From: Catherine Douglas Rolfe
Chesapeake, Virginia
Has one ever considered the crucial role the school librarian plays in student achievement? Well, in honor of School Library Month, I would like to take a minute to highlight just how essential these teachers are to the entire learning community.
To begin, the school librarian is tasked with knowing the scope and sequence of the entire school’s curriculum as well as the varied interests of its learners. With this knowledge the librarian curates and develops a rich and varied collection that meets the needs of the learner, is current and offers a balance of perspectives, genres and formats. Such a collection inspires, engages and supports student learning.
Effective school librarians also are leaders in their schools and seek opportunities to collaborate with teachers. Such collaboration can result in more authentic learning experiences and research states that collaboration significantly augments skill development and positively affects the quality of instruction. When working with a librarian, the classroom teacher gains additional benefits because librarians have a skill set and expertise that other professionals in the building do not have.
Librarians have connections with the broader school community and can certainly select and find a multitude of resources. Access to these resources, connections and a willingness to work with other teachers are more examples of how librarians positively affect the learning environment and achievement.
Librarians also create a welcoming and exciting environment that entice students to inquire, explore and enjoy. They also forge a rapport with students that is unique from the relationship classroom teachers and students have. Like classroom teachers, librarians offer guidance and support, but in a different setting and without the judgment of grades. Research has also found that these positive relationships positively affect student learning.
School librarians are dynamic, creative and flexible. They are in touch with the needs of the community and work diligently to align the Standards of the American Association of School Librarians with the Standards of Leaning. School librarians play an active role in challenging today’s learners to inquire, include, collaborate, curate, explore and engage.
During April, School Library Month, I challenge people to connect with a school library. Think about its impact. Say thank you. Explore its resources. Offer support. Share your strengths and interests. Ask a question. Learn a fact. Create a connection!
