Posted on by hildaweisburg

Questions Can Power Your Leadership

Good questions are more important than good answers. Sounds contradictory – we’re praised and lauded for the right answers. But answers only show you have mastered a body of knowledge; you know what is already known. Far more important is the ability to generate new questions which show the depth of your interest and involvement. It is the questions that lead to new knowledge.

Because of this, questions can strengthen your leadership. In Fred Ende’s post, 4 Questions to Make Leading and Learning More Effective, it is clear where this can be a valuable tool that also improves your relationships. Here are his questions, and why they work.

  1. What’s on your mind? – This gives you or the person you’re talking to a chance to reflect, which allows us to slow down. Far too often we have so much happening, we don’t take time to focus on what our concerns and goals are. We gain a lot when we ask it of others. To be considered as valuable and indispensable to someone, we need to be able to meet their needs and wants. Knowing the curriculum and the aims of the principal, we can help teachers attain these. Ask this of a teacher, and you are likely to find new ways to collaborate and connect.
  2. Why do you think this is urgent or important? – Ende says this is a great follow-up question because, “it builds the connection between the ‘what’ and ‘why.’ This also helps you understand where they are. You can then move forward on helping them address the need. It is the question beyond the Eisenhower Matrix which asks you to identify what things are urgent and which are important. Based on the response you receive, you can better decide what needs to be done next and have a better understanding of what is causing your teachers pressure.
  3. What do we think would happen if …? – How you finish the question obviously depends on the first two answers. It encourages deeper thought about the issue. Ende says to note what is more important than the question is the word “we.”  After letting the other person share, you have now introduced yourself into the discussion. You are now showing your interest and support while quietly collaborating.
  4. How can I help? – With this last question, you have moved center stage. You have moved from “you” to “we” to “I.” This is where the gold is. You started by asking a simple, engaging question, and now because you have listened, you are positioned to respond to their need. One you might not have been aware of. It’s possible the person has no idea how you can help, but asking the question is an important start. You may have some suggestions you can share if they are open to it. Thus, the collaboration begins and you are becoming invaluable to the teacher.

You are not always asked for help. Many times teachers and administrators don’t know all we can do for them. These four questions open a vital dialogue and reinforce the premise that people don’t care what you know until they know you care. Where you build relationships, you create opportunities for leadership. Take the lead by asking questions and grow into the answer.

Posted on by hildaweisburg

Be Powerful

Too many people think of power negatively, associating it with the concept mostly allied with Power Over. Power Over, also known as Role Power, is authoritarian and tied to the position someone has. Because it is given due to a title, it is the least productive type of power. As School Librarians and leaders, we need to learn, use, and grow other types of power and most specifically Power With and Power Within. When we come from the power within us and strive to empower those around us, we can better deal with the many challenges we face today.

Some power is offered due to physical appearance. Someone who is louder or larger may seem to imbue or manifest power more easily. But that doesn’t lead to the collaborations and connections we want. Leslie Williams discusses using non-coercive forms of power and what to rely on in her blog post The Four Pillars of True Power. Consider which of the following are already part of your interactions with yourself and others and which you need to strengthen.

  1. Grounding – What is the solid ground beneath your feet? Hopefully, you can draw on three Grounding Elements: your code of values, your Mission, and your Vision. As Williams say, it keeps us “stable in the face of challenge.” With all the challenges we are facing, this Pillar is imperative as it gives you confidence in what you say and do. Grounded power isn’t out of control. It is solid.
  2. Focus – Focus grows out of grounding. It is what allows you to stay calm in the eye of the storm and is probably the hardest to achieve and maintain in the face of stress and challenges. You need Focus to make choices, accessing those elements that ground you. Williams says, “Focus concentrates your energy, enabling you to act and speak with intent and precision.” Consider starting each day reviewing the previously mentioned three grounding elements before launching into the daily routine.
  3. Strength – Strength in this connotation refers to courage and the ability to accomplish the task at hand. When not connected to Power Over, it comes out of the first two pillars. They give you the confidence to move out of you comfort zone. Strength is the grit and determination to push forward knowing the values you resolved to protect. Yes, your physical and emotional well-being may be brutally affected, but you persevere because of the power in your Grounding Elements and your desire to support and strengthen your program. The librarians who have been facing the attacks directed show their strength by their still being in the fight. I greatly admire them all.
  4. Flexibility – This can be the hardest to attain. Flexibility while still holding onto the other three principles can seem impossible, yet great leaders know how to adjust. Librarians are getting hit with more rules and regulations than ever. Look for the loopholes in laws/rules that go against your Vision. Listen to and get help from your Advisory Committee. Purchase books with your own money so that the public budget isn’t being used and privately allow kids who need them to borrow those books or read them in a quiet corner. Look for the ways to be flexible while keeping to your Mission so that you keep the existence of a school library safe.

A final important aspect of power is that of connection. Not only do we want to do what it takes to be connected to the teachers and students in our school, but no one understands our challenges better than other librarians. Look for ways to get and give support whether that’s local, state, or national organizations. Support them by being an active member. Reach out to and build your PLN. Even social media can be a powerful tool in uniting us. When we work together, our power – and our potential for impact – grows.

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The Pursuit of Emotional Wellbeing

I sometimes think the founding fathers of the United States set the country on the wrong track by including in the Declaration of Independence the words, “the pursuit of happiness.” Pursuing happiness can be problematic because not only are we often not clear on what makes us happy, but it isn’t a permanent state. To my mind, happiness is not a goal. Instead, it is the result of recognizing what the good is in your life most of the time.

In her article on Smart Brief, LaRae Quy, author of Secrets of a Strong Mind, gives 3 Scientific Reasons Why Emotional Wellbeing Equals Success, and how to make each of them work for you. In the opening, Quy states that pursuing happiness didn’t help her. However, when she focused on her emotional wellbeing, she was able to avoid burnout.  In the process, she recognized what happiness truly is.

Here are the reasons and Quy’s advice on making them work:

  1. Rethink Happiness – According to a report she cites, America’s Happiness Index has been falling since 2008, noting that we tend to think of happiness as an uninterrupted state. Neuroscientists and psychologists believe emotional wellbeing is a better definition than happiness for our mental state. She states, “moments of happiness are necessary, but it should never be your goal in life. We also have to be prepared to handle adverse events and negative emotions.

To make it work for you recognize that happiness is:

  • Temporary – Nothing lasts forever. Whatever is in the current moment will inevitably change.
  • Involves pleasing yourself – You are the one who defines your own happiness.
  • Lacks depth – Again, it is in the moment.
  • Feels good – And isn’t that wonderful. Savor it.
  • Something you chase after – Not because you are pursuing happiness, but because you are passionate and care about it.
  • Full of momentary connections with others – Those moments can create cherished memories, but they happen in moments.
  • 2. Embrace negative emotions – Stop trying to put a good face on your feelings. They are signals to you to identify the source. When you are stressed or angry, attempt to recognize what is causing it. This not only minimizes the impact of the negative emotions, but it allows you to move forward.

To make it work for you:

  • Recognize negative emotions as normal and an important barometer of what you’re experiencing in life – We all have them, and there are many good reasons for it.
  • Identify and name your emotions rather than trying to avoid them – Be honest about what you are dealing with. It’s easier to confront them that way.
  • Talk to people you trust about your emotions. Better yet, talk to yourself and write it down in a journal – Venting is healthy. Journaling is a great outlet for many.
  • 3. Practice awareness – Quy notes that when you are aware of the emotions you are feeling, you are less likely to make a decision based on them. You are then more likely to react with less bias and improve relationships – which are the heart of our business.

To make it work for you the suggestions require self-reflection. Taking this pause will help you get to the reality of what is happening. Do this for both positive and negative emotions.

  • What event happened that made me feel this way? Or what person?
  • Where does the emotion show up in my body? Does this emotion express itself in my body language?
  • What was my first response to the emotion? Then, if I had to do it over again, would I repeat myself?
  • Is this an emotion I want to reinforce? If not, when could I have nipped it in the bud? If so, how can I repeat the experience?

The better you become at doing this, the more you will recognize and enjoy the happiness in your life. You, and you alone, define what happiness is to you. And it’s you who recognize it and welcome it into your life. Pursuing emotional wellbeing will allow you to be more resilient and go after the goals that will lead to increased happiness both personally and professionally.

Posted on by hildaweisburg

Beyond EDI

There’s one more step we need to take.

An important and ongoing issue in our schools is the importance of Equity, Diversity, and Inclusion (EDI). It is something we must address in how we run our libraries. We recognize all three must be integrated into our daily practices to ensure that the library is a safe, welcoming place for all. But is there more that we can do, and, if so, what is it?

Before looking ahead, it’s important to review how this process has changed. An early understanding was realizing the difference between equality and equity. Equality means everyone gets the same thing, for example, all students get Chrome Books. Equity takes into account that not everyone is starting at the same point and resources are allocated to minimize or, even better, eliminate the difference so all have the same opportunity. It means that not only does every student have a Chrome book, but access to wi-fi so they can be used whenever needed.

Diversity addresses the need for everyone to be represented. Your collection should have materials that show a broad understanding of the many cultures, ethnics, genders, and physical distinctions that make up our communities. Even if our communities appear monochrome, the country and the world aren’t. Your collection must represent this. It’s not a diverse collection if all it has are the five “F’s”(food, festivals, folklore, fashion, and famous people). Dr. Rudine Sims Bishop first talked of mirrors, windows, and sliding glass doors in 1990 (you can read the full article here). She stated:

“Books are sometimes windows, offering views of worlds that may be real or imagined, familiar or strange. These windows are also sliding glass doors, and readers have only to walk through in imagination to become part of whatever world has been created and recreated by the author. When lighting conditions are just right, however, a window can also be a mirror. Literature transforms human experience and reflects it back to us, and in that reflection we can see our own lives and experiences as part of the larger human experience. Reading, then, becomes a means of self-affirmation, and readers often seek their mirrors in books. (1990, p. ix)

We now look for #ownvoices and other sources to build a wider, more authentic collection.

Inclusion shows up in who is in the top classes and who is in the bottom. We can see it in the members of student government and in academic competitions. It is also visible in the cafeteria and on the bus. To create an inclusive environment where there wasn’t one takes planning, communication and patience, getting different groups to collaborate with each other.

We certainly have become better at creating a safe, welcoming place for all, but there is one more step to take. Belonging goes beyond EDI. Belonging is about emotions. It tells you how people feel about your library. Sometimes EDI feels like you are just following a set of the newest directions set down from administrators. While important, it doesn’t have that added sense of a welcoming embrace.

LaFawn Davis explains to the business world How Belonging Differs from Diversity and Inclusion — and Why It Matters. She quotes Verna Myers who said, “diversity is being invited to the party; inclusion is being asked to dance.” Davis then adds, “belonging is knowing all the songs.” You can feel the difference.

Davis recommends surveys to get some answers about belonging, giving this example:

We asked respondents to consider five statements regarding inclusion and belonging and select an answer ranging from “strongly disagree” to “strongly agree.” Two of the statements were specifically related to psychological safety, the underpinning of belonging:

  • When I speak up, my opinion is valued.
  • I feel comfortable coming forward with concerns or complaints, without the fear of retaliation.

Do all your students feel their opinion is valued? Do they worry a concern or fear of theirs will be bring retaliation or just be brushed off?  Can you have conversations with students to get answers, or does that already suggest the answer?

She also suggests creating “opportunities for connections” based on interests. As you launch a research project, how can you frame it so that you get diverse members working in collaborative groups. Do formative assessments as they go along to see that all voices are being heard and welcomed.

Your Mission, as Davis says, can promote belonging. Review your Mission and make any tweaks necessary to include belonging. Keep checking to gauge how well this part of your Mission is unfolding and being lived by your audience.

Diversity is having a seat at the table; inclusion being having a voice. Belonging is the support you get for that voice. The school library has been a haven for so many over the years. It’s where countless students have felt safe. Take it one step beyond and make it the place where they feel they belong – and belong with others.

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ON LIBRARIES: A Vital Mind

An almost universal complaint these days is being exhausted.  The pandemic has drained our energy in so many ways.  Our workloads have increased.  Our routines have been overturned.  We seem to need to re-create ourselves daily.  And then there is the underlying fear of the virus itself.   There are good reasons to be and feel physically and mentally exhausted.  But what if you could turn around the mental exhaustion? To what extent would that affect you physically as well?

Our brains are incredibly powerful, and even if we’ve only begun to understand all they do, we recognize our minds affect our moods and emotions. It’s what we mean when we talk about changing our mindset.  It’s helpful to realize is that our brains also affect us physiologically.  When we do, we can exercise control and allow body and mind to work together.

Physical energy is restored by having enough sleep, eating healthy, and getting exercise.  But what if you eat right, exercise and get a good night’s sleep, yet still have to drag yourself out of bed in the morning?  According to Susan Fowler, that has nothing to do with physical energy. It has to do with psychological energy or vitality. In her article The Myth of Low Energy – How to Generate the Vitality Your Need Right Now, Fowler proposes that our faulty belief in having a fixed amount of energy is part of what causes us to feel depleted. We need to understand the difference between energy and vitality.

Fowler writes, “Vitality is the energy available to you for taking action. It is the energy that enables you to self-regulate and still have the energy you need to pursue your goals. Vitality is the feeling of being alive, vigorous and energetic. When you have vitality, you are fully functioning.” Vitality is proactive and renewable by changing your mindset.  Because it is psychological and not physiological, it isn’t drained the way physical energy can be. It is what you need to be in control of your day and focus on your goals.

According to Fowler, vitality has three components which are the key to not feeling drained:  choice, connection, and competence.

Choice- Take time to notice where your actions are a choice rather than something you just have to do. I find it both empowering and, at times, uncomfortable to recognize that everything I do or don’t do is a choice, but this is key to increasing vitality. Noticing choice empowers you.  When you have a task to accomplish, consider why you are doing it. Is it because it’s required?  Would you do it if it weren’t?  If it’s required, how can you frame it so that if fits with your philosophy and goals?  Put your mind in control and discover that what you choose and how you choose it affect the amount of energy it will use.

Connection- The changes in the way we socialize have made us more aware of the importance of connection. Although how we reach out to or visit with people has changed, the value of those connections is the same – maybe greater.  Take the time to notice them, enjoy them, no matter how they occur. Take time to value the connections in your life. Remember to view your interactions with others not only for how you make their lives better, but how you benefit as well.

Competence – What we know, what we can do, and where we can learn contributes to our vitality.  Fortunately, librarians are lifelong learners. Recognize that the pandemic has given us new opportunities to learn and be of help and service to others. Take joy in this process while remembering not to take yourself too seriously. Part of learning has always been making mistakes. Laugh at them then find out what needs to be done to fix them.

Even when our bodies feel rundown, with choice, connection, and competence, we can make a shift to put our minds in control and bring out our vitality.

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ON LIBRARIES – School Librarians Are Transformers

A number of years ago, while attending an ALA Conference (remember – I’m a conference junkie), AASL gave us pins that read: “Ask Me How School Librarians Transform Learning.” If someone saw you wearing that pin and asked you that question, are you prepared to answer it?  You never know when someone will challenge the need for school librarians and school libraries.  You must be able to respond.

AASL produced a mini magazine entitled “School Librarians Transform Learning,” published by American Libraries. Although it came out several years ago, the content is still relevant and it’s available as a free download electronically or as a PDF. It contains six articles and an infographic, all of which will ensure you can effectively answer that challenging question.

As Barbara Stripling says in the opening article, “The vision of school librarians is to enable all students to become independent readers and learners.” She details five ways in which we do so.

  • Fostering Independent Reading – Students learn how to read in the classroom. With a certified librarian and a school library, they learn to love reading.  In other words, we transform readers into lifelong readers and learners.
  • Teaching Critical Information Skills and Dispositions in Collaboration with Classroom Teachers – That’s a mouthful, but translated for the challenging questioner, it means we work with classroom assignments (and the teacher who gave it) to teach students to identify valid, relevant information, so they can create new knowledge. We also help students develop the attitudes that sustain them through the sometimes frustrating experiences of true research.
  • Ensuring Equitable Access to Resources and Technology – The sixth Common Belief in AASL’s National School Library Standards states, “Information technologies must be appropriate, integrated, and equitably available.’ By curating websites and other resources that are aligned with the curriculum and then guiding students in how to use them effectively, librarians support students to develop powerful tools for learning.
  • Creating a Safe and Nurturing Environment – This one is basic to us, but others are not always aware that learning can’t take place when students don’t feel safe. The library is can be a place in the school where some of students who deal with threats to their safety in school or have stress-filled home lives feel safe. We strive to make the library a haven for those who need it.
  • Providing Schoolwide Instructional Leadership – As tech integrators, we bring the latest websites and apps to classroom teachers. We help them incorporate these tools into their teaching and work with them when they have their students use them.

The Infographic follows Stripling’s article and it’s worth reproducing and hanging in your library. Among the great facts it showcases are:

  • Students equate research with Googling.
  • Use search engines instead of more traditional sources.
  • Lack the ability to judge the quality of online information.

The Infographic has many more such supportive facts.

Barbara Stripling also wrote the next article, “Reimagining Advocacy for School Libraries.”  This is an extensive article and one with solid information on how to advocate for your library.  Rather than go into details, I want to tempt you to read it by listing the headings.

  • Clarifying the Characteristics of the Effective School Library
  • Identifying Evidence of School Library Impact
  • Crafting the Message
  • Developing Partnerships and Delivering the Message
  • Evaluating the Advocacy Impact

In a third article, Kay Wejrowski responds to the challenging question, “Do Kids Even Use the School Library Anymore?” This article grew out of Wejrowski being confronted by a couple at a charity fundraiser.  You need to be ready with a solid response as she was.

Her answer includes how the library builds community spirit (transforming the education community) and is the center for tech skills.  I love this line from her article: “It is our library that often serves as a think tank for evolving ideas and programs and finds solutions to local challenges.” I hope the parents who asked the question were amazed and impressed by what Wejrowski told them.

In another article Daniel Mauchley writes about “Creating Coalitions.” They brought in him after the school district tried to eliminate nearly all the librarian positions, forcing the librarians to advocate strongly for themselves. Mauchley writes about being able to work with teachers as an instructional partner despite having to move between two schools. Many of you are in a similar situation.  You can’t show how school librarians transform learning unless teachers can see it for themselves. As District Librarian Shelly Ripplinger says, “Working with teachers and co-teaching is better for students. And doing what’s best for students, that’s what it really comes down to.”

The final article by Nancy Everhart and Marcia A. Mardis report on “Building Advocacy Before a Crisis” based on the Pennsylvania School Library Study. Their suggestions should add to your knowledge base of how to place your school library in the spotlight as the place where transformational learning happens.

Be prepared to answer the tough questions. Take the time to read the articles in this magazine and look at the Libraries Transform website.  We must get the word out.  Each one of us is responsible for ensuring that students, teachers, administrators, parents, and indeed the whole community is aware of the vital contribution school librarians and school libraries make on teaching and learning.  If you haven’t done so as yet, use this magazine and your own knowledge to create a plan to bring this message to your stakeholders.

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ON LIBRARIES: Seasons’ Decisions

In many ways, it’s the most wonderful time of the year, but holidays bring their own stress, and there is one in particular which impacts many librarians.

There was a time when only Christmas was celebrated in public locations such as municipal buildings and schools. Department stores only featured Christmas displays, and no one thought much of it. Eventually, other December holidays were included as well. Schools reacted to this expansion in different ways, usually depending on location. Some continued to feature only Christmas decorations. Some had both Christmas and Hanukkah. Others included Kwanzaa.  And then there are places that don’t allow any indications of a religious celebration.

Where does that leave librarians?  How do you decorate for the holidays? Some of you live in an area where it is expected that you be inclusive.  Others have more restrictions.  How and why do you decide what to do?

This is an ideal time to look at your philosophy. You probably have something in it about creating a safe, welcoming space. You might address equity, diversity, and inclusion.  To what extent do your holiday decorations reflect and promote those ideas? If they don’t, then you might keep any December theme focused on the season rather than the holidays.

You also need to consider your student population. What is its religious /ethnic make-up? The more diverse it is, the more your displays need to reflect that.  We want to have “mirrors” for our students. Their feelings of safety come from seeing themselves reflected in the school community—and the library. If their holiday isn’t represented, they feel invisible.

If your population is mainly Christian, you probably will make Christmas central to your displays. Most of these are not overtly religious, although some occasionally include a crèche. But should you also have some Hanukkah decorations to acknowledge the diversity that is out there? It depends on your community and their concerns, but this is where you have the opportunity to create “windows.”  While mirrors let students see themselves in books – and displays – windows show them the lives of those who are not like them. In her essay, “Mirrors, Windows, and Sliding Glass Doors” , Rudine Sims Bishop says when children only see themselves they develop an exaggerated sense of self-importance. A thought to consider.

What can you do if your community is not open to diversity and inclusion? The choice is yours, but you can make tiny inroads. Consider a small display of books on Hanukkah (and maybe Kwanzaa) with no decorations.

This is the same approach you can take with “controversial materials.” I have written before about the choices librarians make to purchase or not purchase a title. No one wants to risk their job and possibly lose friends by making choices the school and community would emphatically reject. Once again, the key is usually in small steps. They are hardly noticeable, but each one puts you a little further down the road and creates a library with more windows to the world at large.

Hopefully, as communities become more diverse, there will be an increasing number of schools open to having students discover how their neighbors celebrate.  Then you can mark the month of Ramadan beginning on April 24, 2020, and the 5-day Diwali celebration beginning on November 14, 2020. In the meantime, enjoy your holiday, whatever and whenever it is and however you choose to celebrate it.

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ON LIBRARIES: A Safe Welcoming Space

In the aftermath of another school shooting, I felt this was an important topic to revisit because it is clearly an ongoing struggle. For learning to happen, students need to feel safe. Equally important, they need to feel welcome. It is our charge as librarians to create a space where both exist. Doing this is vital to your program’s success.

The way you have arranged your facility, the furniture, the displays, and how you greet students show them the library welcomes them.  To truly make all students feel safe and give them a sense of belonging requires a more concentrated effort. It starts with a collection that reflects a diversity of culture, ethnicity, and race of your students as well as the various lifestyles they lead. Even if your school is culturally homogenous, there is a need to show students what the larger world looks like. In addition, it’s important to be aware of differences that may not show so that these can also be addressed.

For example, how are socio-economic differences and physical disabilities being acknowledged in your collection? We need to pay attention to how these students access information, making it as barrier-free as possible. In creating a safe environment, you need to continually learn about those who are “other” in some ways and work to make them feel recognized, valued and welcome as well.

Equity, Diversity, and Inclusion

Against a backdrop of differences and in a time when differences continue to face suspicion and prejudice, librarians need to develop a collection policy that consciously pays attention to Equity, Diversity, and Inclusion (EDI).  While the three terms seem similar, they encompass important differences. Understanding them helps you be more attuned to your students’ needs.

Equity is often confused with equality. Equality is giving everyone the same thing, i.e. all students get a Chromebook. Equity is ensuring that all students have an equal opportunity. If a computer is needed for homework, do all students have access to one at home? Can they access the internet? If not, then you don’t have equity.

An illustration appearing on many websites explains the distinction. Three boys of different heights are trying to watch a baseball game from outside a solid fence. Equality shows them now standing on boxes of the same height. The tallest boy has an excellent view. The next one can just see over the fence. The shortest one still cannot see the game. Equity gives the boys boxes of different heights, so they all have a good view.  A third panel shows the boys viewing the game from behind a fence with an open weave. This takes access to a higher level by completely removing the barrier for all.

Diversity is usually thought of as referring to the various ethnicities, religions, and cultures, but it includes far more. Gender, gender identification, socio-economic status is part of diversity. So are physical and emotional challenges. Diversity is so all-encompassing it can be hard to wrap your arms around all the differences. Adding to the challenge is that so many of these differences aren’t observable, certainly not on the surface. Despite that, libraries must strive to meet the needs of all these students. Lower check out areas for students in wheelchairs. No fines so as not to penalize those having financial challenges or spending time in two households. Books which represent different challenges, choices, and traumas.

Inclusion means that all are a part of the whole.  It seeks to keep students in age-appropriate classes. Students are not judged to be inferior for any reason. Ever.

Another recent image going around social media captured the distinction among the three terms in this way: “Accessibility is being able to get in the building. Diversity is having a seat at the table. Inclusion is having a voice at the table. Belonging is having your voice heard at the table!”

Although EDI is the phrase used most of the time to describe what we are trying to achieve, a better visualization of what this means is the phrase Mirrors, Windows, and Sliding Glass Doors as coined in an essay by Rudine Sims Bishop. Mirrors are the stories that show students they are not invisible in the library collection. Bishop notes if children only see themselves, they develop an exaggerated sense of self-importance. These same books offer other students windows – the ability to see and better understand their peers and the challenges that they might face.

By now we are all aware of the importance of having books so that African Americans, Latinx, and Islamic students and others can see themselves in our collections. Many of you have acquired titles about LGBTQ+ kids and families while others face challenges to this step. But diversity goes beyond these areas.

The library’s collection needs books that include kids who have physical disabilities as well as mental and emotional problems. You also need stories about students who are homeless, have a parent or close relative who is incarcerated, or a parent who is in the military and is in an active war zone. Even Sesame Street, which has always worked to be diverse, currently has Muppets who have autism and are in foster care.

How do you do it all – particularly when your budget is small? There is no simple solution. Do your best to tune into the diversity that exists in your school population and make that your initial focus. Look for materials to meet them. And then check for grants. There may be an organization that offers grants to your school district.

It’s not easy and it takes time, but we all agree our students are worth the effort.  With windows and doors, we make our libraries safe, welcoming spaces for all.

 

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ON LIBRARIES: A Safe Welcoming Environment – For All

The library must be a safe, welcoming environment.  We all say this and mean it.  But how is that translating into reality? Having furniture appropriate in size for students?  Featuring student work? Rules that are positively stated? Do you have students who choose to stay in the library during lunch because they feel different or unaccepted by their classmates?  All this is important, but there is more to creating a safe, welcoming environment for all. Those last two words are the key and to create it we need equity, diversity, and inclusion.

Creating a welcoming environment is behind the call for more diversity in our collections. A great website for this is We Need Diverse Books. Under the Resources tab, in addition to a downloadable Booktalking Kit, there is “Where to Find Diverse Books” which gives links for sources for African, African American, Disabilities (only one). American Indian, Islam, Latinx, and LGBTQIA+.

Take the time to look at your current collection.  Do most of your diverse books fall within Sonia Nieto’s description of foods, festivals, fashion, folklore, and famous people?  For students of these diverse backgrounds, this is merely the tip of the iceberg in capturing who they are.  Is your African American collection heavily tilted toward slave days and the civil rights movement?  Certainly, there is much more to present.

As mentioned on the website We Are Teachers, we need to provide Mirrors and Windows.  Mirrors allow students to see themselves in the books in our collections. The same titles provide Windows for other students to see the bigger picture, helping them become the global citizens necessary in our world.  Hopefully, these Windows become Sliding Glass Doors, creating comfort and ease with others who are different from us.

It’s important to see diversity in a somewhat larger setting.  The phrase used in business, education, and especially for our libraries is Equity, Diversity, and Inclusion or EDI.  The three words are obviously related, but there are substantive differences among them.

ALA’s Intellectual Freedom Committee just completed the process for further defining the Library Bill of Rights.  The document, Equity, Diversity, and Inclusion: An Interpretation of the Library Bill of Rights is one you need to be familiar with.  Among other explanations, it presents definitions of these three key areas.

Equity, according to the document is: “{Takes} difference into account to ensure a fair process and, ultimately, a fair outcome. Equity recognizes that some groups were (and are) disadvantaged in accessing educational and employment opportunities and are, therefore, underrepresented or marginalized in many organizations and institutions. Equity, therefore, means increasing diversity by ameliorating conditions of disadvantaged groups.”

Equity should not be confused with equality. Equality means everyone gets the same.  Divide the pie into equal portions.  But should the toddler get the same size piece as the teenager?  Obviously not.  Equity is about giving more to those who need more.  A graphic, attributed to the United Way of the Columbia-Willamette (left), shows 3 children of different heights behind a fence watching a baseball game. Equality is giving all three a box of the same height to see over the fence.  Equity is giving them boxes of different sizes.

My favorite version goes beyond even equity. When the planks covering the fence are removed, nobody needs assistance.  The assistance can make students feel different which is not what we want.  For example, if you charge fines for overdues and forgive those who can’t afford them or let them work off their fines in some ways, you are making the situation equitable, but differences are still felt. Eliminating fines eliminates differences.

Diversity according to the ALA document, “can be defined as the sum of the ways that people are both alike and different. When we recognize, value, and embrace diversity, we are recognizing, valuing, and embracing the uniqueness of each individual.” The words “valuing” and “embracing” are what contribute to making the library a safe and welcoming space.

Diversity shows up throughout the National School Library Standards. The standard for C. SHARE III. Collaborate states: “Learners work productively with others to solve problems by: involving diverse perspectives in their own learning process.”  It’s not just your book collection that should be diverse. Integrating diversity within research projects makes it a part of students’ lives.

Inclusion, as stated in the document, “means an environment in which all individuals are treated fairly and respectfully; are valued for their distinctive skills, experiences, and perspectives; have equal access to resources and opportunities; and can contribute fully to the organization’s success.”  To me, this is the welcoming statement.  All belong, all contribute.

The National School Library Standards identifies Include as the second of the Shared Foundations, stating that it “Demonstrates an understanding of and commitment to inclusiveness and respect for diversity in the learning community.”  As part of what we do as school librarians, we need to recognize the diverse range of our student population.  In addition to ethnicity, gender identification, and disabilities, we need to be aware of those who are homeless, have an incarcerated family member, a parent serving abroad, or other ways their lives may make them feel different.

It’s not easy. It won’t happen overnight.  It’s an ongoing process of learning for us as well as the communities we serve, but the bottom line is the library must be a safe, welcoming environment for ALL. The work we do with this has a far-reaching – even unlimited – impact.

 

 

Posted on by hildaweisburg

ON LIBRARIES: A Place for a Pause

Two weeks ago in my blog, I confessed that I talk a lot.  To combat dominating a conversation, I worked—and still work—at being an active listener.  One of the ways to do this is to know how and when to use the power of a pause in your daily conversations.  Mastering it will help build the relationships that are key to your success as a leader. You also want to be aware of phrases that stop conversations in their tracks and filler words that can help or hinder the impact of what you say.

Brenda Barbosa, in a post entitled 1 Tool that Will Make Your Conversation Flow Better, said the best advice she ever got was, “shut up and listen.”  Of course, you are quiet when you the person you are speaking with is talking.  But are you just waiting for your chance to talk?

Some of us jump in with a comment even as the other party is still talking.  Others are more respectful outwardly but are busy formulating their reply.  Both behaviors show when we are not listening. Not the best basis for forming or continuing a relationship.

Here is where the pause comes in. Even if you know what you need/want to say next, take that moment. When you do so consciously you breathe deeper, and that sends more oxygen to your brain. You get a better understanding of what the other person is trying to communicate.  By pausing you will make a better, more relevant reply, and you will validate what the other person is saying to you.  A win/win.

When we validate another’s opinion, even if we disagree (yes, you can do both) with it, we build trust, a necessary component if you are going to have a relationship that leads to cooperation. In our digital age, we communicate with multiple devices, but you get the biggest return in a one-on-one conversation and the best results in that conversation when we are active listeners.

In the workplace, you are usually speaking in the Personal or possibly Intimate Space, which I described in my blog one month ago. In this space, you view body language, see each others’ faces. The voice is clearer and no emoticons are needed.  To make the connection, you need to be fully present and the pause will get you there.

And then there is the Yabut. It’s something you know, even if you’ve never heard it called this.  Marvin G. Knittel explained on the Psychology Today page How a Yabut Can Kill A Conversation. He gives this example, “I said to my friend, ‘This has been the nicest day we’ve had in a long time.’  My friend, said, ‘Yabut, you know our weather won’t last.’” Have you ever done that?  I’m sure I have.

Knittel goes on to quote Steve Cochrane as saying the Yabut may be the “No. 1 killer of collaboration, cooperation, great ideas and innovation in any organization.”  The complete opposite of what you are seeking.  The suggestion is to try, “Yes, and….”

Filler words can go either way. We all use them   A pause is good, and it’s common to say “umm” or “uh” when we are doing so since most of us have an aversion to silence in a conversation.  Use it occasionally and it moves things along.  Use it repeatedly and you sound uncertain.

Then there are the recurring words such as “actually,” “like”, “totally”, “you know”, and a number of others, most of which make us sound like teens in an 80’s movie.  They do have their uses.  Fluent U suggests some very good ones in their article Quick English Filler Words You’ll Thank Yourself for Learning. However, Christopher Mele’s New York Times “So, Umm, How Do You, Like, Stop Using Filler Words?” makes the point that if we use too many of these words our conversation, we don’t sound very intelligent.  Filler words minimize what you are saying. Unfortunately, Mele doesn’t offer a cure, but awareness is an important first start.

My suggestion is to start listening to yourself. You won’t be able to stop using the filler words at first, but by being more aware of when you use them, you can slowly delete them from your conversation.  Actually, I have uh managed you know to literally almost get them out of my speech pattern. Totally.