LIBS 6991 2015 Internship Reflection

In spring of 2015, I made arrangements to begin working in the Sampson Middle

School Media Center in preparation for my Fall Internship. I knew that if I began to
shadow Mr. Jones, our media coordinator, early I would be ready for my internship in the
fall. I developed a few preconceived notions about the actual duties of a librarian when I
first started the program. These thoughts were quickly dismissed when I began working.
My first misconception was that the entirety of a librarians role was to serve the
students or patrons. However, librarians carry a cornucopia of information, which make
them viable candidates for faculty leadership. So I steadily assumed the role of
technology and instructional coach, changing the way that I viewed librarianship. I
worked with teachers, my administrators, and of course my students. Although, the
circulation desk was my home for much of my time in the media center, I was bombarded
with questions and requests, not necessarily related to checking out books. When required
to complete the In-Service Initiative for LIBS 6991, I was both perplexed and thrilled
about having a time to specially to address these issues with my coworkers.
The second misconception dealt with the budget. While I did not have a lot of
time to review allocations, I learned a lot about it vicariously through the words and
actions of our administrators and media coordinator. There wasnt an actual tangible
budget, in the traditional sense, which made it difficult to purchase needed items like
some librarians are accustomed. Working around that, grants were submitted, the book
fair was held and the next planned for, in order to facilitate the absent budget. When I
chatted with my fellow graduate classmates who were employed at schools with budgets,
even 1 to 1 programs, I was in awe. Our school considers these things, but as I was

discussing with another employee, it may be years down the road before it becomes
reality. So this again perplexed my thinking, What can we do now to fix that problem?
Personally, I pushed for more training by attending NCAT in Cullowhee, NC, and
working with my team of ELA teachers to began utilizing free, online applications. For
now, I believe this would be a good starting place.
Another misconception was deselection process. Collection development, an
imperative part of the success of any collection, can be a dubious task. Although our
school had a well-laid plan for what stays, what goes, and what was debatable, I did not
identify the connection between deselection and circulation success. So many outliers
were directly related to the need to observe and evaluate the collection regularly. I made a
decision to investigate and interview my media coordinator for advice on what should or
could be done. From that inquiry, I gained a better understanding of how deselection
works, even without a budget.
Commencing the internship, I dealt strongly with intellectual freedom. My 6010research paper covered the topic extensively. When I read over the paper on Task Stream,
I noted another change that was significant to the ideologies I developed over the course
of two years. I know now that diversity can alter relationships not only between
materials, but more importantly, people. Our restriction of certain topics within the
collection can hinder the full development of a student. To prepare them to be 21st century
effective, students need to understand and appreciate diversity. However, we show them
our fears and faults, when we limit the amount of information they have access to.
Leaving out those things that are inappropriate by age group.

As I look back over my time in the Sampson Middle School media center, I have
an improved perspective of what will come. If I apply my learning style and that of
Willinghams critique of such, I understand that immersion in the job place will be the
true test of my internship. As a teacher, I have been able to look at these tasks objectively
and with compassion. Educators have to deal with red tape, unruly children, and
consistent change. Thats why its important to be life long learners, flexible, and real
leaders. The leadership aspect of this job had surprised me and challenged me in
everyway possible. I no longer look at lesson plans, research, or simple tasks like reading
a shelf, the same. I can imagine that this was the point. Furthermore, my interest in digital
librarianship has tripled since starting this program. Considering we are instructional
coaches by default, I hope to pursue this area with new coursework and readings. I will
stay forever grateful for my experiences and my growth at Sampson Middle School.