The idea of "reading the room" borrowed from the business world applies to how school library professionals can identify and responsively meet the needs of users. By stepping up to do work even when it is not requested, and yet in alignment with our mission, we can help sustain our library programs.

Now more than ever school librarians need to be advocates. COVID brought to light so many things that are wrong with the education system around the country. According to the author, they learned that, although they talk about equity and access for their students, they are not even close to equity and access being a reality for all. As the…

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 article details how reading and literacy fit into the "2019 ALA/AASL/CAEP School Librarian Preparation Standards." It outlines the differences between the 2010 and 2019 standards and discusses how other standards influenced the development of the school librarian preparation standards.

In this article, two teachers describe their transition from pre-K-12 schools to higher education, where they teach college students to be school librarians. Both were at points in their pre-K-12 careers at which they were comfortable and felt good about their abilities, but both were ready for new challenges. While they no longer see the direct…

Five initiatives launched during Cyndi Phillip's term as American Association of School Librarians (AASL) President (2006-2007) continue to have an impact on school librarians ten years later. They include the rewriting of AASL's learning standards, introduction of the SKILLS Act, the presentation of the Crystal Apple Award to Scholastic Library…

In this article, Susan Altman shares her experience of working as a library assistant at Forest Heights Elementary School in Columbia, South Carolina, while taking classes in the Master of Library and Information Science (MLIS) Program at the nearby University of South Carolina. She discusses getting acquainted with the students, faculty and…

Although school libraries have changed greatly since the publication of the first set of school library standards in 1920 (National Education Association and North Central Association of Colleges and Secondary Schools 1920), each subsequent iteration of the standards has sought to define the next incarnation of a profession undergoing continual…

This article describes the SS "School Library Leadership" maiden voyage, which departed from the University of Vermont (UVM) during the 2010 fall semester. Twelve intrepid sailors followed their sense of adventure into uncharted waters with cocaptains Judy Kaplan and Susan Ballard in an online collaboration that provided a powerful…

Much attention has been given to the idea that librarians working in K-12 schools who graduate from school library programs are not simply book-shelvers, quietkeepers, and break-givers to other teachers. Rather, they are important members of the school community's instructional team and are certified educators qualified to deliver instruction…

When future teacher-librarians enter their preservice education, what kinds of advocacy-focused learning experiences can and should they expect? How can preservice teacher-librarians be supported as they develop the character traits of advocates for effective, integrated school library programs? In this article, the authors, first and foremost,…

Describes school libraries in Australia. Highlights include the title of teacher librarian and their education; the history of the role of school libraries in Australian education; empowerment; information skills and benchmarks; national standards for school libraries; information literacy; learning outcomes; evidence-based practice; digital…