My personal philosophy of library science

Student knowledge is a school librarian's raison de etre or reason for being. School librarians exist to help students become information literate, and to help them use that literacy to cope with the adult world. School librarianship is changing as technology evolves, and is moving away from a librarian being a keeper of a collection. We need to teach students how to analyze, synthesize and make use of the wealth of information that is presented to them daily.

School librarians exist to provide resources to teachers and to collaborate with them to help students become more information literate. We are the leaders in staff development on technology, educational resources, and services that enhance the overall learning experience. As a librarian, I need to model effective dispositions for learning and model best practices for a thriving learning community. My hope is that I am always there to help facilitate student and teacher learning.

Library size, layout, community, and staffing

Croatan High School is located in Carteret County in the Newport area. Currently there are 854 students that are served at this high school. The library currently has 41 computers, two laptop carts, 3 printers, and 2 online databases (NCLIVE AND NCWISEOWL) for the students to use technology. The school OPAC is Destiny Quest, and there is one book shelf for periodicals, 3 for fiction and 6 shelves for non-fiction books. There is a media coordinator, a media assistant and a technology facilitator currently manning the library. Here is a picture I created in Word/PDF file of the layout of the library. Click on image to enlarge.

Mission of the Agency

Vision Statement

The Croatan High School Media Center is a print-rich environment supported by a strong base of technology that serves to expand the knowledge and adaptability of lifelong learners in a changing world.


Mission Statement

The Croatan High School Media Center offers a wide array of information products, guarantees accessibility to all users of the school and community, and provides a collaborative environment for equipping teachers with curricular resources and strategies.

Personal Philosophy of Library Service: Julie Perry

Changing Roles of Students and Media Centers in the 21st Century

The perception of the media center and the media staff is constantly changing. Technology, the WWW, integrated instruction, and teachers as facilitators have altered the role of the media center as a integral part of the overall curriculum of the school.

Working with the entire school community, the library media specialist takes a leadership role in developing policies, practices, and curricula that guide students to develop the full range of information literacy skills. The library media specialist works closely with individual teachers in the critical area of designing authentic learning tasks and assessments and integrating the information and communication abilities required to meet subject matter standards.

In the 21st century, it is more important than ever for students to become experts at methods of locating information. They must become more aware of their responsibility to evaluate the validity of the sites they use as resources for research. It is also important for them to analyze all resources to determine the appropriate time to use each. They must come to a realization that there is value in all resources, print and electronic. When they become proficient in using the one that best suits their need, they will gain the rewards of a being a true information-seeker.

In my opinion, it is a great time to be involved in the education of information literacy. It is an exciting time to assist students in discovering the limitless possibilities of information through research.

This is my sixth year helping students research as a media coordinator instead of an English teacher, and I encourage all Cougar students to take delight in reading for pleasure and in finding information and forever seeking to learn more. I love everyday at CHS, and look forward to getting to know each and every student, since I no longer have students of my own in a classroom setting.