Leading from the Library: Help Your School Community Thrive in the Digital Age (Digital Age Librarian's Series)

by Shannon McClintock Miller

There’s no single program or initiative that is going to solely change the culture of a school. Rather, it’s a series of small steps moving in a combined direction that makes the cultural shift, and it will only occur if you know your culture.

If you don’t tell your story, someone else will.

there’s also an intangible nature to being a leader that varies depending on one’s perspective and experience.

leaders are a champion for their programs, initiatives, students, staff, and community.

someone who advocates for, stands behind, and always looks out for the overall best interest of the entire picture.

the actions that one takes, the communication one gives,...

showcase what it means to be a citizen in the ever-changing digital age.

you have to know and tell your story.

leaders have to be strategic about what their goals are and how they are approaching those goals.

define your story and determine ho...

the role that collecting data plays in your

it’s an important part of finding a meaningful way to tell your story.

advocacy is: 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.

One of the most important things we can do for our library programs (not to mention our school communities and the library profession) is to share the stories happening within our library, and show people what we do as school librarians.

Advocacy doesn’t just happen; it needs to be intentional, so making our stories visible through data provides evidence of value and impact on student learning. Through advocacy we share library experiences about leading, teaching, and student empowerment; provide opportunities to frame what we want the users to know; and determine our priorities for not only this year, but for the future

keep in mind the “why” behind your advocacy.

It’s about your 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.

there will never be enough time to do everything that you want to do.

prioritize and figure out what decisions you can make that will best meet the goals of your school and your program.

be strategic about what you say “yes” to. Focus on outcomes as opposed to tasks, and be sure that you recognize and understand the implications of both “yes” and “no.”

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 their personal interests through the activities and content with which they connect them.

libraries are an integral part of the educational programming for the students you serve.

expertise in curation, research, digital tools, and content,

Consider the following strategies for bringing your library to the world:

keeping students at the center of the story that you tell has a stronger impact than focusing on tasks you have completed.

if your librarian hasn’t defined their story, push them to be able to articulate the value they bring and the experiences of the students they serve.

must be intentional about the topics you cover in your instruction and the opportunities you create for your learners.

the library curriculum is a piece of the bigger picture.

Research for the sake of research is not the goal. Rather, we want students who can use their research skills in the classroom as needed.

the entire curriculum a student experiences is also your curriculum. Libraries support learning in all forms while nurturing a spirit of discovery and exploration.

The ISTE Standards focus on what we want students to be instead of what we want them to do. In the Future Ready Librarians® Framework, there is a distinct commitment to supporting the work of the entire district over teaching discrete skills.

all lessons should be working toward an overall goal,

it’s not as important that students learn these specific skills in the library. What’s important is that they learn the skills.

being responsive to the needs of your community is vital, and every decision you make with your programming and your content should be intentional.

When you are collaborating with teachers, look for opportunities to include language from the ISTE Standards, and focus on what it looks like for students to be an empowered learner, digital citizen, and so on.

collaboration is a two-way street;

Your goals are part of the equation as well, and these are opportunities to talk with teachers about the work you’ve done in other classes, in the hopes of fueling ideas and new thinking.

make an effort to be part of the planning and implementation. Bring your expertise and perspe...

blogging

online space gave her an opportunity to tell her story by highlighting what students were doing, and what connections they were making.

connect the work that your students do and the programming that you design to the overall goals of the school.

Regardless of the goal, find the data points that support the programming you’re providing and showcase that data. Help to lead that work while also supporting it.

When it comes to programming, your actions—and the activities that you plan—speak louder than anything that you might say. Promote the work that learners do, whether adults or students, and make it clear that they are working toward bigger things beyond what are regarded as traditional library goals.

amplify the voices of your students.

culture that celebrates students.

Librarians and libraries are in a unique position to foster and build relationships with students.

chance to get to know all of the students within our bu...

learn what they are passionate about and have chances to listen, to encourage, to support, and most of all, to be...

give them the chance to...

recognize the opportunities as they arise and take a...