What’s In It For Me?
How Principals & Teachers Benefit
from Strong School Library Programs
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What’s In It
For Me
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Studies Focusing on Principals & Teachers
 Indiana
 Information literacy
 Idaho
 ICT literacy
 Pennsylvania (in progress)
 21st Century Learner skills
What’s In It For Me?
 In what roles they see librarians
 What administrators value about
library programs
 What teachers experience with
library programs
 How they assess teaching of info
literacy
 How that relates to test scores
Most Popular Librarian Roles
1.
2.
3.
4.
5.
Reading motivator
Instructional support
Teacher
Instructional resources
manager
In-service professional
development provider
Administrator Quotes
This elementary school has a librarian who has
instilled a love of reading in all students,
including the most reluctant. She finds books that
are appealing to individual students & sets them
aside. This individual attention has created a
library that is magical in the eyes of our students.
Our high school has an inspiring new librarian.
She makes the library a study, technology &
research resource. She encourages teachers to
partner with her on writing, technology & subject
exploration. Our librarian’s vision & dedication
make our library welcoming to all—especially
poor and refugee students.
Teacher Quotes
My kids use the library like crazy, and our
librarian has a very inviting & friendly
personality. Kids just get better the more
they use the library. Thank goodness we
have a librarian who is so available to us.
Ours is a school of readers. The librarian is
instrumental in this. If students don’t like a
book they are reading, they don’t have to read it.
Our librarian helps students find books they are
excited to read. Time and again, reluctant
readers say “I want another book like that.”
More Teacher Quotes
Our librarian sends us links to helpful
websites and resources on the web almost
weekly. She always thoroughly checks them
out, and gives us a quick summary of how
they may be helpful in the classroom.
I am lucky & grateful to work in a school with
an excellent librarian. The library truly is
“the academic, social, and emotional
hub of the learning community” as
declared in its mission statement.
What Administrators Value in Library Programs
Idaho Administrators
 9 out of 10 value as
essential or desirable:



Librarian on committees
Collaboration with teachers
Flexible scheduling
 8 out of 10 value:


Librarian as in-service
provider
Librarian & principal
meeting regularly
Indiana Principals
 Almost all value as
essential or desirable:



Collaboration
Librarian as in-service
provider
Librarian on committees
 9 out of 10 value:


Flexible scheduling
Librarian & principal
meeting regularly
Principal Quote
The library should be the
heart of the school.
The librarian is the key to
successful collaboration among
the academic components of a
school culture.
Most Common Library-Related Activities Engaging
Teachers
1.
2.
3.
4.
5.
Librarian provides
instructional resources
Classes to library on fixed
schedule
Classes/students to library on
flexible schedule
Teacher requests instructional
resources
Teacher accompanies students
to library (4th in IN)
Value of Collaboration with Librarian to Teachers
 When it comes to teaching
their students …



Information literacy
Independent learning
Social responsibility
 More teachers believe they do a
better job when
collaborating with their
librarian than when going it
alone
Instructional Collaboration & Access to I-Design
Resources
 Librarians provide teachers with


Instructional partners
Access to instructional design resources
 Sometimes librarians initiate
partnerships & pro-actively offer
resources. Sometimes teachers
initiate partnerships & ask for
resources.
 Regardless, students are more likely
to succeed when librarian & teachers
work together.
Teacher Quotes
I have a very collaborative relationship with
our librarian. Our latest endeavor has lasted 5
years. It has enriched me as an instructor.
Being a fairly new teacher, I am still learning. Our
librarian is one of the first resources I go to
for help.
Our librarian was incredibly helpful to me in
putting together a research project. I have
more confidence as a teacher because of her efforts.
Administrator Support of Libraries Leads to More Successful
Schools
 Schools more likely to
succeed when
administrators value





Librarians & teachers
working together
Librarians provide in-service
to teachers
Librarians & principals meet
regularly
Principal appoints librarian
to key committees
Librarian role addressed in
teacher hiring interviews
 When administrators
believe their library
programs do a better job of
teaching ICT literacy,
students more likely to
excel at


Reading
Language arts
Administrator Quote
I have served in several school
districts over 25 years.
Successful schools have an
active, forward-thinking,
highly involved librarian.
Pennsylvania (In Progress)
 National Leadership Grant
research project of the Institute of
Museum & Library Services
 Updating 2000 PA school library
impact study
 First such study to incorporate
 21st Century Learner standards
(from American Association of School
Librarians)
 State and Common Core Standards
 Will produce infrastructure
specifications and cost estimates for
21st Century school libraries
For More About
School Library Impact Studies
 Library Research Service’s School
Library Impact Studies page
http://www.LRS.org/impact.php
 Mansfield University’s School Library
Impact Studies Project
http://library.mansfield.edu/impact.
asp
 Rutgers’ Center for International
Scholarship in School Libraries
Impact Studies page
http://cissl.rutgers.edu/joomlalicense/impact-studies