The landscape surrounding the use of intellectual property has shifted dramatically over the past couple of years. Teacher librarians, responsible for guiding learners of all ages toward practicing digital citizenship, should be aware of the new rules for playing, living, and working in a new intellectual property sandbox. In the past, librarians…

When the challenge of adapting curriculum to meet the requirements of the Common Core State Standards were presented, this author immediately sought out the assistance of experts in another field: the school library staff. It was apparent that staff needed to practice the beneficiation of the current curriculum to meet the CCSS requirements.…

In this article, the authors describe an undercurrent to the school librarian's public professional narrative, a silent but steady divide between what should happen and what "does" happen. Increasingly, rich collaborative planning is the exception, not the rule. Many library collaborations, when they do occur, happen in minutes over…

In this study we investigated the research designs employed to study the interdisciplinary profession of school librarianship during a time period of notable changes across both the Pre-K-12 and school library domains. To conduct this work, we analyzed all 217 articles published in "School Library Research" (SLR) and "School…

Science librarianship is a rapidly changing professional specialization that requires unique skills and experiences for science librarians to perform at the highest level. A content analysis of recent job advertisements was conducted to determine the most desirable qualifications for science librarians. It was found that the most frequently cited…

Despite having helped countless patrons over the past ten years, the author relates that her experiences as a librarian have not entirely satisfied her "library evangelist" nature. She wanted to expose more people to the treasures available through academic, public, school, and special libraries. As such, she turned to teaching in library school…

To properly prepare pre-service school librarians, school library educators in online courses must provide opportunities for collaborative engagement. This collaborative education should also recognize the pedagogical benefit of the organic formation of communities of practice that develop within areas outside of curriculum content. This…

A hallmark of best practice in school libraries is for students and faculty to have maximum access to library resources and services. However, findings from a recent quantitative study indicate that this is not always the case. The researchers surveyed school librarians in North Carolina and Virginia to determine the effects that scheduling,…

Too often, lost and lonely students seem to find their way to the school library. School librarians are blessed with the opportunity to make a difference in the lives of these young people. In this article, the author describes how she developed a program called the "Lunch Bunch" to help lost and lonely students who were seeking a place of refuge.…

In this article, school librarians from Henrico County Public Schools in Virginia [the AASL 2011 National School Library Programs of the Year (NSLPY) Award recipient] share some of their experiences caring for students in their libraries.

The school library can be a lonely place. These days, tight budgets and fiscal shortfalls have created a new breed of solo librarians--a group of educators who not only have to do more with less, but who, increasingly, also have to do it all alone. Some school librarians are even serving multiple schools or entire districts--juggling it all just…

In this era of higher student enrollment coupled with budget cuts, some school library professionals are considering retirement, while others are standing up to defend the profession they know has a strong positive impact on student learning. Many school librarians who weather difficulties do so by choosing to find energy in the challenges of…

This school year, and likely the next, unprecedented numbers of teachers and school librarians have and will be furloughed or demoted. These unpaid leaves of absence can be temporary and scheduled to reflect only a few days out of the academic year, or they can be in effect for the entire school year. State regulations and laws, in conjunction…

School librarians, professional library literature, and scholarly library literature tout the benefits of schools staffed with certified school librarians. However, recent reductions in library funding and elimination of school library positions suggest stakeholders do not connect the school library program to positive student learning outcomes.…

Culture involves behavior, attitudes, beliefs, and invisible norms and expectations. The question for school librarians is: How is a culture of intellectual freedom built, and what is the role of the librarian? School librarians are expected to be instructional leaders from "the middle." They are not in positions of authority over other…