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October 24 - October 27, 2019
Contrary to the misguided beliefs of some, the work of the librarian is not merely reading books to kids and helping them check out materials. It never was. Modern librarians are curators of information, tools, and strategies; they see everyone who walks through the doors of their schools as a potential learner.
Project Connect, Future Ready Schools, and the ISTE Standards provide structure for change and an understanding of the role of the digital age librarian. These
uses these documents as a way to have common language with his librarians to make tangible change in the programming, mindset, and spaces that make up those school libraries.
Because the overarching topics are the same, it brings consistent language to schools and libraries, moving them in the same direction toward supporting each other. This structure and alignment signifies the importance of the librarian to the overall school environment and helps to further solidify the librarian as a
By partnering with other Van Meter district leaders, she positioned the library as an influential force in her district and quickly became a leader in the field.
He quickly recognized that the world was changing; the very definition of what it meant to be literate would need to be reconsidered.
we think it’s important to recognize that we all lead from our own spaces.
However, leadership is about influence and creating conditions for success. It’s about recognizing the opportunities that abound in school libraries and making the most of them to bring about changes that will empower and support your students as learners.
It’s not attaining a specific position, gaining social media followers, or becoming a professional speaker. Leadership is about creating conditions to move forward in our work and to unlock the potential of librarians to partner with and support teaching and learning in schools.
Whether you see it as digital distraction or essential information, this continuous shift in knowledge creates an opportunity for librarians to be digital age mentors, cultivating digital skills, online learning, and understanding of the information
But what about adults? Our school communities include a combination of learners, and everyone should be seen as a potential learner. Parents, teachers, administrators, business owners or community leaders—each of these groups represent learners who are potentially seeking guidance and support.
However, being born in the digital age and having access to technology does not mean they have a deep understanding of how technology works or impacts them, and they are often limited in their usage by adults.
That doesn’t mean that we need another full lesson plan about internet safety or digital citizenship, but rather we need to engage our students in discussions about usage, responsibility and decision making.
We acknowledge that this can be a hard road. There are those in schools who do not want that kind of support. However, we owe it to our students to move beyond adult barriers and support learners regardless of adult interactions.
I use the Remind App (remind.com). If their child’s library day is on a purple day, a Remind notification is sent directly to their cell phone the night before reminding parents to help their child get their books in their backpacks.
most importantly, you’re willing to engage in conversations with parents and support them as well as your students.
They need someone to lead the tech committee or design a plan for addressing digital citizenship.
They need you to lead in ways that align with the school goals, and they need you to use your influence to create authentic, meaningful learning experiences
As the offerings matured, Bill sought opportunities for librarians to create classes for teachers on topics such as information and media literacy.
What does it mean to be a librarian in the digital age? Through a series of interviews, a community open forum, student focus groups, and surveys, the group sought to study the following topics: • Role of the librarian • Digital strategies and content • Student choice and personalization
The methodology, findings, and recommendations are all outlined in the final report which can be found at parkwayschools.net/Page/4422. As a result of this
They recognized that their “curriculum” is really the curriculum of the entire district and that they must support what is going on in classrooms.
means that they must shift from ownership of a set of skills and curricular offerings to thinking about their influence on the building and the points of entry for information, skills and lessons so that it sticks with our students and isn’t relegated to just those who have the privilege of coming to the library.
Wielding influence means that you know what you can offer, and you make decisions based on the needs of both the program and the entire school.
It’s a place for discovery and exploration where the librarian, the library space, and the programming supports student learning and self-discovery.
professional learning tailored to the needs of that particular group. Don’t forget newsletters that you author, blogs you curate, or articles that you share. Each one of these activities supports culture and allows for a more robust connection between libraries and classrooms. For administrators, you already know that you have great influence over your classrooms and your teachers, but to foster cultural changes, you also have to be a coach, a supporter, a learning partner, and be in tune with the overall attitude in the building.
if you partner with a vendor to bring in a reading program that tracks and directs students in their reading based on data. That could provide a big win for increasing reading levels, but it could also counteract your desire for a culture of discovery and exploration through reading, as well as tainting the relationship you have with your community when it comes to developing lifelong readers.
They had a view of the library based on their own, or their children’s, library experiences. People understood her
The ongoing process of building partnerships so that others will act for and with you, turning passive support into educated action for the library program. It begins with a vision and a plan for the library program that is then matched to the agenda and priorities of stakeholders.
I am not yet a full advocate
students and the opportunities available in the library that may not be accessible in the classroom. It’s about advocating for fostering creativity and curiosity in your school. It’s about the love of reading and understanding what it means to be literate in the digital age. It’s about the role you play in the greater school system and being a valuable piece of the educational experiences of your students. This is why you advocate, why you’re a champion, and why you use your voice to shine a light on your program.
In Bill’s district, they look at the library curriculum as the curriculum of the entire school district. Nothing is taught in isolation, and everything should connect in some way to the classroom.
They try to fill in the gaps of the overall student learning experience and work collaboratively to balance the core curriculum with exploring a wide variety of topics to help students find
Librarians and libraries are in a unique position to foster and build relationships with students. Like few other places in the school community, we have the chance to get to know all of the students within our building every year. We get to learn what they are passionate about and have chances to listen, to encourage, to support, and most of all, to be the champion all students need. We can give them the chance to be heard, but we have to recognize the opportunities as they arise
By tying digital creation and student voice to library lessons, we can have our students create public service announcement videos about search techniques or a bank of screencast tutorials showing their classmates how to use a specific tool.
“Just ask them what they’re excited about.” That opening is all many people need to begin a conversation
critical consumers of information is one of the most important skills that we can teach our students. We must teach them to question everything and seek to understand the views and values of others. Librarians are, once again, in a unique position to help bring structure and strategies to utilizing and verifying the information we find.
We recommend tying digital conversations to any character education initiatives that might be happening in your school to make discrete connections for all involved.
Learning can happen anywhere, at any time, and it’s incumbent upon us to be sure that the resources we provide can be accessed outside of school hours and the school building.
At one point, libraries mattered largely because of the information and resources they housed. As information becomes more accessible, the reason libraries matter must change. In school libraries, make your program relevant by connecting the work, language, and collaborations to other district, school, and community initiatives.
What is it that will make the biggest impact that can’t or doesn’t happen in classrooms in your school?
Leadership is not a destination; you will never “arrive.” Enjoy
