, School Activities and the Library, 30 in audiovisual materials, it was being taught by "precept and not by example."42 From the library's point of view, Sara Srygley notes the long-standing difficulties that school librarianship has faced in its dual relationship to education and librarianship. She also recognizes that audiovisual education is similarly caught in rela- tionship to education and in the tugs-of—war between emerging specialization in media technology and systems develOpment.43 Speaking from the audiovisual point of view, Erickson sug- gests the need for a unified approach to improved professional education for media specialists, but fully admits that the issue is complicated by the variety of patterns in existence for training media specialists.44 The whole matter of manpower needs and the training of media specialists was the impetus for several studies conducted by library educators and audiovisualists. In addition to individual efforts by these two professional groups, a few studies were mutually con- ducted by library educators, audiovisualists, and rperesentatives from the general field of education. 42Fred Hartz and Eugene A. Pringle, "Education for Instruc- tional Materials Centers," Drexel Library Quarterly II (April, 1966), pp. 168-175. 43Sara K. Srygley, "The Making of New School Media Special- ists--From the Library Point of View," AV Instruction (January, 1969). pp. 15-16. 44Carlton W. H. Erickson, "The Making of the New School Media Specialist--From the Audiovisual Point of View," AV Instruc- tion (January, 1969), pp. l4-16. 31 In March, 1960, a group of educators gathered at the DAVI convention to discuss their concerns over the training of audio- visual educational media Specialists. Two years later, the group received funding to hold three seminars designed to deal with the question of the content and pattern of pre-service and in-service training Of media Specialists. Position papers were written, presented, and studied by the seminar participants. In Uwepapers, the authors made suggestions about the skills and competencies of media specialists and Offered ideas on how these skills could best be organized in appropriate scope and sequence in a formal training program. James W. Brown, one author, saw the need for both general- ists and specialists, the former in over-all charge aided by the latter who contribute expertly to particular segments of total educational media programs.45 To meet such professional preparation requirements for educational media generalists and specialists, Brown recommended the following range of courses: A. Basic academic field courses 1. Courses meeting major and/or minor requirements for baccalaureate degrees 8. Basic professional education courses 2. Social Foundations Of Education Psychological Foundations of Education 3. 4. Curriculum and Instruction 5.: Practice Teaching 45James W. Brown, The Content and Pattern for the Pro- fessional Training of AV Communication Specialists, ed. Robert 0. Hall, NDEA, Title VII, Project No. B-208, U.S.O.E., 1964. 32 C. Basic educational media courses 6. Educational Media and the Teaching Process 7. Planning and Producing Simple Educational Media 0. Advanced professional education courses 8. Psychology of Learning (including perception) 9. Advanced Curriculum and Problems of Curriculum Development 10. School Administration Problems E. Advanced educational media courses 11. Evaluation 12. Librarianship (probably several classes pertaining _to selecting, classification, cataloging, process- ing, and managing educational media collections of all types) 13. Management of Media 14. Information Retrieval 15. Educational Writing and Editing 16. Production of Motion Pictures 17. Television Production 18. Audio Production (including radio) 19. Educational Technology (systems analysis, computer- based instructional procedures, electronic distri- bution systems, emerging developments such as portable videotape equipment . . .) 20. Graphic Production 21. Programed Instruction 22. Special studies and internship 23. Thesis at doctoral level or Paper at Master's level46 Another seminar author, Charles W. Worland of Alameda County State College, reported on a study which was in progress designed to establish the status of programs in colleges and universities in the United States for the education of audiovisual or educational media specialists. Questionnaires had been sent to institutions identified as having or possibly having programs for audiovisual or educational media specialists. Responses were received from 239 (70%) institu- tions in 44 states and the District of Columbia. Of those respond- ing, 75 reported that they had no program. r 46Brown, The Content and Pattern for the Professional Training of AV Communication Specialists. 33 Responses were classified according to the number of areas in which courses were offered--utilization of resources, prepara- tion of materials, administration of resources, research in audio- visual education, and communications. Seventeen (77%) of the 22 institutions offered courses in two areas including utilization and preparation. Of the institu- tions offering courses in three areas, 24 (66%) have in common the areas of utilization, preparation, and administration. Nineteen (76%) of the 25 institutions offered courses in four Of the areas including utilization, preparation, administration, and research. Thirty institutions reported Offerings in all five areas. Institutions which reported offering courses in only one area gen- erally Offered the utilization course which in some states was a requirement for teacher certification.47 Following the three seminars, involving 36 members, no consensus was reached either as to the proper content of training programs or the most appropriate pattern in which the content could be taught. Recommendations were made, however, that DAVI continue activity in this area of concern. Another early study concerned with recruitment and profes- sional education in media service fields was sponsored by the Center for Library and Educational Media Studies at the Univer- sity of Pittsburgh. The PEMS (Professional Education of Media 47Charles W. Worland, The Content and Pattern for the Pro- fessional Training of AV Communication Specialists, ed. Robert 0. Hall, NDEA, Title VII, Project No. B-208, U.S.O.E., 1964. 34 Service Personnel) Study addressed itself to the following problem as Stone viewed it: . . . graduate professional education in communication and the information sciences has not yet achieved maturity. While a measure of concensus does exist on what consti- tutes a profession, full agreement has not been reached regarding either the number and kinds of professional jobs for which special training must be provided or the instruc- tional methods which should be used in preparing individu- als for media services in schools and colleges. Further, recent changes in the field have led to a situation in which the precise roles played by individuals having "pro- fessional" jobs have increasingly become blurred as, indeed, have the jurisdictional lines of responsibility drawn among educational media service agencies. In the PEMS Study, four major career paths were reviewed in the educational media field in terms of specific curricular needs. In his analysis and summary of the results, Meirhenry stated: The project was undertaken with the hope that even though in the past specialists in the three areas of audiovisual, library, and broadcasting were prepared in programs which isolated one specialty from another, new approaches might reveal that corrmon elements existed among them. This expectation was based on the idea that audiovisual, library, and broadcasting specialists were all concerned basically with the field of communications and instruc- tional devices and, therefore, there should be many common elements regardless of which specialty was being followed.49 The common core of competencies for a fifth year program generally agreed upon by the specialists are: --Psychology of Human Learning, Motivation, and Personality --Human Development and Perception --Communication Theory and Process --Scope of Instructional Technology 48Stone, Professional Education of Media Service Personnel. 49Meirhenry, "Programs for the Preparation of Media Specialists." 35 --Background in Educational Ffistory and Philosophy --Media Production Skills and Operation of Related Equip- ment --Research Design50 School librarianship was the focus of another PEMS parti- cipant, Dr. Leslie H. Janke, from the Department of Librarianship at San Jose State College. He suggested that preparation for becoming a school librarian must provide: 1. a background of information in the utilization of all communication media; 2. greater knowledge of the academic fields in order to encourage and support depth study on the part of stu- dents; and 3. guidelines for modifying the role of school librarian- ship to adjust to the changes taking place in the administration, organization, and physical facilities Of the public schools.5 In summary, Janke called for an inter-departmental approach with the humanities and science areas playing an important role in shaping the undergraduate program of the potential media candidate. In a paper presented at an institute conducted by the University of Illinois Graduate School of Library Science in November, 1963, Stone recommended that the training of the special- ist must include sound undergraduate preparation and thorough training in education. A fifth year program which might extend through and beyond sixth year levels should include basic study of learning and information theory; institutions, and processes; systems development and engineering; mastery of administrative science; a thorough grounding in economics, research methods, and 501bid.‘, pp. 14-15. 5lJanke, "School Librarianship," pp. 14-15. 36 statistical procedure; a full understanding of media production arts, crafts, and sciences; as well as capacity to appraise the methods and techniques of instruction.52 During the same year, library educators attended a National Conference on the Implications of the New Media for the Teaching of Library Science. One focus of the meeting was to provide the library educator field with guidelines for library science cur- ricula. Carpenter described the situation in this way: The content of library education may need to be changed, reorganized, and adapted for effectively serving the established and emerging new functions of library orga- nizations.53 He offered other apprOpriate questions for library educators to discuss: --Has the subject matter of human learning been a subject of serious and systematic study of yours as leaders in the fields of library science and art? --When systems of instructional materials are developed and recorded which radically change the conventional roles of teachers and students, what corresponding changes should occur in the roles Of librarians and in library operations? 4 At the same conference, Stone also focused on the implica- tions of the new media for library education: 52C. Walter Stone, "A Design for Tomorrow,“ in Proceedings of the National Conference on the Implications of the New Media for the Teaching of Library Science, ed. Harold Goldétein (Champaign, Illinois: University of Illinois Graduate School of Library Sci- ence Monograph Series, No. l, 1963), pp. 25-45. 53C. R. Carpenter, "Strategies of Learning and Learning Resources," in National Conference on the Implications of the New Media for the Teaching of Library Science, ed. Hardld Goldstein (Ann Arbor: Edward Brothers, Inc., 1963), pp. 5-21. 54Ibid. 37 In the planning of library school curricula, fewer courses should be develOped as such, but many more learning oppor- tunities must be made available. Such opportunities can be grouped in appropriate areas of study with the amounts of time allotted which will actually be needed for mastery of the subject matter concerned and not be arbitrarily assigned according to the number of weeks in a term or the number of periods in a week. A five-year effort to demonstrate and develop effective library services for children and young people was the purpose of the Knapp School Libraries Project. One of the outcomes of the Knapp Project was recognition of the need for a study of the many kinds of manpower needed in contemporary school librarianship. The need for another five-year study was described in this way: One of the most pressing problems in the field of school librarianship today is the preparation of professional and non-professional library staff members. Traditionally, graduate programs in library science have offered a common core of training for librarians serving in all types Of libraries, including school libraries. However, as inno- vations in education have emerged, the functions of school library personnel have been subject to continuing change. Today the school librarian's responsibilities comprise administration, staff, supervision, educational planning, audiovisual services, and a variety of other services, including in-service training for several types of auxiliary personnel. Thus, a new aggroach to education for school librarianship is needed. In November, 1967, the Knapp Foundation made a grant of $1,163,718 to the American Library Association to initiate the School Library Manpower Project. This project was designed to attack three aspects of the problem of develOping fully and 55Stone, "A Design for Tomorrow," pp. 33-34. 56School Library Manpower Project, School Library Per- sonnel Task Analysis Survey (Chicago: American Library Associ- ation, 1969), p. 7. 38 utilizing properly school library manpower--task and job analysis, education for school librarianship, and recruitment from specific manpower pools. Phase I of the School Library Manpower Project began with a task analysis survey designed to identify and describe the duties and tasks performed by personnel in outstanding school libraries in the country. The results of the survey were to be used to develOp job descriptions of various media staff positions. After an analysis of the tasks performed, the skills, knowledges, and preparation for these positions were determined. A 300-item checklist of tasks was developed by the staff of the NEA Research Division and the Project Director. The check- list identified the staff members who performed each of the 300 tasks. The instrument was then sent to a purposive sample of public and private schools whose school library media programs met a certain set of criteria. The received data were then studied by a task analysis committee to determine differentiation of task roles. Four specific media staff positions were identified by the classi- fication: School Library Media Specialist Head of the School Library Media Center District School Library Media Ogrector School Library Media Technician 57School Library Manpower Project, Phase I--Final Report (Chicago: American Library AssociatiOn, 1970), p. 18. 39 Another committee developed detailed descriptions of each of the four positions including the nature and scope of the posi- tion, major duties, required knowledge and abilities. The last step of Phase I was the development of competency- based curriculum programs which were to serve as the basis for Phase II of the Project. Phase II of the Project sponsored six experimental programs focusing on school library media education and the preparation for one of three distinct positions--the School Library Media Specialist, the Head of the School Library Media Center, or the District School Library Media Director. Six institutions received grants of $100,000 each to develop, implement, and evaluate over a two-year period, new cur- riculum design and innovative approaches for the education of professional school library media personnel.58 The institutions selected were: Arizona State University, Tempe; Auburn University, Alabama; Mankato State College, Minnesota; Millersville State Col- lege, Pennsylvania; University of Denver, Colorado; and the Univer- sity of Michigan, Ann Arbor. Each experimental program began in September, 1971, and concluded in August, 1973. Millersville State College developed an undergraduate pro- gram; four of the programs were at the fifth year level; and the University of Denver featured a sixth year program. 58School Library Manpower Project, Evaluation of Alterna- tive Curricula: Approaches to School Library Media Education (Chicago: American Library Association, 1975), p. 3. 40 All six programs adopted the seven major areas of compe- tencies develOped during Phase I (BRAC) as the formulation for their programs. The seven areas were: Media, Management, Human Behavior, Learning and Learning Environment, Planning and Evaluation, Research, and Professionalism.59 The six programs had other similarities: objectives of each program were stated in behavioral terms and encompassed a broad media base; an interdisciplinary approach promoted greater articulation among the various departments; a fieldwork component provided students with an opportunity to inn: theory into practice; a research and evaluation plan was devised to identify and assess the processes that evolved during the two-year period.60 Other elements which permitted the programs to develOp innovative applications were: informality and flexibility; modu- lar, block or course organization of content; individualization and self-instruction; and team teaching.61 Phase III of the School Library Manpower Project was proposed for the purpose of providing a summative evaluation of the six experimental programs. The Knapp Foundation awarded another grant of $150,000 to fund the Phase III extension. Utilizing several techniques, the summative evaluation study assessed the following: (1) the degree to which the educa- tional programs prepared the students to perform those activities which they were actually required to perform on the job, and 59 60 Ibid. Ibid., p. 5. 6'Ibid., pp. 5-6. 41 (2) the degree to which the graduates could capably perform in the field those activities which were covered in the experimental pro- grams.62 In addition to surveying the program graduates through the use of the Behavioral Requirements Analysis Checklist (BRAC), they were also interviewed to obtain information regarding how they obtained their jobs and the job settings.63 Program Directors also provided evaluative information to describe what happened to their programs during the experimental time and what they expected to be the future of their programs.64 The BRAC instrument was sent to 103 eligible graduates. Ninety-five graduates (92%) responded. However, 21 response forms were not usable because they were incomplete, had been completed incorrectly, or were returned too late. The remaining 74 usable forms represented an 85% return.65 In interviews with graduates of all six programs, the fea- tures that they like best were the fieldwork component, program individualization, and the internship experience.66 Further research is recognized as a necessary sequel to the School Library Manpower Project. It is suggested that a longitudinal study be done of the graduates of the six programs to determine what happened to them professionally after five or ten years in the field. On the basis of job activities after one or 62Ibid., p. 9. 63Ibid.. p. 10. 54 65Ihid., p. 21. Ibid. 66Ibid., p. 76. 42 two years on the job, there seems to be no significant difference between the MA-level and the BA-level programs.67 All six experimental programs were still in existence as of December, 1974. Foursurvivedstrongly; the other two may not sur- vive due to limited numbers of enrollees. The need for trained support personnel to perform tasks which do not require an advanced credential was the impetus for the Jobs in Instructional Media (JIMS) Study conducted in 1968 by the Association for Educational Communications and Technology (AECT), formerly the Department of Audiovisual Instruction (DAVI). This study analyzed jobs and set up guidelines for job structures and training curricula for work performed in the field. The technique of Functional Job Analysis (FJA) was used to describe what a worker does in a job and then systematically classifies the tasks involved. The skills identified through FJA were then rela- ted to the specific objectives and products of the instructional media field. A model of the field, the DomainirfInstructional Technology (011) was develOped which described the field in terms of its components (the men, machines, materials, ideas and proce- dures that are organized and applied to solve instructional problems), and its application and organization (the Instructional DevelOpment Jobs and the Instructional Management Jobs, or the 67Ibid., p. 76. 43 functions which need to be performed in order to meet the objec- tives of the fie1d).68 The two methods, FJA and DIT, were then combined to form a two-dimensional matrix which revealed what the worker does and what gets done in the field. In addition to providing a means of under- standing the instructional media field, the FJA/DIT matrix could be a useful guide for training institutions to use in developing training programs for media-related personnel. As part of the JIMS Study, a survey of programs in junior, technical or community colleges which train media support personnel was conducted. Questionnaires were mailed to the presidents of 1,025 institutions in May, 1969. The responses to the initial mailing were as follows: --120 institutions reported that they now have a program to train media related personnel --l70 institutions reported definite plans to start such a program within the next two or three years --342 institutions reported that they do not have such a program6 Further analysis of course descriptions for the existing programs in the two-year colleges revealed that they do not differ greatly from the course descriptions of many existing Ph.D. programs in educational technology.70 The JIMS Study reaffirmed the need for better coordination Of curricula with jobs in the instructional technology field. 68C. James Wallington and Anna L. Hyer, Jobs in Instructional Media (Washington, D.C.: Association for Educational Communications and Technology, 1970), pp. 1-3. 6916id., p. 54 701bid., p. 206. 44 In 1969, the Media Guidelines Project was undertaken to produce guidelines and other information for planning media- training programs and evaluating media-related training proposals and training program outputs.71 The general status of current media training was tenta- tively determined through the interview and survey methods; the reSponses came from several hundred persons from the educational media field. Some of the results were summarized as follows. --Approximately 100 colleges and universities offered raduate coursework in "media" and related ares during the 1968-69 academic school year. Fifty-two of these programs granted either the doctorate or master's , degree, while the remaining forty-eight offered course- work (i.e., more than three courses in media but without the graduate degree). Of the fifty-two degree-granting programs, gll_offered the master's degree, while only fifteen granted the doctorate.72 --In each of the nine function areas, training for research and development, evaluation, design, and management appear to be inadequate. Training for production and utilization seem to be minimally adequate, and the area of logistics appear to be receiving the greatest training emphasis. 3 Part III of the Media Guidelines report analyzed and grouped tasks for the professional media specialist. Part IV of the Guidelines Manual attempts to provide educa- tional media planners with information regarding some of the factors which will influence the future media situation. Through a search 7IDale G. Hamreus, ed., Media Guidelines: Development and Validation of Criteria for Evaluating Media Training, Vol. II (Monmouth, Oregon: Division of Teachin Research, Oregon State System for Higher Education, June, 1970 , p. i. 721bid.. pp. II-8-9. 7316id.. pp. 11-10-11. 45 of the literature, interviews with educational sociologists, planners, and technologists in the field, eight broad projections for education over the next ten years were suggested: Change and challenge will be the dominant characteristics of a society in the 1970's. Computers will be increasingly used to manage information, facilitate research, and provide instruction. The systems approach will be a significant methodology employed in identifying problems and organizing resources for their resolution. Educational programs will be reconceptualized, expanded, and developed at all levels. Educational coalitions and collaborations will increas- ingly form to promote common goals of two or more groups, agencies, or institutions. Those who are affected by a given program will increas- ingly be represented in judgments regarding its direction and process. Individualized instructional programs will increasingly emerge to meet the needs of learners at all levels. Technology will be increasingly vied to transmit messages to specific learner populations. In an effort to ascertain the concept that training insti- tutions have of the level and quality of the product they produce, a survey was conducted in 1971 among colleges and universities offering media programs. The data, although limited, suggested some prevalent conditions throughout the country. Two research methods were employed in the study: the sur- vey questionnaire and the interview. A total of 440 questionnaires were mailed to colleges and univerisites and more than 180 (41%) 74Ibid.. pp. IV-2-18. 46 were returned. Of these, 119 (66%) were usable. The interviews were conducted at eight colleges and universities with staff members of the schools of education, as well as the schools of library science. First, the findings revealed that there is very little relationship between the schools of education where training for audiovisual personnel occurs and the schools of library science where generally school librarians are trained. Few examples of mergers of these two programs were observed.75 Secondly, when asked to rate whether or not their gradu- ates were trained to perform in "a unified media setting," slightly more than one-third reported that their students "com- pletely and thoroughly" are trained to operate in this type of setting. Ten percent of the schools offering only a baccalaureate degree program reported that their graduates are able to function completely in a unified media setting. Forty-six percent of the schools offering a master's degree or higher reported their gradu- ates are able to function completely in a unified media setting. Eighty percent of the schools offering degrees at the doctoral level reported their graduates are able to function completely in a multi-media setting.76 75U.S. Department of Health, Education, and Welfare, ng_ Education Professions, 1971-72; Part IV--A Manppwer Survey of the SchoolTLiBrary Media Field (Washington, D.C.: U.S. Government Printing Office, 1973). P. 28. 76 Ibid., p. 29. 47 Thirdly, as a whole, training institutions have not made significant changes in the training Of school library media per- sonnel in the last decade. However, over 85% of the respondents offering programs at the baccalaureate and master's level reported some changes in content. Very few (6%) reported changing library science courses. In a description of the changes, an increase in media-related subjects or a combination of media/library science subjects was indicated. In terms of the future, over 50% of the institutions at the baccalaureate and master's level planned changes to media programs in the next three years.77 In an assessment of the study's findings, Elbers views the differences between the audiovisual and library science departments as basic to the entire merger issue: Within training institutions, audiovisual and library sci- ence departments remain virtually autonomous. Students see themselves as audiovisual professionals or librarians, the products of their respective departments. This natural identification leads those who choose to combine the two fields to define themselves as AV specialists with some library training or librarians with some AV training--two different individuals with different competencies . . . . It is evident that a total merger would necessitate a hybridization of interests and emphases to which profes- sionals are reluctant to submit78 The instinct Of self- preservation is understandable. Summary The intent of this chapter has been to review pertinent literature as it relates to the development Of the school library media field and the concomitant manpower concerns that have been 77 78 Ibid., p. 30. Ibid., p. 32. 48 expressed by library media educators over the professional prepa- ration of the new school library media specialist. The first section of the chapter chronologically traced the development of the school library media program. The historical overview revealed that the field of school library media was influenced by two major streams: (l) audiovisual programs and services, and (2) school library programs. Previously independent of each other, develOpments over the past decade indicate that the field is moving toward a merger Of the two programs. The advances, although primarily theoretical in nature, are still significant. The second section of the chapter focused on a review of significant manpower and personnel studies in the media field. Some of the studies were conducted separately by the two profes- sional groups; others were mutually sponsored. Concerns over the professional preparation of the school library media specialist are mutual; however, concensus has not yet been reached on the role changes necessary and the kinds of training that should be required. The literature also revealed that in few instances institutions have revised their programs to train or re-train personnel for the new kinds of skills and approaches required of the school library media specialist. The review of the literature indicated the necessity to con- duct further studies focusing on such questions as the training of school library media specialists. This study is one such attempt. CHAPTER III DESIGN OF THE STUDY The purpose of this study was threefold: 1. To ascertain the nature and scope of training of school library media professionals; 2. To identify those aspects of training perceived as most valuable by school library media pro- fessionals; and 3. To recommend the kinds of training that should be required of a school library media specialist. The survey was selected as the research method to be employed in collecting descriptive infOrmation about the training and educational backgrounds of school library media professionals in the state of Illinois. A questionnaire was designed to assess the professional preparation of school library media professionals, to ascertain which aspects of their training were perceived as being most valuable in effectively administering school library media programs, and to determine suggestions for improving the professional preparation of school library media specialists. In this chapter, the design of the study and the procedures followed will be reported. Included are explanations of the research method employed, the selection of participants, the degree of par- ticipation in the study, the procedures of the study, and the statis- tical treatment of the data. A summary concludes the chapter. 49 50 Research Method The survey was selected as the research method most appro- priate for soliciting descriptive information about the training and educational backgrounds of the school library media profes- sionals in the state of Illinois. A self-administered questionnaire was constructed to elicit relevant information from the sample of school library media pro- fessionals. The questionnaire consisted of three sections (Appendix C). The first section, Question I, was divided into two parts. Part 1 required the participant to give a fixed response to a list of school library media related subject areas in which they had formal undergraduate or graduate training. The subject areas were appropriate placed under six major competency areas: Media, Man- agement, Learning and Learning Environment, Human Behavior, Plan- ning and Evaluation, and Research. The major competency areas were suggested by the Behavioral Requirements Analysis Checklist (BRAC),1 an instrument which was used during Phase III of the School Library Manpower Project. The BRAC instrument is a compilation of approxi- mately 700 job functions and task statements that might be performed by a school library media specialist. These tasks were assigned to the seven major competency areas that had been identified. The 1School Library Manpower Project, Behavioral Requirements Analysis Checklist: A Compilation of Competency-Based Job Functions and Task Statements for School Library Media Personnel (Chicago: American Library Association, 1973). 51 seventh major competency area "Professionalism" was not used as a heading for the questionnaire in this study. The subject related areas (courses) in Question I were suggested by the following method. The researcher wrote to several major colleges and universities in the Northeast, Southwest, Mid- west, Southeast, and West sections of the United States requesting their most recent catalogs of courses designed for the training of "school library media specialists." Thirty-four catalogs were received. Thirty institutions offered graduate library school pro- grams accredited by the American Library Association. Catalogs were also received from major institutions in Illinois offering library training; one Illinois university failed to respond. After carefully studying each catalog and its course offer- ings, a two-dimensional matrix was constructed consisting of courses placed under the six major competency areas (Appendix E). Program requirements and suggested electives were nOted in each catalog and then entered on the matrix. In many cases, specific programs designed for school library media specialists did not exist. Some programs indicated an interdepartmental relationship with the College of Education and/or the Instructional Technology Department; courses to be taken in these departments were included. Since it was impossible to be totally inclusive in the listing of courses, an “Other" section was provided following each competency area. Part 2 of the first section required the respondent to indicate by use of a Likert-type 4 point scale the relative 52 importance of each Of the subject areas listed in relationship to performance requirements of their present positions. All subject areas were to be evaluated even if the participant had not acquired formal training in that area. The second section of the questionnaire, Question II, was open-ended in nature. It Offered the respondent an opportunity to make suggestions for the improvement of training programs for school library media specialists. As a stimulant, the researcher provided a list of possible concerns related to training programs. The respondents were not limited to respond only to those concerns suggested by the researcher. The last section of the questionnaire, Personal Data, called for demographic characteristics of the respondent. Some contingency questions relevant only to some of the respondents were included in the Personal Data section. After construction of the questionnaire, nine school library media professionals evaluated the instrument on the basis Of specific criteria provided by the researcher (Appendix D). The necessary revisions were then made. Selection of Sample Districts The sampling selected for this study included public school districts in the state of Illinois. This decision was predicated on two factors: (1) the researcher had been associated with the Office of the Superintendent of Public Instruction for two years as a Regional Media Consultant; and (2) the researcher had access to 53 personnel data which were essential to the effective administra- tion of the survey instrument. All school districts in the state of Illinois are visited and evaluated on a three- to fOur-year cycle by the School Approval Section, Department of Recognition, Supervision, and Instruction. No special attention is given to distribution, size, or type Of district in this procedure for evaluation. In 1972-73, two hundred and seventy-five Illinois public school districts were evaluated. Of the 275 districts, 135 dis- tricts were evaluated by using the Media Program Evaluation Form which measures media services offered to students and teachers. Five of the districts did not report the employment of any Certi- fied or Certified/Qualified media professionals; therefore, they were eliminated from the prOposed sample. Approximately 473 school library media professionals from 130 public school districts representing 61 counties in the state of Illinois comprised the sample for this study (see Table 3.1). TABLE 3.l.--Size of Sample. No. in No. in % of Districts C/Q and State Sample Represented C Staff Elementary districts 505 40 7.9 138 (K-8) Secondary districts 143 24 16 113 (9-12) Unit districts 436 66 15.] 222 (K-12) 54 Participation in the Study After requesting official permission from the Superintend- ents of the 130 public school districts to conduct the survey, 100 school districts finally agreed to participate in the study. Actual district participation was 76.9 percent. The survey was intended to seek information from profes- sional school library media personnel who assumed administrative responsibilities for one or more building programs or who were members of a media staff on the building level. Persons who were not formally certified as teachers in the state of Illinois were not included in the study. Data indicating the number of building location of profes- sional media personnel in each of the participating districts were provided from the Title II Instructional Media Program Evaluation Forms received by the Media and Library Services Unit of the Office of the Superintendent of Public Instruction for the school year, 1972-73. Based on the data and the approval of the Superintendents, 371 persons from 100 public school districts in 52 Illinois counties were to participate in the study. The survey questionnaire was mailed to 371 participants in March, 1975. A total of 235 persons from 92 districts in 51 Illinois counties responded to the questionnaire; this re5ponse comprised 63.3 percent participation. Twenty-one returned questionnaires were classified by the research as nonvalid because the respondents did not hold valid 55 teaching certificates in Illinois or the school system no longer supported the services of a school library media professional. Since the personnel data were taken from 1972-73 official records, changes in school library media services may have occurred. Staff mobility and a decrease in professional school library media per- sonnel in some districts accounted for the nonvalid responses. Data in Table 3.2 show participation in the study accord- ing to the school level asssignments of the participants. TABLE 3.2--Participation in Study According to School Level Assignments. School Level Number of Participants Elementary 77 Junior High/Middle 34 High School 77 Elementary/Jr. High/Middle 7 Junior High/High School 3 Elementary/High School 1 Elementary/Jr. High/High School _l§__ Total 214 Procedures of the Study Once the sample districts were determined, a letter was sent to each of the district Superintendents requesting permission to conduct a survey of their school library media professionals. The purpose and importance of the study were stated in the letter 56 (Appendix A). An enclosed postcard to be returned to the researcher indicated if the Superintendent agreed to participate in the study and the method by which the questionnaire would be distributed to the appropriate personnel. The questionnaire, sent'UJ37l participants, was accompanied by an introductory letter (Appendix B). The letter reiterated the purpose and importance of the study and sought cooperation from the participant. A stamped, self-addressed envelope for returning the questionnaire was provided. It was necessary to conduct a second mailing four weeks after the original questionnaire was sent. The second mailing stimulated a significant number of additional responses. As each questionnaire was received, re5ponses to Question I and the Personal Data section were coded. The coding of each questionnaire was then transferred to a coding form. Data cards were subsequently punched recording the coded information. Question II, the Open-ended question, could not be coded in the traditional way since there were no fixed responses. The several categories of concern to the respondents were charted. Respondents, in many cases, expressed opinions and offered sugges- tions in several areas of concern to them. The identification number of the respondent was recorded according to school level under each category of concern. The opinions of the re5pondents grouped according to each category of concern were examined later by the researcher to determine frequency of occurrence and pat- , terns of agreement or differences among the respondents. 57 Treatment of the Data The data collected in this study were treated in the fol- lowing ways: First, an analysis of the characteristics of the population were made to determine school level assignments, educational train- ing, teaching experience, school library media experience, and type of media certification. The data were then analyzed to determine the frequency and percentage of respondents who had acquired academic training in each of the six major competency areas. Also, frequency distributions, percentages, and mean scores were derived to determine course values made by respondents in rela- tionship to performance requirements of their present positions. In addition, the Chi-square test of homogeneity (similarity of patterns) was utilized to determine if there were any signifi- cant differences between the training of elementary school library media professionals and high school library media professionals. Finally, the suggestions for the revision and/or expansion of school library training programs were examined, grouped according to mutual concerns, and reported. Summary The purpose of this chapter has been to explain the procedures and instrumentation used to fulfill the objectives of this study. 58 A detailed explanation of the design and construction of the survey questionnaire employed in this study was given. Factors governing the selection of the public school dis- tricts to be used in this study were also reported. The final section of the chapter was devoted to an explana- tion of the mechanics for administering the study instrument and the methods utilized for treating the data. CHAPTER IV ANALYSIS OF THE DATA The purpose of this study has been threefold: 1. To ascertain the nature and scope of training of school library media professionals; 2. To identify those aspects of training perceived as most valuable by school library media pro- fessionals; and 3. To recommend the kinds of training that should be required of a school library media specialist. In this chapter, the data will be analyzed. The analysis included four types of data: (1) a determination of the frequency and percentage of respondents who had acquired academic training in specific areas; (2) a determination of course values made by respondents in relationship to performance requirements of their present positions; (3) a determination of significant differences between the training of elementary school library media profes- sionals and high school library media professionals, and (4) sug- gestions by respondents for the revision and/or expansion of school library media training programs. After presenting an analysis of the characteristics of the population, each research question will be analyzed and summarized. 59 60 Analysis of the Characteristics of the Population School Level Assignments The Personal Data section of the questionnaire provided pertinent information about the 214 school library media profes- sionals who participated in this study. The school library media professionals held positions of responsibility at all school levels. Table 4.1 shows the school level distribution by frequency and percentage. I TABLE 4.1. --School Level Assignments of School Library Media Pro- fessionals. School Level Frequency Percentage Elementary 77 36 Junior High/Middle School 34 15.9 High School 77 36 Elementary/Junior High/Middle 7 3.3 Junior High/High School 3 1.4 Elementary/Junior High/High School 15 7 Elementary/High School ___l__ _____51_ Total 214 100.0 As Table 4.1 indicates, 26 school library media professionals assumed multiple school level responsibilities. Educational Training In terns of educational training, 86 (40.2 percent) respond- ents had earned a BA-level degree; 124 (57.9 percent) respondents 61 had earned an MA-level degree; three (1.4 percent) respondents had acquired an Educational Specialist degree; and one respond- ent failed to indicate level of training achieved. Table 4.2 reports these data according to school level assignment. TABLE 4.2.--Degrees Earned According to School Level Assignment. Degree Earned School Level BA-Level MA-Level Ed. Spec. Elementary 34 41 1 Junior High/Middle School 22 12 0 High School 15 6O 2 Elementary/Junior High/Middle 3 4 0 Junior High/Middle/High School 1 2 0 Elementary/Jr. High/High School _19__ __;i_ _jl_ Total Frequency 86 124 3 Total Percentage 40.2 57.9 1.4 Missing Data = l Table 4.2 indicates that the majority of respondents had earned MA-level degrees; the data also showed that a majority of the advanced degrees earned were in library media related fields. Seventy respondents acquired Master's Degrees in Library Science (MALS). Six respondents earned Master's Degrees in Audiovisual Education. Twenty-two respondents received Master's Degrees in Instructional Media. 62 Twenty-nine respondents earned MA-level degrees in the fOllowing areas not specifically related to school library media: --Education (Elementary and Secondary) --Curriculum and Supervision --Educational Administration and Supervision --Guidance and Counseling --Business Education --History --English --Physics Table 4.3 summarizes these data according to school level assignment. TABLE 4.3.--Types of M.A. Degrees According to School Level Assign- 11161111. Type of MA Degree School Level L .5. AV I.Media Other Elementary 21 l 5 15 Junior High/Middle 6 O 2 4 High School 35 5 12 10 Elementary/Jr. High/Middle 2 O 2 0 Junior High/High School 2 O O O Elementary/Jr. High/High School 4 O l O Elementary/High School 0 O O 0 Total Frequency 70 6 22 29 .Total Percentage 32.7 2.8 10.3 13.6 63 Respondents who had earned master's degrees acquired their advanced training from 31 major institutions in the United States. Of the 124 respondents with MA-level degrees, 101 respondents (81.5 percent) were trained in Illinois colleges and universities. TeachingyExperience Teaching experience was reported by 67.8 percent of the respondents. Years of experience ranged from one to 31 years. Table 4.4 summarizes these data. TABLE 4.4.--Years of Teaching Experience According to School Level Assignment. Years of Teaching Experience (0) (1-10) (ll-20) (21-30) (31-35) (MD)* School Level Elementary 12 45 14 4 0 2 Junior High/Middle 8 14 7 2 O 3 High School 28 34 ll 1 l 2 Elem./Jr. High/Middle 3 2 l l O 0 Junior High/High School 2 1 O O O 0 EIEEHEHI. High/High 7 2 4 0 1 1 Elementary/High School __j__ __£L_ __TL_ _11_ _Jl_ _Jl_ Total Frequency 61 98 37 8 2 8 Total Percentage 28.5 45.7 17.3 3.8 ' 1.0 3.7 *M0 = Missing Data. 64 Years of School Library Media Experience Respondents were asked to report the number of years of school library media experience they had. Years of experience in a school library media environment ranged from one to 31 years. Over 76 percent of the respondents reported one to ten years of experience. These data are reported in Table 4.5. TABLE 4.5.--Years of School Library Media Experience According to School Level Assignment. Years of School Library Media Experience (0) (1-10) (ll-20) (21-30) (31-35) (MD)* School Level Elementary O 58 13 2 l 3 Junior High/Middle l 25 8 O 0 0 High School 1 60 ll 5 O O Elem./Jr. High/Middle O 6 l 0 0 0 Jr. High/High School 0 2 l 0 O 0 EIETH531. High/High 0 13 2 0 0 0 Elementary/High School _Q__ __£L_ __jL_ _;L_ _9_' _£L_ Total Frequency 2 184 37 7 l 3 Total Percentage .9 76.5 17.3 3.5 .5 1.4 *M0 = Missing Data. Media Certification School library media professionals can be certified under the Standards for Media Services in the state of Illinois. Seven types of media certification exist and eligibility requirements 65 vary between types. It is possible for a person to possess more than one type of media certification, since quantitative require- ments range from 18 to 32 credits in library media related courses. One hundred and twenty-eight respondents reported that they were officially certified under the Standards for Media Services. Seventy-eight respondents indicated that they were not certified. Some of these same individuals stated that they met requirements but simply hadn't bothered to undergo evaluation. Nine respond- ents failed to specify which type of media certification they held. Eight respondents did not respond to the question. Of the respondents who were officially certified, the majority were certified as School Librarians. The second most frequent type of certification indicated was the Media Specialist position. A summary of these data is shown in Table 4.6. TABLE 4.6--Type of Media Certification Held by School Library Media Professionals. Type Number of Respondents Instructibnal Media Specialist 20 School Librarian 67 Audiovisual Coordinator 4 School Library Specialist 11 Media Specialist 25 Audiovisual Specialist 2 Media Superivisor or Director 8 66 Specific requirements for each type of media certification are reported in Appendix F. Research Question I What is the extent and kind of training typical Of today's school library media professional? For each of the courses listed under the six major compe- tency areas, a determination was made of the frequency and percentage of respondents who had acquired training in that course either as an undergraduate student or a graduate student. The questionnaire data were summarized according to courses within the six major competency areas. Detailed summaries of these data reporting the frequency and percentage of respondents trained in each course according to school level are provided in Appendix G. Media Media are the printed and audiovisual forms of communi- cation and their accompanying technologies. The media rrprgram provides a totality of services focused on the best utilization of these media to facilitate, improve, and support the learning process. In this competency area, it was expected that the majority of respondents would indicate a high degree of training, particu- larly in what could be referred to as the traditional "core" of Library Science courses. These included: Classification and Cataloging, Reference Materials, Selection, Children's Literature, Adolescent Literature, Introduction to the Library, and Storytelling. 1School Library Manpower Project, Behavioral Requirements Analysis Checklist (Chicago: American Library Association, 1973). 67 In analyzing the data, 74 percent of all respondents indi- cated training in the "core" Library Science courses. Coursework in Classification and Cataloging, Reference Materials, and Selec- tion and Evaluation of Print Materials was reported most frequently. Storytelling revealed the lowest percentage of participation. Responses for each "core" course are reported in Table 4.7. TABLE 4.7.--Frequency and Percentage of Respondents with Training in Media (Print-0riented).* Media (Print) Courses Frequency Percentage Classification, Cataloging 181 87 Reference Materials 177 85 Selection, Evaluation of Print Materials 180 87 Children's Literature 162 78 Adolescent Literature 148 71 Introduction to the Library 151 73 Storytelling 68 33 *Based on the responses of 208 participants. Several courses were included in the Media section of the questionnaire that could be perceived as having a non-print orienta- tion. These are courses which have not traditionally been included in the training of school librarians. With attempts at the imple- mentation of the "unified" media center concept, some training institutions have expanded their curriculum to include courses focusing on non-print media and their accompanying technologies. 68 In many cases, these courses are offered through interdepartmental cooperation with the audiovisual or instructional technology departments. In few instances are these courses required in a Library Science program. If available, they are usually taken as electives. Other library training institutions do not include in their curriculum a substantial number of non-print courses. In summary, 33 percent of all respondents reported some training in the following non-print media courses: Selection and Evaluation of Non-Print Materials, Design/Production of Instruc- tional Media, Radio/TV Production, Photography, Graphics Design, Information Storage and Retrieval, Computer Applications in Libraries, and Programed Instruction. Non-print courses most frequently studied by the reSpond- ents were Selection and Evaluation of Non-Print Materials and Design/Production of Instructional Media. Computer Applications in Libraries and Programed Instruction were the two areas studied least frequently by the respondents. Table 4.8 summarizes these data. Management Management is the operational direction and leadership exercised for optimum operation of the school library media program. It includes the identification, acquisition, organization, administration, supervision, and evaluation of the use of funds, personnel, resources, and facilities to support a program for utilization of recorded knowledge. Fifty percent of the school library media respondents indi- cated that they had some formal training in the principles of 2Ihid. 69 TABLE 4.8.--Frequency and Percentage of Respondents With Training in Media (Non-Print Oriented).* Media (Non-Print) Courses Frequency Percentage Selection, Evaluation of Non-Print Materials 154 74 Design/Production of Instructional Media 157 75 Radio/TV Production 43 21 Photography 42 20 Graphics Design 42 20 Information Storage and Retrieval 48 23 Computer Applications in Libraries 27 13 Programed Instruction 34 16 *Based on the responses of 208 participants. Management. The majority of respondents had experienced an admin- istration course specifically related to the operation of school library media programs. A relatively small number of reSpondents had taken a course designed to administer audiovisual programs. This may be attributed to the fact that most training institutions may be integrating the audiovisual aspect into the School Library Media Administration course. Table 4.9 summarizes these data. 70 TABLE 4.9.--Frequency and Percentage Of Respondents With Training in Management.* Management Courses Frequency Percentage Administration of School Library 146 70 Media Programs Administration of AV Programs 67 32 General Administration (Basic 97 47 Theories and Principles) School Library Media Center Problems 10] 49 *Based on the responses of 208 participants. Learning and Learning Environment Learning and Learning Environment consist of the knowledge, abilities, and attitudes associated with curriculum; learn- ing theories as they relate to human growth and behavior; and strategies for teaching and learning within the life- space of the individual, recognizing the home and thg total community as contributing elements in his education. An analysis of the data revealed that 51 percent of the respondents had acquired some training in areas related to Learning and Learning Environment. As Table 4.10 shows, the majority of respondents experienced a course in Educational Psychology. This course is traditionally offered in most undergraduate teacher training programs, and since all respondents are certified as teachers, the high degree of training in this area is not unusual. Principles of Instructional Design, however, is an area in which only 23 percent of the school library media professionals had training. The field of Instructional Design, which relates 31bid. 71 TABLE 4.lO.--Frequency and Percentage of Respondents With Training in Area of Learning and Learning Environment.* Learning and Learning Environment Courses Frequency Percentage Educational Psychology 184 89 Principles of Learning Theory 102 49 Curriculum Design/Development 89 43 Principles of Instructional Design 47 23 *Based on the responses of 208 participants. educational media to the educational process, can be considered a relatively new area of study. Also, as the matrix of library training institutions/course offerings indicates (Appendix E), very few universities or colleges presently include this course in their curriculums. Human Behavior Human behavior is an evolving series of physical, mental, emotional, and social processes occurring in human beings. The total mode of learning, including the effective utili- zation of media and the media program, is dependent upon a knowledge of the human behavior processes and the appli- cation of this knowledge to interaction with people. Sixty-six percent of all respondents indicated having taken a course in Human Growth and DevelOpment. The data revealed a slightly higher frequency of training by elementary school library media professionals (Appendix G). 4Ihid. 72 Planning_and Evaluation Planning is the design and methods for achieving the goals of the school library media program involving identifica- tion, interpretation, development, implementation, and evaluation of all the inherent components of the program. It incorporates assessment, analysis, synthesis, evalu- ation and recommendations for program development, based upon unique educagional goals and objectives of the dis- trict and school. In the competency area of Planning and Evaluation, 21 per- cent of all respondents indicated that they had acquired training in Library Systems Planning and Program Evaluation and Assessment. Table 4.11 reports these data. The library training institutions/ course Offerings matrix (Appendix E) indicates that less than half of the universities offer a course in Library Systems Planning and no institutions offered a course focusing on Program Evaluation and Assessment. TABLE 4.ll.--Frequency and Percentage of Respondents With Training in Planning and Evaluation.* Planning and Evaluation Courses Frequency Percentage Library Systems Planning 43 21 Program Evaluation and Assessment 42 20 *Based on the responses of 208 participants. SIhid. 73 Research Research as a process is searching, documenting, evalu- ating, and applying information. Research as a product is a body of recorded and documented knowledge. The process and product of research are integral parts of all aspects of the school library media program. A study of research and its application to the school library media program was reported by 41 percent of the respond- ents. A total of 208 persons responded to the question. Research Question II How do school library media professionals perceive the relative importance of specific courses in relationship to performance requirements of their present positions? A 4 point Likert-type scale was utilized to collect this information. Frequency distributions and percentages for each subject were determined. Total mean scores for each subject area were also derived. Mean scores based on school level for each subject are summarized in Appendix H. Mggig_ In analyzing the data, it was determined that the majority of respondents regarded the "core" Library Science courses as "Important" to"Very Important." The mean scores ranged from 1.19 to 2.54 for Classification and Cataloging, Reference Materials, Selection and Evaluation of Print Materials, Children's Litera- ture, Adolescent Literature, Introduction to the Library, and Story- telling. As Table 4.12 shows, Selection and Evaluation of Print Materials was valued most highly in contrast to courses in Story- telling and Introduction to the Library. 74 TABLE 4.12.--Mean Course Value Scores of Respondents in Media (Print) Area. Media (Print) Courses Mean oirggggggge Classification, Cataloging 1.64 204 Reference Materials 1.43 207 Selection, EValuation of Print Materials 1.19 204 Children's Literature 1.69 194 Adolescent Literature 1.63 199 Introduction to the Library 2.50 200 Storytelling 2.54 188 1 = Very Important 2 = Important 3 = Not Very Important 4 = Unimportant Opinions varied amongst the respondents as to the value of courses in the Media competency area which have a non-print orienta- tion. Mean scores ranged from 1.22 to 3.31. Selection and Evalu- ation of Non-Print Materials was valued the highest. Computer Applications in Libraries was valued the least. Mean scores which fell between "Important" to "Not Very Important" were indicated in Radio/TV Production, Photography, Graphics Design, Information Storage and Retrieval, and Programed Instruction. As previous data indicated, only 33 percent of all respond- ents reported formal training in these courses. It seems appropriate to re-emphasize that re5pondents were asked to indicate the relative importance of each of the subject areas in relationship to perform- ance requirements of their present positions. Existing conditions 75 in the school library media environment may not require staff to possess competencies in these areas. Table 4.13 summarizes these data. TABLE 4.13.--Mean Course Value Scores of Respondents in Media (Non-Print) Area. . _ . Frequency Med1a (Non Pr1nt) Courses Mean of Response Selection, Evaluation of Non-Print Materials 1‘22 ‘96 Design/Production of Instructional Media 1.85 202 Radio/TV Production 2.80 185 Photography 2.80 181 Graphics Design 2.72 179 Information Storage and Retrieval 2.75 179 Computer Applications in Library 3.31 176 Programed Instruction 2.76 180 1 = Very Important 2 = Important 3 = Not Very Important 4 = Unimportant Management A need for training in the Management competency area was reported by a major segment of the respondents. Mean scores ranged from 1.45 to 1.98 as Table 4.14 indicates. The course designed specifically to teach skills in the administration of school library media programs was rated as the most important among the courses listed. 76 TABLE 4.14.--Mean Course Value Scores of Respondents in Management Areas. Frequency Management Courses Mean of Response Administration of School Library Media Programs 1'45 1'96 Administration of AV Programs 1.77 174 General Administration 1.98 184 School Library Media Center Problems 1.59 197 1 = Very Important 2 = Important 3 = Not Very Important 4 = Unimportant Learningyand Learning Environment A knowledge of curriculum and learning was viewed as "Important" to a majority Of the respondents. Curriculum Design/ Development was regarded as the most valuable area of study. Prin- ciples of Instructional Design was valued as the least important to the respondents. This may be due to the fact that this area of study is relatively recent to the educational arena. Few institu- tions indicate course offerings in Instructional Design. At this time, the relevancy of the Instructional Design process to a program of school library media services may not be realized by many school library media professionals. Table 4.15 reports these data. Human Behavior An understanding of Human Growth and Development was reported as "Important" by a major segment of the respondents. A mean score of 1.99 was derived in this area. One hundred and ninety- nine persons responded to this section. 77 TABLE 4.15.--Mean Course Value Scores of Respondents in Learning and Learning Environment Area. Learning and Learning Mean Frequency Environment Courses of Response Educational Psychology 2.03 202 Principles of Learning Theory 2.17 185 Curriculum Design/Development 1.93 185 Principles of Instructional Design 2.38 - 174 l = Very Important 2 = Important 3 = Not Very Important 4 = Unimportant Planning and Evaluation Competencies in Program Evaluation and Assessment were reported as "Very Important" to "Important" by the majority of respondents. Skills in Library Systems Planning were viewed as "Important" to "Not Very Important" by a major segment of the respondents. These data are reported in Table 4.16. TABLE 4.16.--Mean Course Value Scores of Respondents in Planning and Evaluation Area. . . Frequency Plann1ng and Evaluat1on Courses Mean of Response Library Systems Planning 2.25 178 Program Evaluation and Assessment 1.82 179 l = Very Important 2 = Important 3 = Not Very Important 4 = Unimportant 78 Research One hundred and eighty-two respondents regarded training in Library Research as "Important" to "Not Very Important." In analyzing the data, a mean score of 2.28 was derived. Researcthuestion III Is there a significant difference between the training of elementary school library media professionals and high school library media professionals? For purposes of analysis, this research question was stated in the form of a null hypothesis: "There is no significant difference between the training of elementary school library media professionals and high school library media professionals." The test that was used in the analysis was the Chi-square test of homogeneity (similarity of patterns). The test was applied to each course within the six major competency areas. For example, the question was asked regarding the course in Classification and Cataloging: "Are the proportion of elementary school library media professionals who acquired training in Classi- fication and Cataloging the same as the proportion of each of the other school levels who claimed training in that area?" The data reveal that the calculated Chi-square value is 13.98. With 12 degrees of freedom this Chi-square has a significance level of .3019. The significance level is the probability of getting a Chi-square value as large or larger than the calculated Chi-square if the null hypothesis were to be true. Therefore, if the signifi- cance level is greater than the chose alpha level (.05), we fail to reject the null hypothesis. If the significance level is less than 79 the chosen alpha level, we reject the null hypothesis and accept the alternate hypothesis. In the case of Classification and Cata- loging, we fail to reject the null hypothesis, concluding that there is no significant difference between the proportion of ele- mentary school library media professionals who acquired training in Classification and Cataloging and school library media profes- sionals on the other school levels. In applying the Chi-square test of homogeneity to each course within the six major competency areas, the null hypothesis was not rejected. Therefore, we have no evidence that there are any claimed differences between the training of elementary school library media professionals and high school library media profes- sionals. Research Question IV What do practitioners in the school library media field suggest for improving the preparation of school library media specialists? Question II of the questionnaire, open-ended in nature, gave the respondent the opportunity to offer suggestions for the improvement and revision of school library media training programs. These data from practitioners in the school library media field may provide valuable information for school library educators in terms of program revision and/or expansion. Comments and suggestions ranged widely in scope and empha- sis, for the re5pondents represented varied educational backgrounds. They had earned degrees from 31 institutions; their years spent 80 working in the school library media field ranged from one to 31 years. Some had earned BA-level degrees, while others had acquired MA-level degrees. All degrees were not necessarily earned in the areas of Library Science, Audiovisual Education, or Instructional Media. In Question 11 (Appendix C), the researcher listed several issues related to training that might be of possible concern to school library media professionals. The respondents did not limit themselves only to those areas suggested by the researcher. Of the 214 participants, 170 responded to Question II. This represented 61 responses from Elementary media professionals, 64 responses from Junior High/Middle/High School media professionals, 25 reSponses from Junior High/Middle School media professionals, seven responses from Elementary/Junior HIgh/Middle School media professionals, and 13 responses from Elementary/Junior High/High School media professionals. In general, comments from respondents ranged from those reporting varying degrees of satisfaction with their training to those expressing varying degrees of dissatisfaction with their preparation. Cited frequently by respondents was the need for programs designed specifically to train school library media specialists. One respondent reported: The graduate school which I attended seems to have the unwritten philosophy that public and university libraries are more prestigious and important than school libraries . . Non-accredited library schools with programs in learning resources or media seem to have many more courses which are "to the point" in training school librarians. 81 Several respondents were in agreement that a "multi-media" approach to training school library media specialists was most essential if they were to function in a unified media center set- ting. Many enthusiastically recommended that an integrated (audiovisual and library science) approach to training be adopted. Although labeled as "multi-media" programs, some reported that these programs are, in fact, only offering a few token non-print courses. Another general curriculum concern expressed was the need to individualize coursework based on the strengths, weaknesses, and previous background of the trainee. Prpgram Reguirements Program requirements for school library media Specialists received the most attention by the respondents. One hundred and one participants identified curricular areas that they believe should receive more emphasis in present training programs. The two areas cited most frequently by respondents were audiovisual instruction and curriculum design. Specifically, the reSpondents identified the following aspects of the audiovisual (non-print) area as meriting more emphasis: 1. Production and design of audiovisual materials 2. Selection and evaluation of audiovisual materi- als and equipment 3. Technical processes related to the organization and cataloging of audiovisual materials and equipment 4. Administration of audiovisual programs 82 5. Maintenance and repair of equipment--a ”fix-it" course. Many respondents reported that at the time of their train- ing, only one audiovisual course was available which was inadequate for preparing them to deal effectively with non-print materials and equipment. Some reSpondents stated that on-the-job experience and experimentation were the means of learning the use of audiovisual materials and equipment. Curriculum design was the second subject area most fre- quently cited by respondents as being important in the training of school library media specialists. The need for training in cur- riculum was expressed by one respondent in this way: One thing I would have liked to have learned is how to work with different teachers in different subject areas for better use of the library. Everything you read tells you that the teacher and librarian must work hand in hand, and I definitely believe this is the only way to have a successful media center. Another respondent viewed the need for a firm curriculum foundation by stating: A media professional must understand and accept responsi- bility to be consistently involved with other faculty professionals in evaluation, planning and decision-making regarding curriculum coordination with materials. Although identified less frequently by respondents, there exists a concern for emphasizing the "practical aspects" of admin- istering a school library media program rather than the theoretical. As one professional suggested: The biggest change I would make is in the attitudes and/or priorities of many of my instructors who deal too much in theory and not enough with actual realities. It is fine to 83 learn how things ought to work or ought to be done--we need to work toward Optimum conditions and should realize what they are, but we should also be equippped to deal with makeshifts. Another respondent expressed satisfaction with her practical training: My training was superb because I had access to instructors and professors who "told it like it was." They didn't make a library job a "bed of roses"; consequently, I felt prepared to meet most any Obstacle and was forewarned about pitfalls to be encountered. Closely related to the "practical" aspeCts of school library media training was the expressed need by some for a course focusing on administering budgets and federal programs (Title II) which are an integral part of any school library media program. Classroom TeachingyExperience Forty-two respondents were in agreement that classroom teaching experience was both valuable and necessary for today's school library media specialist. Forty reSpondents who viewed teaching experience as essential actually had experience as class- room teachers. Years of experience ranged from one to 32 years. Some respondents suggested minimums of one, two, or three years of teaching experience as a prerequisite for media certi- fication. The importance of teaching experience to a school library media Specialist was expressed in many ways: --I definitely feel that in the school library media field, teaching experience is needed so that school library specialists will understand what teachers need in the way of assistance in their instructional programs. Teaching 84 experience gives more practical experience in working with students at whatever age than all the courses offered. --This is only my first year on this job. I have for the past fourteen years been in the classroom. I have very little training for my job, but this year I have begun to take the courses and would like to become certified by the State. I do feel that my classroom experience is helping me greatly in this job in several ways--know- ing how to handle children and knowing the curriculum. --I think my background as a classroom teacher was essen- tial to my success in the learning center/library. I have excellent background knowledge of school curricu- lum. I also can identify with and understand the prob- lems and concerns of the classroom teacher. --I would suggest that all those granted degrees in the school library area and who are qualified to work with children be first trained as teachers and have teaching experience before being granted this degree. Teaching experience is very valuable, and I believe it gives the librarians a better insight to problems which might not otherwise be understood, especially when working with teachers and students. InternshiprPracticum,Erperience Thirty-seven respondents identified an internship program as essential in the training of school library media specialists. Work experience in a school library under the supervision of a qualified media specialist was viewed as very important. Those respondents who indicated the need for an internship program did not suggest that it replace the student teaching experience that is a requirement in most BA-level education training programs. Need for Technical/Clerical Skills Twenty-seven respondents expressed Opinions on the need for training in the technical/clerical skills associated with the 85 operation of a school library media program. The majority of respond- ents saw the need to be prepared in cataloging, processing, acquisi- tion, typing, filing, and record-keeping. Ideally, clerical/ paraprofessional assistance should be assigned these tasks. However, realistically, many of the respondents admitted that they were not in a position to have the benefit of clerical help. Training Differentiation for Ele- mentary and High School Media Specialists Twenty-five respondents reacted to the subject Of training differentiation for elementary and high school media specialists. The majority agreed that some differentiation was necessary, but failed to specifically suggest in which ways programs might be made more specialized. Summar In this chapter, the research questions stated in Chapter I were analyzed. For purposes of summarization, the four research questions will be restated and answered on the basis of the sta- tistical data gathered. Research Question I: What is the extent and kind of training typical of today's school library media specialist? Of the six major competency areas analyzed, the data revealed the following: 1. An average of 74 percent of all respondents claimed training in the print-oriented courses of the Media competency area; an average of 33 percent reported training in the non-print oriented courses. 86 In the Management competency area, an average of 50 percent of the respondents stated that they had experienced academic training. An average of 51 percent of the respondents indi- cated some training in the area of Learning and Learning Environment. An average of 66 percent of the respondents reported training in the Human Behavior competency area. Courses taken in the area of Planning and Evalu- ation were reported by an average of 21 percent of the respondents. In the Research competency area, an average of 41 percent of the respondents indicated some train- 1ng. Research Question II: How do school library media professionals perceive the relative importance of specific courses in relationship to performance requirements of their present positions? A 4 point Likert-type rating scale was utilized to collect this information. In addition to frequency distributions and percentages, mean scores were also derived fOr each subject in the six major competency areas. For purposes of summarization, only the mean scores for each of the six major competency areas will be reported: 1. Media: For print-oriented courses, a mean score of 1.80 was calculated indicating a "Very Important" to "Important" value by respondents. For non-print oriented courses, a mean score of 2.53 was derived indicating an "Important" to "Not Very Important" rating by respondents. Management: Courses in this area were rated as "Very Important" to "Important" by respondents. The mean score was 1.70. Learning and Learning Environment: Respondents regarded courses in this area as "Important" to “Not Very Important" with a mean score of 2.13 reported. 87 4. Human Behavior: A course in Human Growth and Development was valued as "Very Important" to "Important" by the respondents with a mean score of 1.99 reported. 5. Planning and Evaluation: Courses in this compe- tency area were regarded as "Important" to "Not Very Important" by respondents. A mean score of 2.03 was derived. 6. Research: A course in Library Research was rated as "Important" to "Not Very Important" by respond- ents. The mean score was 2.28. Research Question III: 15 there a significant dif- ference between the training of elementary school library media professionals and high school library media professionals? By applying the Chi-square test of homogeneity to each course within the six major competency areas, it was concluded that there are no significant differences between the training of ele- mentary school library media professionals and high school library media professionals. Research Question IV: What do practitioners in the school library media field suggest for improving the preparation of school library media specialists? Essentially, respondents encouraged the further development of training programs designed specifically to train school library media specialists who can function effectively in a multi-media setting. In terms of specific program requirements, the need was expressed for more training emphases in the areas of audiovisual instruction and curriculum design. Several respondents viewed classroom teaching experience as necessary training for a school library media specialist. 88 An internship experience which would give the student an Opportunity to put theory into practice was recommended by several respondents. An acquisition of basic technical/clerical skills was seen as essential by many respondents, since it is unrealistic to assume that all school library media center programs have the benefit Of supportive staff. Finally, several reSpondents agreed that a differentiation in the training of elementary school library media professionals and high school library media professionals should exist. Ways of specializing programs, however, were not suggested. CHAPTER V SUMMARY, CONCLUSIONS, AND RECOMMENDATIONS Chapter V will be devoted to a summary of the study, fol- lowed by a discussion of the conclusions generated from the analysis of the data, and concluded with recommendations and questions for further study. Summary The purpose of this study was threefold: 1. To ascertain the nature and scope of training of school library media professionals; 2. To identify those aspects of training perceived as most valuable by school library media pro- fessionals; and 3. To recommend the kinds of training that should be required of a school library media specialist. In order to explore these purposes, four research questions were developed. These will be discussed later in this chapter. Review of the Literature Due to the focus of this study, it was necessary to review the literature in two major areas. The first part of the review traced the historical development of the school library media pro- gram. The second part of the review focused on an examination of significant manpower and personnel studies conducted in the media field. 89 90 The historical overview revealed that the school library media field has been influenced by two major streams: (1) audio- visual programs and services, and (2) school library programs. Previously independent of one another, developments over the past decade indicate that the field is moving toward a merger of the two programs. Advances, primarily theoretical in nature, must still be considered significant. Reviewing manpower and personnel studies in the media field indicated that concerns over the professional preparation of the school library media specialist are mutual. However, concensus has not yet been achieved on the role changes necessary and the kinds of training experiences that should be required Of the school library media specialist. The literature also revealed that in few instances have institutions revised their programs to train personnel to effectively function in a unified media center environment. Design of the Study The survey was selected as the research method to be employed in collecting descriptive information about the training and educa- tional backgrOunds of school library media professionals in the state of Illinois. A questionnaire was designed to assess the professional preparation of school library media professionals, to ascertain which aspects of training were perceived as being most valuable in effectively administering school library media programs, and to determine suggestions for improving the professional preparation of school library media specialists. 91 The sampling selected for this study included public school districts in the state of Illinois. After requesting Official per- mission from the Superintendents of 130 public school districts in the state of Illinois, 100 school districts agreed to participate in the study. The questionnaire was mailed to 371 participants from 100 school districts in 52 Illinois counties. A total of 235 persons from 92 districts in 51 counties responded to the question- naire. A 63.3 percent reSponse was realized. Data from the administration of the instrument was punched on computer data cards and submitted to Michigan State University's CDC 6500 computer for computational purposes. Conclusions Research Question I: What is the extent and kind of training typical of today's school library media pro- fessional? Question I (Part 1) of the questionnaire was designed to determine the extent and type of training prevalent among the school library media professionals in the sample. Courses were appropriately listed under the six major com- petency areas suggested by the Behavioral Requirements Analysis Checklist. These major areas of competencies are specifically related to the education and performance of the school library media specialist. The six major competency area headings used in the questionnaire were: Media, Management, Learning and Learning Environment, Human Behavior, Planning and Evaluation, and Research. Frequency distributions and percentages of respondents trained in each course were calculated. In analyzing the data, it 92 is evident that the degree of training in the six major competency areas varies greatly among the respondents. In the Media competency area, respondents clearly show evidence of a high degree of training in the courses which have traditionally comprised the "core" Library Science curriculum. Seventy-four percent of all respondents indicated some training in these print-oriented courses. Coursework in Classification and Cataloging, Reference Materials, and Selection and Evaluation of Print Materials was reported most frequently. Training in Story- telling showed the lowest percentage of participation. The acquisition of training in Media courses which have a non-print orientation was reported by 33 percent of the respondents. The two non-print courses most frequently studied by respondents were Selection and Evaluation of Non-Print Materials (74 percent) and Design/Production of Instructional Media (75 percent). Com- puter Applications in Libraries (13 percent) and Programmed Instruction (16 percent) were the two courses studied least fre- quently by the reSpondents. Based on the data analysis, it is evident that school library media professionals in the sample show a greater degree of training in print related areas. Further examinations of course offerings by school library training institutions clearly reveal minimal offerings in the area of non-print media. Training in Management was indicated by 50 percent of the I respondents. The administration courses specifically designed to 93 relate to the operation of school library media programs and to the programs involved were reported most frequently. An analysis of the data revealed that 51 percent of the respondents had acquired some training in areas related to Learning and the Learning Environment. Educational Psychology, traditionally offered in most undergraduate education programs, was studied by 89 percent Of the respondents. A much lower degree of training was claimed in Instructional Design (23 percent) and Curriculum Design/DevelOpment (43 percent). As the matrix Of course offerings/ training institutions shows, very few programs offer an Opportunity to study Instructional Design. Curriculum Design/Development would most likely be offered by the College of Education on the graduate level, and unless it was a requirement for a Library Media degree, the frequency of participation would be expected to be low. In the Human Behavior competency area, the course in Human Growth and Development was taken by 66 percent of all respondents with a slightly higher frequency reported by elementary school library media professionals. Since all respondents are certified as teachers, it was expected that a majority would have acquired training in this area which is most common in most teacher prepara- tion programs. Twenty-one percent of all respondents reported training in the Planning and Evaluation competency area. The low percentage rating was expected, since few training inStitutions offered courses in Library Systems Planning and Program Evaluation and Assessment. 94 A study of Library Research was reported by 41 percent of the respondents. If major competencies are required of school library media specialists in the six areas, the data reveal that the majority of respondents in this study have not acquired a high degree Of train- ing in several of the areas. Research Question II: How do school library media professionals perceive the relative importance of specific courses in relationship to performance requirements Of their present positions? Question I (Part 2) of the questionnaire required the reSpondent to indicate the relative importance of each of the sub- ject areas listed in relationship to performance requirements of their present positions. All subject areas were to be evaluated regardless of actual training. A 4 point Likert-type rating scale was utilized to collect this information. Frequency distributions, percentages, and mean scores were derived for these data. Total mean scores for each of the six major competency areas revealed that respondents regard courses in Media-print (1.80), Management (1.70), and Human Behavior (1.99) as "Very Important" to "Important" in their present positions. Less value was placed on courses in the competency areas of Media-non-print (2.53), Learning and Learning Environment (2.13), Planning and Evaluation (2.03), and Research (2.28). Two possible explanations for value determination of par- ticular competency areas may exist if one reviews the data in Research Question I. In competency areas such as Media (non-print), Planning and Evaluation, and Research, less than a majority of 95 respondents reported any formal training. A small majority (51 percent) of respondents reported training in the Learning and Learning Environment area. There may be greater importance attached to an area of study if one has experienced it. Secondly, courses valued to a lesser degree by respondents may indicate that present circumstances within the school library media center environment do not require or permit the utilization of competencies in certain areas. One might ask if the respondents are actually functioning in a "unified" library media center environment and attempting to Offer the kinds of services to students and teachers that reflect more than the traditional school library role. Research Question III: 15 there a significant differ- ence between the training of elementary school library media professionals and high school library media pro- fessionals? The Chi-square test of homogeneity was utilized to determine any significant differences between the training patterns of ele- mentary school library media professionals and high school library media professionals. Each course was analyzed using the Chi-square test, and conclusions derived indicate that no significant differ- ences in training exist between these two groups. Research Question IV: What do practitioners in the school library media field suggest for improving the preparation of school library media specialists? Respondents were given an opportunity to offer suggestions for the improvement and revision of school library media training programs. Their comments varied widely in sc0pe and emphasis. However, major concerns related to training centered around the following areas: 96 Program Requirements: More emphasis should be given to training in audiovisual instruction and curriculum design. The need expressed for more effective training in these areas indicates that there is a serious concern for offering "uni- fied" media services to students and teachers and relating these media services more closely to the instructional program of the school. Respondents also felt that training programs should place greater emphasis on the "practical" aspects of administering a school library media program. Classroom Teaching Experience: Several respondents sug- gested classroom teaching experience as essential to the effective- ness of a school library media specialist. Some suggested minimums of one, two, or three years of teaching experience as a prerequisite for media certification. Internship/Practicum Experience: Valued by several respond- ents in the training of school library media specialists was the inclusion of an internship program. Work experience in a school library media center under the supervision of a qualified media specialist was viewed as most important. Need for Technical/Clerical Skills: Due to present circum- stances in their working environments, several respondents saw the need to be prepared in skills associated with cataloging, processing, acquisition, typing, filing, and record-keeping. Ideally, clerical/ paraprofessional assistance should be responsible for these tasks; however, until supportive staff are recognized as essential to each 97 school library media center, professionals will still find it necessary to be trained in these skills. Training Differentiation for Elementary and High School Media Specialists: Several respondents agreed that differentiation was essential, but failed to specify ways in which programs might be made more specialized. Therefore, due to insufficient data on this issue, no conclusions can be drawn. Implications The implications which can be drawn from this study, although modest in scape, are nonetheless significantly important to school library educators and school library media professionals. If the school library media center concept is to reach ful- fillment, then new roles and responsibilities are going to have to be assumed by school library media professionals. New skills and competencies will be required of these media specialists in order to function effectively in a multi-media setting. Educational programs for the training of school library media specialists must reflect new approaches and inputs from other fields. This study indicates that there may still not be complete agreement on the dimensions of the field or the functions and prepa- ration Of those who work in it. The BRAC (Behavioral Requirements Analysis Checklist) instrument, developed during the School Library Manpower Project, reflects the long-term task of scrutinizing the competencies, the educational background, and the experiences necessary for preparing school library media specialists. This . document organized job-related functions and tasks into seven major 98 competency areas dealing respectively with Media, Management, Human Behavior, Learning and the Learning Environment, Planning and Evaluation, Resarch, and Professionalism. The first six areas nentioned here were used as a basis for the questionnaire utilized in this study. A summary of the data and analysis in this study would seem to indicate that the training and preparation of school library media professionals does not reflect adequate preparation in all six competency areas. Also, there is a strong suggestion that school library training institutions are not revising pro- grams to the degree that graduates feel adequately trained in those areas essential to administering a truly unified media center program. The need for re-training and updating the competencies of school library media professionals is suggested by the results of this study. Until library education training programs undergo the necessary revisions, the emphasis for the future may have to be in-service training. Recommendations School library media education training programs should be revised to train the kind of personnel needed in the field. Research indicates that media specialists require a preparation broader than that formerly associated with school librarianship. Training institutions should assess what they are presently doing and then develop a training program which truly meets the perceived needs of the schools. Developing and/or revising programs for school library media personnel would include several steps: 99 1. Programs for school library media specialists should be coordinated with other departments. An interdisciplinary approach calling for a closer relationship between librarianship, educational technology, and education is essential. 2. Feedback from graduates should be encouraged in order to determine their actual job requirements. Effective quality control procedures could be helpful in upgrading the curriculum to make it more relevant to the needs of the schools. 3. A continued analysis of the kinds of competencies required of school library media specialists is needed. The Behavioral Requirements Analysis Checklist (BRAC) is perhaps the most highly developed tool to be used in assessing skills and knowledges required thus far. But, it, too, must undergo continu- ous assessment and revision. 4. New and innovative approaches to training should be considered. Competency-based programs incorporating methods for individualizing instruction with fieldwork components have been used successfully in some of the experimental programs of the School Library Manpower Project. 5. The results of Phase II of the School Library Manpower Project, the six experimental program models in school library media education, should be studied. It is possible that some of the experimental programs may have characteristics that are easily transferrable to other institutions. 100 Professional organizations, both state and national, should take more responsibility for critically examining and pro- moting the upgrading of formal training programs. Organized efforts should be made by professional organiza- tions and school systems to provide in-service training opportuni- ties for school library media professionals. With new skills and knowledges being demanded, retraining and up-dating of skills are necessities. Training in a non-university environment may be necessary until university-based programs revise and expand their programs sufficiently to prepare today's school library media specialist. Questions for Further Study This study raised two questions which should be addressed in the near future: 1. What kind of relationship should exist between under- graduate programs and graduate programs of school library education? This study indicated that a substantial proportion of the pOpulation who have earned BA-level degrees are assuming the same kinds of responsibilities as the graduates from MA-level programs. What implications are suggested for better articulation between BA-level and MA-level programs? 2. Can a fully trained school library media Specialist be produced in a one-year graduate program? In relation to the first question, are there certain subject areas that could be covered at 101 the BA-level? It seems that in order to adequately train persons in the content areas required, a one-year MA program may not be sufficient. However, if BA-level programs were improved and bet- ter articulation existed between undergraduate and graduate pro- grams, training might be accomplished in one year of graduate work. BIBLIOGRAPHY 102 BIBLIOGRAPHY Books American Association of School Librarians. Standards for School Library Media Programs. Chicago: The Association, 1960. American Association of School Librarians, American Library Associ- ation, and Association for Educational Communications and Technology. Media Programs: District and School. Chicago and Washington, D.C.: American Library Association and Association for Educational Communications and Technology, 1975. American Library Association. School Libraries for Today and Tomorrow. Chicago: The Association, 1954. American Library Association and National Education Association. Standards for School Media Programs. Chicago: American Library Association, 1969. Asheim, Lester. Library Education and Mappower. Chicago: American Library Association, 1970. Brown, James W., and Norberg, Kenneth D. Administering Educational Media. New York: McGraw-Hill, 1965. Brown, James W. The Content and Pattern for the Professional Training of AV Communication Specialists. Edited by Robert 0. Hall. NDEA, Title VII, Project No. B-208, U.S.O.E., 1964. Case, Robert N., and Lowrey, Anna Mary. School Library Manppwer Project, Phase I--Final Report. Chicago: American Library Association, 1970. Cecil, H. L., and Heaps, Willard. School Library Service in the United States. New York: H. W. Wilson Co., 1940. Dale, Edgar. Audio-Visual Methods in Teaching. New York: Dryden Press, Inc., 1954. Davies, Ruth. The School Library: A Force for Educational ExCel- lence. New York: R. R. Bowker Co., 1969. 103 104 Department of Audiovisual Instruction. Quantitative Standards for Audiovisual Personnel, Eguipment, and Materials. Washing- ton, D.C.: NEA, 1966. Gaver, Mary V. School Activities and the Library. Chicago: American Library Association, 1967. Ginsberg, Eli, and Brown, Carol A. Mgppower for Library Services. New York: Conservation of Human Resources Project, Colum- bia University, September, 1967. Hall, Robert 0., ed. The Content and Pattern for the Professional Training of Audiovisual Communication Specialists. NDEA, Title VII, Project NO. B-208, U.S.O.E., 1964. Hamreus, Dale 6., ed. Media Guidelines: Develgpment and Valida- tion of Criteria for Evaluating Media Training. Vol. 11. Monmouth, Oregon: Division of Teaching Research, Oregon State System for Higher Education, June, 1970. Holtzman, P. D., and Vandermeer, A. W. Interdisciplinary and Graduate Programs in Communication: A Descriptive Study. University Park, Pa.: Pennsylvania State University, 1965. Mahar, Mary H., ed. The School Library as a Materials Center. Washington, D.C.: U.S. Government Printing Office, 1963. Mann, Horace. Life and Works of Horace Mann. 5 vols. Boston, Mass.: Lee and Shepard. Vol. 3: Annual Reports of the Secretary of the Board of Education of MassaEhusetts, 1839-1844. Martin, Ann M. A Study of Regional Instructional Media Resources: Phase I--Manpower. Pittsburgh, Pa.: Center for Library and Educational Media Studies, University of Pittsburgh, 1965. Miles, John R., and Spain, Charles R. Audio-Visual Aids in the Armed Services. Washington, D.C.: American Council on Education, 1947. National Education Association and American Library Association. Elementary School LibraryrStandards. Chicago: American Library Association, 1925. Rossoff, Martin. The School Library and Educational Charge. Colorado Libraries Unlimited, Inc., 1971. Rufsvold, Margaret 1. Audio-Visual School Library Service: A Handbook for Librarians. Chicago: American Library Asso- ciation, 1949. 105 Saettler, Paul. A History of Instructional Technolpgy, New York: McGraw-Hill, 1968. School Library Manpower Project. Behavioral Requrements Analysis Checklist: A Compilation of Competency-Based Job Func- tions and Task Statements for School Librareredia Personnel. Chicago: American Library Association, 1973. Evaluation of Alternative Curricula: Approaches to School Library Media Education. Chicago: American Library Association, 1975. OCCppational Definitions for School Library Media Per- sonnel. Chicago: American Library Association,7197l. School Library Personnel Task Analysis Survey. Chicago: American Library Association, 1969. Stone, C. Walter, ed. Professional Education of Media Service Per- sonnel. Pittsburgh: University of Pittsburgh, 1964. Sullivan, Peggy. Impact: The School Library and the Instructional Program. Chicago: American Library Association, 1967. U.S. Department of Health, Education, and Welfare. The Education Professions, 1971-72; Part IV--A Manppwer Survey of the School Library Media Field. Washington, D.C.: U.S. Government Printing Office, 1973. Wallington, C. James, and Myer, Anna L. Jobs in Instructional Media. Washington, D.C.: Association for Educational Communications and Technology, 1970. Ward, Pearl. The School Media Center. New Jersey: Scarecrow Press, 1972. Worland, Charles W. The Content and Pattern for the Professional Training of AV Communication Specialists. Edited by Robert 0. Hall. NDEA, Title VII, Project NO. B-208, U.S.O.E., 1964. Periodicals "Audio-Visual Materials." Encyclopedia of Educational Research. Rev. ed. New York: Macmillan, 1950. Berlo, David. "You Are in the PeOple Business." AV Instruction, 8 (June, 1963), 372-380. 106 Beswick, Norman. "The Certain Standards in Context: A Study of the American School Library Materials Centre Concept," Journal of Librarianship(July, 1970), pp. 160-174. Carnovsky, Leon. "Changing Patterns in Librarianship: Implica- tions for Library Education." Wilson LibraryrBulletin, XLI (January, 1967), 484-491. Carpenter, C. R. "Strategies of Learning and Learning Resources." In National Conference on the Implications of the New Media for the Teaching of Library Science. Edited by Harold Goldstein. Ann Arbor: Edward Brothers, Inc., 1963, pp. 5-21. Crawford, Lura E. "The Changing Nature of School Library Collec- tions." Library Trends (April, 1969), pp. 383-398. Erickson, Carlton W. H. "The Making of the New School Media Specialist--From the Audiovisual Point of View." _A!_ Instruction (January, 1969), pp. 14-16. Fulton, William. "The Role of the Colleges of Education and Communication." In The Education of the AV Communication Specialist. Edited by Fred F. Harcleroad. Supplement 2, AV Communicaton Review, 8 (September-October, 1960), 59-60. Goldstein, Harold. "Media Standards and Education for Media Service." Illinois Libraries, 52 (September, 1970), 661. Gottardi, "Instructional Media Center Services in the Nongraded Elementary School. AV Instruction 16 (April, 1971), 30-33. Grazier, Margaret Hayes. "Effects of Change on Education for School Librarians." Library Trends (April, 1969), pp. 410-423. Greene, Nelson. "The New Department of the NEA." Educational Screen, 2 (September, 1923), p. 317. Hall, Mary E. "The Development of the Modern School Library." Library Journal (September, 1915), p. 672. Hartz, Fred, and Pringle, Eugene A. "Education for Instructional Materials Centers," Drexel Librarnyuarterly II (April, 1966). pp. 168-175. Havighurst, Robert J. "Educational Chan es: Their Implications for the Library." ALA Bulletin, LX EMay, 1967), 537-543. 107 Henne, Frances. "Standards for Media Programs in Schools." Library Trends, 21:2 (October, 1972), 233-248. Hyer, Anna L. "In Search of an Umbrella." AV Instruction (May, 1963), p. 362. Janke, Leslie H. "School Librarianship." In Professional Educa- tion of Media Service Personnel. Ed. C. Walter Stone. Pittsburgh: University of Pittsburgh, 1964, pp. 14-15. King, William H. "The Emerging Role of the Instructional Materi- als Specialist." AV Instruction, XIV (September, 1969), 27-28. Kremple, F. A. "Integrating the Library into Learning Resources." Catholic Library World, 39 (March, 1968), 479. Lowrey, Anna Mary. "Staffing Patterns and Education for Media Center Personnel: Relevant or Regressive?" Library Trends (April, 1971), pp. 508-518. Lowrie, Jean. "Personal Requirements of the IMC." Wisconsin Library Bulletin, LXII (November, 1966), 354-356. Meirhenry, Wesley C. "Programs for the Preparation of Media Specialists." In The Professional Education of Media Service Personnel. Edited by C. Walter Stone. Pittsburgh: The University of Pittsburgh, 1964, p. 7. Naeny, Albert. "Changing Patterns in School Curriculum and Organization." Library Trends (April, 1969), pp. 355-361. "National Defense Education Act." School Life Magazine, XLI, 2 (October-November, 1958), 5-26. Norberg, Kenneth. "The Role of the Media Professional in Educa- tion." AV Instruction (December, 1967), pp. 1027-1029. Oglesby, "A Reason for Peace." AV Instruction (June, July, 1971), pp. 70-72. Quinby, W. J. "Carrels for Learning." Library Trends (April, 1971). p. 467. Savage, Carl C. "A Total Media Program Implemented." AV Instruc- tion (September, 1969), p. 26. Sleeman, Phillip, and Goff, Robert. "The Instructional Materials Center: Dialogues or Discord." AV Communication Review (Summer, 1967), pp. 162-163. 108 Srygley, Sara K. "The Making of New School Media Specialists-- From the Library Point of View." AV Instruction (January, 1969), pp. 15-16. Stone, C. Walter. "A Design for Tomorrow." In Proceedings of the National Conference on the Implications of the New Media for the Teaching of LTbrarnycience. Edited by Harold Gold- stein. Campaign, Ill.: University of Illinois Graduate School of Library Science, Monograph Series, NO. l, 1963. Stone, C. Walter, ed. Professional Education of Media Service Personnel. Pittsburgh: University of Pittsburgh, 1964, p. XI. Whitenack, Carolyn S. "School Libraries as School Media Centers: A Portfolio." ALA Bulletin, 63, 2 (February, 1969), pp. 249-267. Witt, Paul. "High School Libraries as IMC's.” NAASP Bulletin, 43 (November, 1959), 112-118. gppublished Materials Jetter, Margaret A. "The Role of the School Library Media Special- ist." Ph.D. dissertation, Michigan State University, 1972. McClusky, F. Dean. "The Administration of Visual Education: A National Survey." Unpublished report made to the NEA, 1923. APPENDICES 109 APPENDIX A LETTER TO SUPERINTENDENTS REQUESTING PERMISSION TO CONDUCT SURVEY 110 APPENDIX A LETTER TO SUPERINTENDENTS REQUESTING PERMISSION TO CONDUCT SURVEY I am seeking your permission to conduct a survey of the school library/media professionals on your staff by means of a brief questionnaire which will be mailed to your district in March. A number of school districts in the State of Illinois will comprise the sample of this study. Presently I am concluding a doctoral program at Michigan State University in the area of Curriculum and Instruction. My dissertation deals with an assessment of the training patterns and perceived priority professional needs of school library/media professionals. As a regional consultant with the Media/Library Services Unit (Title II) of the Illinois Office of the Superintendent of Public Instruc- tion from 1971-73, I became concerned and involved in the develop- ment of school library/media programs throughout the State. With the expanding role of the school library, I feel it is most impor- tant to re-evaluate the training programs of school library/media professionals to determine the essential skills and abilities needed to offer a qualitative program of media services to both students and teachers. Enclosed you will find a post card which will indicate to me if you agree to participate in this study. Also, I ask you to make a choice as to the method in which the questionnaire will be distribu- ted tO the apprOpriate personnel. I thank you in advance for your cooperation. Sincerely, Jacqueline R. Wolff Dr. Dale Alam Professor of Education Dr. Louis Romano Professor of Education 111 APPENDIX B INTRODUCTORY LETTER TO RESPONDENTS ACCOMPANYING QUESTIONNAIRE 112 APPENDIX B INTRODUCTORY LETTER TO RESPONDENTS ACCOMPANYING QUESTIONNAIRE TO THE RESPONDENT: The Superintendent of your district has given me permission to request pertinent information from you regarding your educational training as it relates to the school library media position you presently hold. As a former school library media consultant, I became quite con- cerned and involved with school library media development in Illinois. With the expanding role of the school library, it is important to re-evaluate the educational backgrounds of school library media professionals to determine whether their training is adequately providing them with the competencies necessary to offer a qualitative program of library media services. Your responses will have curricular implications for existing school library media training programs. I would greatly appreciate your response and immediate reply to this brief questionnaire. For your convenience, I have enclosed a postage-paid envelope. Thank you. Sincerely, Jacqueline R. Wolff 113 APPENDIX C QUESTIONNAIRE FOR SCHOOL LIBRARY MEDIA PROFESSIONALS 114 APPENDIX C QUESTIONNAIRE FOR SCHOOL LIBRARY MEDIA PROFESSIONALS Qpestion I PART 1 Below is a list of school library media related subject areas. In the space to the left, check only PART 2 Indicate the relative importance of each of the subject areas those areas in which you've acquired undergraduate or gradu- ate credit. Media __Classification, Cataloging __Reference Materials __Selection, Evaluation of Materials __Print __Non-Print __Children's Literature __Adolescent Literature __Introduction to the Library (History, functions, etc.) __Storytelling __Design, Production of Instruc- tional Media (AV Education) __Radio/TV Production __Photography __Graphics Design 115 listed in relationshTh to per- formance requirements of your present position. Evaluate all subject areas even if you didn't have training in that area. Very _ NotVery . _ Impor- Ighgr Impor- Ughhant tant tant p (l) (2) (3) (4) 116 PART 1 , PART 2 Very Not Very Unim- Impor- Impor- Impor- tant tant tant portant (l) (2) (3) (4) __Informational Storage and Retrieval __Computer Applications in Libraries __Programed Instruction __OTHER (Describe) Management __Administration of School Library Media Programs __Administration of AV Programs __General Administration (Basic Theories and Principles) __School Library Media Center Problems __OTHER (Describe) Learning and Learning Environment __Educational Psychology __Principles of Learning Theory __Principles of Instructional Design (techniques of systematic analysis of instructional process) __Curriculum Design, Development __OTHER (Describe) Human Behavior __Human Growth and Development __OTHER (Describe) Planning and Evaluation __Library Systems Planning __Program Evaluation and Assessment __OTHER (Describe) HAVE YOU COMPLETED PART 2 OF QUESTION I? 117 PART 1 PART 2 Very _ Not Very . _ Impor- Ighgr Impor- UOPEant tant tant p (1) (2) (3) (4) Research __Library Research __OTHER (Describe) Question 11 There is a strong need for continuous assessment and revi- sion of present school library media training programs. In light of your past training, what suggestions, if any, would you offer to improve these training programs? Please vent your opinions: inter- disciplinary studies, program requirements, length of training, teaching experience, more/less specialization, training differenti- ation for Elementary/High School, need for technical/clerical skills . . . . PLEASE COMPLETE THE PERSONAL DATA SECTION ON THE NEXT PAGE. 118 Personal Data 1. School District 2. School Elem.___Jr.H., Middle___H.S.___ 3. Degrees Held B.A./B.S.___ M.A./M.S.___ Ed. Specialist___ Ph.D./Ed.D.___ 4. If you hold a master's degree, answer A, B, and C of this question: A. Master's Degree is in Library Science AV Education___ Instructional Media (AV/LS)___ Other (Describe)__ From what institution did you earn your degree? Did you take any Library Science and/or AV courses in your undergraduate program? Yes___ No___ 5. Are you certified as a teacher in the State of Illinois? Yes___ No___ (If YES,answer the rest Of the questions below.) 6. How many years of classroom teaching experience do you have? 7. How many years of school library media experience do you have? 8. Are you certified under the Standards for Media Services* in the State of Illinois? Yes___ No__ (If YES, which type of media certification do you presently hold?) CHECK ONE BELOW. Instructional Media Specialist___ School Librarian Audiovisual Coordinator School Library Specialist Media Specialist Audiovisual Specialist Media Supervisor or Director 9. Give the date of your most recent media certification: *Extracted from the Illinois Program for Evaluation, Super- vision, and Recognition of Schools, Circular Series A, No. 160, OSPI, 1974, pp. 34-35 regarding Preparation of Persons Providing Media Services. APPENDIX D LETTER AND CRITERIA FOR EVALUATION OF QUESTIONNAIRE 119 APPENDIX D LETTER AND CRITERIA FOR EVALUATION OF QUESTIONNAIRE Dear Because of your background and varied experience in the area of school library media development, I need your assistance, expertise, and input for the evaluation of the survey questionnaire that will serve as the instrument to collect data for my dissertation study. First, it's essential that you're familiar with the purpose of the study which is threefold: 1. To ascertain the nature and scope of training of school library media professionals; 2. To identify those aspects of training perceived as most valu- able by school library media professionals; and 3. To recommend the kinds of training experiences that should be required of a school library media specialist. Secondly, the sample for this study will include 130 districts in the State of Illinois. The questionnaire will be sent to approxi- mately 450 school library media professionals in these districts. Please read and evaluate this questionnaire carefully on the basis of the following criteria: 1. Are the directions for each question clear and precise? 2. Does the Personal Data section of the questionnaire seek our appropriate and essential information from the respondent? Are the directions clear? 3. In Question I, from your point of view, is the list of subject areas exhaustive? If not, please suggest additions. 4. General questionnaire format--Is it uncluttered? Although it is not included, a brief introductory statement about the impor- tance of the study will precede the questionnaire itself. 120 121 Page Two I appreciate greatly your time and effort in assisting me with this task. Enclosed is an envelope for your return. Thank you again. Sincerely, Jacqueline R. Wolff APPENDIX E MATRIX OF LIBRARY TRAINING INSTITUTIONS/ COURSE OFFERINGS 122 MATRIX OF LIBRARY TRAINING INSTITUTIONS/COURSE OFFERINGS. II I' I 1 . __p. .1-.. -.-,.4 - _...__ - 'n '111 'HlJON 92105811111.“ )0 'n uefituoiu J0 °n 'n 31215 1uax 9M0] $0 '1‘] 'n PUPIPUI 51001111 90 'n 0693143 J0 °n “sag waisan 3593 90510493 '5 90 'n '103 Apoqead 'oag PUIIOJPO 'N J0 'n 'n '15 PUPISIOOT annauax ;O 'n '15 PPlJolj 'n asnDeJKs 'n SJabang ufiansuzid 90 'n 0353039‘AN Jo'fl'lS 'WV J0 'n 31109193 uoaDutusen ;o 'n 'JIIPO ‘S J0 ‘n 31915 3509 ups UOBBJO ;o ‘n Kalaxdag-'lejjo 11 PwOHPINO JO 'n PUOZIJV to °n utsuoastn ;o 'n 'n ‘HDIW uaaasan 'n '15 aufieh r'n 'llI UJBISBH e'n '15 0699;43 4'0 ‘111 "431593 3631103 [49503 Institution d Me XXXX X XXXXX X C1ass., Cataloging Reference X X X Selection-Print X X -Non-Print x Children's Lit. X X Adolescent Lit. Intro. to Library X X X X X X X X X X X X X X X X X X X X X X X X X X X X X X X X X H- O '0‘ Due!- CE‘U q. r—O.£ .— m a 0 MC“ >~UHn Lev-c 3”” Dad? Radio/TV X Photography Graphics 123 XXX X X X Inf. Stor. & Retriev. Computer Appl. Programed Inst. Mana ement Lib. Media Prog. Adm. of AV Programs Gen. Adm. Adm. of School X School Library Media Ctr. Probs. Learningya Learn. Env. Ed. Psych. XXXX X Learning Theory Instruc. Design Curriculum Human Behavior Human Growth 8 Devel. Planning 8 Evaluation Library Systems Plan. Prog. Eval. & Assess. Research X Library Research *Non-accredited by the American Library Association. APPENDIX F STANDARDS FOR MEDIA SERVICES--MEDIA CERTIFICATION REQUIREMENTS, ILLINOIS, 1974 124 APPENDIX F STANDARDS FOR MEDIA SERVICES--MEDIA CERTIFICATION REQUIREMENTS, ILLINOIS, 1974 9-3 Standards for Media Services 9-3.l Preparation of Persons Providing Media Ser- vices Extracted from The Illinois Program for Evaluation, Sgpervision, and Recogpjtion of Schools, Circular Series A, No. 160, OSPI, 1974. pp. 34-35. Position Requirements Instructional Media Specialist Teacher Certificate Work in special field: 27 semester hours with at least 12 in audio- visual and 15 in library science, including professional preparation (at four year college and/or gradu- ate levels) in administration, organization (cataloging and classi- fication), reference, selection, materials for elementary and/or secondary levels, production, and,‘y communications. School Librarian Teacher Certificate Work in special field: 18 semester hours in library science including professional preparation (at four year college and/or graduate levels) in administration, organization (cataloging and classification), reference, selection, and materials for elementary and/or secondary levels. 125 126 Position Requirements Audiovisual Coordinator: responsible for audiovisual services Teacher Certificate Work in special field: 18 semester hours in audiovisual education including professional preparation (at four year college and/or gradu- ate levels) in utilization, pro- duction, administration, learning theory, and communication. Media (Instructional Materials) Specialist: works with students, teachers, and media Teacher or Standard Special Certificate with media (instruc- tional materials) Teaching Endorsement Work in special field: 32 semester hours in media (instructional materi- als, library science, audio-visual) including professional preparation (at a four year college and/or gradu- ate levels) in administration, organization (cataloging and clas- sification), reference, selection, materials for elementary and/or sec- ondary levels, production and com- munications. School Library Specialist: works with students, teachers, and school library services Teacher or Standard Special Certificate with School Librarian Teaching Endorsement Work in special field: 32 semester hours in library science, including professional preparation (at four year college and/or graduate levels) in administration, organization (cataloging and classification), reference, selection, materials for elementary and/or secondary levels. 127 Position Requirements Audiovisual Specialist: works with students, teach- ers, and audiovisual services Teacher or Standard Special Certificate with Audiovisual Specialist Teaching Endorse- ment Work in special field: 32 semester hours in audiovisual education including professional preparation (at four year college and/or gradu- ate levels) in utilization, pro- duction, administration, learning theory, and communication. Media (Instructional Materi- als) Supervisor or Director: works with teachers and supervises other media Specialists one-half time or more Supervisory or Standard Special Certificate with Media Supervisory Endorsement or the General Supervisory Endorse- ment with a specialization in media recommended Work in special field: 32 semester hours in media (instructional materials, library science, audio- visual) including professional preparation (at a four year college and/or graduate levels) in admin- istration, organization, reference, selection, materials for elementary and/or secondary levels, production and communications. APPENDIX G COURSES ACQUIRED BY RESPONDENTS ACCORDING TO SCHOOL LEVEL ASSIGNMENT 128 1229 Noozum :ONINMcmucmEmNN n o Nw>OO NOOOOO OONONOONO NONOOONMLONOOEONO n N NOOOO NOOOOO OONONONOONzNOON: LONOOO n O Na>aO ONOONzNOONO LONOOONNLOOOOOONN n O Na>aO NOOOOO OON: n O NO>OO ONOONzNOONO NONOOO n O NOOOO MNOOOOEONN n < Nm>mN ”Max N ON M N SN MM ON MOOOOOOLN NSSON O O OS O MM N SN N NO OS OM ON OM NN OSLOOOOO MLOLONO gONOoOmm N ON M N SN MM ON NOOOOOOLN NOSON O O NN S O O SN N ON ON NN N ON ON .OOOOOS O .NO>N sanoea O O NN S O O SN N NN NN ON O ON ON OOMOOONN OEONOMO MLOLONO cowuaapm>m new mcwcco—a O O NS N NO N NO S OO OS OO MN SN NO SeasaONOOOO O OSOOLO Oman: com>mnmm Oman: N ON. 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