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The Future of School Librarian Research: Beyond 2019

By Daniella Smith on 11/26/2019 • ( 1 )

The picture was purchased from DepositPhotos.com.

Last month, I wrote about the 2019 AASL National Conference and the ESLS Research Symposium. In this post, I am reporting some of the symposium results. I am also going to take a moment to brag about my experience. I had a wonderful time, and I was in great company. A distinguished group of school librarians, school librarian educators, researchers, and advocates were in attendance. Our current and past AASL presidents attended. Thank you to everyone that joined us.

Proposed Research Questions

During my presentation, I asked participants to share research questions to support the future of school librarianship. I am sharing them here because I believe that professional practice should inform research and vice-versa. I hope these questions will help you to explore how our profession can fully embrace the multifaceted roles that must be fulfilled in schools. The questions that were generated by the attendees were as follows:

How do we impact schools rather than academic achievement? The notes accompanying this question explained that academic achievement is challenging to define. The concepts of motivation and self-concept should be explored within this question.
Where do we know we make a difference? We should consider topics like safe spaces and mental health, intellectual freedom, and reading.
What librarian behaviors encourage students to read?
How do librarians champion choice in reading?
How does over-scheduling impact the reading habits of children? How do competing activities?
How do students perceive the school library as helpful?
How can librarians use fiscal justifications to get the most impact for the money?
What does a good school librarian program look like?
How do we measure school library effectiveness?
Is evidence-based practice effecting change?
What is missing from the curriculum for school librarian preparation?
What do school administrators know about school librarians?
How do school administrators perceive school libraries?
Where does information about school librarians fit into educational leadership programs?
What do school librarians know about project-based learning?
What do school librarians know about instructional design?
How do school librarians impact social-emotional learning (SEL)?
How do school librarians impact social justice?
How do school librarians impact information access and equity?
What is the definition of a makerspace?
What are the best practices for student learning regardless of the type of schedule implemented in the school library?
What is the process that library students go through to become school librarians?
How do school librarians transition from the class?
How can the impact of the school library programming in the instructional process and on content learning be measured?

Examples of Studies

I also asked participants to provide brief examples of studies based on their questions. Although the cases are not in-depth, they do provide a starting point for studies that can be completed in the future. Some of the groups denoted challenges and methods that could be used to implement their studies. I have transcribed them as closely as possible.

Please pardon me for any notes that I have missed. I also skipped adding two studies because they were well thought out. I believe the researchers that shared the ideas will want to implement them in the future.

Study 1: How can the impact of the school library programming in the instructional process and on content learning be measured? The research could be completed with a qualitative study that utilizes interviews with teachers and students. Surveys would also be useful. This study would propose an IRB challenge because it can be difficult to get permission to work with students.
Study 2: The Knowledge Quest (KQ) website is a rich data source of trending topics relevant to the school librarian community. A content analysis of topics in relation to the AASL Standards would be useful for educating new school librarians. Analysis of practitioner Twitter and Instagram accounts could supplement the information found on the KQ website.
Study 3: There is still a need to understand how school librarians can motivate students to read. For example, do book talks help to increase circulation? This study would examine circulation data, school librarian behaviors that promote reading, and track student reading outcomes after the school librarian promotion behaviors begin. This research would combine discourse analysis as a component of ethnographic research. Data collection methods include interviews with students and librarians.
Study 4: How do students perceive the school library as helpful? This proposed qualitative study would involve surveys, interviews, and a focus group to elicit student responses to the research question. It would be good to replicate the Ohio Research Study (Ohio Educational Library Media Association & Leadership 4 School Libraries 2002).
Study 5: What do school administrators know about school librarians? This study could be implemented with a survey of administrators and focus groups. Education courses would be compared to the state standards to determine the skills that are required. State department of education personnel and faculty in colleges of education should be interviewed too.

In conclusion, the symposium was only 3.5 hours. Initially, I wondered how we were going to fill up the time. Soon I noticed that we would not have enough time to discuss research thoroughly. There is so much work for us to do. Let us continue with more discourse. It is my opinion that research topics need to be explored through collaborative efforts between school librarian educators, researchers, school district administration, and school librarians to maximize their effectiveness. I hope that the ESLS Community of Scholars will be able to provide guidance for investigating the research questions and studies in the future.

I also promised to share my presentation. Here is the link: The Past, Present, and Future: Examining the State of School Library Research .

Work Cited:

Ohio Educational Library Media Association & Leadership 4 School Libraries. 2002. Student Learning through Ohio School Libraries: The Ohio Research Study. https://www.oelma.org/ohio_research_study.php.

Author: Daniella Smith

Daniella Smith, PhD. is a former school and public librarian. She is currently the Hazel Harvey Peace Professor in Children’s Library Services at the University of North Texas.

School Library Research (SLR)

Publication analysis, about the publication.

Title: School Library Research ( SLR )

ISSN : 2165-1019

Website: http://www.ala.org/aasl/slr

Purpose, objective, or mission: School Library Research ( SLR ) is the research journal of the American Association of School Librarians, which is a division of the American Library Association. The purpose of the journal “is to promote and publish high quality original research concerning the management, implementation, and evaluation of school library programs.” The journal also emphasizes “research on instructional theory, teaching methods, and critical issues relevant to school libraries and school librarians.” SLR succeeds School Library Media Research and School Library Media Quarterly Online. “ 1

Target audience: SLR’ s target audience is “academic scholars, school librarians, instructional specialists and other educators who strive to provide a constructive learning environment for all students and teachers.” 2

Publisher: American Library Association.

Peer reviewed? Yes, double-blind peer review. 3

Type: LIS scholarly journal.

Medium: Online, open access. 4

Content: SLR publishes original research reports, conceptual essays, and literature review and proposal papers. 5 The journal also distributes “major research findings worldwide through both electronic publication and linkages to substantive documents on the Internet.” 6

Frequency of publication: Each volume is published annually, but articles are added to the electronic journal after peer review and acceptance by the editorial board. 7

About the publication’s submission guidelines

Location of submission guidelines: Submit a Manuscript .

Types of contributions accepted: SLR accepts high-quality, original research on the the management, implementation, and evaluation of school library programs and on instructional theory, teaching methods, and critical issues relevant to school libraries and librarians. “Manuscripts may be based on original research, an innovative conceptual framework, or a substantial literature review that opens new areas of inquiry and investigation.” 8

Submission and review process: Manuscripts, preferably in Microsoft Word, can be submitted via an online submission form or by email to the editors. Manuscripts undergo double-blind review, which usually takes eight to twelve weeks. If a manuscript is not accepted, the editor may forward reviewers’ recommendations to the author, and the manuscript can be revised and reviewed until accepted. Manuscripts are placed online only after full board review and majority acceptance; they remain open to critical review by readers. 9

Editorial tone: The tone is scholarly and academic. The work submitted must follow all guidelines and present original scholarly material that adds something new to the field; published manuscripts must meet “the extensive review criteria.” 10

Style guide used: Chicago Manual of Style (16th edition) and an additional journal-specific guide. 11

Conclusion: Evaluation of publication’s potential for LIS authors

This is a high-profile, standard-setting research journal. SLR is appropriate for LIS authors who have experience in conducting original school library research and in writing articles that following standard research reporting guidelines: discussion of research questions, application of appropriate research methodology, review of and reference to relevant literature, and clear conclusions. Conceptual essays and literature review and proposal papers must follow the journal’s structural guidelines as well. LIS authors should carefully read the journal’s submission guidelines and see the Definitions of Acceptable Manuscript Content section for particulars. 12

Audience analysis

About the publication’s readers.

Publication circulation: Data not available.

Audience location and language or cultural considerations: SLR is a U.S.-based journal written in English. The journal is a publication of the American Association of School Librarians, so readers are concerned with issues related to school libraries in America, but they are aware of and seek out more global perspectives on these issues. SLR is an open-access journal, so it does have an international reach.

Reader characteristics: The journal reaches a broad range of readers: school librarians in a variety of K-12 settings, LIS graduate students, academic scholars and researchers, and other educators. Readers will share a belief in the importance of high-quality services for students in K-12 schools and a desire “provide a constructive learning environment for all students and teachers.” 13

Knowledge of LIS subject matter: It is likely that readers have a strong understanding of LIS subject matter.

Conclusion: Analysis of reader characteristics and their potential impact on authors

Readers will expect articles, especially original research, that inform their own practices in school libraries and that will further their understanding of the present and future of school librarianship. They will also look to the journal for interpretations of policies, guidelines, and best practices published by the American Association of School Librarians and to keep up to date on the association’s standards and recommendations. 14

Last updated: March 9, 2018

Show 14 footnotes

Homepage, School Library Research, accessed March 9, 2018, http://www.ala.org/aasl/pubs/slr . ↩
Homepage. ↩
“ School Library Research (SLR) Submission Guide,” School Library Research, accessed March 9, 2018, http://www.ala.org/aasl/sites/ala.org.aasl/files/content/SLR%20Submission%20Guide_UPDATE.pdf . ↩
“Publications & Journals,” American Association of School Librarians, accessed March 9, 2018, http://www.ala.org/aasl/pubs . ↩
“ School Library Research (SLR) Submission Guide.” ↩
“ School Library Research (SLR) Submission Guide.” ↩
“Homepage.” ↩
See, for example, “School Library Research (SLR) Editor’s Choice,” School Library Research, accessed March 9, 2018, http://www.ala.org/aasl/pubs/slr/editors . ↩

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School Library Report

Library vision statement, strategic planning, strategic implementation, summary of final recommendations.

The report was commissioned by the School Principal to document how the school library will be used as a learning space and resource centre to accommodate twenty-first-century learning. It was informed by the ongoing technological changes in the information age and their impacts on learning and reading.

A careful review of pedagogical developments, changes to information landscape, curriculum and learning needs, technological issues and the need for physical and virtual learning spaces was conducted. Leadership capabilities of the teacher-librarian and other staff were also reviewed.

The findings showed the need to provide the required resources to transform the library to meet needs of young learners and other patrons. It was concluded that the school library would be modernised to support learning and reading in the 21 st century.

Given the transformations in the learning environment occasioned by the changing informational landscape and developments in technology, the School Principal requested for a report that documents how the school library will be used as a learning space and resource centre to accommodate twenty-first-century learning.

Changes in information landscape and developments in technology have led to scrutiny of the role of libraries and librarians.

It is recognised that Web-based contents, including eBooks and other online learning materials have transformed the information landscape for readers while electronic media such as digital reading devices have influenced how readers get and consume learning materials. These developments have transformed the dynamics of library activities and mission.

Modern libraries offer wireless services, Internet services and provide computers for visitors to enhance studying, collaboration, research and readership. These are onsite services. They also provide online access to various digitised learning materials from archives, offer eBooks, audiobooks, music, videos and other materials available on digital platforms.

The roles of teacher librarians and other support staff have dramatically changed. Teacher librarians in this changing information landscape and digital age find themselves offering access, guidance and training to users on both materials found physically and online. In addition, teacher-librarians must remain on “the leading-edge of the vast digital databases available”.

The School Principal has recognised these transformations and noted that the Internet has brought about changes to roles of the library and teacher librarians in schools. The school library must, therefore, adjust to accommodate them.

The school library must be more relevant than ever before, enhance student personal growth, promote reinvention of learning, help learners navigate learning materials in the information age and continue to play the role of collecting and preserving materials and information that relate to culture while promoting civic and cultural engagement.

A modern library that supports learners and faculty through application of information technology to provide school curriculum resources, information services and programmes that enhance lifelong learning

The school library will achieve this vision through the following methods:

Promote early learning and a culture of reading by providing a variety of collections and resources, services and programmes that would engage young learners
Adopt modern technologies to offer enhanced access to school curriculum materials, information, services and user-teacher librarian interactive sessions
Remodel library physical space to be open and flexible for computer lab with an interactive whiteboard, an Internet browsing area, moveable lounge for informal classroom setting, discussion and collaborative learning and even additional space for chatting, eating, drinking, using mobile phones, playing computerised games, watching videos and talking in the common areas. These changes would meet the dynamic changing needs, other library patrons, services and develop interests of learners.
Change the virtual space to make learning resources available to learners 24/7
Collect and preserve rich Australian history and culture and make the heritage available to society

Through these new ideas, the school library will provide a learning space that would ensure that learners and learning are more productive and successful in the long-term. It is believed that the library learning space will provide capabilities to meet new learning paradigm, needs and expectations of the technology-savvy learners.

Thus, the school library, as a critical component of the learning space, must be redesigned to optimise learning outcomes in the age of information technology and changing information landscape.

Pedagogical developments/educational change and changes to the information landscape.

In Australia, like any other developed countries, pedagogical developments or educational changes are mainly driven by developments in technologies that support teaching and learning. These technologies have transformed instructional and content delivery modes through multimedia platforms.

Within the context of teaching and learning, media platforms provide the means to create, store and delivery instructional contents. These platforms include books, computers, chalk, projectors, document cameras, video projection, slide projectors, audio systems, and a combination of sound and video systems.

In addition, there are latest mobile devices such as Kindle reader, iPad and Google Nexus, among others. Multimedia instructional tools combine most of these elements to deliver instructional contents. Today, computer-based technologies have shaped multimedia for learning and teaching and even created virtual learning spaces.

The Australian Curriculum has undergone reforms to reflect new realities in the education system with the aim of strengthening the Melbourne Declaration . Within the context of resourcing, it emphasises the need to collect learning resources and equipment, organise, enhance accessibility and circulation of different school learning resources.

Second, the Australian Curriculum wants to ensure provision of resources and information for the general community. Third, it promotes accessibility of learning contents and maximum flexibility by ensuring that materials are well organised and accessible through various platforms, including online.

The school library will have a critical role to play in this new dispensation. It will continue to collect, organise and provide learning resources, materials and information in ways that meet demands of different learners, including traditional or Web-based modes (Brown, 2000).

Teacher librarians and other library personnel must continue to play their roles as experts in information who organise, acquire and retrieve learning resources and materials for various library patrons. At the same time, they must recognise their new roles within the ongoing developments to be:

More innovative
Apply technologies in different ways to deliver resources and services
Conduct research on usability
Engage in other broader roles such as resource management, training, advisory, and selector and information technology experts among others.

Changes to the information landscape have been gradual but have transformed learning and reading. The school library will have to maintain its relevance by providing learning resources and materials in formats that meet needs of different library patrons.

Major issues that need to be addressed in terms of both curriculum and learning needs in a 21 st century setting

The Australian Curriculum has established consistent national standards to enhance learning outcomes for all young learners. It highlights contents, expected achievements, contents to be taught and subsequent progresses.

It reflects aspects of future learning, growth and enhanced learner and community participation. However, there are impending gaps that must be addressed by the school to implement the curriculum. They are priority areas for teacher librarians.

It is difficult to tell whether the library meets the need of the community by providing locally relevant contents that support the Australian Curriculum in addition to other diverse needs of individual learners and the school. This is highlighted in the Shape of the Australian Curriculum 2.0 .
Currently, sharing and reusing of readily available curriculum contents is generally low. The teacher-librarian will be encouraged to make the most use of available learning materials and resources. The school library will have to encourage the curriculum planning and resourcing to reduce costs associated with additional investments in selection, organisation and access on different platforms.
Access to all curriculum resources has been poor. Teacher librarians will have the key role of assisting library patrons to find curriculum resources.
While the current Australian Curriculum was agreed upon to meet current needs, it is not known whether the curriculum continues to reflect ongoing changes in the information landscape and learning needs.
It is difficult to ascertain the extent to which the current Curriculum can engage learners. Teacher librarian should assess the level of engagement.
Learners come from diverse backgrounds influenced by socioeconomic factors, and not all of them are technology savvy and therefore engaging them with technologies could be a challenge.
Learning resources may not be adequately distributed in the current school library set up, i.e., there might be few learning resources available for a given subject, class or faculty.

Issues related to technology (includes virtual services and environment)

The school must address certain technology deficiencies in order to create a library that will be used as a learning space and resource centre to accommodate twenty-first-century learning. The current school library system must be reviewed and updated to account for the following:

Virtual whiteboards for interactive learning.
Wireless services to support virtual services and environment.
Ensure that all learning resources and materials are accessible online.
Create multimedia platforms for various content formats.
Provide a variety of resources for different learners.
The school library will mostly likely to experience the challenge of integrating various aspects of the new learning spaces.

At all times, virtual learning services and environment must remain safe for learners. Thus, cybersecurity will remain an important factor in modernising the school library.

Changes to the physical and virtual environments and learning space requirements

The school library will have to be renovated to meet emerging needs. A physical space will be provided to accommodate only relevant books. Therefore, some bookshelves will still be in the library. Empty wall spaces will be effective for accommodating these shelves.

The open floor will be created into a learning space to serve different learners and patrons. The open space will ensure flexibility for other roles. Several subdivisions will be created, including a computer lab area with a whiteboard, an Internet surfing section, semi-permanent lounges for informal classrooms or discussions and areas for collaboration.

In addition, there will be additional common spaces for even chatting, eating, drinking, using mobile phones, playing computerised games, watching videos and talking. Specific numbers of learners for every space will be determined based on space availability.

The library will have a multimedia lab mainly for IT learning. It will have video production, digitisation, and music production space. This will ensure that the school library can produce its own multimedia learning materials. This would meet both consumption and creation roles of the library.

The school library will ensure that a virtual library is created to meet the increasing need for digital contents. The online public access catalogues and adoption of various learning apps such as Google Apps for Education will aid the school library in delivering such contents. This would ensure that learning contents are available to library patrons 24/7.

For learners who may not have devices such as Nexus, iPad or Kindle Reader for online contents, the library may offer some devices to drive the initiative. It is believed that virtual space will enhance learner involvement and empower them to perform better because they will have opportunities to control their learning spaces.

The leadership capacities of personnel who will be involved and their specific abilities and responsibilities

It is expected that teacher-librarians will have the expertise, skills and experiences to meet the needs of the school library. On this note, teacher librarians will possess:

Leadership and managerial qualities to drive the intended changes.
Thorough professional knowledge of Australia’s standards for library and information management.
Curriculum advisory roles.
Information professional and resource management skills.
Skills as educators.
Extensive knowledge on acquiring, organising and retrieving vital elements of the Australian Curriculum.

In addition, there are other roles, which teacher librarians may perform, but not mandatory. On this note, the school library will account for emerging roles in the library by providing new staff.

Library patrons’ trainers.
Internet trainers, technology advisors and troubleshooting technicians.
Network administrators.
Cataloguers.

The School Principal will provide the overall leadership, management and administrative roles to ensure that the entire change process is successful. Teacher librarians will play critical roles in driving the change and they are “best personnel to take the school library into the information age”. The teacher librarian must possess the following skills.

Comprehension of appropriate pedagogies and learning styles.
Collaborative, teaching practices and assistance to faculty with the curriculum implementation.
Develop new information strategies for enhanced learning outcomes.
Assess learner use of library services to improve programmes.
Effective library management.
Ensure cataloguing standards, metadata use, and database retrieval expertise.

Library technicians would assist to ensure successful change process.

Observe operational and technical elements of library roles, including maintenance of all systems to ensure acquisition, organisation, storage and management of learning resources and the library.

Greater collaboration is expected from learners, faculty members and other stakeholders in the library during this change process.

For resources and other technical aspects, the school library must evaluate its current capabilities, identify areas of weaknesses, and mitigate these weaknesses for change.

The school library must be developed to be used as a learning space and resource centre to accommodate twenty-first century learning
Resources should be provided for this change process
The School Principal will lead the overall change process
The teacher librarian will be the best personnel to transform the library and realise the new mission

Australian Curriculum, Assessment and Reporting Authority. (2015). Australian Curriculum . Web.

Australian School Library Association. (2014). Statement on teacher librarian qualifications . Web.

Brown, M. (n.d). Learning Spaces. EDUCAUSE Quarterly . Web.

Brown, S. (2000). Growing up: Digital: How the web changes work, education, and the ways people learn. The Magazine of Higher Learning, 32 (2), 11-20.

Brown, M. B., & Lippincott, J. K. (2003). Learning Spaces: More than Meets the Eye. EDUCAUSE Quarterly, 26 (1), 14–16.

Credaro, A. (2006). THe Role of the Teacher Librarian: A Discussion Paper . Web.

Doherty, J. J. (1999). Teaching Information Skills in the Information Age: the Need for Critical Thinking. Library Philosophy and Practice, 1 (2), 1.

Fleming, L. (2014). New & Improved Libraries. Tech & Learning. Web.

Kuhlthau, C. (2010). Guided inquiry: School libraries in the 21st century. School Libraries Worldwide, 16 (1), 17-28.

Mitchell, P. (2011). Resourcing 21st century online Australian Curriculum: The role of school libraries . Web.

Poole, B. J., & Sky-McIlvain, E. (2009). Education for an Information Age: Teaching in the Computerized Classroom (7th ed.). New York: Lippincott Williams & Wilkins Publishers.

Probert, E. (2009). Information literacy skills: Teacher understandings and practice. Computers & Education, 53 (1), 24-33.

Rendon, F. (2013). The Changing Landscape For Libraries & Librarians In The Digital Age . Web.

Siemens, G. (2005). Connectivism: A learning theory for the digital age. International Journal of Instructional Technology and Distance Learning, 2 (1), 3-10.

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USF School of Information MLIS Program Ranks in Top 50 U.S. Library and Information Studies Graduate Programs

April 10, 2024
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The School of Information is proud to announce that our M.A. in Library and Information Science program was ranked as the 27th best Library and Information Studies program by U.S. News & World Report ! What an incredible recognition to our university, school, faculty, staff, & students.

The University of South Florida is home to nearly two dozen graduate programs considered among the best in America, according to new rankings released today by U.S. News & World Report. USF features 23 graduate programs ranked inside the top 100 among all public and private institutions, including 11 ranked in the top 50.

“We are thrilled that many University of South Florida graduate programs are included among the nation’s best in U.S. News & World Report’s rankings,” USF President Rhea Law said. “This recognition underscores the commitment of our faculty and staff, who continue to provide high-quality programs that empower our students to enhance their skills, expand their knowledge and progress in their careers by earning an advanced degree.”

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LIVE@CoSN2024: Exclusive Coverage

Innovative ideas for school libraries

Everything a school library should be--and how to get your school library there.

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.

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.

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Open Call: Spring 2024 Artivism's Multi Venue Exhibition, Art from the Heart

Investing your time to spread joy.

Please complete the form and upload your design at the bottom of the page.

Art from the Heart will be launched in Offit Gallery, Third Floor, in late May in concert with the exhibition at Adelphi University.

Artivism: The Power of Art for Social Transformation aims to generate community through multidisciplinary teamwork for a more dignified and meaningful coexistence. The overarching goal is to nurture confidence in taking continuous action from wherever we are by means of reciprocity.

All talks are online via Zoom and culminate in an annual multi-venue art expo.

Artivism: The Power of Art for Social Transformation is jointly sponsored by Adelphi University, Sing for Hope, and the Gottesman Libraries. A movement with committed social artivists, Artivism: The Power of Art Social Transformation , grew out of I lluminations of Social Imagination: Learning From Maxine Greene , (Dio Press, 2019), edited by Teachers College alumni Courtney Weida and Carolina Cambronero-Varela, and Dolapo Adeniji-Neill, of Adelphi University.

Augusta County School Board approves revised library book policy

VERONA — Daniel Carter stood before the Augusta County School Board last week and thanked the members for reviewing the library policy.

"Another thank you I'd like to give is protecting our children, my grandchildren," Carter said. "Our culture should be protecting them, but it's not."

He went on tell the board that sex education should be taught by parents, not schools, and explicit books shouldn't be in school libraries.

In recent months at least four books have been brought before the school division with concerns they contained sexually explicit language, including themes of sexual abuse. The policy on selecting, and reviewing, books in school libraries has been considered the past few months by the school board.

Tasslyn Magnusson, a researcher who works with EveryLibrary and PEN America , told The News Leader in January that removing books from school libraries could exacerbate an already growing mental health crisis among youth.

"Often books provide a means to know that you're not alone, that you're not the only one experiencing some of these struggles," Magnusson said. "Whether it's from domestic violence in your home to sexual assault to even having an LGBTQ identity.

The revised policy, after being tabled in March, was approved 6-1 by the school board at the April 4 meeting. The only no vote was from North River representative Sharon Griffin, who had issues with some of the resources used for the selection criteria, including the American Library Association.

A lot of the new policy includes the addition of clarifying language, including adding classroom libraries as part of the selection process for books. The school division said that was already being done in practice but wasn't in the policy.

The policy now also includes a reference to Virginia Code that deals with sexually explicit content in instructional materials.

Parents can also now receive, on an opt-in basis, notification of what their children checkout from the library. That information will be included in fall registration for the 2024-25 school year.

The process to challenge books, which is what happened with the four books mentioned earlier, didn't change but the roles on the committees that consider the challenges were clarified. The challenge process begins with the building principal and classroom teacher or school librarian and escalates from there. During the process the principal may restrict access to the book for up to 30 days during the review process.

The form that a parent fills out to challenge a book hasn't been changed, per Sarah Melton, assistant superintendent for instruction. There was some feeling among board members, who had talked with parents, that the form was too long.

"We do feel that if we're going to be looking at potentially removing a book from circulation for all students at a school or the entire division that there should be some weight behind and some thought and intentionality behind the process," Melton told the board at the March meeting.

She said the form asks for specific reasons for challenging books to help prevent people from just providing a list of titles. It provides a frame of reference to the the committee. Melton said its only a two-page form.

One of Griffin's main objections to the policy was a reference to acting in accordance with applicable principles set forth in the American Library Association's (ALA) bill of rights.

"The ALA is no longer interested in protecting children," Griffin said.

Melton explained that the ALA is simply one of many resources to help librarians in selecting books. Those librarians aren't bound by anything the ALA says, but it is a leading professional organization that can offer guidance.

The ALA said it "affirms that all libraries are forums for information and ideas, and that the following basic policies should guide their services."

It's bill of rights listed on the organization's website includes:

Books and other library resources should be provided for the interest, information, and enlightenment of all people of the community the library serves. Materials should not be excluded because of the origin, background, or views of those contributing to their creation.
Libraries should provide materials and information presenting all points of view on current and historical issues. Materials should not be proscribed or removed because of partisan or doctrinal disapproval.
Libraries should challenge censorship in the fulfillment of their responsibility to provide information and enlightenment.
Libraries should cooperate with all persons and groups concerned with resisting abridgment of free expression and free access to ideas.
A person’s right to use a library should not be denied or abridged because of origin, age, background, or views.
Libraries which make exhibit spaces and meeting rooms available to the public they serve should make such facilities available on an equitable basis, regardless of the beliefs or affiliations of individuals or groups requesting their use.
All people, regardless of origin, age, background, or views, possess a right to privacy and confidentiality in their library use. Libraries should advocate for, educate about, and protect people’s privacy, safeguarding all library use data, including personally identifiable information.

"I sure hope our teachers have not bought in to this library bill of rights, because that bill of rights removes any idea of age appropriateness," Griffin said. "I sure hope we don't have a single librarian who thinks they ALA is right in removing any notion of age appropriateness."

Griffin moved that any reference to the library bill of rights be removed from the policy. That motion failed 5-2 with only Griffin and Mike Lawson voting in favor.

Griffin also objected to several publications in the policy that helped guide librarians in selecting books. Among those publications she objected to were School Library Journal, Horn Book, Kirkus, Publisher's Weekly and the American Library Association.

"Because none of those publications has much concern about protecting children from pornography," Griffin said.

That motion failed 4-3, with Griffin, Lawson and Tim Simmons voting in favor.

The reference to the library bill of rights and the four publications to which Griffin objected remain in the policy that was passed at the meeting.

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— Patrick Hite is The News Leader's education reporter. Story ideas and tips always welcome. Contact Patrick (he/him/his) at [email protected] and follow him on Twitter @Patrick_Hite . Subscribe to us at newsleader.com .

‘Annotated and well-loved’: Overdue library book returned 105 years after it was last checked out

FORT COLLINS, Colo. (KUSA) – When it comes to returning library books, there’s late and there’s really, really late.

A library in Fort Collins, Colorado, just saw the return of a library book more than a century after it was last checked out.

Annaclaire Crumpton works at Poudre Libraries. She said the book that was returned was “Ivanhoe” by Sir Walter Scott. It had last been checked out 105 years ago.

“That’s one of the magic things about books and literature, right?” she said. “It doesn’t matter how many decades or centuries pass, it can still be relevant to the right reader looking for something.”

Crumpton said the copy was checked out a total of three times before it went missing, with the last checkout happening on Feb. 13, 1919.

“So here it is. It came to us from an unnamed woman who it was passed along from her brother, who found it in their mom’s belongings in Kansas,” Crumpton said.

Despite its age, the book is worn but still intact.

“It’s been annotated and well-loved. You wonder how many generations it came through, parents to kids, loved this copy of ‘Ivanhoe,’” Crumpton said.

In 1919, the old Fort Collins Public Library, the building behind the current library, charged two cents a day for overdue books.

“We adjusted for inflation. It’s $14,000 of late fines,” Crumpton said. “We don’t do fines. We’re fine-free.”

Poudre Libraries said they hope the copy of “Ivanhoe” can be displayed at a local history museum or may even display it on their own shelves.

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State of America's Libraries Report 2024

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2023 was a tumultuous year for libraries. Book bans dominated headlines as well as city council and school board meetings, threatening the access of information to readers of all ages and the livelihoods and safety of library workers across the country. Despite these upheavals, libraries took action, continuing to provide critical services to their communities and develop truly innovative programs along the way.

2024 State of America's Libraries Report (PDF)

Cover: State of America's Libraries Special Report 2024, Libraries Take Action. Top 10 Most Challenged Books of 2023., page 7. A report from the American Library Association.

"...these are not ordinary times. The unprecedented wave of organized censorship intensifies, particularly in our public libraries. Adverse legislation that would undermine librarian agency and authority is getting a hearing in legislatures across the country. Climate change continues to impact libraries, damaging buildings in some areas and turning libraries into recovery centers in others. Budget cuts and staffing challenges undermine our ability to fulfill our missions. In these extraordinary times, libraries take action."

—ALA President Emily Drabinski

Help spread the word about the value of libraries with State of America's Libraries Report promotional tools, including the Top 10 Most Challenged Books of 2023.

Press Release: ALA kicks off National Library Week revealing the annual list of Top 10 Most Challenged Books and the State of America’s Libraries Report

Reporters should contact: American Library Association Communications, Marketing & Media Relations Office, [email protected] .

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8th Class Computer I Semester Examination Model Question Paper
Essay on My School Library

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Full article: How Can School Libraries Support Student Wellbeing
How can school libraries promote the mental health and wellbeing of students? This article reviews the existing literature on this topic and provides recommendations for future research. It explores the potential benefits of school libraries as safe, inclusive, and supportive spaces for learning and socializing. It also discusses the challenges and opportunities for school librarians to ...
School Library Research (SLR)
School Library Research (ISSN: 2165-1019) is the scholarly refereed research journal of the American Association of School Librarians. It is the successor to School Library Media Research (ISSN: 1523-4320) and School Library Media Quarterly Online. The purpose of School Library Research is to promote and publish high quality original research concerning the management, implementation, and ...
PDF A Study of How We Study: Methodologies of School Library Research ...
K-12 and school library domains. To conduct this work, we analyzed all 217 articles published in . School Library Research (SLR) and School Libraries Worldwide (SLW) from 2007 through July 2015. Results point to the high variability in research designs employed and limited inclusion of Pre-K-12 students as participants.
PDF School Librarians' Experiences with Evidence-Based Library and
part the school library programs play in successful student learning (Todd 2006). Both the scholarly and professional literature promote EBLIP as an effective means of justifying the value of the school library program and positioning it, and the certified librarian, as essential to the educational development of students.
Building Effective School Libraries: Lessons from the Study of a
This paper explores the possibilities that well-functioning school libraries open up for enhancing the learning of students and their overall development. It presents findings from a study of a library program set up by a non-governmental organization (NGO) in select government high schools in two states of India.
Principals and Teachers' Perspectives of Their School Libraries and
Research has demonstrated that school librarians can make a meaningful contribution to student reading proficiency, learning and academic achievement. This study examines the perspectives of school leaders and teachers in Singapore schools to better understand how they use their school library, their attitudes toward the library collection and ...
PDF School and Public Library Relationships: Essential Ingredients in
high school students, and there were reports of school and public library cooperative reading projects, such as book week celebrations. During the 1920s, high school libraries were developed, and as early as the 1930s, school-housed public libraries (usually as branches of a public library) were established as one model of service.
Methods for Supporting 21st Century Learning in School Library Spaces
perceptions of school library spaces in terms of the features that best support 21st century learning. Findings from interviews were used to determine which features of school library spaces aim to meet the social, emotional, and academic needs of all learners. Three teacher librarians from public school systems participated in the study.
The Future of School Librarian Research: Beyond 2019
Fulfilling Students' Potential Through Engaging Literacy Practices. December 4, 2019 - 3:00 pm - 4:00 pm EST. Gamifying PBIS: Changing Behavior by Fostering Lasting Engagement. December 9, 2019 - 5:00 pm - 6:00 pm EST. Effective Professional Learning: The Secret Sauce for Successful Classroom Transformations.
School Library Research in the Real World—What Does it Really Take?
School libraries are perceived to have a significant effect on student achievement. The reality is that evidence supporting the effects of school libraries on student achievement remains unconvincing to many serious researchers. In this paper, we
PDF RECENT SCHOOL LIBRARY RESEARCH: Impact studies
C. Brey-Casiano, Advocacy in a World Community (2008). In C. Walter & Gerda B. Mortenson Center for International Library Programs, Illinois State Library, Institute of Museum and Library
School Library Research (SLR)
Title: School Library Research (SLR) ISSN: 2165-1019. ... Conceptual essays and literature review and proposal papers must follow the journal's structural guidelines as well. LIS authors should carefully read the journal's submission guidelines and see the Definitions of Acceptable Manuscript Content section for particulars. 12 .
Parent Perceptions of Support from the School Library
community members may not be present in the school library on a daily basis, they are stakeholders who also need to have an understanding of the school library program in order to be library supporters or advocates. Whereas many students and teachers visit the school library daily for reader's advisory and to engage with technology and inquiry
Smart library services: Trends, opportunities and challenges for school
Keywords: Online Education, Remote Learning, School Library, Technology in Libraries, Virtual Library services. Introduction pattern, social media and digital platforms utilised for The Covid-19 pandemic has hit the entire education system of the whole world in a furious manner. It was a unique and
School Library Research Papers
School library is also an intellectual agency for developing deep knowledge and understanding, which seeks to enhance understanding about the implications of international trends for schools, the need for rigorous evaluation and the contribution that school libraries and teacher librarians can make to student learning in the learning arena.
PDF School Library Research Summarized
uality school library programs impact student achievement. since the 1990's when standardized tests became a major indicator of student learning, numerous studies have been conducted to confirm the educational gains that school library programs provide in student learning. The most universal finding is the presence of full-time,
Google Scholar
Google Scholar provides a simple way to broadly search for scholarly literature. Search across a wide variety of disciplines and sources: articles, theses, books, abstracts and court opinions.
The Making of the Modern Librarian: The Value of School Libraries
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 ...
PDF School Libraries Work!
This research foundation paper, updated from the first edition of School Libraries Work!, brings together position statements from a variety of organizations and findings from nearly a decade of empirical studies that cite the measurable impact school libraries and library media specialists have on student achievement.
Genrifying the school library's fiction collection
Genrification, or the act of organizing a library or section of a library by genres or topics, has been a trend in recent years in both school and public libraries. Little to no research. has been conducted on the effectiveness of this transition from the Dewey Decimal. System in fiction and or nonfiction collections.
PDF LGBTQIA+ Inclusive School Library Research: A Systematic Literature Review
publications in school librarianship (e.g., Knowledge Quest, School Library Connection, and School Library Journal) have begun to incorporate suggestions for LGBTQIA+ inclusive school library holistic practice in areas such as inclusive makerspaces (Moorefield-Lang & Kitzie,
School Library
Changes to the physical and virtual environments and learning space requirements. The school library will have to be renovated to meet emerging needs. A physical space will be provided to accommodate only relevant books. Therefore, some bookshelves will still be in the library. Empty wall spaces will be effective for accommodating these shelves.
USF School of Information MLIS Program Ranks in Top 50 U.S. Library and
The School of Information is proud to announce that our M.A. in Library and Information Science program was ranked as the 27th best Library and Information Studies program by U.S. News & World Report!What an incredible recognition to our university, school, faculty, staff, & students. The University of South Florida is home to nearly two dozen graduate programs considered among the best in ...
UTK SIS Students, Faculty, and Alumni Shine at the 2024 Tennessee
This year, the School of Information Sciences at the University of Tennessee, Knoxville, was well represented at the 2024 Annual Conference of the Tennessee Library Association (TNLA), which took place in Franklin, Tenn., from Tuesday, April 2, to Thursday, April 4.
New rules for South Carolina school libraries questioned
COLUMBIA, S.C. — Some lawmakers are expressing concern about a proposed new rule that would give the South Carolina Board of Education more authority over the content in school library books.
Innovative ideas for school libraries
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.
Open Call: Spring 2024 Artivism's Multi Venue Exhibition, Art from the
Teachers College, Columbia University, is the first and largest graduate school of education in the United States, and also perennially ranked among the nation's best. Open Call: Spring 2024 Artivism's Multi Venue Exhibition, Art from the Heart
Augusta County School Board approves revised library book policy
The revised policy, after being tabled in March, was approved 6-1 by the school board at the April 4 meeting. The only no vote was from North River representative Sharon Griffin, who had issues with some of the resources used for the selection criteria, including the American Library Association. A lot of the new policy includes the addition of ...
'Annotated and well-loved': Overdue library book returned 105 years
A library in Fort Collins, Colorado, just saw the return of a library book more than a century after it was last checked out. Annaclaire Crumpton works at Poudre Libraries. She said the book that was returned was "Ivanhoe" by Sir Walter Scott. It had last been checked out 105 years ago. "That's one of the magic things about books and ...
State of America's Libraries Report 2024
2023 was a tumultuous year for libraries. Book bans dominated headlines as well as city council and school board meetings, threatening the access of information to readers of all ages and the livelihoods and safety of library workers across the country. Despite these upheavals, libraries took action, continuing to provide critical services to their communities and develop truly innovative ...