by Linda Mork
Quick Summary
As many of us are well aware, school librarians throughout the state are continuing to face cuts in budgets, support, and positions and are looking for ways to communicate the value of this crucial role to school administrators.
As many of us are well aware, school librarians throughout the state are continuing to face cuts in budgets, support, and positions and are looking for ways to communicate the value of this crucial role to school administrators.
In a recent National Association of Secondary School Principals (NASSP) blog post, "The Nonnegotiable Role of School Librarians," former Oklaholma Principal of the Year, Scott Beck, strongly advocates for school librarians and the "indispensable value of robust school libraries."
Beck cites the AASL standards, identifies the school library as the hub of the school, and defines the role of school librarians as essential in helping "students to become thoughtful and engaged citizens equipped to navigate a world full of increasingly complex information."
He states, "As leaders of learning in schools, principals set the tone for the culture...we must ponder carefully the support and vision that we offer to our libraries," and asks school administrators to reflect on the following questions:
- Are you including your librarian(s) on your school leadership team?
- What is your vision for your library?
- What pre- and misconceptions might you hold regarding your library and/or your librarians? How are these pre/misconceptions limiting the effectiveness of your library?
- How are you advocating for increased library staffing and funding?
- How are you supporting your librarian to do transformative, not merely clerical, work?
- Is your library a place that students want to be? How can you help make it so?
You can find the entire article here.
