When entering the education profession, you look for guidance in how best to organize your day-to-day activities and make personal and professional goals that lead to having the largest impact on your students. Moving into the librarian role at a school, you will find that the position requires more than an educator mindset with a love of reading and books. When reading the article, “Navigating the Library Slopes: Dispositional Shifts in the National School Library Standards,” (Burns and Cromartie, 2019) the concept of a library constantly evolving is exactly what is happening in today’s climate of technology advancement and diversity needs. School librarians walk into the school with “hands and heart open as a resource and support for other educators and learners” (Burns and Cromartie, 2019) within the school and community. The standards in the American Association of School Librarians (AASL) and the International Society for Technology in Education (ISTE) help with making goals of having a school library that is safe and an inviting environment for all.
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| Picture from American Association of School Librarians |
The article really chronicles how the AASL breathes life into the standards making them feel more mobile and flexible to advance the library role in schools. The connector aspect they discuss appeals to how the librarian can be in a central role using talents and resources to connect to the students, staff, parents, and community. Understanding and listening to needs of different groups allow the librarian to connect them to the correct resource to improve the relationship with the library. Burns and Cromartie uses the comparison of the connector “being a weaver of a learning web” which is a great way to visualize how it should work. Everything is connected and it always is stronger when the web is complete. There are a lot of moving pieces in a school, and effective communication helps smooth the path for the library to become the hub of the school.
Other discussion points they bring up in connection to the
standards is the librarian’s role in being a creative force in the
library space by thinking of how to offer more opportunities to its users and
to improve on the space as needed. Librarians also have the need to be
considered a defender for all those less represented populations. The standards
require that school library’s keep access to materials that support an “inclusive
learning community” and set up the librarian to transition from “a teacher or
library manager to democratic leader.” (Burns and Cromartie, 2019) Finally, the
standards reflect how the librarian can be the guiding force in helping the
school and all that encounter it in addition to promoting positivity and safety
within the walls of the physical school building and beyond.
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| Picture from International Society for Technology in Education |
The AASL standards really concentrate on the behaviors that are used to elevate the library experience for all that use it. The ISTE helps give direction in the library setting more in the technology environment. Both are useful in creating that wonderful and useful space the library creates for its users and best when you combine the two in your librarian practice. The ISTE breaks down its standards for those using it such as students, educators, education leaders, and coaches. This is helpful to locate what guidance is appropriate for which user. Reviewing both AASL and ISTE standards along with reading the article “Navigating the Library Slopes: Dispositional Shifts in the National School Library Standards,” sparks excitement that the future is bright for librarianship. All librarians need to be ready for changes that inevitably happen and be willing to analyze and change accordingly. With everyone working toward the same goal and needs of a particular school, the library can become the heart and soul of the school giving each person exactly what they need from it.
The one-page guide is a snapshot with how to get started
using the AASL standards for librarians. It is important to focus on the needs of your particular school so you are maintaining things that are already
done well and strengthening areas that may need improvement. This will lead to
a better environment for the entire school community. In the end, it is best
for everyone involved to always be in learner mode, ready to listen and modify
to fit the most pressing needs of their school.
References:
American Association of School Librarians Website.
(n.d.). Retrieved from https://standards.aasl.org/
Burns, E., & Cromartie, K. (2019). Navigating the Library Slopes: Dispositional Shifts in the National School Library Standards. Knowledge Quest, Volume 47, No.5, 78-83.
ISTE Website. (n.d.). Retrieved from https://iste.org/iste-standards
1 comment:
Hi Caroline!
Great job on your first blog post for 761! I related to a lot of what you mentioned, especially the connection between the AASL and ISTE standards. I also think it is important to use both to make the library an awesome place for everyone. Like you, I found the one pager helpful as I begin to familiarize myself with the standards. I look forward to learning along side you this semester.
Cheryl Milburn-Jenkins
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