Posted on by hildaweisburg

The Power of One

You know you’re an essential part of your school. But did you know you might also be the solution to some of its biggest challenges?

How many times have you heard that your school is introducing a new program, adopting another technology platform, or implementing a different instructional approach? And how often does that announcement come without additional time, staff, or resources to make it happen?

We’ve seen it over and over. Schools are continually being asked to do more with less. Teachers are overwhelmed by competing priorities, and administrators are searching for ways to improve student achievement while managing limited budgets.

But what if part of the solution to these challenges is already in the building? YOU!

In their recent eSchool News article, “The Power of One: How the School Librarian Can Help Schools Do More With Less,” Dr. Jessica Thompson and Dr. Laura Sheneman suggest that one of the most underutilized resources in schools is the certified school librarian.

Their point is an important one. School librarians bring expertise in instruction, information literacy, technology integration, and professional development. Yet too often, that knowledge isn’t fully applied when schools are making decisions about curriculum, technology, and student learning.

Thompson and Sheneman remind us that improving schools doesn’t always require adding something new. Sometimes it requires recognizing and using the expertise that is already available.

Take a look at your school’s current priorities. Where could your knowledge and skills help address an existing challenge? Who needs to know you can help?

Consider the technology your school already has. Are teachers struggling to incorporate it effectively? Are they spending time searching for resources that are available through the library? Could collaboration help them accomplish their instructional goals without creating additional work?

These are opportunities for school librarians to make a difference. But waiting for someone to ask for help may mean those opportunities are missed.

What can you do?

  • Identify the need. Listen to what teachers and administrators are saying. What challenges keep coming up? Where are teachers spending time unnecessarily? Look for one area where your expertise could provide a practical solution.
  • Offer a partnership. Rather than simply telling teachers what resources are available, ask what they’re trying to accomplish. Could you help plan a lesson, locate materials, or develop an inquiry-based activity? Show them how collaboration can strengthen instruction while reducing duplication of effort.
  • Make better use of existing resources. Before recommending another tool or program, consider what your school already owns. Could a database, digital resource, or technology platform meet the need? Helping teachers use available resources effectively saves time and money.
  • Share your expertise. You don’t need to organize a full professional development day. Offer a brief demonstration at a faculty meeting, share a useful strategy, or provide individual support when a teacher needs it. Small, timely assistance can make a significant difference.
  • Communicate the results. When a collaboration succeeds, share what happened. Focus on how students benefited or how a teacher was able to accomplish a goal more effectively. These examples help administrators understand the value of having a certified school librarian as an instructional partner.

There is an important distinction here. Being an underutilized resource doesn’t mean you should take on every new responsibility that comes along. Your time and energy are limited, too. Leadership means recognizing where your skills can have the greatest impact and making thoughtful decisions about where to invest them. The power of one isn’t about doing everything yourself. It’s about using what you know to help your entire school accomplish more.

Posted on by hildaweisburg

Who Will Follow In Your Footsteps

Think back to when you first became a school librarian. Who helped you find your way? Was there a mentor who answered your questions, a colleague who shared their resources, or someone who encouraged you to take on a leadership role before you believed you were ready?

Most of us can remember someone who made a difference in our professional journey. Now consider another question. Who are you helping along that same path?

Recently, the American Library Association (ALA) and the American Association of School Librarians (AASL) endorsed the Quality Educator Partnership Act. The proposed legislation addresses educator shortages by supporting recruitment, preparation, mentoring, and professional development. Importantly, it specifically includes school librarians and library media specialists as essential educators.

While legislation can help create pathways into our profession, we have a responsibility to help people succeed once they begin that journey. We also need to encourage others to consider becoming school librarians in the first place. Leadership isn’t only about what we accomplish ourselves. It’s also about developing others who will carry our profession forward.

How can you be a part of encouraging and supporting future leaders?

Look for potential. You probably know teachers who love reading, enjoy research, or have a talent for connecting students with information. Have you ever suggested they consider school librarianship? Sometimes people don’t recognize possibilities until someone else points them out. Share what you love about your work and the opportunities the profession offers. You may plant a seed that grows into a new career.

Be a mentor. Think about what you wish you had known when you started. Could you share that knowledge with a new librarian? Mentoring doesn’t require a formal program. Invite a colleague to observe a lesson, offer to review a project, or make yourself available when questions arise. And remember that mentoring is a two-way relationship. New librarians bring fresh perspectives and ideas that can help us grow as well.

Encourage leadership. Not everyone sees themselves as a leader. You know how strongly Hilda believes that leadership is not dependent on having a title. When you recognize leadership potential in a colleague, tell them. Encourage them to join a committee, present at a conference, or become involved in their state library association. Offer support as they take those first steps. Your encouragement may give them the confidence to try something new.

Share your knowledge. Over the years, you’ve developed strategies, resources, and relationships that make your work more effective. Don’t keep them to yourself. Participate in your PLN, contribute to professional discussions, and share what you’ve learned from both your successes and your mistakes. Your experience can save someone else time and help them avoid unnecessary frustration.

Developing future leaders also requires us to give others room to grow. That means allowing them to try new approaches, make decisions, and sometimes make mistakes. We can’t expect people to become confident leaders if we never give them opportunities to practice leadership.

The future of school libraries depends on more than funding, legislation, and professional standards. It depends on people who understand the importance of our work and are prepared to continue it.

This week, think about someone who could benefit from your experience or encouragement. Reach out. Share an idea. Offer your support. Someone helped you become the librarian and leader you are today. Who will follow in your footsteps?

Posted on by hildaweisburg

Are You Creating Possibilities?

What makes a school library a place where students want to learn, explore, and discover? Is it the books? The technology? The programs? All of these are important, but the answer goes beyond what we provide. It’s about the possibilities we create for our students.

Last week, the South Dakota State Library named Claire Nehring, librarian at St. Joseph’s Indian School, the first recipient of its School Achievement Through Libraries (SATL) Distinguished School Librarian Award. According to the announcement, Nehring was recognized for creating a library program that combines culture, creativity, collaboration, and student engagement.

A great example of the possibilities she created is the Flight Path program, which brings together science, math, art, English Language Arts, and Lakota language and culture. Students study birds and then apply what they’ve learned by working to protect bird populations on their school campus. Rather than simply learning about a subject, students have the opportunity to use that knowledge to make a difference.

Creating possibilities is something every school librarian can do, regardless of the size of their library, their budget or time constraints.

Start with curiosity. What are your students interested in? What questions are they asking and which ones have you heard multiple times? Sometimes we become so focused on delivering curriculum and meeting standards that we overlook opportunities to encourage exploration. Pay attention to what excites your students. Ask them what they want to learn more about. Consider how you might connect those interests to the resources and learning opportunities available through your library. A student’s interest in sports, music, animals, or gaming could become the starting point for research, collaboration, or creative expression.

Look for connections. One of the strengths of school librarians is our ability to work across subject areas and grade levels. We see opportunities for connections that others may miss. Nehring’s Flight Path program demonstrates what can happen when learning moves beyond traditional subject boundaries. What connections could you help make? Talk with teachers about upcoming units. Look for ways to bring together subjects that aren’t usually taught together. Consider community organizations or local experts who could contribute to a learning experience. You don’t have to create an elaborate program. Sometimes one new connection opens the door to something much larger.

Give students ownership. Creating possibilities also means allowing students to help shape their learning. Are students involved in decisions about library programs, displays, or resources? Do they have opportunities to pursue their own questions and share what they discover? When students have a voice in what happens in the library, they become more invested in the experience. They also develop confidence in their ability to make decisions, solve problems, and contribute to their community.

As leaders, we need to look at what our libraries offer and then look to what they could become. (Remember to check your Vision here.) That doesn’t mean adding more to an already demanding schedule. It means being intentional about the opportunities we create and recognizing that even small changes can have a meaningful impact.

Take a few minutes this week to look at your library from your students’ perspective. What opportunities are available to them? What might be missing? What is one possibility you could create that would encourage them to explore something new?

Your library is more than a collection of resources. It’s a place where curiosity can grow, connections can be made, and students can discover abilities and interests they didn’t know they had. What possibilities will you create?

Posted on by hildaweisburg

The Freedom To Read Is Also Freedom To Access

Guest Post – Rona Gofstein

This week is Banned Books Week and the theme for the year is “Let Books Be. Protect the Freedom to Read.” As you are aware, the need to protect that freedom remains very real. According to the American Library Association, 4,235 unique titles were challenged in 2025—the second-highest number ALA has ever documented. Of the titles targeted in school library collections, 98% were part of challenges involving multiple books. Those numbers should concern all of us.

But this week, I want to look beyond the books. Because the freedom to read connects to something even more fundamental: the freedom to access information. This coming Wednesday, October 7, AASL recognizes Banned Websites Awareness Day. The purpose is to raise awareness about overly restrictive filtering of legitimate educational websites and other useful online resources in schools and school libraries.

There is a place for schools to protect students. Internet filtering has an important purpose, and the Children’s Internet Protection Act (CIPA) requires schools and libraries receiving certain federal funding to have internet safety measures in place. But there is a difference between protecting students and preventing them from accessing legitimate information.

What happens when a student researching a health topic can’t access a reputable website? What happens when resources about history, identity, current events, or other potentially controversial subjects are blocked? What happens when a teacher plans a lesson only to discover students can’t reach the resources needed to complete it?

And perhaps most importantly: What are students learning when a filter makes those decisions for them?

Students need opportunities to develop the skills to evaluate information from multiple sources and formats. Filters can’t teach students how to determine whether information is accurate. They can’t teach bias, source evaluation, or critical thinking. School librarians can.

That’s where you come in.

If you discover that legitimate educational resources are being blocked in your school, ask questions. Find out who determines what is filtered and what the process is for requesting that a site be reviewed or unblocked. Talk with your teachers. What resources are they having difficulty accessing? How is filtering affecting instruction? Then talk with your administrator. Don’t make the conversation about eliminating safeguards. Make it about ensuring those safeguards support rather than interfere with learning.

Protecting the freedom to read doesn’t mean every book belongs in every library or is appropriate for every age. School librarians make professional collection-development decisions based on their students, curriculum, community, and established policies. But one person’s objection to a book should not automatically determine what everyone else’s children are permitted to read.

That’s why policies matter. That’s why reconsideration procedures matter. And that’s why trained school librarians matter. Banned Books Week gives us an opportunity to celebrate books that have been challenged and to remind our communities why intellectual freedom matters. Ask yourself: Are we teaching students how to navigate the world of information, or are we simply deciding which parts of it they are allowed to see?

The freedom to read must include the freedom to access. And you have an important role in protecting both.