Much of the literature in library leadership and management focuses on strategies and practices based on discrete attributes and sweeping human behaviors intended to improve operational effectiveness. This paper challenges the reader to build a mindset for leadership that reflects the real world, where leaders and managers work within parameters…

Relationships are all about connection. Teacher librarians are more effective at positively impacting learners when they have established relationships with them. There are a myriad of ways to build these bonds, and even small efforts can yield great results. In this article, the author presents the power of relationships when building bonds with…

This paper uses six books to investigate the early history of information literacy (IL) teaching to school-aged young people in the UK. The work was inspired by Neil MacGregor's Radio Four programme, "A History of the World in 100 Objects," which explored humankind's development via a series of artefacts. In my project, the items were…

This unit activity describes a series of lessons designed to enhance STEM students' technical communication abilities. The lessons culminate in two separate yet interconnected projects: (1) the development of a children's book explaining a complex topic and (2) presentations of those books to members of the local community. Students learn the…

Lack of access to books has a lasting effect on children. The home literacy environment of a child impacts their emergent literacy skills, and later the level of literacy with which the child enters kindergarten. Children from lower socio-economic environments are more likely to enter kindergarten behind their peers due to factors such as: less…

At the University of Maryland Libraries, Angie Ohler, Director of Collection Services, discusses the history of the management of electronic resources for the past ten years at the Maryland Libraries, including the challenges of in an ever-changing environment and solutions she developed over time. The history she describes are lessons learned…

Demonstrating academic library value is crucial in this era of budget cuts and freely available online resources. This article provides a unique complement to existing research on library value. The author uses a qualitative approach known as narrative inquiry to evaluate patron experiences during the temporary closure of an academic branch…

Distance librarians working with an online doctoral program at Johns Hopkins University are asked by both students and faculty to provide a large amount of library support -- without being embedded into the curriculum or the individual courses. Program administrators and faculty were resistant to allow librarians into the course management system…

Genrefying a library's fiction collection is a common practice in school libraries. However, there is little research to explain the benefits or drawbacks of this practice. Using a within-subjects/time-series action research design, this study was conducted to understand more about the impact of genrefying the fiction collection in a single…

As the modes of course development in universities shift to be more team-based, librarians are now contributing core components of course development operations. This article outlines the ways that librarians at Capella University have been integrated systematically into course development. Adding librarians to specific points throughout the…

As the sole librarian responsible for online instruction, there are many challenges and opportunities when developing a program almost from scratch. This case study will examine how an individual online instruction librarian developed a tool to conduct an environmental scan of a dormant online instruction program and utilized this tool to begin…

Reflection is a skill educators of school librarians hope to foster in their students. Widely used in teacher preparation (Hodgins 2014), reflective journaling is a pedagogical strategy that aligns with the text-based nature of library and information studies coursework, especially as more library schools move online (Kymes and Ray 2012). This…

Despite the high demand of careers in STEM (Science, Technology, Engineering, and Mathematics) fields, the extent and access to focused K-12 STEM education varies across the country. K-12 school libraries with their democratization of resources including both high- and low-/no- tech equipment can fill gaps by implementing makerspaces in the school…

This article explores academic libraries that have gone beyond using the traditional survey or focus group methods of soliciting student input, specific to library design projects. The goal for each library was to engage students in space design projects in innovative and hands-on ways that would maximise the potential for gaining their design…

Laying the groundwork for building children's curiosity, openness to learning, ability to persist in the face of failure, and interest in connecting learning from one subject to the other are important objectives for today's libraries. Partnering with cultural institutions, such as the Chicago Public Library (CPL) does with Chicago's Museum of…