Posted on by hildaweisburg

It’s Wise to Have Many Whys

We talk about Mission Statements as our “Why.” Looking deeper, the Mission Statement is focused mailing on what you do. It is, as I say, your Perspiration. The underlying “Why” you do it is tied to your values, your life history, and other forces that have created the you who is in this current place.

Making a difference in the learning and school experience of your students is probably one of the “Whys” you have. Other “Whys” might have developed over time, such as promoting intellectual freedom.

Focusing on only one “why” has been the traditional approach. The thinking was you needed to bring your full attention to it in order to be successful. David Zimmerman has a different take on it in his blog article, Leaders, It’s OK To Have Multiple “Whys” where he discusses why more could be better and the power of multipotentiality. Zimmerman begins with these four reasons:

  1. Diverse Perspectives – Librarians, like everyone else, are not clean slates schooled only in librarianship. We have interests and often other careers which can bring greater scope to what we do. Are you crafty? How can that add to your program? It’s not just in making displays. Think of how it benefits a makerspace. Or perhaps you have a good way of bringing local business people into the library which showcases their talents and exposes students to the choices available after school ends.
  2. Adaptability – In a fast-moving world, our multiple interests make us more able to change, pivot, and go through any other gyrations needed to not only catch up but be ahead of the curve. It allows us to be willing to try the new, build on what works, and release what doesn’t. It also shows us the interconnectedness of our interests.
  3. Continuous Growth – A single focus can be limiting. Having multiple passions makes us more likely and able to be continuously growing, being motivated anew by what we discover. As librarians, we are and need to be role models for lifelong learning.
  4. Greater Impact – The assortment of interests and strengths we bring allows us to communicate more personally with a variety of stakeholders. We have more in common, more reasons for connection. When we communicate, we build the relationships that are so vital to carrying out our Mission – and make a difference in the lives of our communities.

Having multiple “Whys” is at the core of multipotentiality. People who embrace multipotentiality are “an adaptable, quick learners with a wide range of skills and creative pursuits, characterized by their curiosity, capacity to learn quickly, and ability to synthesize disparate ideas.” Zimmerman who presents four ways to lead with multipotentiality.

  1. Leverage Your Passions – Take stock of your passions. How can each of them contribute to your role as a school librarian? Whether a love of nature, cooking, or travel, your passion for these parts of you can add creativity and give you greater dimension as a leader.
  2. Create Space for Exploration – Don’t be limited to your current passions and interests. When something piques your interest, try it out. Look for new activities, and then bring them into the rich mix that fuels your program and your leadership.
  3. Cultivate a Growth Mindset – See these new interests as part of your growth. What did you have to do to learn these new interests? How can you bring the experience of that learning process into your daily work?
  4. Encourage It in Others – This is another passion. Bringing the joy of learning and discovery to others. It’s also about the role of leaders in creating new leaders. Seeing others bloom is a special joy.

Your days are full. It seems like a lot to ask you to add to your “Whys,” but you are probably doing it to some degree already. Instead of ignoring those other interests, focus on and include them so you can lean into your passions and interest to bring you to a greater level of leadership.

Posted on by hildaweisburg · 2 Comments

ON LIBRARIES: Role-ing Through Your Day

It is mind-boggling, and more than a little exhausting, realizing how many roles we play.  Away from our job, we may be wife, mother, friend, parent caretaker, and any number of others.  These roles carry assorted responsibilities and a myriad of duties.  We may love these tasks or feel some are draining, but we carry on.

It certainly doesn’t get any less complex in our libraries. In the years since I first became a librarian I have held many “titles.”  First I was a teacher-librarian which is what I was called in my first certification.  Then I became a school librarian as my state changed what the certification was called.

I went on to be a school library media specialist. That is such a cumbersome title we use the acronym SLMS. My state certification also offers an 18-credit concentration for which you get an Associate School Library Media Specialist certification which is even more of a mouthful.

Throughout the country, I’ve discovered there are more names for what we do.  Library Teacher is common as we strive to remind our colleagues that we have an important role as teachers.  Some places use Information Specialist.   Library Technician is another. I knew someone who billed herself as an Information Generalist, claiming “specialist” was too limiting since we cover so much territory.

At one time there was a growing movement for “Cybrarian,” highlighting our skills using the web. One of the newer titles that has emerged is Innovation Specialist.  I suspect it will last as long as Cybrarian. It’s nice, but vague in a time when we need administrators and others to understand and appreciate the value we bring.

Why all these different names for what we do?  No one has ever suggested changing what teachers are called.  They have been teachers for thousands of years. They need different skills than they did even fifty years ago, their classroom configurations have changed drastically since the middle of the last century, but they are still teachers.

The name changes have been caused by our ever-evolving roles as librarians. While we haven’t been as successful as we need to be in communicating what we do to our administrators and boards of education, our state certification departments have recognized some of it – hence those name changes. Librarians have done the same in an effort to show what we do.

Nope – you can’t read this. There’s too much crammed in to one space!

I have come to believe, along with AASL, that we have confused people more than we have clarified what we do. No one title seems to cover the entire territory.  I now embrace the title of School Librarian and feel we must show what huge, complex, and vital roles that encompasses.

In Empowering Learners: Guidelines for School Library Media Programs (2009), AASL identifies four roles of School Librarians:

  • Teacher
  • Information Specialist
  • Instructional Partner
  • Program Administrator

The first role places us similar to classroom teachers, and we use many of the same skill sets as they do in executing this role. But at the upper levels, our students are frequently disbursed throughout a facility far larger than a classroom and we need to be managers, able to encourage them to explore while keeping them on track.  And at all levels, visitors or teachers might drop in while we are teaching.  We need to juggle competing roles at that point, knowing when we can leave students to proceed on their own so we can attend to the interruption.

In the second role, we are tech integrationists futurists (isn’t that a mouthful).  We work diligently to stay current with the newest tech resources incorporating those that meet needs of our teachers and students. We are also mindful of the values and the dangers of technology. From preparing out students to be safe in cyberspace to teaching how to identify fake news, this is an unceasing role we play.

As Instructional Partners we are diplomats.  We find lures to entice teachers to incorporate our expertise and resources to develop in our students the habits, competencies, and dispositions to be lifelong learners.  This role often requires much patience and tact.

The final role is far more than the basic management of the library program.  It comes to the heart of us as leaders.  It demands that we have a vision and are willing to be a risk-taker in moving our program constantly forward so it’s not mired in the past. We incorporate the other three roles we have in order to create a program that is viewed as vital and indispensable to students, teachers, administrators, parents, and even the community.

Each of the four roles embodies others.  And I am sure we will be adding to them as new demands are placed on us and the educational community who depend on our program.

In Empowering Learners AASL predicted our first role would become Instructional Partner and then Information Specialist with Teacher coming in third.  What is important is that we do what we can for people to think of all these roles and responsibilities when they hear the title School Librarian. We can keep the name of our position simple as we build on the complex and multifaceted role we play in our schools and for our students and administrators.

Which role do you see yourself using most often? Which of your roles do you need to develop further? And how can I and your PLN help?