OELMA

At our last OELMA board meeting, one of the Strategic Planning goals of my sub-group was to begin to design an award system for OELMA to recognize a Top Ten of school libraries in Ohio.  Based on the study done of other state library organizations in all 50 states as well as national library associations and their award systems, attached is a DRAFT. Let me say that again, IT’S A DRAFT.  It is NOT engraved in stone.

As part of the third phase of this goal (The first was to study other library organizations and their awards; the second phase was to write a DRAFT of an award system.), we hope to begin discussions of this DRAFT before its final presentation to the OELMA Board in December.  Remember folks, we aren’t trying to make this so easy that just any school and/or any district can achieve this distinction but we do want to recognize noteworthy individual libraries or districts with noteworthy libraries.  The best designed award systems included the state library organizations from Colorado, Missouri, Illinois, and Pennsylvania as well as AASL so feel free to look at those.

Points that were considered included:

• Requiring “adequate funding” from the district, but no library ever has enough money.
• Requiring OELMA membership of all applicants. Taken into consideration was the fact that all coaches’ associations require coaches to be a member before they are even able to nominate an athlete for an award such as playing in the North-South football game.

Please look over the attached document and send ideas for revision:

The purpose of this award is to annually recognize noteworthy individual school library media centers or entire districts with noteworthy school library media centers in the state of Ohio for achievement in the following areas:

Criteria for an individual school library media center includes:

• The school library media center in the nominated building is staffed by a full-time, certified school library media specialist who gives instruction, participates in curriculum development, and uses instructional technology.
• The library media specialist in the nominated school library media center is a current member of OELMA.
• The school library media specialist in the nominated school library media center demonstrates significant leadership in OELMA, which would include acting as an officer or regional director, OELMA liaison, or committee work.
• The school library media specialist in the nominated school library media center supports a library program that is integrated across the total school curriculum and collaborates with the faculty.
• The school library media center in the nominated school library media center is fully automated.
• The school library media specialist in the nominated school library media center collaborates with the local public librarians, college librarians, joint vocational school librarians, social service agencies, and/or other types of libraries in their area.
• The school library media specialist in the nominated school library media center must demonstrate noteworthy contributions that enhance the library experience.

The nominating library must provide a minimum of four of the following pieces of documentation with a maximum of one from each category. All letters of support must be signed, include contact information for the individual, be no more than one page in length (unless otherwise noted), and on official school or agency stationery:

• A letter of support from a district or building administrator.
• A letter of support from a parent in the community.
• A letter of support from a volunteer in the school system.
• A letter of support from a paraprofessional in the school system.
• A letter of support from a student in the school system.
• A letter of support from a librarian at the public library in demonstration of collaboration with the local library.
• A letter of support from a faculty member demonstrating creative and effective partnerships with the building’s faculty.
• A letter (1000 words or less) from the building’s school library media specialist demonstrating innovative ideas and contributions that enhance the library experience.

Criteria for a district nomination of its school library media centers includes:

• All school library media centers in the nominated district are staffed by full-time, certified school library media specialists who give instruction, participate in curriculum development, and use instructional technology.
• All library media specialists in the nominated district are current members of OELMA.
• A majority of the school library media specialists in the nominated district demonstrate significant leadership in OELMA.
• All school library media centers in the nominated district are fully automated.
• All school library media specialists in the nominated district collaborate with the local public librarians, college librarians, joint vocational school librarians, social service agencies, and/or other types of libraries in their area.
• All school library media specialists in the nominated district motivate students to become critical thinkers and life-long learners, who can locate, process, evaluate, synthesize, and utilize information.
• All school library media centers in the nominated district meet the diverse needs of the students and faculty.

The nominating district must provide a minimum of five of the following pieces of documentation with a maximum of one from each category. All letters of support must be signed, include contact information for the individual, be no more than one page in length (unless otherwise noted), and on official school or agency stationery:

• A letter of support from a district or building administrator.
• A letter of support from a parent in the community.
• A letter of support from a volunteer in the school system.
• A letter of support from a paraprofessional in the school system.
• A letter of support from a student in the school system.
• A letter of support from a librarian at the public library in demonstration of collaboration with the local library.
• A letter of support from a faculty member demonstrating creative and effective partnerships with the building’s faculty.
• A letter (each 1000 words or less) from two of the district’s media specialists demonstrating innovative ideas and contributions that enhance the library experience.

Required information will include:

1. Name of nominee, title, home and work phone numbers, email address, fax number.
2. Official name of district, superintendent, school building principal, school address and phone number.
3. Names of those writing letters of support, titles, and information needed for personal contact of each person.
4. Grade levels served and total number of students served in the nominated school library media center(s).
5. A signed letter on official school stationery providing the type of library automation currently being utilized.

All documentation for the nomination must be presented in one packet to the OELMA office by April 1^st and /or postmarked and sent to the OELMA office by April 1^st. No faxed information will be accepted.

All decisions of OELMA are final.