Steven M. Baule: The Star

Hello All,

This post will be all about a great contributor to the world of school library media: Steven M. Baule.

A Short Bio:

Steven Baule (1966- ) is currently the superintendent of schools in District 201 in Westmont, IL. He has been in Illinois since 2005. Baule has been a teacher, a middle school media specialist and a high school principal. He holds several degrees including his doctoral degrees from Northern Illinois University and Loyola University of Chicago. In addition to his duties as superintendent, Baule travels around the globe speaking about technology planning and other subjects. He has also written several books about media and technology, as well as a book about the role of the British Army in the American Revolution.

Major Works Bibliography:

Technology Planning (1996)
A book with concrete ideas about how to deal with the ever changing technology in schools. It contains plans, a timeline and checklists.

Technology planning for Effective Teaching and Learning (2001)

Chapters cover the entire planning process, from organizing a planning team, to exploring technology and funding issues, drafting and implementing a plan, and maintaining it in the future.

Case Studies in Educational Technology and Library Leadership (2005)
This workbook contains potential solutions to the commonly encountered problems of media and technology specialists.

Facilities Planning for School Library Media and Technology Centers (1999, revised 2007)
This step by step guide contains useful advice about how to go about planning the design of your media/technology center. It includes sample layouts, and thoughts about everything from shelving to seating.

His research themes:

• facilities design
• trends in school library media centers for the 21st century
• educational technology
• how to perform a needs assessment for the library media center or technology lab
• libraries of the future
• How to resolve possible issues in the following: censorship/copyright/ accountability; equipment and software; personnel; instruction; programming; and evaluation
• How administrators and media specialists can work together.
  

Contributions/Ideas:
Steven Baule is obviously a big contributor to the world of school library media. His research lays out concrete ideas about how to plan and design a media or technology center. Also, his case studies book offers solutions to common problems most media specialists will face. His books, articles and presentations are an invaluable resource to all in the library/technology field.

These ideas were taken during an AASL conference in which Steven Baule was the presenter. Debbie Stafford remarked that these were especially important:

• Having extended shelving for reference, where you can pull out a shelf and lay the item down to read.
• Seating, plan seating to accommodate one class per LMS + 1 (one class working with teacher or, one class working with LMS)
• Square tables are better for flexible grouping
• Allow for wireless but keep "wired" because it's still faster
• Don’t buy signage until after the library is built, do some "test signs" THEN buy them (Stafford, 2007)
  

In the Unquiet Librarian Blog, Buffy Hamilton wrote about Steven Baule’s trends for media centers:
Six trends in school library media centers for the 21st century …
1. Flexibility in Student Spaces
2. Visual literacy
3. Extended access
4. Technology readiness
5. Supervision
6. A place for books
(Hamilton, 2007)

Important Facts:

• Steven M. Baule has held almost every position in the sphere of education, including; teacher, media specialist, principal and superintendent.
• He has published several books and articles about very relevant topics in the field of school library media, and continues to update his work and speak at conferences all over the world.
• His research has shown many in the field of school library media and technology how to effectively plan and design a media/technology center and how to solve or circumvent many common problems.
  

Resources:
Hamilton, Buffy. (2007, Sept. 18). Six Trends in School Library Media Centers for the 21st Century. Message posted to http://theunquietlibrarian.wordpress.com/2007/09/18/six-trends-in-school-library-media-centers-for-the-21st-century/

Stafford, Debbie. (2007, October 30). Conference Thoughts. Message posted to http://blogs.ala.org/aasl.php?m=200710

Tech Forum. (2003). Breakthrough Technology for 21st Century Schools: Speakers. Retrieved October 20, 2008, from http://www.techlearning.com/events/techforum/chi03/speakers.php

Link to Steven Baule’s article How to Gain Support from your Board and Administration:http://books.google.com/books?id=ZcjyWHAHuRMC&pg=PA294&lpg=PA294&dq=steven+m+baule&source=web&ots=S6Ej3_rfg-&sig=Ki-G5wJTWbnmgMW2JlOeO0MMQr8&hl=en&sa=X&oi=book_result&resnum=2&ct=result#PPA296,M1

Be Steven M. Baule’s friend on facebook:http://www.facebook.com/people/Steven_M_Baule/1102383514