Good Ideas! - Fall 1994 - 1995 Administrative Leadership Award for Library Media Services

Immediately after Linda Mapes began her job as principal of the new Walter Stiern Middle School (Bakersfield City School District), she began to advocate a strong library media program. Her advocacy has been relentless. At the district level, she has solicited funding for personal and for materials, speaking persuasively to district administrators and to other principals. At PTA and School Site Council meetings, and donations for the library media program. New teachers to the staff receive a through orientation to the role of the library media center and are encouraged to plan and teeach cooperatively with the library media teacher.

This is not the first time Linda Mapes has demonstrated her commitment to library media programs and personnel. As principal at Compton Junior High, she strongly influenced the staff to throw support to the building of a new library rather than ask for air conditioning of classrooms! her expectations are explicit, however. She expects the library media program to be an agent for educational change and for the implementation of effective technology. And she expects the library media teacher to work actively in curriculum and instruction, leaving routine duties to clerical personnel.

Here is an excerpt from her open letter to students: "Learning does not end when you have graduated from school. It is a lifelong adventure. America has the world's best library systems available to everyone who walks through the door. Take advantage of the excellent school library you have. Use it frequently and you to will be inspired to learn something new."

Robert W. Price received enthusiastic nominations from library media teachers representing three districts in the Central Valley area: the Empire Union School District, Tracy Elementary School district, and Tracy High School District. Prior to his selection as superintendent of the Empire School District (K-8), Mr. Price had served as a principal and assistant superintendent in both Tracy districts. All three districts now boast library media programs that are involved with basic curriculum and with such special projects as Reading Recovery, parent education, and migrant summer school. Mr. Price's leadership has been a prime factor in these efforts.

As superintendent of the Empire District, Mr. Price has increased the hours of supporting paraprofessionals in the library media centers and has sustained budgets for library materials despite cuts made elsewhere. Schools feature local area networks, automated circulation systems, and CD-ROM equipment and software. The newest school, opening this fall, will have electronic connections between classrooms and the library media center, telecommunications access, and a writing and publishing center for small groups. The district hopes to be positioned to allow after-hours access to collections via modem in the very near future. Since the middle school and high schools in the other districts have already been fully automated, there are now clear opportunities for access to electronic resources and communication at all levels.

Linda Mapes, Principal
Walter Stiern Middle School
2551 Morning Drive
Bakersfield, CA 93306, (805) 631-5485
Bakersfield City School District

Robert W. Price, Superintendent
Empire Union School District
16 North McClure Road
Modesto, CA 95357, (209) 521-2800

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