enVISIONing the Budget

While William's article focuses on the development of a brand new library, it is important to stress how "a clearly developed vision that designs a school library media center for the future will, and should, drive all purchasing decisions.” The arguments for funding are more powerful when the librarian compares what an underfunded library program looks like to a robust vision for library programming. It is important to take in consideration all functions and services provided in the library. 

Knowing what you need will allow you to “obtain solid financial commitments from the school district with separate budgets for the collection, technology, furniture and equipment, and supplies… through reliable vendors.” In working with reliable vendors, the overall expenditures in budget are reduced when vendors include package deliveries – delivery, assembly, installation and setup, and removal of waste. Furniture purchases should be taken into consideration that allow for flexibility in arrangement. 

The next two paragraphs from the article stuck out the most to me as I have never worked in a library, moreso never worked with a budget. 

" None of your purchasing decisions exists in a vacuum; the collection, building layout, furniture and equipment should all enhance your vision of quality library service. However, in the modern school library resource center, technology may well be the tie that binds all of the other aspects together into a seamless information portal." 

It seems as though, within the newer state standards for cirriculum the visions all include technology as a binder for the library to act as an information space or learning hub.

" You should be prepared to defend the financial investment in your library to the school board and the community. Develop a collection integrating print and electronic media that support curriculum, standards and student literacy, while being attentive to the individual teaching styles of your staff and the recreational reading needs of your students. Furniture and equipment selections should enhance instruction and student learning. Invest in supplies that will free you from clerical tasks to enable more time to be spent on your most important role as teacher-librarian."

Williams final thoughts were consistent with other literature and further establishes the needs of the library to be proactive and an advocate for the programs and allocations of funds. 

These two final thougthts were wonderful starters, but I was dissapointed with the overall article as I was hoping on more of an instructional and informative literature on how to accomplish these daunting tasks, rather than noting their importance. 

Wilson, L. (2004). Bringing vision to practice: planning and provisioning the new library resource center. Teacher Librarian, 32(1), Retrieved from Library, Information Science & Technology Abstracts with Full Text