SBHS teacher-librarian wins state honor
San Benito High School’s Doug Achterman, who recently won the
California School Library Association’s 2008 Presidents’ Award,
said he loves his job title of
”
teacher-librarian because ‘teacher’ comes first.
”
Achterman, who taught English at SBHS from 1991 to 1998 and took
over the librarian duties when Mike Sullens retired, was honored by
the statewide organization for his contributions as a teacher,
instructional partner, information specialist and program
administrator.
SBHS teacher-librarian wins state honor
San Benito High School’s Doug Achterman, who recently won the California School Library Association’s 2008 Presidents’ Award, said he loves his job title of “teacher-librarian because ‘teacher’ comes first.”
Achterman, who taught English at SBHS from 1991 to 1998 and took over the librarian duties when Mike Sullens retired, was honored by the statewide organization for his contributions as a teacher, instructional partner, information specialist and program administrator.
“I was a bit awe-struck,” said Achterman, who was San Benito’s teacher of the year in 1998. “There are so many good teacher-librarians in this state who deserve this kind of recognition. I was also very happy for our school district, which has always valued a strong school library program.”
Meeting the needs of nearly 3,000 students and 140 teachers while overseeing 27,000 titles in print, video, audio and digital formats is a challenging task, Achterman acknowledges, but it is one that he relishes.
“I really do think I have the best job in the school,” he said. “I get to plan lessons with teachers, teach both research and technology skills in the context of our curriculum [and] work individually with students to help them be more successful.”
Achterman investigates trends in technology and shares that information with staff through staff development. He considers himself an “advocate for literacy” by collecting print and digital content for the school’s Davis Library and reading and recommending good books to staff and students.
“I get to teach and learn a little bit about our entire curriculum, and I get to work with every kind of student,” said Achterman, who holds a bachelor of science degree in English from the University of California, Berkeley and a teaching credential from UCLA. “I also get to collaborate with some top-notch teachers and learn to become a better teacher myself.”
Continuing education is a hallmark of Achterman’s career. In addition to his undergrad degree and teaching credential, he holds a master’s degree in English form California State University, Dominguez Hills, a master of library and information science from San Jose State University, and he recently earned a doctorate in library and information science from the University of North Texas.
Last year, he was selected as one of 40 distinguished alumni for San Jose State’s School of Library and Information Science’s 40th anniversary.
SBHS Principal Krystal Lomanto praised Achterman for caring about the academic success of all students.
“He is a true teacher-leader who works closely with our staff to develop engaging lessons,” she said. “Doug Achterman is a true asset to San Benito High School.”
Achterman’s doctoral research looked at the relationship between school libraries and student achievement in California. He discovered, perhaps not surprisingly, that “all other things being equal, schools that have strong library programs with both professional and clerical staffing do better on our state’s tests than schools which don’t.”
Ultimately for Achterman the teacher-librarian, “it’s always about the kids first. We have always had an extraordinary number of kind, generous, nice kids [at SBHS]. That makes working here especially rewarding.”
Achterman gave credit to his fellow staff members, including library staffers Cynthia Cowan and Corina Cosio, as well as “strong leadership” from administrators.
“I have always considered being a one-school district an asset, too, especially in our potential for anticipating and responding to change,” he said. “Big districts have many more obstacles than we do in terms of instituting change.”
Although Achterman said San Benito High School’s library is “well funded compared to some others in our area,” budget remains an issue.
“California is dead last in its funding of school libraries,” he said. “We’re also in the bottom five states in reading, not coincidentally.”
The campus library, which features 37 networked, Internet-accessible computers, welcomes donations of books and other materials.
One way that Achterman endorses for parents to help out is to sponsor a book for each of their children who attend SBHS.
“Parents donate money to buy one book in honor of their child’s birthday,” he said. “We note this on a bookplate on the inside cover of the book.”
Interested parents can call or e-mail Achterman for more information.
The library is a place where new technologies get tried out, Achterman said, which requires that he remain up to speed with new developments “and always thinking about how those technologies might help teaching and learning.”
As “gatekeepers for high quality information sources,” librarians such as Achterman work with teachers and students to evaluate the “bias, accuracy and validity of a source,” he said.
The library’s Web page reflects Achterman’s appreciation for technology, as it features links to research sites and class projects, reference help, suggested reading lists, and information for teachers and other librarians.
“The library is no longer bound by its four walls,” he said. “Our Web page and electronic resources allow students and teachers to access content 24/7.”
Regardless of the advancements made in technology, Achterman emphasizes that basic reading and comprehension skills are still paramount in education.
“What we’ve learned by thinking deeply about 21st century learning … is that literacy is still the cornerstone, and the library program will continue to play a pivotal role in students’ learning,” he said.
