| The problem was to determine how superintendents view the role and importance of the elementary school library media specialist. This study used survey methodology with a mailed questionnaire to investigate the attitudes of all of the superintendents in Texas Region 9, Region 10, and Region 11 (n = 202) toward their elementary school library media centers, attempting to discover the way in which their attitudes may promote or limit the library media centers in their systems.; The first part of the questionnaire contained questions relating to the superintendents' perceptions of the importance of and the role of the library media specialist in the instructional program. The second part of the questionnaire was concerned with where the library media program ranked with other school programs. This section also had a section for comparison of the total school district budget and the budget for the library media program. A third section asked how each particular school district had changed over the past three years, and the fourth section asked for background information about the superintendents' education and experience.; There appears to be agreement on the importance of and the role of the elementary library media program. The library media personnel were rated more important than almost any personnel except for classroom teachers and principals.; There was little encouragement in the budgets for the library media center. Almost half of the superintendents spent less than 2% of their total budget on the library media center. Those who spent more than 2% were considered supportive superintendents, but even in that group many did not have library media specialists at every level. While superintendents appear to support the library media program, they do not fund or staff the program adequately in many cases. |
