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Creating and Maintaining a Positive Image | Monitoring the Image


Creating and Maintaining a Positive Image

If the resource centre is to play a key role in the school, it is essential that it be perceived positively by the school community. A positive image will be developed if the resource centre is operated efficiently, if the professional staff are involved in curriculum issues and the affairs of the wider school community and do everything possible to create a welcoming atmosphere. The teacher-librarian’s role is crucial in all aspects of positive image building.

Efficient operation of the resource centre
Clear, documented guidelines for the daily operation of the resource centre will underpin efficient services. A procedures manual describing all aspects of the daily operation of the center should be freely available. Specific parts of the procedures manual can be presented in a variety of ways, e.g. concise, informative brochures and leaflets, posters, video and slide clips and computer screen savers.

Although efficiency is a primary goal, users also expect the resource centre personnel to play a dynamic role in curriculum issues.

Curriculum involvement
Resource-based and inquiry-centred learning offers opportunities to play a dynamic role in the learning process. In situations where the teacher-librarian cooperates with class teachers in planning, teaching and evaluating resource-based units of work, the resource centre becomes central to the implementation of the curriculum. This involvement covers a wide range of activities, eg.

Involvement in issues affecting the wider school community
In some of the activities generated by an effective resource centre the teacher-librarian plays a less central role than those listed above, concentrating instead on initiating interest and encouraging the participation of others. Such activities can include:

Welcoming environment
There are two factors involved in the creation of a welcoming environment – the people and the building.

Human element
The teacher-librarian needs to establish and maintain harmonious relations among the resource center staff and between the resource center staff and its users. To achieve this, effective skills in human relationships are vital including:

It is important that resources are available to the school community before and after school and during lunch breaks. Where there is no teacher-librarian, the school community needs to address ways in which to overcome the problem of there being no adult to supervise the use of the resource centre outside school hours.

Physical environment
Location is an important element in the effectiveness of a service organization. When the resource centre is not centrally located, the busy and high traffic areas of the school should carry constant, highly visible reminders of the presence of the resource centre and its activities.

Both the external and internal environment needs to be considered. Externally, make certain the welcome signals are out by ensuring that:

Internally, make certain a stimulating, comfortable environment is evident by ensuring that:

It is worthwhile to state that display is considered a crucial aspect of developing a desirable atmosphere since the intention is to create interest and thus enhance the resource centre’s role as a stimulus to the learning experience of the school community.

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Monitoring the Image

Fundamental to the success of projecting a desirable image, is the continuous assessment of the resource centre’s standing in relation to its users. Monitoring of progress needs to be an element inherent in any development program. There are a number of simple ways of accomplishing this, including:

If a complaint or problem is handled efficiently most clients will return. Resource centre staff not only need to respond to complaints but also to welcome them. Many complaints represent an opportunity for improvement. Keeping records of them offers the potential for an overview that may reveal a useful pattern, which might otherwise be overlooked.

Recording acknowledgements of achievements not only has a positive effect, but such records can provide useful material on how objectives are being met when the annual report is being prepared.

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Last updated 4 May 2008

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