In the author's decade-long journey as a school library media specialist, they have witnessed an evolution in the role of education. In today's increasingly interconnected world, going beyond traditional literacy and nurturing informed, empathetic global citizens is becoming a fundamental aspect of our teaching and learning. The United Nations'…

Before the 2023 AASL National Conference in Tampa, the National Conference committee shares "why" teacher librarians and school library staff working at every grade level should attend, "what" they can expect while attending, and "how" they can make the most of their conference experience.

This article describes the partnership between Metro Nashville Public Schools (MNPS) and the Nashville Public Library (NPL) called Limitless Libraries. Through this resource-sharing partnership, learners can access the NPL collection, connecting them to books and other materials outside the walls of their schools. This breaks down barriers to…

Mindfulness has been a hot topic recently as many educators were forced to work from home over the past year and a half. Supporting students using mindfulness is a great way to model self-care behaviors, while being a listening ear and a shoulder to lean on. School librarians have a duty to ensure students find a safe haven in the school library.…

To enable learners to seize the opportunities they will face in the future, school librarians must hold a clear vision of where they want their learners to go. Indeed, the primary responsibility of school librarians is to develop whole-child-focused library programs that engage and empower learners with the durable skills, attitudes, and…

K.C. Boyd discusses how school librarians can advocate for school libraries and school library services. She details how to turn frustration into strategic advocacy efforts by highlighting the school librarian's role as an essential literacy partner in students' academic achievement.

Croft and Barnhart share their experience when learning shifted to online at the University of West Georgia and the LibraryDen, a library mini course, was developed and used in the Multiple Literacies for School Library Media Course. Particularly impressive was the transferability of skills between the academic and school library setting.

This time has been particularly tough on school librarians, who have worked to develop connections with students and teachers and leverage physical collections. With new variants of the virus emerging, the coming months and years may be more of a game of whack-a-mole as the country tries to conquer some versions of the virus and others pop up.…

The pandemic prompted Courtney Lewis and her fellow school librarians to dig deep and acknowledge that their information literacy instruction followed a just-in-time philosophy. Essentially, limited just-in-time information literacy instruction is like teaching a kid how to play soccer for seven days out of each year and expecting them to be a…

The high-quality instruction offered in the school library and in collaboration with classroom teachers helps students understand and practice the content standards. School librarians should begin by collaborating within their school building and then thoughtfully expand those connections to neighboring schools, community organizations, and state…

Amid the ongoing pandemic, school librarians across the country have been facing a different kind of battle, one that has been going on for years in some cases: the fight for every student to benefit from the instruction and carefully curated resources a certified school librarian can provide. Several states are working to introduce or retain…

School librarians in Alaska have worked diligently to see the American Association (AASL) Standards Framework for Learners adopted by the state board of education from December 2018 until September 2020, when they were approved by the Alaska State Board of Education. The standards will be formally adopted after being signed by Alaska's Lieutenant…

School librarians, because of their role in their learning community, are uniquely situated to support and facilitate student learning through collaborative partnerships with other educators. This kind of collaborative work is built into the work of school librarians, exemplified in the American Association of School Librarians (AASL) shared…

Metro Nashville Public Schools (MNPS) is the second largest school district in Tennessee. With 159 schools, 79,651 students, and 126 languages spoken, the student population is incredibly diverse, not only culturally but also socio-economically. MNPS shifted to virtual learning in late March 2020 on the heels of devastating tornadoes that ripped…

Croft presents her study results that explored how district leaders can be equipped to support their school librarians in the absence of an official district school librarian supervisor. Croft offers suggestions for practice to assist school librarians in partnering with district leaders to provide the knowledge and experience district leaders…