Stratford STEM Magnet School Library



Librarian email Ms Diane R. Chen
Ms Diane R. Chen is the librarian at Stratford STEM Magnet. She earned a Master of Arts Degree in Library Information Science from the University of Iowa and a Bachelor of Arts degree in Elementary Education and Modern Languages-Chinese from Buena Vista University. She has taught in Taiwan, Germany, and in four U.S. states for 30 years. She is a native of Washta, Iowa. Ms Chen enjoys traveling, learning new languages (Chinese, German, Spanish, and sign language), playing with her dog Benji, and spending time with her four grown sons and six grandchildren. Her favorite types of books are thrillers, mysteries, paranormal, and crafting.
So what is a librarian and what does one do?
To be a school librarian, one must have a master's degree, preferably in a library related field because these educators influence every student's academic progress & assist teachers with planning rigorous, interesting content so that all students are future-ready! In this role, your librarians:
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plan and implement programs to highlight new books and books of interest in order to encourage enthusiastic readers
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plan & host events like Maker Days, the Bookfair, Battle of the Books, Hour of Code, and more!
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select and purchase materials including books, online resources, technology, and assorted media for teachers and students that enable them to be skillful researchers and critical thinkers
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manage the online information system for our library collection
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manage the Library website
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create tutorials, podcasts, screencasts, blackboard pages, and other resources for personal, blended, online instruction
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manage schoology.com and provide professional training for faculty
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attend school-based and district meetings
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hold staff trainings, one-on-one lessons, and small group help sessions for colleagues
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individually collaborate with teachers, district librarians, and administration in an effort to support classroom instruction, enabling all patrons to be informed and ethical users of information
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publish a newsletter, tweets, and keep up social media pages in an effort to stay in touch with the school community
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oversee the media center budget
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determine policies and procedures which help to maintain a welcoming, organized, and useful physical space for the school community
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train and supervise library aides and manage volunteers who contribute to the successful operation of this facility
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co-teach classes on academic content revolving around information and digital literacy skills.
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set up and tear down for special events.
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process inventory (assigning barcodes and spine labels)
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repair books
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fix protective covers on new books
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facilitate back-end management of our library system (inputing student pictures, changing erroneous book information, investigating computer issues as they arise, etc...)
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sort through donated titles in order to determine appropriateness for our library
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maintain organizational systems in storage areas
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trouble-shoot and maintain electronics
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maintain machines: lamination, copier, etc....
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complete grant research
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assist in the supervision of students
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reorganize our collection when necessary
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keep up the main library displays
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maintain visuals and decor associated with programming (like creating signage for the library)
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investigate products or services that are under consideration for purchase and report their findings
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make phone calls on behalf of the library when necessary
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maintain lab schedules for class visitations
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research and write
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process the school ID card photos