Jessica Karp

EDIT 6380

June 5, 2006

Reflection on Access Enabler Assignment

This process opened my eyes to how many possible access barriers there could be in the media center. It made me aware of the constant necessity to be on the look out for anything that may prove to be a barrier to any patron. If I identified an access barrier in my media center, I would go through each of the steps that we went through in order to enable access. The justification, implementation, and evaluation steps will clearly reveal whether the problem was solved or if it needs to be adjusted. The chart will show how our solution aligns with the AASL competencies.

Competency	Reflection
Candidates identify barriers to equitable access to resources and services.	The brainstorming list we made in class brought many barriers to my attention that I had not previously thought to be barriers. After conducting a survey, the media specialist at my school found that having the media center open only during school hours presented a barrier to teachers and students.
Candidates facilitate access to information in print, non-print, and electronic formats.	Our solution to the problem was to open the media center before and after school hours for teachers and students to have access to the materials available and to the media center personnel.
Candidates plan and organize library media centers according to their use by the learning community.	The learning community has stated that the media center is not available when it is needed. Therefore, organizing the media center hours according to the patrons’ needs will provide more access to material.
Candidates collaborate with teachers and administrators to develop a library media program plan that aligns resources, services, and information literacy standards with the school’s goals and objectives.	The solution to our problem will require the media center personnel and the administration to collaborate about scheduling flexible work hours in order to meet the needs of the patrons. Providing extended hours of operation in the media center will enable the teachers and students to further their information literacy skills and become better user of information because they will have the support of the media center personnel. After evaluating the effectiveness of the extended hours, more collaboration between the media center personnel and the administration may need to take place.

As always, our group worked well together and we tackled the assignment with success. I appreciate the opportunity to work with Amanda and Natalie on group projects.