In most cases, implementing a flexible schedule takes time because the school administration needs to be convinced to try something that is completely foreign to them. Most administrators have never seen a fully implemented library media program, and for some principals, the only expectation of the school library is that it be kept quiet and clean. The school and district administration must be convinced that a flexible schedule will greatly benefit the students and staff members and will support the school’s goals.

In order to move from a fixed schedule to a flexible schedule, the principal and teachers need to develop a shared vision for the library media program and an understanding of the role of the library media specialist. They must be shown the research findings that support flexible scheduling and samples of student success, as well as state and national standards for school library media programs.

When preparing to present the recent research for school library media programs, library media specialists can visit the School Library Impact Studies section of the MSLMA home page. This link provides a wealth of statistics and findings that will help convince principals that they are missing a valuable program for their students and teachers. Although it will probably take time to convince the principal that the library program needs to be changed, presenting this information in a positive way will open the door for additional discussions about the library media specialist’s vision and expected role in the school. Any appearance of complaining or judging will effectively preclude any future discussions.

Present the expectations for school library media programs by giving the principal position papers from the Massachusetts School Library Media Association and from the American Association of School Libraries. These documents will help validate your discussions, informing the principal that many professionals recognize the ideas and concerns you express across the state and across the nation.

Undoubtedly, the principal and district administrators will cite budgetary restraints as the biggest reason for not changing a fixed library media program. Although these restraints are real and formidable, a principal who has a shared vision for the program will try to find ways to overcome these problems. Give your principal examples of how students succeed when the library media specialist is able to fulfill the roles outlined in Information Power. These examples can come from your own or from other school libraries.

Find a teacher who will be willing to try a collaborative research or literature unit with you. This might mean that the teacher will have to give up a scheduled circulation time or conduct circulation without you, but many teachers see the value of collaboration and are willing to do this. Plan the unit with the classroom or resource teacher, designing the unit to meet the teacher’s curricular needs and schedule. Then implement and evaluate the unit with him or her, getting permission to show the students’ work to the principal. After a few successful units with one or two teachers, many more staff members will also want to collaborate with you. These enthusiastic teachers will provide support for your efforts to end the fixed schedule that prevents them from collaborating to meet the needs of their students.

Use site visits as another way to show the principal and a few key staff members how students are better able to learn and teachers are better able to teach when a flexible schedule is utilized. Seeing a flexible program in action will help many principals develop a shared vision for your library media program. They will be able to observe collaborative lessons, circulation, and special programs as they are conducted. They will also be able to hear the messages you have been giving them from the library media specialist and teachers at the other schools you visit.*

Once the principal has decided to change the library scheduling, or is considering changing it, develop a schedule that will best meet the needs for your particular school. There is a wide variety of ways to implement flexible scheduling. The table below compares flexible and fixed scheduling, and presents some of the ways that flexible scheduling is being implemented within Massachusetts schools.

Continue to inform the school principal and staff members of the standards and expectations for school library media programs. In addition, share examples of student success with the school community so that support for the program will not diminish. A well planned but unseen library media program will be quickly changed back to the old but familiar fixed scheduling program the next time budgetary cuts occur. But the school community will try to prevent adverse changes being made to the program if they are fully aware of the educational value the library media specialist and library media program add to the school’s teaching and learning success.

* A database of information about flexibly scheduled library media programs in Massachusetts is currently being developed, and should be completed in early January. Once permission is obtained from library media specialists to include their schools or districts, the database will be presented to the Massachusetts School Library Media Association. The purpose of the database is to help library media specialists identify flexibly scheduled programs, programs that integrate information skills, and library media specialists that would welcome site visits.