Imagine showing up to work in a high school and your classroom is the largest class in the building. Yes…the media center…the hub of the school. A day in the Central High School media center is never the same, and that is why I love it. My role as the media specialist involves promoting literacy, however, it is so much more including supporting students and staff by providing access to resources. One of the resources that is available to students and staff is the media center newsletter, CONNECT. I originally published this newsletter via Smore. Smore became costly, and I had to figure out how to still inform stakeholders about what was going on in the media center. Canva was the solution. Canva makes it easy to create a newsletter as well as share it on social media. Follow us on Twitter @chs_macon_mc.
Central High School media center is full of fun and laughter. The library science students bring their personalities and creativity to the hub of the school. Upon entering students and staff feel welcome. In fact, I occasionally force students to leave to go to class because they feel so at home when they visit the media center at Central. I have a waiting list of applicants applying to be library science students. Library Science is an elective that allows junior or senior students to earn high school credits as well as gain employment experience as a school library assistant. The duties and responsibilities include but are not limited to:
Assisting the media clerk/media specialist with special projects,
Check out and return equipment,
Assisting patrons with locating resources,
Conducting technology inventories,
Assist students and other guests with computer login.
Library science students also receive assignments such as researching the college of their choice and creating a presentation to share with their fellow classmates. Senior library science students are required to apply to at least one college, complete the financial aid application, and apply for scholarships during their scheduled library science class. If not attending college, students must submit a post-secondary plan to me. So, while library science students are required to assist patrons, I assist them with preparing for their future which is one of the most rewarding experiences.
The Central High School media center is many things to many students and staff. It is transformed to interview rooms on Mock Interview Day and college campuses on Apply to College Day. I serve as an interviewer during mock interviews. This experience is open to 9th -12th grade students. They are required to come prepared dressed for the interview as well as bring their resume and cover letter. As an interviewer, I give immediate verbal and written feedback. The written feedback is submitted to the students’ CTAE teachers who assign a grade based on the feedback.
Apply to College Day is an event hosted by the counseling department, however as the media specialist I assist students with researching the colleges and universities that they have applied for during this annual event. This is an opportunity for the counselors and me to collaborate and share our expertise. I also assist my library science students with their applications, which is a requirement for my library science class. This day in the media center is dedicated solely to the seniors applying and for some receiving immediate acceptance. What an awesome opportunity to host this event to jumpstart students’ futures!