hildaweisburg

Posted on November 14, 2016November 14, 2016 by hildaweisburg

ON LIBRARIES: Doing It Together

Are you a loner? I don’t mean someone who doesn’t like to socialize. I am referring to the type of person who prefers getting a job done alone, without help from others. Since you are a librarian, you want to work collaboratively or, if you are on a fixed schedule, cooperatively with teachers. Doing it together would be the way to go.

For most teachers, their classroom is their kingdom and they run it the way they like. Once they close the doors they are in charge. They are loners and they like it – and if they become librarians, they carry this outlook with them. Although librarians bemoan the difficulty they have in getting teachers to collaborate, the truth is, many teachers don’t like to collaborate with any one.

This is a generalization, of course. It doesn’t apply to all teachers, and with the formation of Professional Learning Communities (PLC) in schools, more of them are sharing their lesson plans and experiences with their colleagues, even if they don’t do so willingly.

I can remember when students hated to do a group project but today’s students by nature prefer to work with others. They discover the latest app from their friends, game in partnership, and share information is their preferred learning style. They are comfortable in the participatory culture.

I honestly believe most librarians are now this way as well but we need to recognize the presence of the secret loner within ourselves and the not-so-secret loner inside teachers. We often blame teacher reluctance to work with us on NCLB and the Common Core, but in reality it has always been this way. The pressures have just made it more noticeable.

How can you convince teachers that doing it together is better? (And convince some of you as well.). Long before NCLB and the presence of computers in our lives, I struggled to get a science teacher to bring her students to the library. She taught a special course called The Human Experience (THE) which connected science to everyday life.

THE was exciting and relevant. Among other things, kids learned about heart transplants and how they worked. The course content was solidly packed and the teacher felt she had no time to “waste” in the library. Sound familiar?

Because we had a good relationship, (you might remember how I have stressed the importance of building relationships), she grudging gave me one class period to work with her students on their current research assignment. I discussed research strategies with them and showed them the resources (all print at the time) that would best meet their needs.

When the assignment was complete the teacher was extremely pleased. The kids had done a much better job than in the past. What amazed her even more, was that the one day in the library had a positive effect on the rest of their projects during the year. The next year, she sought me out to begin collaborating often.

Not only did the students learn something valuable, the teacher did as well. As a side note, the teacher went on to become a principal. Her views on the value of the library and the librarian came with her on the administrative level. It’s amazing how we affect our future positively and negatively by small actions.

I understand the inner resistance to working together. Time is precious. You know what has to get done. Someone else might not bring the same commitment to the task. It won’t come out the way you intended. But that’s not all bad.

In getting over my own “loner’ tendencies, I discovered some basic truths I think our students already know. No matter how smart you are, you don’t know everything. And while someone else might not have as much knowledge as you on a given subject, the differing perspectives very often brings about a richer final product. And like the teacher, we all learn and grow in the process.

Are you a loner or a natural collaborator? How can you get passed any loner tendencies you have? What have you learned as a result of collaborating?

Posted on November 7, 2016November 7, 2016 by hildaweisburg

ON LIBRARIES: Small Changes, Big Results, a More Welcome Library

Welcome to the Library

The words mirror the sentiment and the message you want everyone to receive when they step into your library, but words are not enough. Some of you have signs outside your door or on a bulletin board just inside. Excellent. But that won’t really convey the message. That’s telling, not showing and it doesn’t have the impact you want.

I blogged in December of last year about inadvertently sending mixed messages and spoke about posted negative rules and a library devoid of any student work. Keeping rules positive – stressing what you are allowed to do and focusing on respect is important. Displaying student creations does show the library is meant for them. But there is more.

In March of this year I blogged about transforming your library into a Learning Commons which I believe is ultimately the way to go. However, I am sure that many of you consider it too large a goal to tackle and I understand your constraints. Split between schools, an overloaded schedule, and no help doesn’t give you time to take on big jobs.

You can make big changes in small ways, and you don’t have to do it all at once. To start, step outside your library. Pretend you have never been in there before. First impressions count, and although it really isn’t your first time to enter try to do so with fresh eyes.

Walk in the door and look around. What catches your eye? Keep looking. What message are you getting about what the library is about? Is there anything off? Is there something that is inviting you in for further exploration?

I once took over a library that was considered to be beautiful in its day, however the previous librarian had missed some things. If you entered and looked to your left there was a wall of windows with counter height shelving just below them. That’s what was beautiful. The windows looked out on a scenic setting. Great idea by the architect.

But time and the exigencies of running a library had made some subtle changes. Looking straight ahead from the entrance to the back wall, you could see the tall fiction book stacks. Above them were an assortment of old shelving that had never been discarded. Libraries don’t have to be super neat. Those that are don’t have kids using them. (Mine were only at that “perfect” stage when the school year was over and the books were all neatly shelved and all magazines put away.) But the clutter of the old book shelves was distracting. They marred the attractiveness of the library.

What had happened was the librarian had stopped seeing her library. When you are in the library every day and have work to do, you no longer notice these things. They have become part of your world. Making time to see your library anew and spruce up what has been quietly disrupting the library environment will help you make some simple changes. You don’t need much time or money to do it.

When many librarians genre-fied their collection, they made sure to create great signage to help students and teachers find where the books were shelved. Signage is equally important if you are a Dewey library. Remember signs are for your users, not for you. You know that 500 is for Pure Science and 600 is for Technology, but they probably don’t. Remember pictures are better than words and with clip art you can tailor them to what your students study and are interested in.

Counter height shelving is great for displaying books. Have different themes on different bookcases. An appropriate sign will draw readers to the titles. Be sure to change them regularly or everyone will stop “seeing” them.

Some can displays can tie into your current bulletin board which should also change regularly. If you feel there isn’t enough time, try to get students to do some –under your direction. If you are at the elementary level, contact a high school art teacher to find out if any of his or her students would like to take on the project for their portfolios

Next look at the “flow” of the library. You naturally arrange your collection to follow the Dewey sequence (or alphabetical sequence if you genre-fied) but what about your floor plan. How does traffic move when it enters your library. Is this the way you want it to go? If not, how can furniture be re-arranged to help it go in a better direction. Do students have room to move around tables? When your library is busy, step back for a few moments and consider whether the arrangement is working to help promote collaboration without creating unnecessary noise. (I always had a fairly noisy library, but it was almost always under control—voices did not need to be raised to be heard.)

Do you like the way the computers are placed? The printer(s)? Does the arrangement work? If not, what needs to be changed? You probably can’t do anything until school is out, but you need to know what you want done and you can start making and keeping notes.

Don’t forget about welcoming teachers. If you have the room, create a “teacher table.” You can put a copy of a current education magazine such as Educational Leadership from ASCD and perhaps one or two new professional titles.

Keep the coffee pot on in your office and have snacks there. It’s a tried-and-true way to bring teachers in. (It also brought in my IT people.) Once they are accustomed to hanging out there, you can show them some of your latest additions, mention a new website you think they’d like or want to use with students. Start building new relationships with food and eventually you can branch out to collaboration or cooperation.

You have to show everyone that the Welcome Mat is always out at the library.

What are you doing to show the library is a safe, welcoming environment?

Posted on October 31, 2016October 31, 2016 by hildaweisburg

ON LIBRARIES: Show Me The Evidence

We live with assessment every day. High stakes tests are used to determine what students know and whether you are doing a good job. The tension it causes leads many of you to dislike the term, and yet it remains a critical part of teaching and leadership.

When you teach you are always assessing your students’ progress and that is the mark of a good teacher. But how often are you assessing your library program? Is it as good as it can be? What can you do to make it better? That form type of assessment is necessary if you want your stakeholders to recognize your value and that of your program.

You are probably aware of Evidenced-based Practice (EBP) which started in the medical profession, but you may have dismissed it as too complicated to add into your already crowded day. Just because it sounds very academic doesn’t mean it’s difficult. It’s as hard as you make it—or as easy.

To review for a moment. There are three aspects of EBP.

Evidence for practice involves using the research to determine best practices.
Evidence in practice is taking the research evidence coupled with your own evidence (possibly from your formative assessments with students) to identify what is necessary to improve your program. Here is where you want to connect what you are doing to the Mission and/or Vision you have for the library. It is how you transform learning.
Evidence of practice is the results you get. The data you collect from using evidence in practice showing the outcomes of what you put into practice.

For more on the subject you can go to Ross Todd’s 2008 article in School Library Journal, “The Evidenced-Based Manifesto for School Librarians.” The article points out a number of ways you can gather evidence including student interviews, their reflective journals, and surveys. While these may still feel like a lot of extra work, you need to build a portfolio documenting your accomplishments. To remind yourself of some of the significant research go to Scholastic’s School Libraries Work 2016.

Although the academics might not fully approve, you can also get your evidence in somewhat less formal ways. If you are focusing on a specific change in practice, perhaps developing students’ ability to think critically or building their understanding of digital citizenship, you can create exit tickets to determine how close you came to achieving your goals.

Why is all this important? Many years ago a principal came to me and asked if we could speak confidentially. I had worked for him at the elementary level before transferring to the high school. He had a problem with his current librarian. His difficulty was while he could go into any classroom and see whether the teacher was doing a good or poor job. He was at a loss to do the same with the librarian.

This should sound familiar to those of you who say, “My principal doesn’t know what I do.” I took an hour to go over the many big and small ways a librarian impacts student learning and helps teachers, even good ones, do a better job. Feeling more capable of evaluating the librarian in question who was up for tenure, he went back to his school. (For the record, she wasn’t rehired. He did have a sense that something was wrong, but he had no resources to substantiate his feelings.)

Action Research is very similar to EBP and you may find it easier to do. First of all it is not research in the typical sense. Rather you embark on a series of steps:

Identify a problem
Gather and interpret data on the problem
Create an action to address it
Put it the action into practice
Evaluate the results

In many ways, you may already be doing this, but not formally. For example, your students turn to Google all the time instead of using more helpful databases. So you incorporate a mini-lesson on one or two databases in connection with a research project they are doing. Then you observe them in action and check their work-cited page. All that work but you have no evidence to show for it.

Instead document it from the beginning. You have identified the information. Now gather evidence of them at work, even if its anecdotal record what you observe and date your observation.

Your lesson plan is the documentation of the action you put into practice. For the results you can record them in action and their work-cited. You also use a survey (before and after if you like) to show their past practice in research, their change, and whether they found it worthwhile. You now have evidence of the efficacy of your instruction.

Bring a portfolio of your EBP and /or your Action Research to your annual evaluation. Even better – share it with your principal (and your board if you reach out regularly) as you complete it. Included highlights on your quarterly reports. Not only will you principal know what you are doing, he or she will value the contribution you are making to the educational community.

Posted on October 24, 2016October 24, 2016 by hildaweisburg

ON LIBRARIES: Tackling Controversy

We are two weeks away from the Presidential election. Social studies teachers usually respond with a short unit on the subject looking at past history and the process itself. Normally, emotions and opinions run high as the election approaches particularly among older students, some of whom might be eligible to vote for the first time. However, this campaign has been far from normal. The level of acrimony coming from supporters on each side is creating stress and arguments within families and among friends. It’s tempting to step aside and not deal with it.

Yet we have an obligation to tackle it.

We need to find a path that allows our students to learn from what is happening, develop a deeper understanding of this election in context of what has gone before, and discuss it without hostility. A tall order when our own feelings are also heavily engaged. To do so, it’s necessary to focus on what you want to achieve with the unit and set ground rules from the beginning.

For all grade levels, formulate the Essential Questions you want students to explore. Possible ones are: Why do we have elections? Should we continue to have an Electoral College? What causes political parties to change their views over time? Why has this election campaign been so different from previous ones? The first would work well at the elementary level and will have a deeper analysis with high school students.

Once you know the direction you are taking, set up ground rules to ensure the exploration and discussions don’t descend into the rancor that has typified this campaign. A number of indicators in the AASL Standards for the 21^st Century Learner refer to being able to do such things as “Maintain a critical stance by questioning the validity and accuracy of all information” (1.2.4), “Consider diverse and global perspectives in drawing conclusions” (2.3.2), and “Use knowledge and information skills and dispositions to engage in public conversation and debate around issues of common concern.” (3.3.3).

In your first meeting with students have a brief discussion as to why ground rules are necessary. Acknowledge the emotions common this year about the election and the candidates. Ask students to raise their hand without any comment if they feel strongly in favor of one of the two major candidates. Then let them know there will be no attempts to change anyone’s preference and there will be no criticism of the candidates. Unlike what is happening on television, social media, and news outlets, the discussions will stay on target. There is to be no name-calling, shouting over each other, or accusations about the other candidate. Be open to having students add any ground rules.

If students are exploring the candidates in this election, have them work in pairs to research the candidate they prefer. Using a lesson plan that ties into your Essential Question(s) direct students to get started. One resource to use is Scholastic’s website or check out Edutopia’s Election 2016: Lesson Plans and Digital Resources for Educators.

Although at a far higher level than usual, candidates and their supporters regularly accuse the other side of lying. News media do fact checking, but students should learn how to so on their own. Get Your Facts Right – 6 Fact Checking Websites That Help You Know the Truth has three to verify political statements plus other for email scams and hoaxes.

When your project is complete and students come together for a final discussion and sharing, review the ground rules which should be posted. For those old enough to use the political fact checkers, have them discuss what they learned from it. As much as possible, ask if they have verified a statement. Wrap it up with their responses to the Essential Question(s).

How are you handling this election? What are you teaching your students?

Posted on October 17, 2016October 17, 2016 by hildaweisburg

ON LIBRARIES: What’s Your Philosophy?

I’ve blogged about writing Mission and Vision Statements because I think they are vital for keeping grounded and focused in the hectic day-to-day life of a school librarian. However, I haven’t discussed the importance of a having a written philosophy. It’s been included in several of the books I’ve written for ALA Editions, and I have students in my Management of the School Library course do one, so I think it’s time to put the need for one in the spotlight.

A philosophy is a statement of beliefs. It identifies your core values. The AASL Standards for the 21^st-Century Learner begins with nine “Common Beliefs” which in many ways constitutes the beliefs of the profession. These beliefs are a good place to begin framing your own philosophy. What is it you hold dear? What do you feel is essential to your personal definition of what a library is? What are you willing to fight for?

I embrace all nine Common Beliefs but the one that means the most to me is “Equitable access is a key component for education.” I couple it with another core value of mine, “The library is a safe, welcoming place for all its users.” The two don’t seem to be linked, but in many cases they are and I deeply believe that when the two come together, it can transform the life of a child.

“Equitable access is a key component for education” is a growing concern as the digital divide continues to increase. Students who don’t have Internet or even a computer at home are at a serious disadvantage. We get stories of students who hang around the school where they can pick up free Wi-Fi for their phones so they can do searches for their classes. But homework cannot be done on a phone.

As a librarian, I believe you have an obligation to do whatever you can to help those students. It may mean getting a grant to have the library open after school to accommodate those without home computers. It means making teachers and administrators aware of the problem. Too often we take access to the Internet as a given. The flipped classroom is a great idea. But it doesn’t work for those who can’t go online.

A basic truth is that schools and school libraries are not funded equably, sometimes even within the same district. We always assume this is true in urban areas but rural communities are often in even worse shape. The lack of access to computers is only one aspect of the problem. The ones who need the resources the most are the very students whose schools have libraries with aging collections, if they have a library, and quite possibly no librarian.

ALA has recognized this lack of “equitable access” and is in the process of drafting a resolution on “Equity for All to School Libraries Community.” It’s still be worked on, but the key points are to have ALA work to get certified librarians in all schools, equitable funding for all school libraries, and work with research committees to document the disproportionate cutting of resources affecting racial and economic populations.

Those are lofty goals. If and when it’s passed it won’t compel districts to hire librarians or fund libraries. But by putting the weight and lobbying power of ALA behind the resolution, we can raise awareness. And as ESSA is being fleshed out, we have a good chance of making some significant changes. (Be sure you keep aware of what ALA/AASL is doing to keep librarians and libraries positioned to take advantage of all that is in ESSA.)

“Equitable access is a key component for education” is also about intellectual freedom. I have blogged about Censorship and the lonely courage of a librarian who chooses to purchase a book, recognizing the subject matter is one that may raise challenges. We are all aware that a LGBTQ book will bring out censors in many communities. But those are the very places where a LGBTQ child feels most vulnerable.

A book, fiction or nonfiction, can help those kids see they are not alone. They can even discover they are “normal.” It can direct them to sources for help and advice. And this gets back to my other core value of the library being a safe, welcoming environment.

We have heard from authors and others that the library was a sanctuary for them. A place where they sometimes could hide and feel safe from whatever and whoever threatened them. We know schools have anti-bullying codes, but much happens in a school that flies under adult radar.

As a librarian, keep a watchful eye for those who escape to your library. Sometimes you can have them become “library assistants,” letting them avoid lunch in the cafeteria. You may find you become a confidante and then must travel a careful line between holding their confidentiality and knowing when to contact a guidance counselor or an administrator. You once again are making lonely decisions. I have made a few such in my career. The student never knew how nervous I was, trying to do what was best for the child without violating school policies.

In making these tough decisions it pays to have a written philosophy. It’s longer than a Mission or a Vision, so you have room to include all the beliefs you have about what a library needs to be. You can mention collaboration, and opening students’ minds to the world around them, helping them become independent learners and critical thinkers.

But you also must include how the library must feel for all its users, whether the child who is keeping his or her homelessness secret, a kid whose parent is in prison, or one who is abused at home. The library must be there for them, and so must you be.

As you write your philosophy, you will find out who you are at your core. You may eve revise your Mission or Vision as a result.

Do you have a philosophy? What is the most important belief in it?

Posted on October 3, 2016 by hildaweisburg

ON LIBRARIES: Why Librarians

Tight budgets have given rise to administrators wondering why they need librarians. Too often they decide librarians aren’t really necessary. We know otherwise, and if we want to change that mindset we need to speak out where the power stakeholders can hear us.

A few days ago I was contacted by a librarian who was going to be speaking to a county superintendents’ meeting. She had fifteen minutes to answer that question. It was a wonderful opportunity and somewhat intimidating at the same time. At least she didn’t have a problem addressing a large group.

Although you may cringe at the thought of speaking before such a group it is something you all should consider. In order to be a leader – and leadership is not an option, it’s a job responsibility –you must be willing to step out of your comfort zone. There are opportunities to get the word out. Sometimes you can have five or ten minutes at a Board of Education meeting. Ask to speak at an administrators’ meeting. The parent teacher organization at your school is another possibility.

Once you have found an audience, you need to prepare your talk. Look through your photographs of students at work in the library. Short videos are good as well. Don’t have them? Take them now so you will be ready.

Use Piktochart or Google slides as a backdrop to your talk. Make sure it isn’t text heavy. Have an unexpected beginning to capture attention. Pose the question that’s in back of their minds:

Who needs librarians?

We have the Internet. Kids are wedded to their devices anyway.

Libraries and librarians are nice, but in time of tight budgets we can only afford vital.

Now answer your question. “Guess what? Librarians are more vital than ever.”

From that you segue into the heart of your presentation saying something like, “Rather than giving you a long list of what librarians bring to students and the educational community as a whole, I will give you two big ideas”

The idea here is to keep it simple and make an impact. Point to the two strong areas of school library programs.

Love of Reading
Lifetime learners

First, the love of reading. Acknowledge that your audience may be thinking you don’t need a librarian for that. Classroom teachers and literacy coaches handle that.

Not exactly.

They teach HOW to read. Librarians make kids WANT to read and that makes all the difference in the world. From the elementary librarian reading stories that enchant kids while developing their visual literacy and ability to derive meaning beyond the text to the high school librarian who knows it’s never too late to connect a kid with just the right book that matches his/her interests and ability, the school librarian’s passion for the magic of books is contagious and kids get it.

(Can you think of a personal story that illustrates that. Tell it. Stories make the biggest impact.)

Correct another misconception by saying, “and before you suggest that the kids want everything online, Pew Research studies have confirmed several times (as does the experiences of building librarians) that kids prefer to read print books.

As educators we all know “kids who read succeed.” It’s true for many reasons. In addition to reading building vocabulary and writing ability, it also expands awareness of the larger world, creating understanding of different times, places, and ways of life in a manner no textbook can ever convey. Because books are personal.

And the second reason we need librarians is the importance of cultivating lifetime learners. The world is changing rapidly. What students learn today can be obsolete in a few years. It’s not the content that’s important. In 2005, Thomas L. Friedman in The World is Flat said the most important skill we need to teach our kids is HOW to learn.

And that’s what a librarian does.

Working collaborative, cooperatively, or solo if necessary, the librarian creates learning experiences that have students discovering how to find out about a topic they are interested in and do so ACCURATELY.

Through giving students room to choose what aspect of a topic they want to explore – which makes it of PERSONAL interest to them—and then guiding them through a research process which leads them to deeper and critical thinking about their topic, and has them produce new knowledge. Our students find out that the questioning process is more significant then answering test questions correctly. If a student merely answers teacher generated questions they prove they have mastered the content – that which is already known – by developing questions and finding solutions they become innovators – and that is where the future lies.

(Again, add any personal stories you have here.)

Interestingly enough, numerous research studies have shown that students in schools with a certified librarian and an active library program do better on high stakes tests. Download School Libraries Work and give out copies. If you can manage it also give them a print copy of AASL Standards for the 21^st Century Learner (bundle of 12 for $15.00). Tell them to look at p.3 to see just the 4 standards.)

Move toward your closing by saying, a school librarian effects the whole school community thorough tech integration, being an Instructional Partner, and giving professional development for teachers – and there are research studies to show that. (See ONE COMMON GOAL: STUDENT LEARNING Report of Findings and Recommendations of the New Jersey School Library Survey Phase 2 p.23 and after for how the library affects the school culture.)

For your closing go to the ALA initiative Libraries Transform for some great quotes. Searching Libraries Transform on Google gives you images you can copy.

Also go to http://www.ala.org/aasl/advocacy/tools/transforming and download the infographic.

Have you made a presentation on Why Librarians? If not, where can you give one?

Posted on September 26, 2016 by hildaweisburg

ON LIBRARIES – Dress for Success

I am taking on a somewhat controversial topic. Not everyone sees this as necessary, and it’s not the most important thing you can do to promote your leadership. However, with so much at stake to keep library programs and librarians visible and vital, I believe we should use every tool available to us.

You know that you communicate a great deal without words. When you walk into a room, before you say anything, you have sent a number of messages. Some are totally unfair as people will make judgments based on arbitrary prejudices such as age, weight, and any number of other irrelevant criteria.

In addition to visual clues, body language tells a lot about what you are thinking and how you are feeling. Arms crossed signals you are closed. Whether you look at people or away from them reveals how secure you are feeling. Tight lipped smiles shows you are hiding something or feel insecure. You make these decisions about others. They do the same about you.

How you dress also sends messages. I go to every ALA and AASL Conference and I am always amazed at how easy it is to distinguish between the vendors and the librarians in the halls and elevators. I know many librarians feel they can relax and dress solely for comfort, but I have a feeling that many of them dress that way when they are in their schools.

Look around your building. Notice how the teachers dress. Is there a difference between those who are well-regarded and others? The dress of the secretarial and clerical staff is rarely the same as what teachers wear. Paraprofessionals and aides mostly have their similar dress “code.” This is not a hard and fast rule. There are always exceptions, but in general this holds true.

Now look at how administrators dress. Compare that with what you wear. Where are you on the scale? If you look like some of the less-regarded teachers you are opening yourself up to being ignored or not valued highly. If your clothes are similar to teachers who are highly regarded you are in a better position.

But you want more than that. You want to be viewed as a leader. Increasingly you will be in the presence of administrators. If you look as though you are one of them, you will be treated as though you are. It may seem shallow, but it’s effective.

I have known a few librarian leaders and one administrator who didn’t “dress for success” who are highly respected, but they are rarities. They are incredibly skilled at showing their worth and so were accepted by everyone for the leaders they are. You, on the other hand, may still be at a place where you want to prove yourself and emerge from how you are currently perceived.

Dressing for success is much discussed in the business world, but hardly ever mentioned in education. Indeed, in some corporations a person who is being primed for promotion to higher levels of management might be sent to a personal shopper to be able to present a more polished, successful appearance. Unlike the corporate world, in a school system, upgrading your wardrobe doesn’t mean you will be purchasing clothes with designer labels, but being mindful of the message you send with what you are wearing is important.

A reality check is necessary here. If you are at the elementary level, skirts and dresses for women and suits for men are impractical. You frequently get down on the floor to work with kids. However nice pant suits or their equivalent and ties and such for men are a subtle change that will be taken in subliminally as part of your message.

While you are unlikely to work on the floor with students in high school, the same suggestions can hold. Most important at any level is to feel comfortable with what you wear. Jewelry that is too flashy and earrings with long dangles are generally to be avoided as they are distracting.

Shoes are another consideration. High heels for women are impractical unless you are very accustomed to moving with them on. Sneakers, on the other hand, need to be carefully thought out. Some are far too casual. Others might work depending on what the norms are in your building and district. Although it’s not fair, men are more easily able to get away with them.

In becoming a leader, it pays to be mindful of things big and little. You show your leadership in what you do and how you are and that is what is most important. But you don’t want the small things to take away or diminish in any way from how you are perceived.

Are you mindful of how you dress? Do you think it matters in your building and district?

(EDITOR’S NOTE Based on a section of Hilda’s forthcoming book Leading for School Librarians: There is No Option.)

Posted on September 19, 2016September 19, 2016 by hildaweisburg

ON LIBRARIES – Are You a Professional?

Of course you are. But what exactly does that mean?

The term came up when I was talking with my editor at ALA Editions. I had just submitted the manuscript for my new book, Leading for School Librarians: There is No Option. It was slightly more than a month ahead of deadline and at something over 64,000 words met the contractual target of 55,000-65,000 words. She also knew I completed it in less than five months while continually teaching several online courses, and she said in admiration, “You are a professional.”

It’s lovely to hear something like that and it took me back over thirty years to the superintendent of schools where I was working. She skillfully led a district which voted down budgets twenty times in the twenty-two years I was there. Knowing she had to operate on a shoestring, she very successfully learned the art of complimenting in ways to get faculty to do and give more. In our conversation, she said “I can always count on you. You are a true professional.” I beamed and, of course, I did what she wanted.

But I have now begun thinking what does it mean to be a professional. Of the definitions in Merriam Webster, one is particularly relevant –“relating to a job that requires special education, training, or skill.” School librarians certainly meet that criteria.

In the more expanded form the criteria is somewhat less universally true of librarians. While many are “characterized by or conforming to the technical or ethical standards of a profession,” there are some who are either unaware of the ALA Code of Ethics or haven’t consulted it in a very long time and are not always following it. Indeed a far-too high percentage of school librarians don’t belong to AASL and some don’t even belong to their state library association. Can you imagine a doctor who isn’t a member of the American Medical Association or a lawyer who isn’t a member of the American Bar Association?

Still not convinced I had addressed all the connotations of “professional,” I turned to the business world and found these two definitions in the online Business Dictionary:

“Person formally certified by a professional body of belonging to a specific profession by virtue of having completed a required course of studies and/or practice. And whose competence can usually be measured against an established set of standards.
Person who has achieved an acclaimed level of proficiency in a calling or trade.”

Librarians do meet the first definition, but the only “acclaimed level of proficiency” we can attain is probably to have a NBPTS Library Media certification. It certainly demonstrates you are a professional, but only a small percentage of librarians have undertaken that arduous and costly route. (There are sources to help cover the cost.)

Being a good librarian—and therefore a good searcher, I continued my exploration of the term professional. I hit real pay dirt at the Tech Republic site where I found not so much a definition but rather an excellent list of how a professional behaves. I think this is what we want to take to heart and use to become recognized by others as a “professional.”

Put Customers First

In order to meet this requirement, you have to identify your customers. Your students are your obvious customers, but so are teachers, administrators, and any number of other stakeholders. It means they will always have priority over any tasks waiting your attention. “Professionals identify and satisfy their customer’s needs.”

Make Expertise Your Specialty

If you are a professional, you are an expert at something. Recognize the areas where you are an expert. Know why this expertise is important to customers. Keep getting better at it. And incorporate your expertise into your Mission Statement so your customers know the benefits they get from working with you. And you become more valued. “Professionals know their trade.”

Do More than Expected

So many of you are doing this. Your day extends before and after the school day. You also may be giving teachers more help than they expected from you. Perhaps you send them weekly emails on online tech resources or apps they can use with their units and volunteer to help them master the sites. You go the extra mile with a student who is struggling to complete an assignment but has limited access to a computer and/or the Internet at home. “Professionals meet or exceed expectations whenever possible.”

Do What You Say and Say What You Can Do

Don’t promise more that you can deliver. You can always go beyond what you promised (see above). You want your “customers” to know they can trust and count on you.” It can be easy to get caught up in the moment either touting what school library programs can do or wanting to be seen as invaluable to a teacher, that you go beyond what is in your power to do given your staffing and time. “Professionals deliver on promises made.”

Communicate Effectively

We are great communicators, but not necessarily on all platforms. In today’s world you need to be able to send emails, create compelling reports, text on occasion in the education world, develop informative websites, tweet, and speak effectively and to the point. In addition, you need to know the best medium for your message. It’s a tall order but if you didn’t choose the most effective means for a particular message, it’s likely to be overlooked or, worse, misinterpreted. “Whether verbal or written, professionals communicate clearly, concisely, thoroughly, and accurately.”

Follow Exceptional Guiding Principles

In this case, it’s back to the ethics of our profession as well as the Common Beliefs of the AASL Standards for the 21^st-Century Learner. Know and practice them. “Professionals adhere to high values and principles.”

Praise Your Peers Not Yourself

Always find opportunities to put teachers (and any staff you have) into the limelight. “Professionals are humble and generous in their praise of others.”

Share Your Knowledge

Of course. We wouldn’t be librarians if we didn’t do this. “Professionals help their peers and are respected for doing so.”

Say Thank You

I learned a lot from that Superintendent of Schools. A well-thought out thank you goes a long way. “Professionals thank others in a meaningful way that most benefits the recipient.”

Keep a Smile on Your Face and the Right Attitude in Your Heart

We want the library to be a warm, safe, welcoming environment. A smile is a good start. And if you have a positive attitude it will be read in your body language. Most communication is non-verbal. “Professionals are pleasant even during trying times.”

You probably do more than half of these. Are there any that you need to cultivate? My certification as a public librarian is “Professional Librarian.” I wish the one for school librarians carried that designation. Even so consider yourself a “Professional School Librarian” (or whatever you are called in your state), and work to be sure you live up to that every day.

Posted on September 12, 2016 by hildaweisburg

ON LIBRARIES – To Be Valued and Valuable

The libraries, librarians, students and teachers of tomorrow — need you NOW.

I have been writing for school librarians since 1979. I have been speaking and presenting to them for almost as long. Many would say those first years –1980’s and 1990’s – were a golden age for school librarians. Certainly we weren’t seeing librarians being eliminated, but the times weren’t perfect and many of the seeds of today’s challenges were planted then.

While this look at the past may seem laden with doom and gloom, hang on. There is light at the end of the tunnel. You can and must be part of the change. Yes, you are part of that light.

Articles in the early issues of School Librarian’s Workshop dealt with budget constraints. Libraries still got money, but it was often cut. Principals saw that large chunk of funds as a source for some of their pet projects. And how did the librarians respond? They complained to their fellow librarians. “Woe is me. My principal doesn’t see the importance of the library program.”

Sound familiar? I would give a workshop at a state conference—usually my home state—and invariably one or more librarians would tell me, “My principal has no idea what I do.” There is a connection between an administrator having no idea of what you do and not recognizing the importance of the library program. But too many librarians didn’t want to undertake more work to change perceptions.

Time and again, I was told by elementary librarians, “I am needed because I provide teachers with their contractual duty-free period.” The unsaid message was, “my position is secure.” I would respond that times change and so do contracts. The answer mostly fell on deaf ears. These same librarians would also complain that teachers dropped their class off and came back to pick students up without caring about what happened during the “library period.” “They think of me as a babysitter.” Yet, the librarians did nothing pro-active to raise teacher awareness.

At the high school level, more librarians had staff and reasonable budgets, but these were cut on occasion as well. Teachers who liked libraries and had a project would bring their classes in. Some of them worked with the librarian. So in a typical high school, English and History classes were likely to be the only ones who ever used the library.

High school librarians had rules. I know of one situation where the two librarians would not schedule all the sections a teacher had for the same day. Too much work. They only permitted teachers who gave them a copy of the students’ assignment to be sure the period wouldn’t be used to give the teacher a break. Students were allowed in the library at lunch only if they had work to do.

This is not what school libraries are like to today, but this is what they were like for a long time and what teachers saw. Librarians had a cushy job. A number of those teachers went on to be administrators. They took their perceptions of the librarian and the school library program with them.

In 1997, Gary Hartzell wrote a two-part article for School Library Journal on “The Invisible Librarian.” He pointed to the omission of the role of librarians in teacher training, the absence of librarians in many professional organizations, and the difficulty in measuring the value of librarians contributions. There was general agreement with Hartzell’s views. Librarians saw it as confirmation that they were ignored and one positive result emerged. Library researchers began investigating the contributions of a library program and developed ways to measure them. Those studies continue being made today.

Unfortunately, most administrators and lawmakers don’t seem to care—or even know about them. They remember the librarians from their early career. Sure they would have continued library programs and kept librarians, but then the economic crisis hit. School budgets were slashed. Time to cut the expendable and not vital. Library programs were a logical place to begin.

In the slashing of programs, many wonderful librarians with outstanding programs were eliminated. We are all still reeling from how quickly we lost so much. But bemoaning the past doesn’t get us anywhere. We need to learn from it and use the current scene as an opportunity to emerge better than ever.

The big lesson is, if the school community doesn’t know who you are, what you do, and why it is unique, they won’t value you. If your principal doesn’t know what you do, how can he or she be expected to see you as vital to student learning and helping teachers teach their students critical thinking and the host of other information literacy skills which are integral to what we do? You must always find creative ways to let your administrators know about student projects and activities you developed in collaboration, cooperation, or conjunction with teachers.

You must make your presence known. It’s imperative that you step out of your comfort zone and become a leader in your building. By working with teachers, helping make their jobs easier, showing them how to integrate tech into their lessons, you become invaluable to them. They know what you do and want more of it.

Serve on building and district communities to show how you contribute. And finally, you must help other librarians in your district be leaders as well. The past has shown us it’s not enough for one of you to be great. The broom sweeps out everything at once.

You must do whatever you can to build that advocacy program. Get ideas from the AASL Health and Wellness Toolkit. Look for programs on leadership and advocacy at your state association’s conference. Re-read the blog from two weeks ago on mentorship—and become one.

And if you need an incentive, think of Elizabeth Warren’s quote: “If you aren’t at the table, you are probably on the menu.”

How are you demonstrating leadership? How are you building more leaders? How are you contributing to the future of school libraries?

Posted on September 6, 2016 by hildaweisburg

ON LIBRARIES: Always have a plan

The school year has begun. Everything is new again. Where do you want to be when it ends? Have you given it any thought? Now is the time to chart your course.

I have written and taught about strategic planning, feeling very strongly that every library program needs to have a direction for the future. But strategic planning is normally for a two to three year timeline. If you haven’t gotten that far, make a plan for this one year. It will give you the confidence to create bolder and longer term ones.

Start by looking at your Mission Statement. Every library program should have one that declares its purpose in a compelling way. If you don’t have one, time to get it written. I did a blog on it one year ago that briefly explains how to craft the statement. It doesn’t have to be perfect. You can always tweak it later. Check websites of other school librarians to see if they have a Mission Statement. Borrow wording you like and make it suit your library. The statement needs to promote the unique purpose of the library program.

Once you have your Mission, identify any part you haven’t achieved yet. For example, perhaps mention teacher collaborations yet very few teachers are collaborating with you. Or if you refer to tech resources, what would you most like to add to your collection? Is your book budget far too small—or non-existent – for you to build the lifelong readers you stated as part of your purpose? Do you think an author visit would promote reading? What else is lacking?

Now comes the challenge. How can you achieve this one change in the course of the school year? If teacher collaboration is your target, identify the teacher(s) most likely to work with you. You really can start with just one teacher to discover what works and what doesn’t. Remember, you need to have a relationship first before you are likely to win that teacher over.

Figure out what curricular unit would be the best fit for a mini-research project. Look for one occurring early in the school year so you can build from that. Speak to the teacher, stressing what you are willing and able to do. You don’t want to add to the teacher’s workload. Do your homework first and have a list of helpful resource ready for you share with the teacher. Offer ideas for a culminating unit in which students demonstrate critical thinking and create new knowledge.

For tech issues and increasing money for book purchases, you need to identify a source of funding. Can you get a grant from the local education foundation? Will the parent association give you money from a book fair? Are there other sources in your community? Look into DonorsChoose,org as a possible source.

Before you apply for any outside funding, develop a rationale for your plan. Know what you want to do as a follow-up. Speak with your principal. Discuss your Mission and why you want to work on developing this aspect of it. If you are prepared, you should be able to get approval without much if any difficulty.

Leaders plan and always have a plan. While you will focus on one thing for this school year, have a list of everything you want to do to strengthen the library program and make your Mission Statement a reality for everyone in the school. Then you start working on achieving your Vision.

You never know when an opportunity will arise and you have a chance to do something but have to move quickly. I have known of librarians who are informed there is suddenly a specified amount of money available but it must be spent within a short time frame. I had it happen and called a vendor I trusted, set up a meeting and gave the rep a big order.

I also used to make it a practice to see my Superintendent of Schools over the summer. Depending on how your district works, you probably would do this only with your principal. In that quiet time of the year, I would discuss where I wanted to take the library next and why and how it might affect the budget. We would negotiate for the funds I wanted for a given project. I would agree to take money from one part of my budget and she would acquiesce in getting me additional funds to make it happen.

What was most telling is that she once said to me, “I have the feeling that if I go one step with you, you have nine others waiting.” She was right. I needed those other possibilities. In case my first idea was shot down, I would bring up the next. She also said to me on another occasion that she learned the easiest way to deal with requests was to say no. Almost everyone would take that for an answer and go away. But those like me, who came back with an alternative were listened to. She could see we were committed to getting something done.

So what’s your plan? What do you want to see happen by school’s end? What else? What else? Dream, plan, and work. Create a mission, build relationships, and grow your program. You can make it happen.

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Hilda K. Weisburg

Author: hildaweisburg