Strategies for Communication

Procedures Manual | Information Brochures | Internet and School Intranet | Annual Report

Procedures Manual

The Procedures Manual covers all aspects of how any particular resource centre operates. It describes all the organizational functions of the centre and the roles and responsibilities of the personnel who run it. It is not a rule book, it is a factual description of the organization that underpins effective resource services and includes:

  • Resources – selection and acquisition, cataloguing, processing, circulation, central recording, stock control.
  • Finances - budget, ordering and receipt of goods, internal record of expenditure.
  • Personnel - roles and responsibilities both for the administration of the center and for curriculum support.
  • Services - provision of services to users including hours of operation.
  • Equipment - budgeting for development, replacing equipment, preventive maintenance.

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Information Brochure

A range of information brochures is an effective means of informing users of the important issues associated with school resource use. Each brochure should be informative and positively worded and address specific topics that are likely to be of concern to the users. They should be prominently displayed near the charge desk and be available at all time. Alternatively, some schools will choose to add topics to the their intranet or web site.

Brochure topics should include:

  • Services available
  • Resource Centre staff and hours of operation
  • Using the catalogue
  • Using the public access terminals
  • The collection and its sections
  • Dewey call numbers
  • The reference collection
  • Accessing information electronically
  • Using periodicals and indexes
  • How to borrow resources
  • Research strategies
  • Interlibrary loans
  • Staff loans
  • Student loans
  • Writing bibliographies, referencing, addressing and dealing with issues,eg plagiarism

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Internet and School Intranet

In general terms, it is suggested that local information relevant to the school community will be available on the school intranet, while broader topics of interest to the general public will be added to the school web site. The choice made will be determined by school policies.

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Annual Report

The annual report provides a permanent record of resource management issues. It should offer information on the activities initiated and supported by resource centre personnel for the past year, and include analyses and recommendations for the future.

Distribution
In the first instance, the report should be distributed to and discussed with the school administration. In the wider context, it should be available to all interested members of the school community.

Topics
The report could cover the topics listed below:

  • school resource management within the overall Operational Plan;
  • activities of the committee responsible for the management of resource services;
  • budget report – amount; objectives met; specific new programs financed; renegotiations;
  • collaborative teaching and learning and the school curriculum – participation of the teacher-librarian;
  • resource centre staffing - composition, range of services, training programs, e.g. volunteers;
  • events, activities;
  • new and proposed initiatives in resource services;
  • in-service provided by teacher-librarian, attended by teacher-librarian;
  • participation in network and cluster groups;
  • public relations programs;
  • communication – staff meeting input, meetings with principal, newsletters, brochures;
  • involvement in committees – curriculum committees, Parents & Citizens, other in-house committees;
  • statistics – use made of resources, use made of resource center for various activities, use made of personnel;
  • summary of evaluations done of resource services – formal, informal (anecdotes, acknowledgements, suggestions and complaints);
  • recommendations.

Attachments
Where documentation has been referred to in the report it should be attached. Some examples include:

  • budget submission;
  • policy statement(s);
  • statistical reports;
  • listing of publications and school produced resources;
  • evaluation reports.

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Last updated 4 May 2008