Educating for School Library Leadership: Developing the Instructional Partnership Role (original) (raw)
Related papers
Preparing Stakeholders for the School Librarian’s Instructional Partnership Role
Advances in library and information science (ALIS) book series, 2013
Although the American Association of School Librarians and researchers in the field have identified the instructional partner role as critical to the future of school librarianship, many school librarians report that their colleagues and administrators are unaware of the importance of this role, and that they are reluctant to practice or support it. Other library stakeholders report that school librarians themselves are not adequately prepared to effectively practice this role. While many practitioners believe it is the university's job to prepare preservice educators and administrators to participate in collaborative planning, teaching, and assessment, some university faculty believe that until classroom-library instructional partnerships are consistently practiced in the field, preservice education efforts to instill this model will fall flat. This chapter reports on an in-depth literature review of the research-based evidence for the value of successful instructional partnerships and the barriers that have been identified in enacting them. An analysis of the literature suggests a comprehensive effort on the part of all stakeholders-both in the field and the academy-is necessary to ensure that the work of school librarians is integrated into the classroom curriculum where it can make a measurable impact on student learning outcomes.
2014
In Empowering Learners: Guidelines for School Library Programs (2009), the American Association of School Librarians (AASL) identified the instructional partner role of school librarians as the most critical role for the future of the profession. To determine the extent to which school librarian preparation programs prepare pre-service school librarians for this role, this mixed-methods case study examined program ranking responses and questionnaires from nine universities and colleges that prepare these candidates for practice. Instructors who teach courses in school librarianship submitted a program of study document on which they rated the percentage of readings/viewings and assignments that focus on the instructional partner role in courses offered exclusively for pre-service school librarian candidates. Participants were invited to complete follow-up questionnaires that asked for details regarding readings, textbooks, and assignments. The findings of this case study demonstrate...
7 Ways School Librarians Can Build Partnerships With Content Teachers
ISTE Blog, 2023
Many years ago, my school library professor, Ann Carlson Weeks, Ph.D., explained that school librarians should be "aggressively helpful," meaning they should take a proactive approach to building instructional partnerships with content teachers and actively seek opportunities to provide support and resources that go beyond what is expected. Collaborating with teachers to integrate information skills and technology into content areas can help students develop critical thinking and problem-solving skills that will serve them well throughout their academic and professional careers. I've outlined seven specific ways that secondary school librarians can increase collaboration with content teachers. By following these steps, librarians can build instructional partnerships that support student learning in meaningful ways.
2013
This article discusses the results of an exploratory research project in which library and information studies (LIS) faculty and education faculty were asked about their views on teaching pre-service school librarians and teachers 21st Century Skills (as defined by the Partnership for 21st Century Skills) and librarian-teacher collaboration. Researchers used a case-study approach to investigate and compare the views and experiences of LIS faculty and education faculty at a research institution. Participants indicated their sense of which skills were taught in each discipline. In addition, they described their own experiences in collaborating with teachers and/or librarians, as well as their views on where collaboration was taught in their respective curricula, where it could be taught, and how it might be taught most effectively. Findings indicate that while education faculty members tend to have a broader view of LIS than do LIS faculty and see education and LIS as having largely o...
Revisiting Collaboration Within and Beyond the School Library: New Ways of Measuring Effectiveness
Journal of Library Administration
Collaboration in school libraries can be viewed as a supportive and respectful working relationship between participants involved in developing, planning and creating learning opportunities and experiences, as well as to ensure optimal use of the school library resource. While strong collaboration between school library staff and teachers and leadership beyond the school library is a key goal of school libraries, actual levels of collaboration may be lower than desired. There is a paucity of recent research that captures factors relevant to effective collaboration from current and diverse contexts, and limited consideration of how these factors can contribute to measures of effectiveness for school libraries. This article proposes possible measures of effectiveness and a pragmatic research plan that can build the evidence-base for the practice of collaboration both within and beyond the library.
Back to the Future: Prospects for Education Faculty and Librarian Collaboration Thirty Years Later
Education Libraries
Thirty years ago, education conference panelists shared concerns regarding collaboration between education faculty and librarians and they presented ideas for expanding these partnerships. A review of their ideas raises an important question: In what ways have their ideas for collaboration and partnership been realized? To answer this question, the authors conducted a review of the literature regarding education faculty-librarian collaboration. Findings indicate that when collaborating with education faculty, there are three roles librarians have embodied: librarian-as-reference, librarian-as-consultant, and librarian-as-instructor. These roles contribute to the realization of the panelists’ proposed ideas and offer suggestions for future collaboration and research possibilities.
School Library Media Research, 2008
Two Heads Are Better than One: The Factors Influencing the Understanding and Practice of Classroom-Library Collaboration proposed to identify the factors involved in educating future K-8 classroom teachers about collaboration for instruction with school library media specialists (SLMSs). This longitudinal study monitored the growth of teacher education students' understandings of collaboration through their preservice education, student teaching, and first year of classroom teaching. The participants were enrolled in a teacher preparation program facilitated by the researcher, a former SLMS. The goal of this mixed-methods case study was to suggest critical components of preservice education, student teaching, and first-year teaching experiences that influence novice classroom teachers' classroom-library collaborations. This article provides an overview of the study, a review of relevant literature, and the data collected, including findings from four surveys as well as other data sources. This study shows that interventions during preservice education were important influencers. However, the findings clearly indicate that the educators serving in K-8 school library positions and the supports, or lack thereof, for classroom-library collaboration during student teaching and first-year classroom teaching were the most influential factors in determining whether or not these beginning educators collaborated with SLMSs for instruction.
IASL Annual Conference Proceedings, 2019
Accredited school library educator preparation programs are responsible to align their curriculum to the American Association of School Librarians Standards for the Initial Preparation of School Librarians (2010). These standards include Teaching for Learning, Literacy and Reading, Information and Knowledge, Advocacy and Leadership, and Program Management and Administration. To keep more current with the actualities of the profession, the AASL recently released new National School Library Standards for Students, School Librarians, and School Libraries (2018). In the document, the roles and responsibilities of school librarians have been reexamined. A challenge for school library educator preparation programs is keep up to date with the changes to ensure a curriculum that prepares graduates with the relevant knowledge and skills to be effective school librarians. This study will help LIS schools by examining the attributes of a high-quality school library program in practice.
An Exploration of Teacher and Librarian Collaboration in the Context of Professional Preparation
New Review of Children's Literature and Librarianship, 2016
Research has shown that collaboration between teachers and librarians has a positive effect on student learning, but can be difficult to achieve. In order to explore the incorporation of teacher and librarian collaboration into preservice education, two master's level classes studying young adult literature, one in teacher education and one in library and information studies (LIS), were given an assignment that required them to work together to complete a week's worth of lesson plans for a high school English class based on a commonly read novel. Student responses demonstrate limiting and enabling factors that affect integrating collaboration into professional preparation.