Key points:

• The K-12 school library is a critical part of the learning environment
• 5 digital tools for school libraries
• How one district used federal funds to boost its digital library
• For more news on school libraries, visit eSN’s Innovative Teaching hub

School libraries have evolved from stereotypical hush-hush environments to bustling resource centers where students not only learn to locate and evaluate information, but where they develop critical skills guided by digital media specialists.

Let’s take a look at what makes libraries such critical parts of the school environment:

Why do libraries matter?

Study after study has shown that effective library programs can increase student literacy and test scores and create more equitable student outcomes. Having access to the skills needed to decode text and other media impacts our students now and forever. Literacy can make or break their school performance and enhance their career and civic participation. All our students should have access to a school library and a certified librarian to help improve reading levels and foster critical thinking and source analysis. There are many types of school libraries–here’s why they’re all essential.

What is the purpose of a school library?

As we examine elementary school library best practices, we realize the true purpose of a school library is not limited to one specific idea. Rather, a school library serves myriad purposes for students, teachers, and even community members. Here are four key ways librarians are leading digital transformations to meet the varied needs of all who use them.

What are the characteristics of a library?

Library innovations in the 21^st century include building a space that students actually want to inhabit, which is imperative to facilitating their learning and curiosity when it comes to reading. In some cases, that means out with the stuffy, shush-filled library, and in with the coffee shop vibes. Because as long as a student simply enters the space–even if it’s just to hang out–that gives us the opportunity to make a connection with them. Discover 5 functions of a school library here.

What makes an effective school library?

When you think of a school librarian, what comes to mind? Is it shelving, stamping, and shushing? That’s the stereotype you’re probably most familiar with. Librarians are so much more than this, though. They’re the keepers of the information, the resource kids use to explore new lands through the turning of pages–but their role as librarians is one that has historically been misunderstood. Because as times have changed, technology has advanced, and student needs have evolved–so, too, has the role of the librarian. Here’s why librarians are essential, and why the importance of the school library for students can’t be overstated.

What are the three key roles of school librarians?

School librarians play a critical role in teaching and learning, research, and sharing information. Gone are the days when a school librarian’s job was defined by shushing, rocking, and reading.  While reading out loud and building a love of literacy is still a foundational part of their job in a school, school librarians in the school media center wear many, many hats and touch many lives in the course of a day’s work. Here are 10 reasons to love your school librarians.

Key points:

• Databases are critical not only for research, but in building 21^st-century skills
• See article: The new rules for library research
• See article: Modern students need modern librarians
• For more news on library innovations, see eSN’s Innovative Teaching page

Library databases, packed with rich and reliable content, are more than simply resources for students to reference when a research paper is due. They are also valuable teaching tools.

Databases are essential for helping middle and high school students understand the value of research, appreciate the importance of validating sources, and make connections between different topics — all of which are necessary for building information literacy skills. Databases provide full-text access to a wide range of content, including books, magazines, primary sources, images, charts, and peer-reviewed articles by credible authors representing diverse perspectives. They serve as trustworthy alternatives to internet searches, where the information surfaced can be unreliable, untrue, and unsafe. While traditional single-search functions are efficient, databases with topic browsing capabilities offer additional benefits for novice researchers and educators alike.

Topic browsing offers students a more logical and intuitive way to explore a database. When a database keyword search turns up an overwhelming number of results, students can quickly become frustrated and give up. Alternatively, topic browsing enables students to navigate through various subjects (or themes) to explore and gather information resources related to popular, colloquial, or curriculum-based topics. In addition, topic browsing allows students to easily toggle between topics, narrowing their focus or broadening their scope as they go. Using this approach, students can locate the information they need more effectively.

Topic browsing offers a contextual perspective that simple search often lacks. For example, a keyword search on “climate change” results in thousands of articles that discuss climate change or global warming, but a student might not immediately see articles about the increase in extreme wildfires or the impact of melting sea ice on polar bears. By exploring related categories, subcategories, or topics, students can develop a broader understanding of the larger information landscape and make connections between topics and ideas, which boosts their critical thinking skills and can help them refine their thesis.

Browsing a library database by category or topic also introduces an element of surprise to the research experience. When students navigate a database through categories, tags, or hierarchical structures, they can stumble upon relevant content that they might not have initially considered. For example, a high school student exploring topics related to climate change could navigate to an interesting article about the pros and cons of Daylight-Saving Time that leads them to write a persuasive essay arguing for a nationwide Sunshine Protection Act. A middle school student interested in researching animals navigates to a subcategory about circus and performance animals and ends up writing a paper on the hidden cruelty behind wildlife selfies. This serendipitous information discovery can inspire students’ curiosity and encourage them to explore the available knowledge more deeply.

Browsing can be a less stressful activity than searching and a more suitable approach to research for visual learners or researchers without a specific topic in mind. A visual browsing feature, such as one that includes colorful images, can be effective in drawing students into the research process. Students who learn best through visual categorization would be presented with new avenues for exploring a topic in ways that they can appreciate and more easily comprehend. More importantly, all topic browsing occurs in a safe, trusted and carefully curated environment.

Library databases are also powerful tools for educators. The ability to browse content by category or topic can save educators time as they build class reading lists and select supplementary materials to support curriculum delivery and develop lesson plans. They can also be confident that the materials are trustworthy. When selecting content for databases, information aggregators and developers rely on publication subscription information, title level reviews, notable rankings, reading level measures, and staff review of each publication. They also conduct broad market research and discuss content needs with those directly teaching and assisting students as well as customer focus groups and advisory boards. Because vetted publications still contain vast amounts of information, database developers also employ human curation and technology such as algorithms to inform their decisions. Educators can rest assured that the materials selected for inclusion in school databases are educational, age-relevant (in reading level and context), support curriculum requirements, and are applicable to the subjects taught at specific grade levels.

When library databases allow users to browse by topic, in addition to searching by keyword, the overall research experience is significantly enriched. The benefits of topic browsing include simplified navigation, contextual understanding, increased user engagement, serendipitous discovery, optimal support for visual learners and accommodation of diverse user needs. Laying the foundation for a lifetime of learning by building essential research skills begins in the library and extends to the classroom and beyond. Library databases with topic browsing capabilities empower more young researchers — and their teachers — to achieve success.

Key points:

• School libraries have evolved to offer students and teachers everything they need
• See article: Modern students need modern librarians
• See article: 10 reasons we love school librarians
• For more news on school libraries, visit eSN’s Innovative Teaching page

What makes an effective school library?

School libraries have evolved from strict, quiet, hush-hush rooms to more interactive spaces with flexible seating, readily-available edtech tools, and educators on hand to help with research, critical resource evaluation, makerspaces.

It’s in school libraries where students often discover and hone their love of coding and programming, create amazing projects via makerspaces, and where they develop important 21st-century skills.

What are the new trends in libraries?

As times have changed, technology has advanced, and student needs have evolved—so, too, has the role of the librarian.

Who is the modern librarian?

As librarians, our job is to not only give students and teachers access to resources they need to succeed, but to be their guide when choosing these resources. We work with teachers and administrators to create life-long learning patterns in students, whether that’s by curating resources for classroom research projects or by coming into the classroom to teach a lesson on how to do research themselves.

What does a modern library look like?

Library innovations in the 21^st century include building a space that students actually want to inhabi, whicht is imperative to facilitating their learning and curiosity when it comes to reading. In some cases, that means out with the stuffy, shush-filled library, and in with the coffee shop vibes. Because as long as a student simply enters the space – even if it’s just to hang out – that gives us the opportunity to make a connection with them.

When it comes to reading for pleasure, students have so many other competing interests available to them – movies, games, social media, and TV shows – that we need to aim to make it an attractive, conscious choice. As librarians, we can do this by offering a range of genres and formats for students to choose from: novels, comics, magazines, audiobooks, print, or digital.

The modern library can also transcend the physical space, existing in a virtual realm without walls – one where students have the option to check out books anytime, anywhere. During the 2021-2022 school year, the Reading School District saw over 13,000 ebooks and audiobooks checked out through the Sora K-12 reading app. This was more than the number of print books borrowed. Furthermore, Weber School District students read over 96,000 hours in the Sora app during the last school year. Digital books give students the autonomy to choose what they want to read based on what they’re interested in, and that sense of freedom in turn inspires a love for reading.

Some digital resources for school libraries are a virtual reality field trip. A lesson on how to create a podcast. A tutorial on how to create a paper circuit board that uses LED lights. For a new generation of educators, these pursuits have something in common: They’re all appropriate learning exercises that can take place in the school library. Makerspaces, or library media centers that encourage collaboration and support student invention, are on the rise across the United States.

This has always been the case, but in a prevailing learning culture that promotes outside-the-box problem solving, these activities are growing more common in the 21st-century school library. At the intersection of analog and digital learning opportunities, the value of school libraries has increased at all levels of education. And at the helm of these spaces, school librarians must negotiate how best to support students with library resources, adapt to new technological advancements in education and pass on the fundamental tenets of digital and information literacy to students.

What are the emerging technologies in a library?

School librarians can leverage library tools and equipment to engage with students, support teachers, and make their school libraries dynamic and welcoming learning spaces

With time-saving technology strategies, school librarians can find ways to connect with their school’s teachers and students on a deeper level, forming relationships and helping with research and skill development.

During an ISTELive session, Kristina A. Holzweiss, a high school educational technology enrichment specialist librarian, shared her tips to help school librarians engage with students, support teachers, and make their school libraries dynamic and welcoming learning spaces.

1. Choice Boards“Student voice, student choice,” Holzweiss said.

Why: Help foster independence, encourage student choice and decision-making, and offer differentiated instruction.
How: Google Slides, PPT, Buncee, Thinglink, Genially, Canva

School librarians can create choice boards aligned with different ability levels, and students can choose according to how they feel comfortable.

2. Newsletters

Why: Advocacy, community connections, sharing resources, showcasing student work
How: Wakelet, Padlet, Smore, Google Slides, PPT

“A newsletter is a wonderful way of advocating [for your library], Holzweiss said. “Work smarter, not harder.”

Using Wakelet, school librarians can work with librarians in their district–or even across the state or country–to draw attention to important resources in the library, offer research tips, and motivate students. Translation technologies can be included for students and parents whose native language is not English.

3. Handbook
Why: Creating a digital library presence, using a multimedia format to expand accessibility features, sharing resources, showcasing student work
How: Book Creator, websites, Google Slides, Mote, PowerPoint

School librarians can embed a link to a library handbook and put it in Google Classroom or Canvas, for instance. Handbooks can summarize library services, events calendars, and important updates. They’re also useful when students keep digital reading journals for summer reading projects.

4. Virtual help desk
Why: Creating a digital library presence, allowing for a multimedia format and responses rather than only text responses, building relationships through SEL
How: Flipgrid, Padlet, Google Forms

A virtual help desk can be instrumental in ensuring anyone who needs help is able to ask for it–but make sure you moderate and have notifications on, Holzweiss said–if you aren’t checking it, you might miss something important.

5. Audio bytes
Why: Creating a digital library presence, offering multimedia and accessibility features, sharing resources, and building relationships through SEL
How: Mote with Google Forms, Share through Google Drive, share through Onedrive

“Wouldn’t it be cool to have a Mote book request form where students can record their requests and responses?” Holzweiss asked. Letting students record and embed their voice responses directly into information fields in online forms does wonders for ELLs, younger students who can’t read yet, special education students, and students who have difficulty reading. Teachers can create multimedia assessments and activities for their students, who record and embed their responses.

6. Virtual book club
Why: Extends reading beyond the library, creates a community of readers, connects students across classes, grade levels, and schools
How: Flipgrid, Padlet, Wakelet, Jamboard

A digital reading journal is a great way to sustain a virtual book club. Students can find a video, photo, song, podcast, meme, or gif that illustrates a theme in their book. As they keep this digital reading journal, they’re creating a digital portfolio of your digital interactions with this book.

Holzweiss said she avoids outdated book report questions and formats. Instead, she includes prompts such as, “If you threw a dinner party, which character in this book would you invite?”

With tools such as Wakelet, ELL students can write in their native language and teachers can translate on their own.

Keywords:  innovative ideas for school library, , school library technology trends

The future of school libraries is all about providing equitable access for all students

Schools in urban districts like Denver Public Schools often struggle to fund library programs, which only exacerbates already existing equity gaps for students of color. And while it is painfully true that tight school budgets often result in unstaffed or understaffed school libraries, I am hopeful. I sense a revolution in how we serve our students — a revolution in how we walk the talk of equity.

Prioritizing equitable library access for students

As school libraries evolve and best practices shift accordingly, there is one constant to solve for: equity. All students deserve access to a school library. Libraries support students’ literacy and lifelong learning, help develop their empathy, build their critical thinking skills, and empower them with skills to navigate their world.

In other words, school libraries provide the tools students will need to solve the complex world problems of their futures.

Our students are wonderfully, beautifully diverse in every way – race, culture, sexual orientation, brain wiring, physical ability and lived experiences. Yet the publishing industry, our library collections, our library spaces, and our library staff are just now starting to catch up to the needs of the students we serve.

Innovative ideas for your school library :  7 tips for future-proofing the school library

If we want students to engage with the library, we must create a library experience that honors every student’s humanity. Additionally, we must also ensure they have regular access to its materials, and the expertise of a librarian who can connect them to those materials. What is the road map for reinvigorating and future-proofing our library programs?

1. Conscientious library staff. School leaders should recruit librarians who understand culturally responsive practice, ensure the library is an emotionally safe space, collaborate with teachers and families beyond the library walls, and advocate for all students and their lives as readers.

2. Safe, comfortable space. It is important to create a welcoming, student-friendly space by adding soft seating, collaborative workspaces, and book displays that encourage browsing and reflect students’ interests and identities.

3. Update materials. Librarians should weed outdated and damaged materials out of the collection and promote the use of online research databases, i.e. PebbleGo, Britannica School and Gale databases.

4. Reflect voice, choice, identity. A key strategy is to curate print and digital library collections that reflect student voice, choice, and identity. Librarians should promote “Own Voices” books that provide authentic perspectives of diverse identities, books in students’ first languages, and books students are excited to read.

5. Go digital with eBooks and audiobooks. It is critical to ensure 24/7 access throughout the academic year and summer months by curating a robust collection of eBooks and audiobooks that students can access on any device through platforms like the Sora student reading app.

6. Support your educators. Librarians should provide professional development on how to use eBooks and audiobooks to support students’ special needs. These lessons should target all school leaders and teachers, especially special education teachers and teachers of English language learners.

7. Evolve your programming. Librarians should plan programming and provide tools that encourage creativity, collaboration and communication, i.e. STEAM and makerspace activities like code.org courses and digital citizenship curricula like Common Sense Education.

An achievable roadmap for success

This road map is very achievable. I see evidence of progress every day—progress in culturally responsive teaching practices, progress in richly diverse authorial voices that are finally reaching an audience, and progress reflecting on our own biases. There is also progress in creating inclusive and engaging print and digital library collections to meet a growing demand for equitable access to school libraries.

Every child deserves a library. Let’s make it happen.

How do you modernize a school library?

With new technological advancements and the onset of digital media centers, students and teachers have realized the value of school libraries.

A virtual reality field trip. A lesson on how to create a podcast. A tutorial on how to create a paper circuit board that uses LED lights. For a new generation of educators, these pursuits have something in common: They’re all appropriate learning exercises that can take place in the school library. Makerspaces, or library media centers that encourage collaboration and support student invention, are on the rise across the United States.

This has always been the case, but in a prevailing learning culture that promotes outside-the-box problem solving, these activities are growing more common in the 21st-century school library. At the intersection of analog and digital learning opportunities, the value of school libraries has increased at all levels of education. And at the helm of these spaces, school librarians must negotiate how best to support students with library resources, adapt to new technological advancements in education and pass on the fundamental tenets of digital and information literacy to students.

As the U.S. public education system has evolved throughout its history, school libraries have also developed with a consistent central goal: to give students the best opportunity to succeed academically.

The Evolution of the School Library

Before school libraries would begin to morph into multimedia digital information centers, they supported student literacy-building practices by providing access to their on-site book collections. From the first plans for a school library in the United States drafted in 1743 by Benjamin Franklin, school district libraries would continue to sprout across the nation during the next two centuries. By the mid-1950s, schools would adopt localized, attached libraries in which librarians are considered qualified teachers, educating both students and instructors.

The face of public education has fundamentally changed since then, through the nationwide integration of schools, the rapid progress of education technology and the academic opportunities offered to students, to name a few. Because of these dramatic changes to the world of education, the expectations and  responsibilities of school library faculty have understandably seen a dramatic shift as well.

Today, school librarians are not only responsible for administering and collating their collections. Instead, librarians promote creativity and discovery in student learning by offering multimedia resources. With school libraries beginning to function as digital media centers, these tools enable students to explore new modes of thought and include:

• Planning, drafting and executing podcasts or audio essays
• Access to audiobooks and online tutorials
• Online or in-person tutorials on how to use video-, audio- or photo-editing software
• Workshops on internet and information literacy

Modern Librarian Roles and Responsibilities

With these new responsibilities, librarians now occupy a multitude of additional roles, too. The Association of College and Research Libraries, which is an organization of college educators and librarians and a division of the American Library Association, lays out the seven roles of librarians in school systems today. The goal with highlighting these different titles librarians must take on is “to conceptualize and describe the broad nature and variety of the work that teaching librarians undertake as well as the related characteristics which enable librarians to thrive within those roles.”

While these roles were drafted to appeal specifically to university and college librarians, they are universal enough to be relevant to school librarians working in primary and secondary school media centers, too.

• Advocate – As advocates, library teachers are responsible for encouraging and outwardly supporting the advancement of student learning and information and digital literacy in education. Moreover, school library faculty must partner with administrators and teachers to ensure students adopt effective critical thinking and research skills.
• Coordinator – In order for a library to run smoothly and enable students to engage with different literacies, school librarians must facilitate an inclusive and supportive learning environment. This means that coordinators need to make a point to stay on the same page as teachers, administrators and parents to serve students best.
• Instructional Designer – Library materials often carry the unfair stigma of being boring. And it makes sense – the image of the uptight librarian has persisted through the past century. In the current technological landscape, though, librarians are positioned to provide students engaging, dynamic library resources as instructional designers. As instructional designers, librarians collaborate with teachers to develop learning materials to reach students best.
• Lifelong Learner – Librarians as lifelong learners lead by example. Lifelong learning librarians can motivate students through an unrelenting pursuit of knowledge, which can inspire students to engage in independent research curiosities.
• Leader – School librarians must lead not only in their library spaces but, additionally, across an array of contexts. As leaders, librarians are prepared to guide students through reading and research processes at the same time that they offer necessary support to teachers.
• Teacher-Librarian – As teachers, librarians evaluate the best kind of learning practices for students, faculty and administrators. In other words, school librarians should be trained educators charged with providing information literacy opportunities to learners across an array of contexts. For example, while librarians help students understand how to navigate databases to collect research, they also provide support to teachers to educate their students on the best informational and digital literacy practices.
• Teaching Partner – To highlight the importance of collaboration, librarians should work as teaching partners with other educators in the school to build engaging learning materials for students. This collaboration can take place in the form of guiding a class discussion, creating assignments and responding to student work.

To this end, there are several capacities in which librarians excel in teaching. Because libraries are often the physical sites of research, reading, exploration and discovery, librarians occupy different positions to help facilitate the learning process. Students can’t take advantage of the library without a basic understanding of the ways libraries function, and the academic article “Librarians, Libraries, and the Scholarship of Teaching and Learning” highlights how librarians intervene to help the learning process. By partnering with discipline-specific educators in school settings, school librarians can develop focused materials to help guide student research projects.

The article states that while “the library can be at the center of connections among all of the university’s academic units, it is well placed to create and support initiatives that develop cross‐disciplinary pedagogical excellence.” In other words, as librarians work with faculty representing different subjects and age ranges, both students and teachers will engage with unfamiliar perspectives.

Design-Focused Teaching

There’s a prevailing misconception about how the path of the librarian is not a design-focused one. Instead, librarians follow deliberate, creative processes when planning lessons. And when librarians approach their lesson planning as an element of design, students ultimately become more engaged. While any instruction planning is a form of design, librarians for elementary school audiences, for example, must diligently design engaging storytime lessons to help prompt students to develop listening and literacy skills.

In the scholarly article “Learning by Design: Creating Knowledge through Library Storytime Production,” researchers state that librarians must “plan, deliver and reflect on storytimes in implicit ways that seem to align with design principles.” As a result, this new model of design focuses on two primary exchanges that influence each other significantly: from storytime planning to storytime delivery and from peer mentoring to self-reflection. Further, school librarians must plan for future library storytime sessions as they reflect on both the successes and drawbacks of past presentations. The researchers conclude by calling for greater attention to how storytime planning and execution are design-focused processes.

How Librarians Serve Students

Another common misconception is that librarians are laser-focused on promoting reading – primarily of fiction. But this simply isn’t true in the modern educational climate. In addition to their focus on reading,  library teachers are responsible for promoting information and digital literacies, which help democratize academic standards and provide students access to learning resources otherwise unavailable.

Overcoming Barriers through Information Literacy Instruction

School library faculty don many hats to promote student learning, and modern librarians have demonstrated a firm commitment to centering diversity in libraries. According to an article in the academic journal American Society for Information Science and Technology, improved technological instruction on assignments through librarian intervention can help students with learning disabilities and barriers. Specifically, school librarians have found novel ways to connect with students of diverse achievement levels. In the article, researchers monitored the ways that 11th-grade students in a remedial education program navigated a major research project for an American Literature course. The goal of the study was to observe and offer solutions to areas that these students found challenging or inaccessible.

Notably, the researchers discovered that “technological and instructional mediation would motivate the students’ interest in their information seeking and use.” In other words, as libraries continue to modernize and offer information literacy resources in technologically inviting ways, students will be able to navigate research databases and library systems in totally digital capacities. These resources include digital archives, national library databases & collections, online databases of text, still images and audio, video and digital documents. As a result, they will be significantly better prepared to conduct independent research and think critically while they prepare to enter the next stage of their academic and professional lives.

As these technological innovations have begun to take hold in academic settings, libraries have played a monumentally important role in inviting college students to hone their information literacy. As an academic article published in the scholarly journal Health Information and Libraries Journal notes, librarians play a unique role in preparing students to grapple with scholarship across an array of disciplines. While researchers focus on the benefits and drawbacks of the ways librarians teach information literacy practices, they also unequivocally highlight that “library‐based information literacy teaching is perhaps even more relevant and useful to graduates and practicing professionals than it was in the days where the focus was on the use of a particular bibliographic tool or index.”

Prior to the advent of the internet as a research tool, librarians in university settings and some high schools focused heavily on citation methods and formats. In today’s technological landscape, though, school librarians play a much more critical role in helping students to understand the validity and legitimacy of sources. Researchers argued in this article that some of the information literacy skills taught in universities have little real-world application. At the same time, though, they showcase the importance of critical thinking that school library faculty facilitate in their information literacy instruction.

Margaret K. Merga, a scholar featured in the academic journal Literacy, highlights that the value of school libraries can be seen in how their “most expected contribution relates to the fostering of literacy and literature learning through wide reading and reading engagement in students.” At the same time, there are some different learning barriers that school librarians help students overcome based on Merga’s study of 30 schools:

• Time management and task prioritization
• Packed and overwhelming curriculum
• Difficulty engaging students
• Demotivation
• Budgeting limitations

Merga concludes that “attention needs to be given to these barriers to support the important role that school [libraries] and their librarians can play in fostering the learning of contemporary students.” With this logic, it’s clear that library teachers today help with so much more than just issuing books or introducing students to navigating the shelves.

Language Learning in the Modern Library

Outside of basic literacy adoption practices, the value of school libraries can also be seen in the ways librarians help students learn new languages. An article recently published in The Modern Language Journal applies a linguistic, ethnographic approach to understand better how information assistants and librarians engage in  “translanguaging.” Translanguaging is a novel concept that helps language learners understand better the “communicative practices in which people engage as they bring into contact different biographies, histories and linguistic backgrounds.”

While the researchers for this study focused on the benefits of the public library on language adoption, school librarians can also intervene in the learning process. As arbiters of information, librarians can help students locate reading materials and online resources that will ultimately give students a greater understanding and a deeper context of the language. Moreover, students will have access to these reading materials and digital resources – including talk-to-translate, virtual reality language learning, language learning apps and language learning software – offered in libraries that could otherwise be unavailable at home.

Why Are School Libraries Important in the Information Age?

Libraries across the country are modernizing in unexpected ways. As technology continues to advance, it becomes more accessible. Librarians have adapted, and outside of the digital archiving and expanded information literacy focuses they have taken on, they have also begun exploring other forms of media to offer educational support to students. For example, as the New York Times reported in April 2020, the Library of Congress has created a new digital tool to help aspiring DJs. The tool is called Citizen DJ:

“Users can access a pool of free-to-use sounds from the library’s audio and moving-image collections, including recordings from vaudeville acts, interviews with entertainers, speeches and rights-free music. They can select a sound to remix or download sounds in bulk, all while being encouraged to engage with the original source material.”

This specific process of introducing new technologies has become important for librarians, as it aligns with an overall ethos that focuses on discovery, exploration, understanding and appreciation to fuel a creative process. Technological progress is ultimately helping school library faculty become more versatile in the way they serve students.

Our technological climate has fundamentally changed how school library faculty help both students and fellow teachers. As a result, there’s beginning to be more room for collaboration between technology specialists and librarians, which could be the next breakthrough in school libraries, according to Lois D. Wine in the Journal of Education for Library and Information Science.  

Wine stated that as technological advancements have made educational resources more accessible, more positions for digital media librarians have been added to schools. These new librarians:

• Offer support to teachers as they introduce technology into their lesson plans
• Train teachers and students on how to use new technology
• Suggest new media technologies for schools to buy
• Recommend policy and process procedures regarding technology

School library faculty have begun to administer dynamic and new initiatives to get teachers and students on the same page with information literacy.

The Modernized Learning Process in the Library

Outside of the ways that librarians can help prepare students for different technological landscapes, libraries themselves can incorporate different technologies to help with learning process. Alison Marcotte of American Libraries wrote about the ways that some libraries are employing virtual reality (VR), augmented reality (AR) and mixed reality (MR) to build engaging learning materials. These features give students a unique opportunity to dive into “immersive virtual field trips, such as a walk through the solar system… or a walk around a refugee camp,” allowing students  to grapple with natural phenomena or better empathize with marginalized perspectives in substantive ways. Additionally, this level of immersion will build truly memorable experiences for students, and as the technology becomes more accessible and widely used, school librarians will be able to create resonant, innovative lessons.

This interactive measure isn’t exclusive to VR, AR or MR measures, though. As technology has progressed and become more accessible, libraries are uniquely poised to act as makerspaces, as physical areas where collaboration among students is encouraged. For example, according to an academic article titled “Library as Collaboratory,” Miami University’s Business, Engineering, Science and Technology Library features a 3D printer that has “developed into a high demand service that promotes learning for a broad range of users.” The 3D printing opportunity has caused a swell of interdisciplinary interest among students at the university, and as a result, more students have begun to engage in “printing tasks, gaining technical skills and enabling the library to expand its services.”

This is a significant step for a number of reasons. For one, because this library has elected to progress technologically by hosting a 3D printer, students will gain real-world experience in fields they have already demonstrated an interest in joining. Second, the school library as a makerspace firmly and outwardly marks itself as a place that invites innovation. Students will be more inclined to try new designs, calculate new prints and even fail in their independent projects as they learn the capabilities of the machine. As a result, students will be much better prepared to engage with emerging technologies and pursue STEM careers later in life.

The Value of School Libraries on the Web

At the same time that some school libraries promote educational technologies, others have begun to tap into another trend of the 21^st century: social media. Social media practices between public and school libraries have historically served as barriers for getting students interested in digital, informational and technological literacy adoption.

An article titled “Social Media Practices and Support in U.S. Public Libraries and School Library Media Centers” proposes that as libraries “harness the power of social networking tools,” they will experience a greater engagement with students, and specifically with teens. In a qualitative survey of 750 public libraries and 750 school libraries, the researchers discovered that public school policies often act as barriers to the ability for school libraries to engage with students on social media. Overwhelmingly, public school library policy would prohibit students from posting while at school.

Further, researchers found that after eliminating these obstacles and promoting responsible social media sharing, libraries are uniquely poised to use social media channels and interactions as learning moments. By sharing new information with students and faculty or by promoting a higher level of visibility in the library, library educators have a unique chance to introduce students to novel library resources. As a result, libraries may have an opportunity to provide teenage students a roadmap for appropriate internet etiquette, particularly through social media channels.

The Continued Importance of School Libraries

Schools resoundingly feature libraries and digital media centers. As the National Center for Education Statistics stated, as recently as 2016, “95% of elementary schools and 82% of secondary schools had a library or media center.” These facilities will continue to need administrators trained to serve students’ literacy needs and adapt to new technologies.

The value of school libraries is vital for lifelong development of students. School librarians help reinforce critical thinking, independent research and information literacy skills. According to School Library Journal, the number of traditional school librarians has decreased during the past 20 years, but these positions haven’t disappeared. Instead, their roles and responsibilities have evolved —  the number of library instructional coordinators has more than doubled.

Click Here to Discover Some Innovative Ideas for School Libraries

Editor’s note: This article on digital citizenship in schools originally appeared on CoSN’s blog and is reposted here with permission.

Part of a Blog Series from the Emerging Technologies Committee Leveraging Technology for Improving School Wellness and Safety

Sometimes it feels as though social media has taken over the world. We live in an age of competing attention to hold our interest. If you have ever been in a K-12 classroom, you will see that it won’t take long for students to be distracted by the latest YouTube video or TikTok trend. We must find the balance in day to day interactions at school, work, and with family to focus on what is important at the time.

First, it is important to define a few terms. According to Virtual Library, digital citizenship is “engaging in appropriate and responsible behavior when using technology.” Digital literacy is the ability to find, evaluate, and communicate information using digital platforms. A digital footprint is the trace one leaves behind on the internet which can be from posting photos, videos, or text.

The Oshkosh Area School District (OASD) in Oshkosh, WI is actively addressing digital citizenship with students in their elementary, middle, and high schools. A team of library media specialists adapted the free Common Sense Media curriculum. They work with classroom or homeroom teachers to deliver monthly instruction based on various topics which include: media balance, online safety, digital footprint, cyberbullying, and more. Another option for other districts and schools could be to leverage their learning management system to push out lessons. Additionally, the OASD’s library media department promotes Digital Citizenship Week each October and shares a handout with families to promote conversation between parents/guardians and their students. 

It is important to note that Common Sense Media is not the only platform available. ISTE has a plethora of resources as well and emphasizes the benefits of using social media in the classroom. In Digital for Good Richard Culatta explains five qualities youth should develop in order to thrive and contribute as a good digital citizen. Additionally, #ICANHELP is a non-profit that focuses on helping students and educators to “lead, educate, and engage” in the positive power of social media. 

The Oshkosh Area School District also evaluates apps for curricular value and for data privacy. Teachers are able to request apps, extensions, and websites that they would like to use in the classroom with their students. First, the curricular team reviews the tool. If it is deemed appropriate, they send it to the technology integration team who reviews the Terms of Service and the Privacy Policy. Items that the team examines for each tool can include COPPA compliance, protection (or disclosure) of Personally Identifiable Information (PII), and compatibility with current technology. The resource will then be placed on an approved resources list and categorized as following: Green (district supported), Blue (approved but not supported), Yellow (approved with cautions), or Red (not approved). View more information on the Instructional Technology page from the Oshkosh Area School District website.

When families ask what resources are available, schools may refer them to Common Sense Media for Parents. Guardians are encouraged to engage in conversations with their children as to what apps they are using and who they are talking with online. Additionally, Google has offered Be Internet Awesome for internet safety. Often parents can change the settings on their child’s phone to regulate access. Cell phone and internet providers may also offer resources or tools. Ideas such as not allowing computers or phones to be charged overnight in bedrooms may be helpful.

Social media companies are also investing in ways to help children balance a healthy amount of social media. While TikTok has a Kids Mode for those under 13, they will be instituting time limits for children under 18.  After one hour of screen time, it will prompt teens for a passcode causing the user to have to actively decide whether to keep scrolling on the app. Of course, it will be up to the user and the family to input the correct age information when signing up for an account to take advantage of these settings.

In conclusion, schools should work with educators and families to ensure students have an awareness of their digital footprint and teach ways that social media can be positive. Students need time to learn appropriate digital skills and practice those skills inside and outside of the classroom. These digital literacy skills will help them to be college, career, and community ready. 

Related:
Is digital citizenship in schools the most important takeaway from distance learning?
Students need freedom to develop critical skills with edtech

Click Here to Discover Some Innovative Ideas for School Libraries

Gone are the days when a school librarian’s job was defined by shushing, rocking, and reading.  While reading out loud and building a love of literacy is still a foundational part of their job in a school, school librarians wear many, many hats and touch many lives in the course of a day’s work.

As an avid, life-long reader, I can come up with dozens of things I love about school librarians and libraries (I was actually named by a librarian!) But for a broader perspective, I wanted to hear from my peers, colleagues, and the educators out there doing the heavy lifting, so I turned to influential library experts, educators, and social media to share their thoughts.

I loved what I heard from the people I spoke to. Many shared my own impressions, and some introduced me to their own reasons why school librarians are amazing at what they do. I’m proud to share my thoughts and what others told me here.

1. Librarians are the keepers (and more importantly, the sharers) of the books

CEO of education publisher Capstone Randi Economou says, “They lead the way for learning by igniting a love for reading.”

Follett sales rep Pam Hinds reminds us, “They ‘house’ the best weapons in the world!”

Customer service rep here at Follett, Suzanne Florek, says, “Of course, I have my favorite librarians I talk to! I think the reason they might be on the top of my list is because of how genuinely caring people they are. They are kind, patient, knowledgeable, motivating, just as excited to see new books as their students are. They show students how they can be transformed into a fantasy world, futuristic world, find out how things work or just learn about new places or history and people that made their mark on this world for many reasons. They show kids they can be anything they want to be, and they can learn more about EVERYTHING. That is a big role to play in our children’s lives and therefore we need them to play that very important role. I thank all our librarians for all the encouragement they provide to our children. A child that loves to read will go many places in their life.

2. Librarians cross paths with every student in a school

What other position within a school interacts with teachers, administrators, and students in all grades? The school library and its staff are unique in how many lives they touch and the vast reach of their expertise, according to John Chrastka, Founder and Executive Director of Every Library, a political action committee for libraries that advocates for funding and support. “The most powerful aspect of school libraries is that it is the one academic unit that reaches every student in the school,” says Chrastka. “Sometimes it is through school librarians pushing into a class about research topics. Sometimes it’s supporting learning across the curriculum. But every student can have their school librarian be a partner in finding new, relevant, and interesting things to read. We can’t discount how important independent reading is in literacy development and educational attainment. A certified school librarian is a key resource for those students.”

Follett Destiny trainer Michele Kuempel agrees and shares her thoughts from a different perspective. “As a former school librarian, one of my favorite parts of the job was that I actively interacted with every student and teacher on campus – regardless of grade or subject area,” said Kuemple. “Very few members of a campus team can say that they get to do this!”

3. Librarians know books better than anyone

Librarians know what’s in their collections, and well beyond. They are voracious readers and chances are, if you throw out an author’s name, most librarians know that person’s work. They frame history by the books they’ve read, and they find comfort and connection through? their favorites. How often do we hear questions posed to librarians like, “it had a red cover and was a coming-of-age tale set in the 1960s” and lo and behold, a librarian can put a finger on the right book.

Follett’s publisher relations coordinator Amanda Deubel says, “Librarians always make the best book recommendations after hearing your interests and have a keen ability to know what book you are looking for even if you are only able to provide random bits of information about it.”

Related:
Modern students need modern librarians

4. Librarians teach us how to research

Sheila Carr on Follett’s professional learning team shared an ode to the librarians in her world:

“Roses are red, violets are blue, librarians are awesome – yes, that’s true.
Their role is important and goes well beyond books.
Why when was the last time we considered all the hard work they undertook?
Vast amounts of information and databases abound.
With this massive quantity of data to parse, it is great to have a librarian around.
Paper or digital, reference or research, collection development and promotion of learning, is it no wonder our brains are burning?
A huge shout out to librarians who bring it all together, so we can survive the information storm no matter the weather.”

5. Librarians are tough

One of my social media connections, Carrie Rayfield, says, “Their dedication to literacy, their perseverance in the face of adversity (think rolling carts to classes during COVID) and their willingness to think outside the box.”

Florida middle school librarian Carrie Friday says, “Resilience.  So much resilience.”

As a teacher who works closely with his school library told me, librarians are tough in many ways. “People often think that librarians love books; however, the librarians I’ve worked with over the years all love children and books are the gifts they give to our kids,” said sixth-grade teacher John Arthur of Salt Lake City, Utah. “It’s that love that’s made them so resilient these past few years and why they are such fierce defenders of books that reflect all the children in their care.”

Mark Ray, Affiliate Professor, Antioch University Seattle and Future Ready Librarians Advisor, shared his thoughts on what makes a librarian tough. “Sisu is a unique Finnish term that speaks to grit and a tenacity of purpose. The best librarians have a sort of professional and educational sisu—doing great work often without money, support, or recognition.”Ray also commented on the resilience of the school librarians with whom he has worked. “Few educators show up at school every day wondering if they will have a job next year. A perennial fear of extinction makes for a thick hide and a willingness to adapt.”

According to Joyce Valenza, who teaches future librarians at Rutgers University, the last few years have been more than challenging for all educators, but especially librarians. “In a recent focus-group study, my team and I discovered a familiar refrain in the way school librarians described their contributions during COVID. They said, ‘We were the glue,’” Valenza told me. “As ever, even in crisis, it was their practice to identify problems, especially relating to equity and access, identify needs, and develop solutions. One of many examples of courageous professionalism and grit is New Jersey’s Martha Hickson who responded to censorship and personal harassment issues with courage, dedication to core values and common beliefs, strong community leadership, and created a toolkit to empower her students and alumni.”

6. Librarians create a safe environment for all students

One of Follett’s Event Planners, Laura Welter, shared her personal experience. “The school librarian has the role of protector. The librarian in my school was the go-to person for advice and support. She created a safe place for kids who didn’t quite fit in elsewhere. She taught us to love reading and learning and to always protect others in need.”

Kerri Macdonald, on Follett’s professional learning team says, “A good school librarian can be the difference between a child just getting through school doing the bare minimum and being a well-rounded student who not only completes the assigned reading, but also learns to love reading and becomes a lifelong learner.”

7. Librarians build community connections

Mary Hazel, who works on Follett’s content curations team, says, “A school librarian knows everybody in the school! They are the solid link that holds it all together—student interests, teacher needs, as well as support for all the programs in a school. As a teacher, I rarely had time to talk with other teachers about their personal interests. The librarian at my school put up a blank bulletin board and asked the teachers (as we dropped off our students for media class) to write a short note about hobbies or social causes that were dear to us. We were able to write short notes back and forth, and able to connect with each other on a meaningful level whenever we could talk in person. Was this in her job description? No, but she saw a need and helped us build community.”

8. Librarians provide equitable access to information for all students

Follett’s customer success manager, Heidi Munin reminds us, “I love that a school librarian can open new worlds and ideas to students through books. For some students with limited access to public libraries, the school librarian may be their only available guide to this exciting world.

Follett’s customer service rep, Grace Kloeckner says, “Librarians are inclusive, welcoming and nurturing individuals who help students find joy and solace within the pages of a good book. Their impact is fundamental as they champion their students to explore their imagination and expand their views of our world!”

9. Librarians are tech savvy, too

“The stories and information our students need don’t always rest on shelves in books and encyclopedias,” teacher Arthur said. In his elementary classroom, Arthur requires his students to perform extensive research and create multimedia projects they develop on their own – from idea to publication. Those digital skills are honed by the school librarian and help his students produce top-notch, impressive projects they share on their own YouTube channel, 9^th Evermore. “All of humanity’s best work and creations now exist on a boundless digital landscape, and our librarians are expert users of the technological tools our students and teachers need to successfully access that space.”

Valenza, who has written a blog called The Never-Ending Search for many years, has witnessed the changes in how librarians use and teach tech in everything they do.

“Over the course of the past three years, I’ve seen so many librarians scale their practice through library websites, evolving their presence from brochures to true destinations as they rethought equitable access to books, wifi, connections with families, engaging tools for digital learning like choice boards (regularly created and generously shared on Shannon Miller’s Library The Voice Blog) and Bitmoji libraries,” Valenza said. “These resourceful and forward-thinking librarians are embedding their resources for inquiry in learning management systems. They present informal, virtual professional development for their own learning communities and the much larger communities of librarians and other educators around the country. They’re leading edcamps and Nerdcamps.” Valenza shared a few resources the librarians in her midst created here:

Ebook of Web Tools and Apps

Digital Librarian’s Survival Toolkit

Valenza’s own Finding Your People, is a fantastic resource she created and maintains for her students. (I recommend you check this out – you are NOT alone, as Valenza tells her students!)

10. Librarians are the ultimate multi-taskers

A school librarian is a masterful plate-spinner, magically managing endless details, or so it seems.

“Thinking about all the things librarians juggle throughout the day makes my brain hurt. Serving every single student in a school, managing all the physical books and the endless digital resources, fielding constant requests from students, parents, and teachers, responding to challenges to titles in their collections and attacks on their professionalism, finding books that were mis shelved by well-meaning kids…I just can’t!” shared teacher Arthur, who was named 2021 Utah Teacher of the Year, an accolade he partially attributes to the colleagues in his life who help him be a better teacher.

When one considers the multitude of things librarians are required to do, perhaps Mark Ray sums it up best: “Teacher librarians are the Swiss Army knife of educators. And yes, the good ones have corkscrews.”

Click Here to Discover Some Innovative Ideas for School Libraries

When organizations are mindful and deliberate about generating and maintaining a sense of teamwork and shared goals, team members are put at ease and more productive. The same is true for building a school culture and community for staff and students alike.

When I was named the leader of Follett’s K12 business, one of my first priorities was to create a team dedicated to improving the culture of the organization. We didn’t necessarily have a negative culture; however, it was clear that part of building a positive culture included making deeper connections to the communities we serve, both internally and externally.

As an education company, we are deeply aware of the challenges faced during the pandemic for educators (and organizations like ours) and that those challenges were overwhelming. We know all too well that has caused strain on the educational system, staff retention, and more. However, it has also given us all the opportunity to reflect on those practices and reimagine them.

I interviewed five different educators and compiled the top five ways schools and organizations alike have succeed in improving culture in their communities—despite the challenges.

1. Meaningful Connections

At Baltimore County Public Schools in Maryland, educators foster connections that encourage partners in their programs. Fran Glick, National School Library Program of the Year award winner, (who served at BCPS for many years,) says “Our programs lend themselves to creating spaces for input and participation from a variety of stakeholders. We can find collaborators and create partnerships within the community: public and community college libraries, museums, parent groups, foundations, and external partners can all contribute to ensuring that our school libraries are dynamic centers of each school. We know that school libraries build communities.”

Librarian Kate MacMillan from Napa Valley Unified School District in California adds, “Like all school libraries in California, adequate staffing and stable funding have always been an issue. To combat this, seven years ago, NVUSD implemented the One Card Program with the Napa County Library which provides all K-12 students with a digital full-service library card. This project guarantees access to all students and creates a “library community” that builds a strong bond with the county library, NVUSD school libraries, and the community.”

Connections are extremely important for all organizations. At Follett, I hold Ask Me Anything sessions twice a year where team members can literally ask me anything and I must answer each question “live” without the opportunity to review it ahead of time. While not every leader may be interested in putting themselves in the hot seat, the very act of putting myself out there and being vulnerable allowed me to connect with the team in a more meaningful way and answer the “pressing” questions.

2. Perception Matters

At Southwest Middle School in Florida, the public perception of school librarians, especially at the secondary level, is a challenge these days. The best way librarian Carrie Friday has been able to combat these challenges is to focus on what’s right – and regularly share the great things happening in the school library. “I post about the lesson we did for the day, I share photos of student creations, pictures of book club, or success stories of students who have seen success in this space,” Friday said. “It’s much harder for the community to believe what they hear or read when they’ve seen the magic that happens in here. It’s exhausting to constantly answer questions about book challenges and address what people hear or answer questions about new legislation but at the end of the day, this work matters so much and these kids remind me of that every day. Their love for our library helps me press on and do what’s right for kids.”

3. Meaningful Feedback

In Iowa, at Van Meter Consolidated School District, Future Ready Librarian spokesperson and librarian Shannon Miller explains their school library is the heart of their culture. “Our library is a very special part of our school community. We build the culture and community within the library with our students, teachers, and families at the center of everything we do. When our students come to the library, we want them to feel important and safe, and to be seen and heard within the books and resources we have in our collection. We also want to be a resource for our families and to support them in fostering a love of reading and learning within their homes. Through our library’s social media, newsletters, and weekly updates, we can celebrate the amazing activities happening within the library and the books and resources we have available for our students and teachers.”

Friday agrees with Miller. “Building culture and community in a school library can be challenging for a variety of reasons but the very best thing I’ve done is to continue to make the space a place where kids want to be,” Friday shared. “I present engaging lessons. I spotlight really amazing books. I open up in the mornings before school and let students just be and hang out. I work one-on-one with some of our students who are struggling with academics and behavior. I wave and say hi to the kids at class change. I wear ridiculous costumes to school. I tell jokes at lunch. I’m hosting James Ponti for an author visit at the end of February, so we are hyping up his book and doing book club meetings during lunches so kids can read City Spies. We even zoomed with him so he could say hi to the kids. Having an author tell your students just how special their school library is goes a long way with kids.”

Similarly at Follett, feedback allows us to make better business decisions and remain focused on the areas that are most important to our customers and ultimately, your students. During the pandemic we paused our customer advisory groups for all the reasons you can imagine. Pausing was necessary for us to navigate the challenges associated with running a business during the pandemic and providing feedback to Follett was not high on a priority list for our customers. Emerging from the pandemic it became clear it was more important than ever that we seek more meaningful feedback from librarians, teachers and district leaders. So, we took advantage of the ability to run focus groups and customer advisory meetings remotely.

4. All-In Relationships

So says 2021 Utah Teacher of the Year, John Arthur! “Spend quality time with each student, laugh with colleagues, listen to families, and love on your own! Strong cultures and communities spring naturally when you prioritize people, and, especially in these challenging times, we need our people and the bubbles we build to shelter us from the nonsense and noise.”

For Follett, supporting every team member includes supporting their families and the community. Recently, we opened an employee bookstore where employees can buy popular books for less than $5 a title. All proceeds are donated to organizations that give back to the McHenry County, Illinois community where the majority of our team members live. This creates a deep connection not only with our community, but with our team members alike.

5. Foster Teamwork

Back in Van Meter, Iowa, Miller kicked off the new year with a Library Advisory Board. “This will be made up of our library staff, teachers, administrators, parents, and even students,” Miller told me. “This will help us continue to grow as we advocate for a strong library program for every single student within our school community. I am excited for the support this will not only bring to our library, but also to me, as the district teacher librarian.”

Connections are vital, according to Glick from Baltimore Public Schools. “We build connections within the incredible network of school librarians and educators in our country. There are professionals who are engaged in this work and the collective power to grow and learn WITH and FROM each other is happening in schools and school libraries and is in all of us,” she said. “Our professional learning networks are in our regional groups, in other states, on social media, in professional literature sources, and presenting at conferences. School librarians are a networked profession and more than ever we can stand together to advocate for our profession and school libraries. We know that strong school libraries contribute to student achievement, and we uphold and affirm the many ways in which we do so.”

Culture Takes Shape

Bottom line, no matter the shape or size of your organization, transforming culture cannot happen overnight, it takes more than a leader to make change… it takes all of us. Clearly, it’s best to focus on one or two culture improvements to start (even consider micro-improvements to portion of the world you have direct influence) so you’re not overwhelmed and can do them to the best of you and your team’s ability!  

Related:
Modern students need modern librarians
4 ways library media specialists lead digital transformations in districts

Click Here to Discover Some Innovative Ideas for School Libraries

When you think of a school librarian, what comes to mind? Is it shelving, stamping, and shushing? That’s the stereotype you’re probably most familiar with.

Librarians are so much more than this, though. We’re the keepers of the information, the resource kids use to explore new lands through the turning of pages – but our role as librarians is one that has historically been misunderstood. Because as times have changed, technology has advanced, and student needs have evolved—so, too, has the role of the librarian.

Who is the modern librarian?

As librarians, our job is to not only give students and teachers access to resources they need to succeed, but to be their guide when choosing these resources. We work with teachers and administrators to create life-long learning patterns in students, whether that’s by curating resources for classroom research projects or by coming into the classroom to teach a lesson on how to do research themselves.

However, no matter how often we curate materials for these students, the larger lesson we impart to them is how to be conscious consumers of this information. Students today tend to think they know everything there is to know about the internet, and although it’s true that they’ve grown up with the technology that some of us are still getting used to, our job is to teach them to evaluate and analyze the at-times overwhelming amount of information that comes to them via their screens.

To be able to teach students these types of lessons, we first have to be able to connect with them. This is arguably the most important part of what it means to be a librarian in 2022. Kids have been virtual for so long that they need a mentor who will pay individual attention to them and listen to them on a one-to-one level. But for them to want to come to us, we have to create an inviting, safe space that fits their needs.

What does a modern library look like?

Building a space that students actually want to inhabit is imperative to facilitating their learning and curiosity when it comes to reading. In some cases, that means out with the stuffy, shush-filled library, and in with the coffee shop vibes. Because as long as a student simply enters the space – even if it’s just to hang out – that gives us the opportunity to make a connection with them.

When it comes to reading for pleasure, students have so many other competing interests available to them – movies, games, social media, and TV shows – that we need to aim to make it an attractive, conscious choice. As librarians, we can do this by offering a range of genres and formats for students to choose from: novels, comics, magazines, audiobooks, print, or digital.

Related:
6 time-saving tech tricks for school librarians
How school librarians are getting creative in a pandemic

The modern library can also transcend the physical space, existing in a virtual realm without walls – one where students have the option to check out books anytime, anywhere. During the 2021-2022 school year, the Reading School District saw over 13,000 ebooks and audiobooks checked out through the Sora K-12 reading app. This was more than the number of print books borrowed. Furthermore, Weber School District students read over 96,000 hours in the Sora app during the last school year. Digital books give students the autonomy to choose what they want to read based on what they’re interested in, and that sense of freedom in turn inspires a love for reading.

Challenges facing the modern school library

Even as the school library modernizes, some of the obstacles facing it – like book challenges and bans – are not as new. As these issues have become a hot topic over the past year, they’ve made us stop and think about our library collections and the students who read them.

Our job as librarians is to ensure that we have materials that are representative and informative for all patrons, while following all policies set out by our districts. There are so many great resources available that give age recommendations for materials.  When we combine the kinds of policies instituted in our district with the drive to include all students in the library, students will be able to see themselves more easily in their reading and learn about new ideas and perspectives.

Additionally, it’s incredibly important to talk to parents and students when they have concerns about materials, and we have to thoroughly understand the book challenge process outlined by our districts. If a parent, student, or teacher would like to challenge a book, we have to make sure that we can follow the policy outlined by our district leadership, which includes studying books in their entirety and examining the placement of materials.

Looking Forward

In our (admittedly biased) opinion, there’s nothing more rewarding than being a librarian. Knowing that we played an active role in a student’s learning as we watch them walk across the stage at graduation is a feeling that can’t be beat. It’s crucial that in the coming years, we keep making connections with students to ensure their curiosity, creativity, and love of learning continues beyond the classroom.

It’s our duty as modern librarians to provide students with access to age-appropriate resources that follow policy, while also keeping the needs of each student in mind. This job isn’t for everyone, but for us, it’s just right.

Click Here to Discover Some Innovative Ideas for School Libraries

During the pandemic era of “emergency teaching,” school systems across my state and around the country made deep investments in edtech resources.  However, as we move into what some call the post-pandemic era, education stakeholders are searching for strategies to ensure that edtech investments continue to pay dividends.

In New Hampshire, library media specialists are playing a key role in driving edtech ROI. The state Department of Education has made excellent investments in edtech resources, and together with iLearn New Hampshire, has rolled out the Canvas LMS by Instructure, the Kaltura platform for media hosting, Zoom video conferencing, and Discovery Education’s digital K-12 platform to schools statewide.

Led by the NH Library Media Specialist Association, the state’s K-12 library professionals have engaged in dialogue around how they can ensure their school system can maximize the state’s edtech investment in their school system. Each participant approached this conversation assuming everyone else in the group had it all figured out or worked in a district that did. However, what we quickly discovered was that we were all grappling with the same issues. So, we worked to identify some common approaches to maximizing edtech ROI in our own district or school setting.

Here are the four most popular recommendations that came out of those discussions.

1. Create building-based digital tool coordinators

Databases, lists, websites, newsletters, and the like are all excellent ways to share information about digital tools and drive usage. Consider also having someone serve as the central point person for edtech resources your school. Establishing and using this role can be a great help in getting educators to the right person for targeted support, getting the word out, coordinating training, and so much more.

Library media specialists are excellent candidates for this in their leadership role, because they support all the educators and students in a school. Added benefit can result when library media specialists meet as a district team periodically. Digital learning specialists/technology integrators and coordinators are also excellent candidates. Whoever takes this coordinator role will serve their school better if they are members of school leadership teams and have the flexibility needed to support educators while they are teaching.

2. Incentivize use

Educators frequently seek administrator guidance for what they expect to see in the classroom or in use by students. Library media specialists can work with principals and curriculum leaders to foster digital tool adoption by making sure they know what different tools can do, highlighting best practices, sharing fun examples, and advocating for time for educators to play with and learn new tools. Creating fun challenges that leverage engaging digital content and interactive learning activities that can be shared, copied, and edited is an excellent way to foster use that is rewarding, rather than establishing mandates that simply seek compliance.

In New Hampshire, all preK-12 schools have access to high-quality digital content through the NH DOE.  This content includes instructional activities that educators can use as-is or edit to meet their needs. These resources can be shared and tweaked to support all learners and tailored to meet specific learning goals. This type of sharing and collaboration reduces stress and saves educators’ time. Now that’s incentive! This process can also alleviate confusion about what tools educators should select.

3. Keep technology staff in the loop

Depending on district and school technology acquisition policies, your tech team might not be aware of what you’re acquiring, what it does, who it’s for, what it requires, and if it complies with district or state regulations such as student data privacy and data protection. Go beyond those basic tech requirements and show them what the tool does, how it works, and what integration it requires (with Student Information, Learning Management, or Single Sign On Systems).

This can also be done by your edtech partners. In New Hampshire, we have statewide access to the Discovery Education platform and the DE Manager coordinates between technology staff in the district and the company’s technology integration team. This creates a partnership and provides an opportunity to ensure technology staff learn about the system. By informing the tech team, they are more likely to understand the impact when services are impacted or unavailable.

I’m incredibly proud of the work New Hampshire’s library media specialists are doing to drive the ROI of digital resources now available to educators. I believe they are equipped to serve as leaders during your school’s digital transformation by ensuring communication gaps are closed, technology teams are informed and engaged, and that educators are supported with clear expectations, shareable examples, and exciting ways to engage learners while saving time.

4. Solidify professional learning for edtech

We get it, we know there are so many initiatives that districts must address such as compliance training, new challenges around social emotional learning, competencies, new curricular initiatives, and accelerating learning for all students due to factors from the pandemic. By building a strong facility in navigating and leveraging edtech, administrators empower educators to work towards all these goals.

As leaders with a whole-school focus, library media specialists are poised to assess and address professional learning gaps and opportunities. Let your library media specialists help build PD plans, plan PD days, and play a leading role in building internal capacity among educators to help them help their peers. Training on digital tools does not need to happen in a vacuum. New learning in SEL can be delivered through schools’ learning management systems. Resources for competency learning can be built with digital tools, both the competency process and edtech training are happening at once. Combine your PD goals!

The days of solving one problem at a time are behind us. Let your library media specialists lead your school’s digital transformation through edtech coordination, motivation, information, and education.

Click Here to Discover Some Innovative Ideas for School Libraries

This story was originally published by Chalkbeat. Sign up for their newsletters at ckbe.at/newsletters.

In 2014, I got my first teaching job at a brand new high school in Detroit. The building had once been an elementary school with a fully functioning library. There was even a built-in card catalog. Now, though, it was empty, and the position of librarian didn’t exist. When we held a community book drive to fill the shelves, we ended up with a ramshackle collection of old, random, age-inappropriate books, some print encyclopedias, and an eclectic mix of cookbooks.

Two years later, that room had become a dumping ground for unused supplies, and the school football team frequently used it as a meeting space. The bookshelves were disorganized, their alphabetization long ago destroyed. In fact, not a single area school I have worked at in the past nine years has had a functioning library. 

When I was growing up, I spent much of my free time in my metro Detroit school library. It’s where, in the 1990s and aughts, I discovered my love for historical fiction. I remember fondly the book recommendations that my elementary and middle school librarians would give me. I sought to bring that same joy of reading to my high school history and English students. But how could I inspire them if the room was dusty and the books old, tattered, and mostly irrelevant?

Study after study has shown that effective library programs can increase student literacy and test scores and create more equitable student outcomes. Having access to the skills needed to decode text and other media impacts our students now and forever. Literacy can make or break their school performance and enhance their career and civic participation. All our students should have access to a school library and a certified librarian to help improve reading levels and foster critical thinking and source analysis.

This is the moment when we should have more positions for school librarians and media specialists who can meet the growing needs of our students. Social media thrives on misinformation, and students have few tools to discern between fact, opinion, and manipulation. At the same time, Michigan school libraries are going extinct. The Michigan Department of Education statistics from December 2019 show that only 8% of Michigan schools have a full-time librarian on staff. 

There is no world in which this statistic isn’t alarming. Students cannot become media literate, learn valuable research skills, or understand how to engage responsibly with the vast amount of information they have access to if no one is available to support them in those endeavors.

And fewer libraries and librarians create even more work for Michigan teachers. At a time of teacher shortages, putting the burden of creating, curating, and organizing a school library on the teaching staff of our schools might just be the straw that breaks the camel’s back. In every teaching job I’ve had, I’ve spent time reading books to recommend to my students and scouring garage sales and used book sales at my local libraries. At one job, we got a grant to get a “library” on carts, which were kept in a storage closet and brought out by us English teachers. We, teachers, had to manage the entire project, from the digital catalog to the app-based check-out system.

I’ve been heartened by some recent attempts by Michigan lawmakers to force change, including a bill that would require a certified media specialist for each school library and another that would ensure every school has a useful and functional library to begin with — even though those bills are unlikely to pass. We need something to change at schools like mine, where the absence of a library and librarian hurts students and strains educators. 

Michigan students should have a place to go to research new topics, explore their passions, process the information they constantly receive, and sometimes just escape into the wonderful world of a book. We must continue to call on our lawmakers and districts to fund libraries for all Michigan schools. Our students should be able to rely on a phrase from one of my favorite childhood book series, Harry Potter: “When in doubt, go to the library.”

Chalkbeat (chalkbeat.org) is a nonprofit news organization covering public education.

Click Here to Discover Some Innovative Ideas for School Libraries

Is there an educator on the planet who would turn down a bit more time in their day?

With time-saving technology strategies, school librarians can find ways to connect with their school’s teachers and students on a deeper level, forming relationships and helping with research and skill development.

During an ISTELive session, Kristina A. Holzweiss, a high school educational technology enrichment specialist librarian, shared her tips to help school librarians engage with students, support teachers, and make their school libraries dynamic and welcoming learning spaces.

1. Choice Boards
“Student voice, student choice,” Holzweiss said.

Why: Help foster independence, encourage student choice and decision-making, and offer differentiated instruction.
How: Google Slides, PPT, Buncee, Thinglink, Genially, Canva

School librarians can create choice boards aligned with different ability levels, and students can choose according to how they feel comfortable.

2. Newsletters

Why: Advocacy, community connections, sharing resources, showcasing student work
How: Wakelet, Padlet, Smore, Google Slides, PPT

“A newsletter is a wonderful way of advocating [for your library], Holzweiss said. “Work smarter, not harder.”

Using Wakelet, school librarians can work with librarians in their district–or even across the state or country–to draw attention to important resources in the library, offer research tips, and motivate students. Translation technologies can be included for students and parents whose native language is not English.

3. Handbook
Why: Creating a digital library presence, using a multimedia format to expand accessibility features, sharing resources, showcasing student work
How: Book Creator, websites, Google Slides, Mote, PowerPoint

School librarians can embed a link to a library handbook and put it in Google Classroom or Canvas, for instance. Handbooks can summarize library services, events calendars, and important updates. They’re also useful when students keep digital reading journals for summer reading projects.

4. Virtual help desk
Why: Creating a digital library presence, allowing for a multimedia format and responses rather than only text responses, building relationships through SEL
How: Flipgrid, Padlet, Google Forms

A virtual help desk can be instrumental in ensuring anyone who needs help is able to ask for it–but make sure you moderate and have notifications on, Holzweiss said–if you aren’t checking it, you might miss something important.

5. Audio bytes
Why: Creating a digital library presence, offering multimedia and accessibility features, sharing resources, and building relationships through SEL
How: Mote with Google Forms, Share through Google Drive, share through Onedrive

“Wouldn’t it be cool to have a Mote book request form where students can record their requests and responses?” Holzweiss asked. Letting students record and embed their voice responses directly into information fields in online forms does wonders for ELLs, younger students who can’t read yet, special education students, and students who have difficulty reading. Teachers can create multimedia assessments and activities for their students, who record and embed their responses.

6. Virtual book club
Why: Extends reading beyond the library, creates a community of readers, connects students across classes, grade levels, and schools
How: Flipgrid, Padlet, Wakelet, Jamboard

A digital reading journal is a great way to sustain a virtual book club. Students can find a video, photo, song, podcast, meme, or gif that illustrates a theme in their book. As they keep this digital reading journal, they’re creating a digital portfolio of your digital interactions with this book.

Holzweiss said she avoids outdated book report questions and formats. Instead, she includes prompts such as, “If you threw a dinner party, which character in this book would you invite?”

With tools such as Wakelet, ELL students can write in their native language and teachers can translate on their own.

Click Here to Discover Some Innovative Ideas for School Libraries

Access to diverse books positively impacts children as readers and as people. Having access to diverse texts helps children expand their vocabularies, deepens their understanding of language, provides opportunities for problem-solving, provides critical affirming experiences to students’ lives, and presents opportunities for students to learn about people with different lived experiences.

Students of all races, genders, religions, languages, abilities, interests, and beliefs should have opportunities to have affirmative literary experiences, where they see themselves reflected in the books they’re reading. These opportunities still do not exist today for many children.

The Cooperative Children’s Book Center publishes research on books depicting characters from diverse backgrounds. The research showed that books included very low representation of primary characters for many backgrounds and experiences. According to this data, many students are more likely to encounter a book with a primary character who is an animal or other nonhuman character (29.2 percent of total books) than a book including a primary character who is Black/African (11.9 percent of total books), Asian/Asian American (8.7 percent of total books), Latinx (5.3 percent of total books), a person with a disability (3.4 percent of total books), or LGBTQIAP (3.1 percent of total books).

Students need access to texts that reflect experiences diverse in race, ethnicity, gender, and language. Such access increases motivation, which is likely to have a positive impact on reading comprehension.

Scholar Rudine Bishop Sims astutely notes, “When children cannot find themselves reflected in the books they read, or when the images they see are distorted, negative, or laughable, they learn a powerful lesson about how they are devalued in the society of which they are a part.” 

When children are able to access books that pique their curiosity through diverse texts, it also leads to volume of reading, builds students to read more complex texts on the same or similar topics, and introduces new vocabulary—all markers of improving reading comprehension.

As an English and reading teacher, I sometimes struggled to provide texts that affirmed my students’ lives and communities. My last district was conservative-leaning, and I was often weighing political tension against my own highly knowledgeable, expert, teacher judgment. However, since I built relationships with parents and earned their trust, I was able to teach a variety of books in my middle school including “Monster” by Walter Dean Myers and “The Afterlife” by Gary Soto.

Below are five strategies I either used or support to bolster diverse texts in the classroom that educators can implement.

1.               The Reading Minute. Though developed for middle and high school students, elementary teachers can use Kelly Gallagher’s technique too. Choose an interesting book, but not one that students would typically gravitate to. Find a cliffhanger and read the passage for one minute but stop right before the reader finds out what happens.  Students will sit on the edge of their seats to know what happens next. Then, watch the book fly off the shelf. Books I could not teach made great candidates for The Reading Minute.

2.               Start a book garden and have students tend it. Plant the seed by suggesting one or two books by topic (e.g., family, challenges, or immigration). On a shared list, invite students to plant their own seeds, other related titles, or podcasts, and watch the book garden grow.

3.               Build relationships with students’ families.  Parents trust educators they know. During school events, host a “text forum,” and invite parents to a discussion.  Listen to concerns and share the titles you teach, want to teach, and why. A conversation with parents will likely be more fruitful and encouraging than online debates and contentious school board meetings.

4.               Ask students to write testimonials after reading a challenged book—what they learned, how they think, and why they think other students should read the text.  Make these testimonials public, either virtually or in your classroom.

5.               Contact legislators when state policy bans books. Coordinate with teachers, parents, libraries, and local efforts, like ACLU chapters, to oppose book bans.

Texts featuring a range of characters affirm students’ own experiences and understandings of who they are and expose them to people different from them, building bridges to understanding, empathy, and compassion. Educators are in positions to invite students to be full participants in the society they will one day lead, one populated and defined by richness in race, ethnicity, gender, and thought.  Books are critical for preparing students to be part of a multicultural, diverse, pluralistic society.

Click Here to Discover Some Innovative Ideas for School Libraries

As the old expression goes – you never know if you don’t try. This principle also applies when it comes to federal grants, through which billions of dollars in relief funding are available to help U.S. K-12 schools with recovery from the COVID-19 pandemic. However, many school districts have yet to take advantage of these resources.

Educators who spend time in classrooms interacting with students will be the first to admit that their needs are as wide-ranging as they are numerous. From making classrooms safer to providing high-quality instructional materials to ensuring schools leverage the most current digital tools, grant money can make all the difference.

And for school librarians in particular, these grants represent a unique opportunity to establish future-ready libraries with strong digital book collections. But when it comes to applying for the grants, finding out what kind of funding is available is only the first step.

Keys for one district’s successful grant application

After a school year full of turmoil – and during a time when educators may be feeling the effects of burnout – adding a task like applying for grants to an already long list of to-dos is a tough ask. That’s why it’s critical for educators to lean on the external resources available to them for help when seeking these funds.

For example, in the case of the Chagrin Falls Exempted Village Schools (CFEVS) in Ohio, a grant writer assisted with the school’s successful application for a $25,000 Library Services and Technology Act (LSTA) grant to purchase digital books. LSTA grants are federally funded grants administered by the State Library of Ohio. This particular grant was classified as an American Rescue Plan Act (ARPA) Outreach Grant, meaning it came from the billions of dollars allotted in early 2021 to help schools recover from the COVID-19 pandemic.

Grant money supports curriculum, diversity & more…

Though billions in relief funds may be available to schools, time is running out to figure out how to spend the money – but your school’s library is always a sound investment. New funding is helping CFEVS support Lucy Calkins curriculum, which emphasizes time spent reading and access to books, making the purchase of high-quality, grade-level appropriate titles more important than ever.

Additional funding also makes it possible to ensure that your collection includes representation of students of all races, ethnicities, and backgrounds, which can in turn aid your students’ social and emotional learning by exposing them to new perspectives. For example, CFEVS conducted a diversity audit of its collection, which revealed underrepresentation of certain groups. With the LSTA grant, it will be able to close this gap and increase the diversity of its digital collection.

…including books and materials in different formats

This diversity audit also extends to the format of the books students are reading. For CFEVS, the discovery that students at all reading levels liked audiobooks as a support for class texts led to a greater push for audiobook adoption, supported by grant funding.

With curriculum tied into pleasure reading, students can digest books in the way that’s most appealing to them. For younger students, the LSTA grant provided money to purchase more digital Read-Alongs, a valuable tool for the youngest learners, who can both see and hear words in digital books.

Get back on track with grants

School districts nationwide are continuing to grapple with unfinished learning and staffing shortages. However, there is grant money available to combat these challenges.

As CFEVS has experienced, finding a trusted partner can be key to successfully guide you when time is short to apply for the federal funds and needs are great. While there’s no silver bullet to undo the damage of the COVID-19 pandemic, federal grants are one of the best tools available to help students get back on track.

Click Here to Discover Some Innovative Ideas for School Libraries

When I finished Dan Brown’s DaVinci Code, I began researching the validity of Jesus Christ and Mary Magdalene sharing a bloodline protected by a secret society. When J.K. Rowling’s Harry Potter was accused of promoting the devil and witchcraft, I dove into the series. When Oprah pulled Jeanine Cummins’ American Dirt off her Book Club, I put it on hold at the library. 

When the world makes a fuss about a book, consider my attention piqued.

Skimming the American Library Association’s list of most banned and challenged books over time, I’ve read more than my share, from To Kill A Mockingbird, The Adventures of Huckleberry Finn, and The Diary of Anne Frank to Captain Underpants and 13 Reasons Why. I have to say I’m quite surprised Flowers in the Attic didn’t make the list as it made the 10-year-old me… well… blush.

This fall, the conversation around controversial titles is heating up in Texas and across the country. In the Lone Star State, there was an inquiry into the books available to students in Texas school districts. School districts are being asked to report if they own any of the 850 books in question and if they do, how many copies of each and how much they paid for those books.

Amid television news headlines like, “‘Pornography in Texas schools: Texas Gov. Abbott calls for removal of library books,” Texas librarians have turned to social media asking for help:

“Librarians, I need your help. This is what we are facing in Texas. My principal wants to discuss this. I have just glanced at “The List” so I know I’m going to have a bunch of these. If you’ve been through something like this, how did you handle this and what did you do? My principal is an awesome guy I’m not sure where his thoughts are on this. We’re going to talk tomorrow.”

The Texas Library Association has responded with a statement and letter writing campaign of its own, “Banding Together to Protect the Freedom to Read.”  In addition, the American Library Association has a challenge toolkit.

Yet, the available resources for school librarians do not seem to be enough. In my last column, I featured a panel discussion between three librarians for publishers who create content for schools and public libraries.  During the discussion, librarian Tamara Cox from Anderson School District in South Carolina asked publishers for support and resources to defend her growing collection of books that are generating parent challenges. 

All three panelists told publishers they have an accelerated need for more diverse authors and characters. Cox explains, “We are buying more and I’m in the deep conservative South. We are being very intentional about diversifying our collection.  We don’t want just realistic fiction that’s a sad story about a kid coming out. We want different genres.”

In one-on-one discussions with publishers, librarians say they are committed to producing more diverse content, but in recent years, sales have not reflected the vocal desire for such content. And now books that have won awards for groundbreaking content are the topics of long threads on social media where educators are sharing ideas about how to keep such books on the shelf, like this post on the Future Ready Secondary Librarians Facebook Group:

“My high school teaches Stamped by Jason Reynolds as part of the sophomore curriculum. It is being challenged by a few parents and I was wondering if any of you had any resources for the justification for teaching it.”

The replies direct the librarian to many resources including professional book reviews on collection development sites like Titlewave and state curriculum guides, because if a book meets state curriculum standards, it’s more likely to survive a challenge. Then there’s the author’s literary accomplishments, as another librarian replied, “From a purely literary perspective… he’s such an accomplished author – one who many high school students would be familiar with from reading his books in elementary and middle school…. I personally think that is reason to explore his more mature titles as well.”

Meanwhile in another Future Ready Librarians Facebook Group, a best-selling Young Adult title is under scrutiny:

“Help! My admin is bringing up a book that was challenged in a neighboring district (The Hate U Give….) and wants to know what our policy is. Before I tell him we don’t have a current policy in place, could you help me out with some language to include? THANK YOU!”

Publisher Harper Collins offers resources on how to teach The Hate U Give as part of its SHAKE UP YOUR SHELVES campaign that encourages educators to retire offensive or books and add titles that reflect the experiences of more underrepresented groups. In the The Hate U Give Educator Guide, Harper Collins explains the book can be a springboard for conversations around important themes ranging from “racism” to “identity.”

Buried in the social media threads about this book and many others, one librarian shared her hope for the future: “My hope is that all of these challenges will encourage kids to go out and actually read the books that have the adults so upset.”

Companies that sell books to schools could view these trends as an emerging crisis for our business. Yet, when I read that last comment, I smiled.  Because if students today are anything like me, reading all 850 books on that Texas list may be more of a welcome challenge than a deterrent.

Click Here to Discover Some Innovative Ideas for School Libraries

As students across the country began heading back to classrooms, a couple hundred library leaders participated in one of this summer’s Future Ready Library Summits. The guiding principle driving the agenda of this professional development opportunity for librarians was simple: students–or rather, student-centered learning. 

During the Summit, we reflected on the fact that in some cases, the students who will be returning to the classroom haven’t been in a formal school setting in a year and a half.  They are returning to the classroom, changed in many ways.  First graders may be walking into school having spent kindergarten on Zoom.  Freshmen may be entering high school after spending eighth grade being home schooled by a parent. 

As every librarian in the virtual audience was challenged to be empathetic to the challenges the return to school may bring for some students, each was also encouraged to acknowledge the progress the pandemic forced upon us. Today, students readily access digital resources. They understand the norms associated with virtual group discussion. Teachers are more comfortable delivering differentiated instruction through multiple channels.  After a year and a half of turmoil, we’ve made progress that should be celebrated.

After the Summit, I spoke with two education thought leaders and library advocates, Mark Ray, previously of Vancouver Public Schools, and Shannon McClintock Miller of Van Meter Community School in Iowa. Ray and Miller hosted and participated in the Summit, so I asked them to share their thoughts and takeaways, knowing that educators everywhere could benefit from the adult and student speakers as well as the group discussions.

Both Ray and Miller agreed the pandemic has created a unique opportunity to further empower students as creators. Ray, a staunch advocate of giving students a voice, said, “Since the idea of students as creators is already part of the Future Ready Librarians Framework, it validated both the framework itself and confirmed that student creation and creativity are key to a student-centered learning environment.”

Miller agreed. “One of the biggest things I took away from the Summit – and throughout these past 18 months – is how very essential relationships, compassion, and empathy are to the success of our roles as librarians and educators,” she said. “It’s core to everything we do. And to truly hear the voices of our students, we need to put ourselves in their shoes every single day.

We need to find ways to engage with our students and engage with our families to make sure we are supporting their needs, too. As Future Ready Librarians, we have so many opportunities to engage with our students throughout the school community, making our role important and essential. The relationships we have with our students can make such a difference in their lives.”

Both were asked to share ways educators can examine the diverse needs and hopes of students as they look forward to the school year. Miller and Ray had great suggestions and strategies that reflected discussions at the Summit.

“There was an acknowledgment that ‘business as usual’ might not look the same,” Ray said. “We posed this question to our breakout room and heard words such as ‘stability,’ ‘quiet,’ and ‘structure.’ I mused that for those like me who enjoy busy, active, and bustling library spaces, we may need to accommodate those learners who look forward to something more stable and orderly than the learning environments in their homes.”

Miller reiterated the importance of relationships in everything educators do this fall. “This gets back to knowing your students and their families. Listen, ask questions, look for the ‘little things’ they need. Find opportunities to get to know them even better, such as:

• collaborating and co-teaching with classroom teachers;
• offering before and after time in the library;
• hosting a variety of different book clubs and listening to the needs and wants of students;
• getting them involved in collection development and the physical space within the library; and
• offering clubs such as Girls Who Code and game, LEGO, science/STEAM club, knitting club, and RC car clubs.”

McClintock went on to share some specifics on how she works on relationship building at her school. “I do an annual interest survey to all her K-12 students when school starts to get them involved in our library and the programming from the very start,” she said. “I ask them about what books they want, what types of clubs or events they want, the hours (before and after school), what technology and STEAM materials they want to see in the library, and even things like virtual events. I ask about who and places they might want to have visit and I get answers such as national parks, authors and illustrators, and musicians. I also do this with our teachers because I want them to be heard within the library.

Bottom line, the motto of our library is ‘The Library Voice’–a place to be heard through creating, technology, connecting, reading, collaborating, and noise.”

The importance of social-emotional learning was also discussed at the Summit. “Along these lines, that another key idea that emerged was the need for safe and trusted adults in students’ lives,” said Ray. “During the pandemic, students were disconnected from friends, adults, and programs they rely on. Many students look forward to getting back those supports far more than they look forward to cracking the textbooks again.”

One of the key topics of discussion was educators’ top concerns as school resumes. When I asked Ray and Miller about this topic, the discussion once again turned to SEL.

“Social and emotional learning remains top of mind for educators, and rightfully so,” Ray said.   “If there is one silver lining to the school closures last year, it was a long-overdue recognition that SEL has been and will continue to be mission-critical for schools and educators. I’m optimistic that lessons have been learned about understanding and addressing student needs in this area and that for librarians and other educators, the social and emotional side of learning will be recognized as essential enabling conditions for student academic and social growth.”

Miller shared the same sentiment, and said, “I think the main thing teachers want as school resumes is the feeling of normalcy and routine. They want to make sure their students are okay and have what they need, and for them to know they are safe.”

While this information is useful, what’s the the bottom line about making sure student voices are acknowledged? What is essential, I asked our thought leaders? They both had applicable points from which every educator can benefit.

“I can’t say it often enough: Find out what students are passionate about and how you can turn that into ways to engage them and inspire them to find their voice,” Miller said. “Trust me, they all have that within, just waiting to be heard.” Miller is hosting a webinar on this topic in September, called “Giving Students Voice and Choice with Collections, Choice Boards, and More” during which she will share strategies and resources educators can use. Registration is now open.

Ray pointed out that sometimes getting at the true student voice might not be simple, but it takes a bit of reaching beyond the obvious. “In our breakout sessions, there was an important reminder that student voice is not always heard out loud,” Ray said. “As we reach out and listen to students, there needs to be different modes and channels. All students can give adults feedback and input, but not all students will share those ideas out loud or when they are asked directly. Offering a variety of avenues for students to share and communicate their interests, needs, and desires helps ensure that all voices have an opportunity to be heard.”

A highlight of the day was the discussion from two young students, Olivia and Charlotte. As Ray shared, these girls reminded Summit attendees of what all students need, not just the confident ones who already use their voices creatively.

“The students modeled creativity and confidence,” Ray said. “These are learned and practiced skills and habits of mind. It is not enough for educators to simply say ‘go be creative,’ particularly in schools where creativity has been stifled. Building confidence and fostering creativity should be a daily part of the learning day, not just something that students do for a final project or during art class. Olivia and Charlotte are wonderful young people who have enjoyed support and opportunities that have enabled their voice and agency to flourish.

The challenge now is … how can we offer those opportunities to all students?”

Click Here to Discover Some Innovative Ideas for School Libraries

School libraries have evolved from strict, quiet, hush-hush rooms to more interactive spaces with flexible seating, readily-available edtech tools, and educators on hand to help with research, critical resource evaluation, makerspaces.

It’s in school libraries where students often discover and hone their love of coding and programming, create amazing projects via makerspaces, and where they develop important 21st-century skills.

As schools plan to return to full in-person learning in the fall, students will no doubt be eager to return to their school libraries and pick up where they left off.

These five resources may help start a new school year on a fun and productive note:

1. Weava, a Chrome extension, simplifies research and lets users highlight websites and PDFs with multiple colors, make annotations, and revisit them with a single click; organize highlights into folders and sub-folders; create citations automatically for highlights; and access highlights anywhere. Highlights and notes are saved in the cloud.

2. 826 Digital offers access to hundreds of teaching resources designed to ignite a love of writing when teachers create a free account. 826 Digital comes from the 826 National Network, the largest youth writing network in the United States. The network is working toward a country in which every student has access to the joy and power of writing. 826 Digital champions student writing. By providing engaging, adaptable, standards-based resources—designed to captivate young writers and empower their educators—826 Digital aims to reach students everywhere, whether they are aspiring authors or reluctant writers.

3. NowComment makes it easy to have rich, engaging discussions of online documents no matter how large (or small) your class or collaboration group. The site is useful to discuss readings, for peer writing feedback, for distance learning, during collaborative authoring, and for scholarly annotation.

4. Skybrary is a carefully curated interactive library of eBooks and real-world video explorations designed to engage young readers and foster a love of reading. Skybrary for school can be tailored to any instructional setting and used at school and at home. The extensive library of books, videos and lesson plans is designed for all levels of students in grades K-3 across multiple subject areas.

5. Read&Write is a powerful keyboard replacement that works in every app. Supporting reading, writing, comprehension and vocabulary development, Read&Write provides a rich set of features which extend accessibility and provide a range of tools to help with literacy, including text to speech, prediction, a dictionary and talking dictionary, and a picture dictionary. Available for iOS and Android.

In Part I of this series, I reflected on the journey that led Follett Learning to Future Ready Librarians® and why the time has never been better for librarians to transform their programs using Future Ready tools. 

Now, let’s explore the most important question: Where do you start?

I used to advise librarians to pick a wedge of the Future Ready Librarians framework that aligned with their school’s or district’s strategic objectives. Today, aspiring Future Ready Librarians have a new Self-Assessment Tool designed to assess their strengths and areas of growth related to the Future Ready Librarians framework. Where are you on your Future Ready journey?   

In a perfect world, your strengths will align to your district’s needs, which means it’s time to have a conversation with your district leadership. Sound scary? Follett and the Alliance for Excellent Education partnered with librarian leaders Mark Ray and Shannon McClintock Miller to develop a guide to help you start that conversation. Let’s Talk: A Conversation Starter for Future Ready Librarians is designed to remove any anxiety about sharing the ways in which you and your library can support schools in this new world. 

The guide poses big reflection questions like:

• As you look at the main areas of focus for your school and district as they existed before the pandemic, what are some of the challenges you see as educators seek to implement these goals?
• What changes have occurred that create new opportunities for more collaboration?
• What are some of the outstanding challenges faced by classroom educators that didn’t exist before the pandemic?
• What will educators need to be successful in the future?

Ray explains that suggestions and answers to those questions will help district leaders better understand that they already have a leader in their buildings whose expertise has never been timelier. “As someone who has written, spoken, and testified to this for years, librarians are leadership solutions hiding in plain sight,” Ray said.  “Their systems knowledge, technology expertise, responsibility for all students and educators, and service ethos are unique in schools. Both within and beyond the pandemic era, these are skills that few other educators can offer.”

Miller challenges librarians who feel they don’t have a seat at the table to pull up a chair. “Don’t even be afraid to shout from the rooftop how awesome you are and your program is because that is what it takes to get a seat at the table sometimes,” Miller said. “And at times, don’t ask for a seat at the table…just show up, make yourself available, show all that you have to give, and be YOU. YOU, as a Future Ready Librarian, are what all school communities need to make a difference within decision making.”

Dave Schuler of Illinois, 2018 Superintendent of the Year, reinforces why it’s up to librarians to bring solutions to district leaders: “When I think of a future ready librarian, I think of someone who exhausts all opportunities to provide resources for every student and every teacher in a school to enhance learning and student growth. A future ready librarian is not waiting for teachers and students to come to them. Rather they are actively engaged in meeting the learning needs and expectations of every student and teacher in their building.”

For those of you who are reading this and feeling a bit insecure about your “future readiness,” you’re not alone. Mastering all of the Future Ready wedges doesn’t happen overnight. Which is why we created the free Future Ready Librarian Summits, the Exploring Future Ready Librarianship online course, and Professional Learning Groups like the wildly popular Future Ready Librarians Facebook page where 26,500 of your colleagues are helping and supporting each other on their journeys.

Miller is one of a number of library leaders who moderates and relies on the Facebook group. “Also, being a Future Ready Librarian means that we are part of a larger community, one that supports, lifts, inspires, and pushes us to be the best we can be,” Miller shared. “One of my favorite parts of Future Ready Librarians is this global group of colleagues and friends we have grown over the last 5 years, and one that I count on every single day.”

While the journey ahead contains many uncertainties, as we emerge from the pandemic, Ray encourages librarians to seize the opportunity posed by the immediate need for extensive and immersive digital resources, a likely reversion to a blend of print and digital content, and a windfall of funding for K-12 schools. “To quote Robert Frost, ‘two paths diverged in a yellow wood,’” Ray said.
“The pandemic was an opportunity for school librarians to demonstrate value in an exceptional time. Those who rose to the occasion to lead, teach, and support schools in new ways will likely be part of the transition of schools which is still too early to perceive. Others will be asked ‘what did you do to make a difference when it mattered?’”

For those district leaders facing difficult budget decisions, the Future Ready Librarian framework is a way for you to examine what role you see your library playing in a post-pandemic world. Every Library Executive Director John Chraska says the data is clear that students in schools without a library program will suffer. “It is always hard to ‘prove the negative’ when advocating to restore a school library program or school librarian position. But the school librarian is the only expert librarianship in the school.”

Chrastka said: “What’s lost when a librarian role is cut is both quantitative – if the studies about student achievement are true – and qualitative – if what we know about how reading and discovery are core parts of personal growth and development are also true. It’s important to first educate and orient your stakeholders to what your unique and powerful role is, and then to find the allies and partners who also care about both types of outcomes. It takes real courage to fight against a bad decision by the administration. But you can forestall the fight with information, data, and power-building in advance.”

Schuler says the librarians in his district are already well on their way to being Future Ready and encourages other district leaders to spend some time examining their library programs to understand the deep ways in which librarians can help solve big problems for districts. “It is imperative that our school librarians are active partners in ensuring our quest for equitable opportunities, access, and success for every student in our school buildings. Our incredible librarians take their role incredibly seriously, and I have been thrilled to see the innovative and collaborative approach they have taken to their work to provide resources to meet the learning needs of every student in our district.”

The time is now. The need is here. The funding is following. The Conversation Starter guide may say it best: “The future may have changed, but the need to be future ready is still there.”

Confession: I’m a bit of a hoarder. I’ve kept every email, text message, and document I’ve ever written.  It’s probably the journalist in me. Or it’s being the daughter of two antique collectors and the granddaughter of a collector of everything. 

Yet quite often, calling on history can help us make more informed decisions about the present. 

As I reflected on the structure of this article, my archived files got some exercise as I reflected on the origins of Future Ready Librarians® and why the journey we took to create the program has never been more important than today. 

Let’s go back to October of 2012

In a panel discussion about the future of libraries in McHenry, Illinois, librarian, Future Ready Librarians spokesperson, and Washington State Teacher of the Year Mark Ray said, “There are forces coming that will change education independent of our control. How do librarians support where we need to be? The role must transcend the library and be thought of as an integrated piece. Not everyone will be able to make this transition.”

That was 2012.

Ray added, “What keeps the Department of Education and superintendents up at night? How can librarians and libraries solve those problems? What does leadership in the library world look like in the modern world – is it leadership beyond the library? Future ready librarians are informed but not defined by librarianship and they are doing their best work beyond the library. There needs to be a movement away from isolation. I see eight roles:

1. Digital strategist
2. Data and metadata mavens
3. Teaching pioneers
4. Technologists
5. Virtual administrators
6. Innovation integrators
7. Blended learning baristas
8. Online learning engineers”

Ray’s words took eight years to become reality. We can all agree, the future is here. 

Ray’s thoughts were visionary, and because of his and others’ commitment, advocacy, and work, today’s librarians have tangible tools to transform their roles into any one of those eight “job titles.” 

Future Ready Librarians becomes a reality

As a result of that meeting and many more over the past eight years, Future Ready Librarians became a reality. Our initial goal was to advise districts on what a future ready library and librarian should look like through updated job description templates and evaluation rubrics. That vision evolved into what is now the Future Ready Librarian framework: a guide to help librarians, principals, and superintendents define what they want their library to be in a future ready world, and how they want their librarian to lead. Not surprisingly, the wedges of the Future Ready Librarian framework look very similar to the eight roles Ray envisioned long before Future Ready and long before a global pandemic.

Follett, Ray, and other librarian leaders like Shannon McClintock Miller have worked with the Alliance for Excellent Education to bring the framework to life as part of the Future Ready Schools program. Ray explains, “Future Ready began five years ago when ‘the future’ was optional. Today, the future is not optional. We are redefining schools in real time. You’re either part of the solution. Or you’re watching the problems being solved around you. Schools weren’t ready for this future. But those who were professionally primed for rapid transitions are the ones leading the way now.”

Lia Dossin with the Alliance explains, “Being future ready isn’t about a sticker or a title, it’s about having a commitment to leadership, equity, and student-centered learning. It’s about a vision for re-imagining and re-designing schools to support student success, and to ensure that each student graduates from high school with the agency, passion, and skills to be a productive, successful, and responsible citizen. The role of the librarian, like many roles in education, is changing and adjusting as we reimagine what education looks like.”

What does it mean to be a Future Ready Librarian?

Librarian and Future Ready Librarian spokesperson Miller explains what it means to be a Future Ready Librarian as we emerge from the global pandemic. “Being a Future Ready Librarian means that I am continuously looking forward to how I can be the best at what I do, and what I can do to make my school community, teachers, and students ready for today’s educational world and for the future. Future Ready librarians play a critical role in the strategic work of schools and educational systems as we lead from the library; inspire and support the reading lives of both students and teachers; empower students as creators and learners; curate content; instill innovative instructional practices; build and foster community partnerships; and more.”

Miller continued, “We, as Future Ready Librarians, serve as the heart of the school, inspiring those around us to embrace the change we can bring through our roles as librarians and as leaders. Within the last year, as the world and education has shifted, librarians have become stronger, more innovative, and have taken the lead. It has been an exciting time for us and one that will empower us to shine even brighter. This is our time to shine, friends!”  

The future is NOW

As Ray and Miller have articulated, the timing has never been better to begin your Future Ready Librarian journey. As a result of state and federal funding, billions of dollars are descending upon education in the coming months and years. The Alliance explains that districts need a leader in every building who can:

• Ensure students have access to a diverse collection of materials that is accessible on and off campus
• Lead digital citizenship programming for both students and the community
• Teach students and the community the importance of new literacy and provide the necessary tools and resources to support informed decision making
• Collaborate with teachers to support high-quality and effective digital learning implementation that supports student success

And that’s Future Ready.

Watch for Part II of this article tomorrow, where I’ll share what we’ve heard from librarian and district leaders about where to start and the amazing tools that will help you along your journey.

Click Here to Discover Some Innovative Ideas for School Libraries

A virtual reality field trip. A lesson on how to create a podcast. A tutorial on how to create a paper circuit board that uses LED lights. For a new generation of educators, these pursuits have something in common: They’re all appropriate learning exercises that can take place in the school library. Makerspaces, or library media centers that encourage collaboration and support student invention, are on the rise across the United States.

This has always been the case, but in a prevailing learning culture that promotes outside-the-box problem solving, these activities are growing more common in the 21st-century school library. At the intersection of analog and digital learning opportunities, the value of school libraries has increased at all levels of education. And at the helm of these spaces, school librarians must negotiate how best to support students with library resources, adapt to new technological advancements in education and pass on the fundamental tenets of digital and information literacy to students.

As the U.S. public education system has evolved throughout its history, school libraries have also developed with a consistent central goal: to give students the best opportunity to succeed academically.

The Evolution of the School Library

Before school libraries would begin to morph into multimedia digital information centers, they supported student literacy-building practices by providing access to their on-site book collections. From the first plans for a school library in the United States drafted in 1743 by Benjamin Franklin, school district libraries would continue to sprout across the nation during the next two centuries. By the mid-1950s, schools would adopt localized, attached libraries in which librarians are considered qualified teachers, educating both students and instructors.

The face of public education has fundamentally changed since then, through the nationwide integration of schools, the rapid progress of education technology and the academic opportunities offered to students, to name a few. Because of these dramatic changes to the world of education, the expectations and  responsibilities of school library faculty have understandably seen a dramatic shift as well.

Today, school librarians are not only responsible for administering and collating their collections. Instead, librarians promote creativity and discovery in student learning by offering multimedia resources. With school libraries beginning to function as digital media centers, these tools enable students to explore new modes of thought and include:

• Planning, drafting and executing podcasts or audio essays
• Access to audiobooks and online tutorials
• Online or in-person tutorials on how to use video-, audio- or photo-editing software
• Workshops on internet and information literacy

Modern Librarian Roles and Responsibilities

With these new responsibilities, librarians now occupy a multitude of additional roles, too. The Association of College and Research Libraries, which is an organization of college educators and librarians and a division of the American Library Association, lays out the seven roles of librarians in school systems today. The goal with highlighting these different titles librarians must take on is “to conceptualize and describe the broad nature and variety of the work that teaching librarians undertake as well as the related characteristics which enable librarians to thrive within those roles.”

While these roles were drafted to appeal specifically to university and college librarians, they are universal enough to be relevant to school librarians working in primary and secondary school media centers, too.

• Advocate – As advocates, library teachers are responsible for encouraging and outwardly supporting the advancement of student learning and information and digital literacy in education. Moreover, school library faculty must partner with administrators and teachers to ensure students adopt effective critical thinking and research skills.
• Coordinator – In order for a library to run smoothly and enable students to engage with different literacies, school librarians must facilitate an inclusive and supportive learning environment. This means that coordinators need to make a point to stay on the same page as teachers, administrators and parents to serve students best.
• Instructional Designer – Library materials often carry the unfair stigma of being boring. And it makes sense – the image of the uptight librarian has persisted through the past century. In the current technological landscape, though, librarians are positioned to provide students engaging, dynamic library resources as instructional designers. As instructional designers, librarians collaborate with teachers to develop learning materials to reach students best.
• Lifelong Learner – Librarians as lifelong learners lead by example. Lifelong learning librarians can motivate students through an unrelenting pursuit of knowledge, which can inspire students to engage in independent research curiosities.
• Leader – School librarians must lead not only in their library spaces but, additionally, across an array of contexts. As leaders, librarians are prepared to guide students through reading and research processes at the same time that they offer necessary support to teachers.
• Teacher-Librarian – As teachers, librarians evaluate the best kind of learning practices for students, faculty and administrators. In other words, school librarians should be trained educators charged with providing information literacy opportunities to learners across an array of contexts. For example, while librarians help students understand how to navigate databases to collect research, they also provide support to teachers to educate their students on the best informational and digital literacy practices.
• Teaching Partner – To highlight the importance of collaboration, librarians should work as teaching partners with other educators in the school to build engaging learning materials for students. This collaboration can take place in the form of guiding a class discussion, creating assignments and responding to student work.

To this end, there are several capacities in which librarians excel in teaching. Because libraries are often the physical sites of research, reading, exploration and discovery, librarians occupy different positions to help facilitate the learning process. Students can’t take advantage of the library without a basic understanding of the ways libraries function, and the academic article “Librarians, Libraries, and the Scholarship of Teaching and Learning” highlights how librarians intervene to help the learning process. By partnering with discipline-specific educators in school settings, school librarians can develop focused materials to help guide student research projects.

The article states that while “the library can be at the center of connections among all of the university’s academic units, it is well placed to create and support initiatives that develop cross‐disciplinary pedagogical excellence.” In other words, as librarians work with faculty representing different subjects and age ranges, both students and teachers will engage with unfamiliar perspectives.

Design-Focused Teaching

There’s a prevailing misconception about how the path of the librarian is not a design-focused one. Instead, librarians follow deliberate, creative processes when planning lessons. And when librarians approach their lesson planning as an element of design, students ultimately become more engaged. While any instruction planning is a form of design, librarians for elementary school audiences, for example, must diligently design engaging storytime lessons to help prompt students to develop listening and literacy skills.

In the scholarly article “Learning by Design: Creating Knowledge through Library Storytime Production,” researchers state that librarians must “plan, deliver and reflect on storytimes in implicit ways that seem to align with design principles.” As a result, this new model of design focuses on two primary exchanges that influence each other significantly: from storytime planning to storytime delivery and from peer mentoring to self-reflection. Further, school librarians must plan for future library storytime sessions as they reflect on both the successes and drawbacks of past presentations. The researchers conclude by calling for greater attention to how storytime planning and execution are design-focused processes.

How Librarians Serve Students

Another common misconception is that librarians are laser-focused on promoting reading – primarily of fiction. But this simply isn’t true in the modern educational climate. In addition to their focus on reading,  library teachers are responsible for promoting information and digital literacies, which help democratize academic standards and provide students access to learning resources otherwise unavailable.

Overcoming Barriers through Information Literacy Instruction

School library faculty don many hats to promote student learning, and modern librarians have demonstrated a firm commitment to centering diversity in libraries. According to an article in the academic journal American Society for Information Science and Technology, improved technological instruction on assignments through librarian intervention can help students with learning disabilities and barriers. Specifically, school librarians have found novel ways to connect with students of diverse achievement levels. In the article, researchers monitored the ways that 11th-grade students in a remedial education program navigated a major research project for an American Literature course. The goal of the study was to observe and offer solutions to areas that these students found challenging or inaccessible.

Notably, the researchers discovered that “technological and instructional mediation would motivate the students’ interest in their information seeking and use.” In other words, as libraries continue to modernize and offer information literacy resources in technologically inviting ways, students will be able to navigate research databases and library systems in totally digital capacities. These resources include digital archives, national library databases & collections, online databases of text, still images and audio, video and digital documents. As a result, they will be significantly better prepared to conduct independent research and think critically while they prepare to enter the next stage of their academic and professional lives.

As these technological innovations have begun to take hold in academic settings, libraries have played a monumentally important role in inviting college students to hone their information literacy. As an academic article published in the scholarly journal Health Information and Libraries Journal notes, librarians play a unique role in preparing students to grapple with scholarship across an array of disciplines. While researchers focus on the benefits and drawbacks of the ways librarians teach information literacy practices, they also unequivocally highlight that “library‐based information literacy teaching is perhaps even more relevant and useful to graduates and practicing professionals than it was in the days where the focus was on the use of a particular bibliographic tool or index.”

Prior to the advent of the internet as a research tool, librarians in university settings and some high schools focused heavily on citation methods and formats. In today’s technological landscape, though, school librarians play a much more critical role in helping students to understand the validity and legitimacy of sources. Researchers argued in this article that some of the information literacy skills taught in universities have little real-world application. At the same time, though, they showcase the importance of critical thinking that school library faculty facilitate in their information literacy instruction.

Margaret K. Merga, a scholar featured in the academic journal Literacy, highlights that the value of school libraries can be seen in how their “most expected contribution relates to the fostering of literacy and literature learning through wide reading and reading engagement in students.” At the same time, there are some different learning barriers that school librarians help students overcome based on Merga’s study of 30 schools:

• Time management and task prioritization
• Packed and overwhelming curriculum
• Difficulty engaging students
• Demotivation
• Budgeting limitations

Merga concludes that “attention needs to be given to these barriers to support the important role that school [libraries] and their librarians can play in fostering the learning of contemporary students.” With this logic, it’s clear that library teachers today help with so much more than just issuing books or introducing students to navigating the shelves.

Language Learning in the Modern Library

Outside of basic literacy adoption practices, the value of school libraries can also be seen in the ways librarians help students learn new languages. An article recently published in The Modern Language Journal applies a linguistic, ethnographic approach to understand better how information assistants and librarians engage in  “translanguaging.” Translanguaging is a novel concept that helps language learners understand better the “communicative practices in which people engage as they bring into contact different biographies, histories and linguistic backgrounds.”

While the researchers for this study focused on the benefits of the public library on language adoption, school librarians can also intervene in the learning process. As arbiters of information, librarians can help students locate reading materials and online resources that will ultimately give students a greater understanding and a deeper context of the language. Moreover, students will have access to these reading materials and digital resources – including talk-to-translate, virtual reality language learning, language learning apps and language learning software – offered in libraries that could otherwise be unavailable at home.

Why Are School Libraries Important in the Information Age?

Libraries across the country are modernizing in unexpected ways. As technology continues to advance, it becomes more accessible. Librarians have adapted, and outside of the digital archiving and expanded information literacy focuses they have taken on, they have also begun exploring other forms of media to offer educational support to students. For example, as the New York Times reported in April 2020, the Library of Congress has created a new digital tool to help aspiring DJs. The tool is called Citizen DJ:

“Users can access a pool of free-to-use sounds from the library’s audio and moving-image collections, including recordings from vaudeville acts, interviews with entertainers, speeches and rights-free music. They can select a sound to remix or download sounds in bulk, all while being encouraged to engage with the original source material.”

This specific process of introducing new technologies has become important for librarians, as it aligns with an overall ethos that focuses on discovery, exploration, understanding and appreciation to fuel a creative process. Technological progress is ultimately helping school library faculty become more versatile in the way they serve students.

Our technological climate has fundamentally changed how school library faculty help both students and fellow teachers. As a result, there’s beginning to be more room for collaboration between technology specialists and librarians, which could be the next breakthrough in school libraries, according to Lois D. Wine in the Journal of Education for Library and Information Science.  

Wine stated that as technological advancements have made educational resources more accessible, more positions for digital media librarians have been added to schools. These new librarians:

• Offer support to teachers as they introduce technology into their lesson plans
• Train teachers and students on how to use new technology
• Suggest new media technologies for schools to buy
• Recommend policy and process procedures regarding technology

School library faculty have begun to administer dynamic and new initiatives to get teachers and students on the same page with information literacy.

The Modernized Learning Process in the Library

Outside of the ways that librarians can help prepare students for different technological landscapes, libraries themselves can incorporate different technologies to help with learning process. Alison Marcotte of American Libraries wrote about the ways that some libraries are employing virtual reality (VR), augmented reality (AR) and mixed reality (MR) to build engaging learning materials. These features give students a unique opportunity to dive into “immersive virtual field trips, such as a walk through the solar system… or a walk around a refugee camp,” allowing students  to grapple with natural phenomena or better empathize with marginalized perspectives in substantive ways. Additionally, this level of immersion will build truly memorable experiences for students, and as the technology becomes more accessible and widely used, school librarians will be able to create resonant, innovative lessons.

This interactive measure isn’t exclusive to VR, AR or MR measures, though. As technology has progressed and become more accessible, libraries are uniquely poised to act as makerspaces, as physical areas where collaboration among students is encouraged. For example, according to an academic article titled “Library as Collaboratory,” Miami University’s Business, Engineering, Science and Technology Library features a 3D printer that has “developed into a high demand service that promotes learning for a broad range of users.” The 3D printing opportunity has caused a swell of interdisciplinary interest among students at the university, and as a result, more students have begun to engage in “printing tasks, gaining technical skills and enabling the library to expand its services.”

This is a significant step for a number of reasons. For one, because this library has elected to progress technologically by hosting a 3D printer, students will gain real-world experience in fields they have already demonstrated an interest in joining. Second, the school library as a makerspace firmly and outwardly marks itself as a place that invites innovation. Students will be more inclined to try new designs, calculate new prints and even fail in their independent projects as they learn the capabilities of the machine. As a result, students will be much better prepared to engage with emerging technologies and pursue STEM careers later in life.

The Value of School Libraries on the Web

At the same time that some school libraries promote educational technologies, others have begun to tap into another trend of the 21^st century: social media. Social media practices between public and school libraries have historically served as barriers for getting students interested in digital, informational and technological literacy adoption.

An article titled “Social Media Practices and Support in U.S. Public Libraries and School Library Media Centers” proposes that as libraries “harness the power of social networking tools,” they will experience a greater engagement with students, and specifically with teens. In a qualitative survey of 750 public libraries and 750 school libraries, the researchers discovered that public school policies often act as barriers to the ability for school libraries to engage with students on social media. Overwhelmingly, public school library policy would prohibit students from posting while at school.

Further, researchers found that after eliminating these obstacles and promoting responsible social media sharing, libraries are uniquely poised to use social media channels and interactions as learning moments. By sharing new information with students and faculty or by promoting a higher level of visibility in the library, library educators have a unique chance to introduce students to novel library resources. As a result, libraries may have an opportunity to provide teenage students a roadmap for appropriate internet etiquette, particularly through social media channels.

The Continued Importance of School Libraries

Schools resoundingly feature libraries and digital media centers. As the National Center for Education Statistics stated, as recently as 2016, “95% of elementary schools and 82% of secondary schools had a library or media center.” These facilities will continue to need administrators trained to serve students’ literacy needs and adapt to new technologies.

The value of school libraries is vital for lifelong development of students. School librarians help reinforce critical thinking, independent research and information literacy skills. According to School Library Journal, the number of traditional school librarians has decreased during the past 20 years, but these positions haven’t disappeared. Instead, their roles and responsibilities have evolved —  the number of library instructional coordinators has more than doubled.

Because of this demand for modern librarians, it’s never been a better time to make an impact as a school librarian. To successfully secure a position on a school’s library faculty, it’s often necessary to have the appropriate certification. An online Master of Education in Library Media is an excellent way to gain the foundation to build an inviting, inclusive and productive library space.

At the University of West Alabama, you will become familiar with the ins and outs of instructional media and school library services as you engage with topics including information literacy, reference services and library technology. In one year, you can navigate the program’s online classroom while maintaining your personal and professional responsibilities. Learn more about the program today and begin your path to leading a school’s library media center.

New questions from school librarians…

Will ultra violet disinfectant devices damage books?
How long should I quarantine a book before circulating it again?
How can I use technology to coordinate curbside pick-up for students who want to check out print books?

Meet the same old challenges…

How can I ensure teachers know about the content available in my library?
My principal wants to convert my library into a classroom. What should I do?
My budget is on hold until further notice.

Back-to-school season is often chaotic, but the anticipation of a new school year can also be exciting. 2020 brought chaos, anticipation, trepidation, and change. As districts pivot to new ways of teaching and learning, school librarians must also grapple with how to do their jobs in the COVID-19 virtual environment.

Related content: How school librarians can save democracy

The very nature of a library implies physical books stored on rows of shelves. But with school closures the norm—not the exception—students no longer have access to the place many of them found comfort and knowledge: the school library.

Of the 25,000 customers who responded to a recent Follett survey, only 15 percent of schools are delivering fully in-school instruction. What’s more, the American Association of School Librarians recently surveyed more than 1,000 professionals and found that more than 40 percent of school libraries will not reopen this school year.

In many districts across the country, the librarian’s job description had not been updated to reflect a “future ready” world that includes the delivery of digital resources, curriculum partnerships, and community connections. When you layer on a pandemic that includes hybrid and remote learning, there is no job description available. But resourceful school librarians from coast to coast are finding innovative ways to work in a system that has no precedent.

“Librarians save lives by handing the right book at the right time to a kid in need.” (Judy Blume)

Librarians, by nature, want to help young readers—and each other. This has never been more evident than in recent discussions in the Future Ready Librarian Facebook group. Michigan school librarian Lisa Smith Brakel asked, “We are face-to-face this year. My school is using a ‘fogger’ to disinfect classrooms. I am worried about the library books. Should the fogger be used in the library?”

Leave it to a librarian to come up with an inventive makerspace-style solution: hang plastic shower curtains from the dollar store in front of the bookshelves to protect the books.

Other school librarians who have in-person instruction in their schools are wearing out their book carts as they wheel books from classroom to classroom to ensure students have materials they are excited about—even if they can’t visit their library in person. Massachusetts librarian Kerry Roche Ferguson said she decorated “a cart, aka ‘book bus,’ and [am] lugging it down two flights of stairs to the other end of the building to make checkout fun for the kids.”

For those with all-remote learning, taking their library online is a challenge—but is also rewarding.

“I’m creating a lot of digital content, which takes a long time but is pretty fun!” said California librarian Christine Jensen. “I just started doing unboxing videos when book shipments arrive and I read first chapters from four different books every week. I’m running four virtual book clubs and doing book talks in a way I never have before.”

Librarians are even thinking ahead by having students fill out surveys about the books they like to read, so if a student can’t be in school due to COVID, the librarian can easily select books to send home.

“We are trying to get physical library books in rotation, and are figuring out logistics and safety,” said Washington librarian Traci Plaster Chun. But in addition to getting physical books to students, Chun says librarians are also playing a greater role with families. “We have been supporting parents in this pandemic, which has been a shift. Teachers and parents are working so hard; I feel it’s my role to help make their jobs easier with tech, resources, eBooks, and whatever they need. We know our students, our curriculum, our teachers, and so it makes sense that we jump in. We can personalize for our families.”

To combat the COVID-slide, another district is strategizing how to get parents reading more and is planning a book club for Spanish-speaking parents.

For those “virtual librarians,” Future Ready Librarian spokesperson and Van Meter Community School District librarian Shannon McClintock Miller is hosting webinars to spark ideas and share best practices across the country because the reality is no one has done this before. But it’s an opportunity to define that future job description.

“I think the part of my job that has changed the most is the amount of collaboration I am doing with teachers, administrators and families,” Miller said. “I have always done a lot of collaboration, but now we are planning, creating and teaching together more than ever. And they are so open to all ideas I bring to the table—resources, technology, innovative ideas and projects. A wall has been taken down. It’s one of the best things.”

Whether in-person, hybrid or remote, one thing has not changed for school librarians is their desire to connect readers with books. While there’s no book with answers on how to be a librarian during a pandemic, there is resourceful community of peers who are eager to share ideas and solutions. And when school librarians collaborate, one thing is certain: we will figure it out together!

Regardless of one’s political views, there seems to be consensus on one political reality: America is dangerously polarized. According to Michelle Luhtala, Library Department Chair at New Canaan High School in Connecticut, in a recent edWebinar, “The future of democracy presents a case for the critical need for school librarians in every school.”

School librarians are essential to help students gain equitable access to high-quality inquiry instructional experiences for all learners–not just for the future of education but also for the future of democracy.

The problem

Luhtala suggests that political belief polarization may emerge because of people’s conflicting confirmation and desirability biases, which leads them to interpret new evidence as a confirmation of one’s own existing beliefs and theories.

Related content: School librarians facilitate learning despite massive school closures

Two-thirds of U.S. adults get their news from social media, and 42 percent think that the news they’re getting is 100 percent accurate. Fifty-eight percent of college students get their news from social media; however, they read news differently if they’re consuming it for their recreational life than if they’re re-consuming it for their academic life.

In contrast, educators observe that school-age students read the news the same way as they do for their social life for their classes. They come into the process saying, “I already know what I’m going to say, I just need to find the resources and write it.” These biases defeat the purpose of inquiry-based learning and distort interpretations of news and fact-based research.

The solution

According to Luhtala, “We have a problem or at least the perception of the problem that democracy is in jeopardy.” The internet is both the world’s best fact checker and the world’s best bias-confirmer, often at the same time. So, when we see the news, we have to read it with our brain and not our hearts, and we have to teach our students to do the same.

Democracy dies in darkness, so critical thinking is essential for democracy. As educators, it is incumbent upon us to teach critical thinking to even our youngest students. School librarians and classroom teachers have the responsibility to teach skills that ensure students distinguish news reporting from editorials and letters to the editor, be critical viewers of websites, and use resources ethically.

Call to action

Critical thinking is a crucial component of democracy. It is imperative that educators promote inquiry, teach critical thinking, cultivate news literacy, protect privacy, and embrace best practices. We need to teach students to internalize the inquiry process where they’re questioning everything and being critical and rational about their consumption of news.

Besides classroom teachers, school librarians have the responsibility, capacity, and training to teach inquiry-based learning. The challenge is that school librarians’ positions are being reduced or eliminated. Hence, school leaders need to understand the critical role that librarians have in ensuring that future participation in the democratic process.

The internet, online learning environments, and edtech software are not replacements for highly qualified, certified school librarians. These skilled educators need to be supported, valued, and retained to ensure that democracy is saved.

About the presenter

Michelle Luhtala, Library Department Chair at New Canaan High School in Connecticut, was one of five school librarians named as a “Mover and Shaker” by Library Journal in 2015. She is the winner of the 2011 “I Love My Librarian” Award and the Library Association’s 2010 Outstanding Librarian Award. The New Canaan High School Library won AASL’s National School Library Program of the year in 2010. Follow Michelle on Twitter @mluhtala.

Join the community

Emerging Tech for Schools and Libraries is a free professional learning community on edWeb.net where school librarians, teachers, and administrators can explore all the ways to integrate technology and 21st century learning into school library programs.

This edWeb broadcast was sponsored by Mackin Educational Resources. View the recording of the edWebinar here.