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Words Matter

When you were a kid and someone teased you or called you a mean name, you might have been taught to respond with the ditty: “Sticks and stones may break my bones, but words will never hurt me.” The fact that you chose to say that reveals a deeper truth. Wounds heal. Words are powerful. And very lasting.

Words can tear you down, and words can build you up. They tell a story, convey emotion, tell someone what we believe, what we think is important. We know our job as a school librarian matters, but what words are you hearing about them?

Unnecessary. Ancillary. Not as important as… Those are just some of the words and phrases used to put our work down. Oddly enough, we may be the one responsible for some of the negative talk. In her Knowledge Quest article (see more about KQ at the end of this blog), “Knowing Your Worth – Even When Others Don’t See It,” Amanda Galliton calls attention to how we minimize what we do and how we need to advocate for ourselves.

As school librarians we have six roles:

  • Information Specialist: Assisting students and staff in locating and utilizing information resources effectively, fostering research skills and critical thinking.
  • Educator: Teaching information and related technology literacy, helping students understand how to evaluate sources and use information responsibly.
  • Curriculum Partner: Collaborating with teachers to integrate library resources into the curriculum goals, enhancing learning experiences across subjects.
  • Collection Manager: Curating and maintaining the library’s collection, ensuring it meets the diverse needs of the school community and reflects current trends in education.
  • Technology Integrator: Leveraging technology to enhance learning, providing access to digital resources and teaching students how to use various tools effectively. Staying up to date on the most recent technological trends and advances.
  • Advocate for Literacy: Promoting reading and literacy initiatives, encouraging a love for reading among students and offering support their overall academic growth. Doing what we can to offer a range of options to promote connection and understanding.

With all this, why aren’t we seen as vital? Part of the reason is so much of this happens unseen or behind the scenes. Compounding this, Galliton points out, displays of false modesty makes us lessen the importance of what we do each day.

Listen to how many times you use the word, “just’’ as in “I just helped a student find a book,” or “I’m just supporting this lesson.” These are the ones Galliton identifies. How often do you use that phrase or say, “I’m only helping …” “Just” and “Only” minimize what you are doing—and in turn this minimizes your contributions in the minds of teachers and administrators.

We need more of us being conscious advocates for the vital need for our presence in the school. In a world where school librarians are being branded as pedophiles and groomers because of the selections in our collections, we must show our school and local community how important our roles are for the future of our students.

Some ways to do this:

  • Displaying student successes. Email parents about their child’s achievement. Even better, write a monthly column in the local freebie newsletter or town website.
  • Send the principal a quick message about a great learning project with a teacher in which you praise the teacher and acknowledge what you did to support her.
  • Invite a local business leader to visit the library and speak of the skills needed to handle their job. While they are in the library, show off student work so they can become advocates. Also be sure your principal (and superintend) are aware of the visit and are asked to join.

Once you start thinking of how to let your communities know the value of school libraries, I hope you will come up with others. When you do, take a step towards announcing your success by sharing them on the School Librarian’s Workshop Facebook page.

I think this is the first Knowledge Quest article I have used as a basis for this blog. So here’s a quick plug for them. According to their webpage, KQ is published bimonthly September through June by the American Association of School Librarians,. Knowledge Quest is devoted to offering substantive information to assist building-level school librarians, supervisors, library educators, and other decision makers concerned with the development of school libraries and school library services. Articles address the integration of theory and practice in school librarianship and new developments in education, learning theory, and relevant disciplines

What does this mean? Another way to share your success could be to submit an article to KQ. Leaders have visibility. Make yourself visible – and use words to show how valuable you are.

Posted on by hildaweisburg

Make Your Library Invaluable

Do you see your teachers as colleagues or customers? What about students? Did those questions have you considering something you haven’t?

Whether or not you see them that way, teachers and students play dual roles in your library and in its success because teachers are both colleagues and customers and students are both patrons and customers. they are your customers as well as your colleagues and students.

Recognizing this duality may how you approach them and help them see your library seen as the invaluable resource it is. When you are dealing with customers, you want to give them the best service possible, meet their needs, and ensure they keep coming back. And you want them to give you great reviews to others who are interested in coming by.

In her SmartBrief article, The leadership blind spot that’s quietly killing revenue, Jeannie Walters states that “Many leaders think customer experience is someone else’s job.” It’s not – it’s ours. And unlike customer relations, it is proactive. It is what you think about before there is a problem, not what you do after there’s an issue.

She recommends businesses make three shifts to movie to a customer service approach. I’ve revised them to show how we can adapt this for our work.

  1. They define what success looks like for the customer, not just the organization – There are numerous data points which you and the teachers you support are expected to reach, but teaching is more than that. Before you start collaborating, think about the different results the teacher looking for from this learning experience. Is it only the grade that will make the student feel successful? Or is there something to be learned from the process. Also, is this a project special to the teacher or connected to state mandated benchmark. Knowing this, having a good relationship with the teacher, will help you support them. Listen carefully and ask questions so that you can shape the project and bring them the satisfaction of having attained their goals.
  2. They make the customer’s voice a leadership-level input – What the teacher or student tells you will reveal what they most need and where you can help. Even if you think you know a lot about the topic or lesson, try not to talk so much. (A tough one for me.) We need to hear what our “customers” are looking for. Ask questions from the teacher before going into action. Have a class discussion to elicit where students are with the assignment. Do they hate it before it starts? How can you shift it? Where can it be connected to students life experiences? And show them (teachers and students) that there answers are important by following through and incorporating what they tell you.
  3. They treat consistency as a competitive advantage – One good project followed by poor or mediocre ones doesn’t build a good relationship. You want to create a situation where good is repeated or improved on. At the end of the project, consider doing a mini survey. This will give you an opportunity to learn what your customers like best about the project, what did they wished had gone better, and where they might have struggled or felt successful during the project. Go a step further and score yourself, keeping track of the feedback, good and bad.

Before you put this into action, be proactive yourself. What could you learn from this approach? How could it help you grow as a leader? As Ranganathan says in his fifth law of library sciences, “Libraries are growing organisms.” So are leaders. Grow a little each day and your “customers” will not only come back for more—they’ll tell everyone (including administrators!) about what you bring to the school.

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Presenting… You!

School is out for the summer, but school librarians (and teachers) don’t just work ten months of the year. Summer is time for rejuvenating, updating lessons, and other plans to prepare yourself for the start of school in the fall. In addition to those projects, whether you are an experienced librarian, new on the job, or starting in a new school or grade level, this is a good time to look for ways to use the time to address how your community sees you.

We develop opinions about others based on the behaviors others exhibit. While you are making these assessments, your colleagues, students, and administrators are doing the same thing for you. In her SmartBrielf article, Hidden behaviors that shape how colleagues and managers see you, Anne-Maartje Oud addresses seven ways we are unknowingly sending a message about who we are and what we care about. Here are her seven, along with my usual comments on how these play out in our education world.

  1. Are you present? – Whether it’s a professional development session or a faculty meeting, have you already decided it’s really meant just for the teachers? If you are tuned out, your colleagues (and principal) are likely to notice. Even if you are correct as to the intended audience, listen for upcoming changes being planned. Learn what is important to the faculty and consider ways to support them. This is how you get ahead of what teachers will need and what your principal is looking for.
  2. What is your body language? Do you fidget? Check your watch to see how much longer this meeting/conversation/presentation will last? You are telling others you aren’t interested in what is being said. This can have an especially negative impact in a one-on-one discussion. Rather than show impatience, if you are pressed for time, tell them, and ask to speak with them as soon as possible in the future. Oud says to maintain a “steady eye contact and …pause without filling the silence.” Also, “small signals, like nodding while someone explains something, encourages people to keep sharing their thoughts.”
  3. How do you treat others? – Gossip is, unfortunately, a major form of communication in schools. Don’t engage in it. Mostly, it’s biased and especially damaging toward the administration. When a negative comment about a teacher is repeated, not only can it alienate the teacher, but if you are found to be the one saying it, it will also show you aren’t trustworthy. You have heard the expression, “Little pitchers, big ears.” Students are also listening. You don’t want them repeating what you said about a teacher, student or administrator. –Always assume someone is listening.
  4. Are you all about work? – And only about work? You need to diversify your time. Yes, you are very busy. On the other hand, we are about relationship building. Do you eat lunch with teachers? You might not be able to do it every day but try to do it occasionally. It creates a bond. (But remember #3 – no gossiping when you do.)
  5. Are you consistent? – Do you keep your word? When you tell someone you will send them a copy of a document you got at a conference or forward them resource links to help them with a project, do you get it to them quickly or do they need to ask for it? Unfortunately, they probably won’t, and they will lose trust in what you say. A relationship building opportunity hays been lost.
  6. Do you ask questions? – To ask meaningful questions, you need to be listening. We know how important this is when we work with students. It’s just as important when dealing with our colleagues. Showing you are focused on what they are saying builds connections and strengthens the relationship. And you may learn something you missed or discover a new place where you can offer support..
  7. How do you deal with feedback? – Sure we want the positive feedback. Negative feedback is hard to hear, but we aren’t going to improve without it. I always liked asking teachers what I could have done better. You probably did well, but we all need to grow. Remember Ranganathan’s quote, “The library is a growing organism.” If we are not growing, we are dying.

You probably do some of these behaviors better than others. Summer is the perfect time to work on where you feel weaker by practicing with friends and family. And consider where and when, come the fall, you want to be able to be stronger at presenting yourself to your colleagues, students and administrators. Present yourself as the leader you are!

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Advocacy Can Happen Anywhere

I’m getting ready to leave for the ALA Conference in Chicago this Thursday. I love going to conferences for many reasons. It’s a place where I get to share what I know and learn more from current and upcoming leaders, and it’s an opportunity to see so many of my colleagues and friends. Like me, they are strong library advocates.

As advocates and leaders, they have proved themselves valuable to their professional community, their students, teachers and administrators, and they continually integrate themselves into their community at large. All this is exemplary. It helps make the library visible, vital, and worthy of ongoing support.

There is, however, more that can be done, and the good news is, it takes almost no extra effort.

The more people are aware of school libraries and how they contribute to the success of students, the more advocates we have. Have you ever considered being an advocate in places outside your school? With people other than the most obvious community?

During the course of the day, we frequently interact with people we don’t know or don’t usually see. It could be in while waiting in a line. It might be with a bank clerk. Each of these encounters can become a unique opportunity to talk about libraries and school libraries in particular.

Here’s an example: I was reading in my e-reader while waiting for my number to be called at the deli. Someone noticed and commented that it must be a good book, and my advocacy began. I replied that I’m a librarian and so am a lifelong reader and learner. From there I might ask anything from what they like to read or if they remember their school library.

I’m always so pleased when their feelings are positive. If they mention “shushing,” I share about how much school libraries have changed. From here I can go almost anywhere. Graphic novels, maker spaces, internet awareness. Sometimes I ask about their favorite childhood book. I can usually join in as I probably read it. From there it isn’t long before we’re talking about the challenges of libraries today and the increase in book banning.

And even if they aren’t sure about this, even they are concerned about the availability of inappropriate books, I have the opportunity to tell them that parents can let the librarian know what they don’t want their kids reading, and the librarian will support that decision. I don’t try to dissuade them from their opinion. Instead, I remind them that some parents might approve of their kids reading “those” books so they should not be banned. I always end by saying that libraries need to be safe and welcoming spaces for everybody.

Sometimes their comments give me an opportunity to talk about how many schools don’t have librarians or libraries. Then there is no one to support either the students or the concerns of parents. And sometimes… we just talk about the magic of a good book, which is wonderful, too.

Libraries need everyone’s awareness. If you look, you’ll find openings all around where you can use to advocate for school libraries and librarians. Once you get started, it’s easy, and the ripple effects may be more impactful than you can imagine. Think of birds unknowingly dropping seeds into the grass. Some might grow; some might not. You never know how many of the seeds you dropped will bear fruit.

And if you’re going to Chicago for ALA, I hope our paths cross. If you see me, please introduce yourself to me or send me a message through Facebook so we can look for one another!

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Slow and Mindful is More Powerful Than You’d Think

You know it’s important that your school community sees your contribution as invaluable. To continue to bring value to your school, are you always looking for what you can develop next?. Maybe you heard about some great programs other school librarians have developed. What about maker spaces, gentrification. There are a lot of choices. But where are you going to find time to add the research and development necessary in your jam-packed day?

Good news. You don’t need to get overwhelmed by a large-scale project. You can take a much easier approach, and Julie Winkle Giulioni tells you how. The title of her blog article, Water Always Finds a Way – And So Do Good Leaders gives away the secret. It’s not about working hard to move big obstacles out of our path. Forward motion followed by consistency will make the impact you want/

The All-Or-Nothing Trap – We have all read about these leaders who came on the scene, scrapped whatever was in place, and rebuilt this incredible business from the ground up. Giuliani says that way lies paralysis. You figure you can’t do that, so you do nothing. Slow isn’t the opposite of bold. Methodical steps get you where you want to go, usually with less stress and frequently with more connections and support made along way.

The Approach I Thought Was “All Wet” – Giulioni recalls a manager she thought didn’t have enough drive. Instead, the manager “spent time engaging in conversations, building relationships, [and]shifting perspectives.” Sound familiar? We’re in a relationship business. Consider how those activities fit in our inserting the library into the daily needs of our teachers and administrators.

Reflecting on the manager’s actions, Giulioni realized the success achieved was much like what she had observed on a trip to the Costa Rican rainforest. Although it was the giant waterfall that captured attention, it was the rivulets that carved the terrain. It did so “over millions of years. working around barriers, exploiting soft spots and carving deeper wherever it found opportunity. Persistent. Patient. Purposeful. And, as a result, powerful.”

To be powerful, take these three lessons from water:

  • Bypass the boulder – Boulders don’t move easily, but “there’s almost always a crevice nearby to start working your way through.” Is your principal ever going to listen to your goals for the library? Maybe not But working with teachers who are enthusiastic about what you are doing, and what the kids are learning will bring it to their attention, particularly when they hear about it from others then come in to observe a lesson. Is it a teacher who feels their class is too important to “waste it” on library time? Move around that teacher and work with those who are enthusiastic the benefits.
  • Start small – It only needs to be one teacher with whom you start. It won’t overwhelm you, will lower the stakes on success as well as give you the early success that will keep you inspired to continue. If you can, within this project, find something the principal is interested in and send any brief articles that would capture their attention. Aim for once a week but not on a schedule.
  • Measure momentum, not magnitude – The water keeps flowing, and you need to do the same. Slowly, but continually keep going. Little by little your “flowing water” will create the changes you are working for. As Giulioni says, “Consistent, purposeful action compounds over time in ways that single bold gestures rarely do.”

I know it’s hard to keep going between the demands of the job and the outside forces adding stress. But we can’t afford to do nothing. That way leads to librarians being removed from their positions and too much is at stake to our communities. You can be a bold leader without making constant giant changes. Just be like water: Persistent. Patient Purposeful.

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Lower the Stakes for Greater Success

The title sounds like an oxymoron. All the science tells us that positive thoughts and big, clear goals are what we need for success. But what if some of the things we’re striving for are a little too much? Then we “fail” and starting again or moving forward becomes harder. Especially if teachers or our administrator knew what we were trying to achieve. Always reaching high not only creates stress but long term it can lead to burn out, neither of which is helpful when we need and want to keep going.  We need to be careful not to doom our future by overreaching our capabilities.

In her article “How to Win by Lowering the Stakes” for Psychology Today, Chitra Ragavan illustrates why and how lower stakes can allow us to reach bigger goals. She contrasts the mindset and results of Olympic Figure Skaters Ilia Malinin and Alysa Liu to make her points. For our uses, I will build some examples that align with our community’s needs.

Defensive Pessimism vs. Strategic Optimism – Ragavan explains, Defensive Pessimism is a psychological technique that has you lowering expectations to reduce pressure on achieving the desired outcome. This is what Liu did and it lead to her gold medal. By contrast, Strategic Optimism is when you set the bar on high and reject all negative thoughts which is part of doomed Malinin in his long program. When you launch a big project, such as school-wide reading club focusing on multiple genres to engage the entire student body, a Defensive Pessimist expects only one or two teachers to buy in. When three sign up – you’ve beaten the goal! On the other hand, a Strategic Optimist might create a presentation and flyers for a faculty meeting with a sign-up sheet ready to hand out and be disappointed and frustrated when only three teachers buy in.

Lowering the Stakes – To put lowering the stakes into action for your reading club project, you might start by seeking out teachers who love reading and already make good use of you and the library. Then, use the first year as a pilot project. Any participation is a win. Have a celebration at completion to build support and excitement for the next year.  It could take several years and need changes, but you would get there with less pressure and more pride. And others would see the growth over time. Ragavan says, “You can be physically and technically at your peak. But in the end, self-confidence and the ability to psychologically lower the table stakes in high-stress environments are the real advantages.” This approach takes the best aspects of both ends and makes your goals less stressful, yet still achievable.

And finally, what doesn’t work is Redemption Competition – This would be striving harder, setting the bar even higher to redeem yourself at a future moment or with the next goal. The likelihood that this will increase your stress—and probability of failure—are high and probably not worth it. In addition, the attitude of needing to “prove” yourself, adds to the chances of a public defeat. Instead, use a setback as an opportunity to learn and then set a goal like a Defensive Pessimist,

Lowering the stakes, lowers your stress. We all know it’s more than high enough these days.  You can successfully reach your desired outcome by relying on your ability and self-confidence. You know what you bring to the school community. Far too many schools don’t have school librarians. We can’t afford to lose any of us, either for being unable to show our value or because we are totally burned out. The kids and teachers need us. Look for ways to lower your expectations and hit even bigger goals.

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Spreading Joy

It’s National Library Week and the theme is FIND YOUR JOY embodied so wonderfully by “The Internet Librarian” and children’s book author Mychal Threets (and expressed in his book I’m So Happy You’re Here – A Celebration of Library Joy.). In recognition of his joyful advocacy and dedication to library life, Mychal has been honored with numerous awards: the 2024 I Love My Librarian Award from the American Library Association, inclusion in School Library Journal’s 2024 Movers and Shakers, TIME Magazine’s 2024 Next Generation Leaders, a 2024 Webby Award for Social Impact, and a spot on TIME’s inaugural 2025 list of 100 Creators.

Joy isn’t a topic we hear about much these days. But it should be and it can be, no matter how challenging it feels for us and the people we serve. Can you think of at least a few of those moments now?  A student getting excited about a book you showed them or finding just what they needed for a research project. A teacher realizing that your collaboration lead to a greater success than they anticipated. Maybe your principal being grateful for information you gave them that they were able to use at a school committee meeting.

Unfortunately, most days joy is far from what you are feeling and hard to connect to. But joy can be a powerful tool and finding ways to tap into it can turn difficult situations around. In her SmartBrief article “The joy gap: What’s missing in the modern workplace, Amy Leneker takes up the challenge of changing our environment. She offers these insights on joy.

The Myth that Widens the Joy Gap – Leneker begins with myth that, “Stress is the price we pay for success.” Even before politics became a more common part of our library lives, we experienced stressed. We serve students, teachers, and the administration. Ours is a high pressure career, but if we lose our joy in what we do, we lose our “Why” for becoming a librarian, and are less successful in what we do. Leneker points to neuroscience studies showing that when the brain is stressed it has “less capacity for creativity, learning, connection and strategic thinking.” Each of these abilities is critical to being successful and serving your library community. Its time find our way back to looking forward to coming to work each day, or as many days as possible.

Where Joy Actually Comes From – Quoting Catherine Price, author of The Power of Fun, Leneker share that fun comes from a connection between playfulness, connection and flow. It is a“lighthearted attitude, creating a special, shared experience with others and committing to being active, engaged and present.” This is something that is very inline with creating a space that is welcoming to all. Bright colors, relevant topics, ways to have fun with what students are there to learn brings joy into the library and people’s days. We can share our successes and wins and encourage others to share theirs. And, instead of watching body language to recognize when someone is depressed or worried look for signs of happiness and joy in others then ask them what has put that smile on their face. Joy reigns when it is shared.

Science-backed practice – New and Good – It’s not surprising that sharing good news “triggers dopamine…improving mood and openness. Hearing others’ good news has a similar effect.” Yet most us of start conversations with what’s going wrong. Leneker suggests setting the tone of a situation by starting with some positivity. Asking, “What’s good today?” Or asking about a hobby, movie or favorite thing of the person you’re talking to will immediately bring more joy to your relationships and connections.

Start with Simple, Low-effort Wins – Small moments the bring joy can have long lasting results. Smiles, appreciation, meaningful compliments even when you are just passing someone in the hall has an impact. Start meetings discussing achievements, congratulate students and teachers at the beginning of a lesson. Leneker says to consider looking at where success and joy might have a place in your Mission Statement of Vision. “Our library is a place of joy where…”

Closing the Joy Gap Is a Leadership Choice – Leneker says, “The joy gap isn’t inevitable. It’s the result of cultural choices.” Instead of trying to work harder, focus on the joy of learning, growing, and living. Spread the message as you go through the day. We tend to avoid people who are stressed and always busy. That won’t strengthen and build our relationship with teachers. How many students have avoided asking you questions because you seemed too busy or serious? Start with joy and see where it takes you.

My tip? Create a Joy Journal. Note when you have a “win.” Keep track when something or someone makes you laugh. Take time to notice something that brought lightness to your day. There is truth in the saying “laughter is the best medicine.” Look for ways to bring and encourage joy and watch what blooms.

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The 5th Law of Library Science

In 1969, Laurence J. Peter proposed what has become known as “The Peter Principle.” It basically states that in the work world people rise to their level of incompetence. They get to the highest position possible and from there, don’t have the skills to advance further. By contrast, in his SmartBriefs article Avoiding the Peter Principle, Paul Thornton says, “Effective leaders do the opposite; they continue to learn and adapt.”  The key, he writes, is adaptability and growth mindset.

To do this, he has several recommendations and I’ve added my usual comments aligning them with working in a school library. I’m saving the connection to the title until the end of this blog. Many of you will have figured it out.

Keep learning – Most of you do this every day as you discover new tools and sources. Thornton points to the value of learning from experience. He says, leaders “see mistakes, feedback and unexpected outcomes as data and ask, “What can I learn?”’ As we tell our students, FAIL can be thought of as an acronym for “First Attempt In Learning.” One more way to keep learning is to be open to learning from your students. They live at technology’s edge. When I was working as a high school librarian, my library council was a font of information. And they loved that they were teaching me. Consider keeping track of what you learn each day. Much is added to our store of knowledge that we don’t realize has occurred. By recording it, you see where and how you acquired the information. The log will also help when you do your regular report to your principal.

Keep adapting – Paraphrasing Darwin, “it’s not the fittest who survive—it’s the most adaptable.” When things go wrong with technology and it’s crunch time, you adapt. When your principal makes a change in your schedule, you adapt. Thornton identifies these traits in leaders who cannot adapt:

  • They dismiss evidence, trends or feedback that suggest a different approach is needed.
  • They become defensive when challenged.
  • They hide behind rules and policies instead of exercising judgment.
  • They discourage experimentation and punish mistakes. 

Unfortunately, if it’s the administration that has those traits, we must adapt by developing strategic plans to move them off their negative mindset.

The payoff – As Thornton rightly says about those who keep learning and adapting, “They spot opportunities more quickly, respond faster to changing circumstances and make smarter decisions.” Equally important for us, he says, “In addition, people are more willing to follow leaders who demonstrate a commitment to learning and the courage to keep evolving.”

And now to turn back to the title of this blog. If you have a degree in Library and Information Science, you learned about S. J. Ranganathan who in 1931 published The 5 Laws of Library Science which are:

1. Books Are For Use
2. Every Reader His/Her Book
3. Every Book Its Reader
4. Save The Time Of The Reader
5. The Library Is A Growing Organism

All are still valid, but in this case, it’s the fifth law we must remember. An organism that isn’t growing is dying. We need to use every tool and skill we have to keep growing, adapting, and learning. When we do this, we continue to rise and live into our Vision.

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Three Steps to Handle Pressure

Leaders are always dealing with pressure. It goes hand in hand with working toward a powerful Vision. But the short-term pressures can be unendingly draining. Every day as you walk into your school, you wonder what new situation is going to hit the fan. The anxiety often pervades your time with family and friends. If you live where you work, even shopping can be a challenge.

It’s unhealthy to live that way, and it keeps you from being your best, not only with students and teachers but outside of school. You need a way to deal with pressure that will help you thrive rather than feeling as though you’re clinging to each day with your finger tips.

We can’t control what happens. We can only control how we deal with it. Our focus must be on our Mission (purpose) and Vision (ultimate goal). In her article Under Pressure As A Leader: Three Tips On How to Succeed, LaRae Quy (who I’ve referenced before)offers these tips to achieve that:

  1. Plan for the worst – This doesn’t mean preparing for doom. It is anticipating what might happen and how you will respond. Quy suggests you ask yourself, “How would I respond if…” [then} Work through potential work scenarios using visualization.” For example, what would you do if you’re greeted by a parent as you enter the school, brandishing a book from your library and calling it filth. Your first step is acknowledging their concern then lowering their tone. Say something like, “I understand you are concerned about your child. Let’s go into the library and work on fixing this.” You can be prepared by having the Action Toolkit from Unite Against Book Bans and other additional resources from AASL and your state school library association.
  2. Follow all leads – Then we’re in a challenging place or faced with a difficult situation, we tend to do what is most familiar. But is that the best choice? Is there something new you could try. Back to the original example, you have a method of handling that potential book banner. Has anything changed since you made that plan? Are there people who can help you come up with other methods? Start with your Personal Learning Network (PLN). Ask what they have done to deal with confrontations or any other issues putting pressure on you. What helped them build support with parents. If the book banner plans on attending a Board meeting, will any of your potential advocates be there to speak up for the library.
  3. Think of the long term – This is why having Mission and Vision is key. It can help you remember what you’re striving for when the moment is challenging. Focusing on what’s immediately in front of us can cause narrow thinking which leads to mistakes that affect the future. Don’t do something today that is against your values, even if it alleviates the immediate pressure. It will come back to bite you. As Quy says, “Focusing on the long term helps us develop better coping and decision-making skills, as we rely more on cognitive strategies, such as self-control and problem-solving, rather than impulsive emotional reactions.”

To add to Quy’s tips, I want you to remember the lesson of the redwood trees. They have shallow roots yet manage to stand tall in the heavy winds. They do it by intertwining their roots with other redwoods. Don’t go it alone. We are stronger together and when there are people around you who understand the pressure you’re under, it’s not quite as bad.

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It Starts With You

I so happy to be back after being in rehab following a fall. I felt a short blog post would be a good way to get back up to speed. And this is a topic I strongly embrace.

Thriving in this challenging time for school librarians requires leadership skills. You are constantly leading from the middle as you build advocates for the library. Although there are numerous lists of leadership qualities, perhaps the most important one is the Greek maxim inscribed on the Temple of Apollo in Delphi: “Know thyself.” It’s not as simple as it sounds, but it can be the anchor that keeps you grounded as each day—and sometimes as often as each hour— requires pivoting to respond.

In his article, “Why ‘self-leadership’ will be key in the age of AI,” Andrew Bryant identifies three pillars: Self Awareness, Self Regulation, and Self Learning. Being aware of these interconnected pillars as they come into play will make your library program thrive and support you to be valued for what you bring.

These are Bryant’s explanations of the three pillars along with my comments on how they play out in our library world:

Self Awareness – To know yourself, start by questioning yourself. How do you see yourself? What are your core values? What are you trying to ultimately achieve (your Vision)? How do others see you? Think of an adjective that teachers would use to describe you. What would students say? Your principal and the administrators? What do you need to focus on to change or increase that perception? The clearer you are in your answers, the better you are able to make decisions, suggestions, and plans that align with who you are and what you want to accomplish.

Self Regulation – How are you responding to the daily demands? Review some of the ones that have been thrown at you recently. Was your response the best way to deal with them? In order to build your leadership and be valued, you can’t afford to react without taking the time to think. Those few moments can make a lasting difference. Be aware of your body language and your tone. If you are sending an email or text, re-read it and check the tone in your word choices before hitting send. Words have weight and even though you say something in the moment, they can have lasting impact.

Self Learning – This should be easy for us. Librarians are lifelong learners. But don’t just focus on learning a new tech skill or keeping up with AI. It’s about having a growth mindset so that you are willing to learn about what’s new, adapt to what’s changed, and even unlearn things that no longer serves you or your audience. When we do this, we set an example and inspire those around us—students, teachers, and administrators—to do the same and reinforce the value of the library.

This article strongly resonated with me as it affirms what I wrote in my new book, The Involved Librarian: How to Make an Impact and Thrive. The first of the three parts the book deals with being involved with yourself. Like Bryant, I’ve noticed how you can’t move outwards until you have a deeper understanding with yourself. If you want to grow as a leader, look inward and grow from the power and knowledge you already have.