The Many Faces of School Library Leadership »

School librarians are called upon to provide leadership in many and varied areas. This book shows them how.

VOYA

This collection of ten essays offers suggestions for librarians and media specialists to help them provide leadership as they work with teachers, administrators, and the greater community. Some essays, like Woolls's discussion of how to work with a school library association or Gilmore-See's piece about staff development and how to organize a presentation, are aimed at novices in the field. Other essays focus on specific aspects of the school librarian's or media specialist's job, including their role in protecting the right of minors to access information, the necessity and challenges of building informed relationships with school administrators, and strategies for helping fellow teachers as colleagues and peers rather than as second-tier resource personnel. The style of the essays varies widely, from some pieces so riddled with citations that they seem to fulfill unfortunate stereotypes about librarians as pedagogues, to chatty pieces that bury their focus amid personal anecdotes. None of the essays are indispensable, but all of them present information liable to be relevant and helpful to some members of the profession. With the exception of the brief closing essay by David Loertscher about the future of librarians and libraries, all of these pieces focus on practical problems and concrete approaches to increasing the professional success of school librarians and media specialists. Reviewer: Megan Lynn Isaac

Introduction Sharon Coatney Coatney, Sharon

1 Leadership from the Middle: Building Influence for Change Ken Haycock Haycock, Ken 1

Leadership Is about Specific Competencies 2

Leadership Is about Specific Behaviors 4

Leadership Is about Relationships 5

Leadership Is about Influence 6

Above All, Leadership Is about You 8

Conclusion 11

2 Librarians as Learning Leaders: Cultivating Cultures of Inquiry Violet H. Harada Harada, Violet H. 13

Critical Dimensions of Thoughtful Learning 13

Learning Is Not Just about Facts: It Encompasses More Than Cognitive Knowledge 14

Learning Goes Beyond Comprehension: It Requires Demonstration of Critical Understanding 14

Learning Should Be Hands On and Minds On: It Requires Active Intellectual Engagement 14

Learning Demands Connections: It Requires Construction of Knowledge That Is Personally Meaningful 15

Learning Is about Thinking Together. It Involves a Social Process of Making Meaning 15

Qualities and Dispositions of Learning Leaders 16

Learning Leaders Facilitate the Creation of a Shared Vision and Mission Regarding Student Learning 16

Learning Leaders Understand and Apply the Learning Theories That Serve as the Foundation for Their Vision 17

Learning Leaders Must Know the Research Underpinning Meaningful Learning 18

Learning Leaders Engage Students and Peers in Thoughtful Inquiry 19

Learning Leaders Believe in the Synergy and Power of Learning Communities and Teamwork 19

The Bottom Line: Learning Leaders Model the Behaviors and Attitudes They Wish to Inspire in Others 20

Librarians as Potential Leaders in Learning 20

Snapshot 1 Librarian as a Model Teacher of Thinking Strategies 21

Snapshot 2 Librarian as an Active Researcher 22

Snapshot 3 Librarian as a Builder of Professional Learning Communities 23

Snapshot 4 Librarian as an Advocate for Evidence-Based Practice of Student Learning 24

Conclusion 25

3 The School Librarian as an Advocacy Leader Deb Levitov Levitov, Deb 29

What Is Advocacy? 29

Variations of Advocacy 29

Effective Advocacy 30

Advocacy with Administrators 31

Lack of Knowledge 31

The Role of the School Librarian 32

Background Knowledge Equals Impact 33

The Importance of Language 34

Advocacy in Action 35

Involving Others 35

Action Planning 35

Having a Web Presence 36

Grant Writing 36

Getting a Seat at the Table... 36

Evidence of Student Learning 37

Legislative Action 37

Waiting for the Tipping Point---Myth or Possibility? 38

Conclusion 39

4 Intellectual Freedom: Leadership to Preserve Minors' Rights in School Library Media Programs Helen R. Adams Adams, Helen R. 43

Defining Leadership 43

Leadership to Provide Access to Information 44

The Selection Policy 44

Selection of Library Media Program Resources 44

Leadership to Protect Access to Information 48

Preparing for a Challenge 48

Oral Complaints 49

When a Challenge Occurs 50

Other Responsibilities during a Challenge 51

The Reconsideration Committee 51

Soliciting Support for Retention of the Library Resource 52

Managing Media Coverage 52

When the Challenge Is Over 53

Other Barriers to Access 53

Intellectual Freedom Online 53

Building Support for Less Restrictive Filtering 54

Privacy 55

Advocacy @ Your School Library 60

Advocacy with Principals 60

Teaching Teachers about Intellectual Freedom 61

Educating Students about Intellectual Freedom 62

Reaching Out to Families 63

Conclusion 63

5 Literacy Leadership and the School Library Doug Achterman Achterman, Doug 67

Part I Creating and Communicating a Vision for Literacy 68

Part II Modeling and Promoting a Love of Reading 69

Part III Remembering Ranganathan: Collecting for Your Population and Creating a System That Works for Students and Staff 71

Books Are for Use 72

Every Reader His Book 72

Part IV Working with the School Site and District to Create Complementary Goals 74

Part V Becoming a Literacy Expert and Sharing Knowledge with Staff 76

Part VI Collaborating with Teachers to Plan, Teach, and Evaluate Lessons That Promote Literacy 78

Part VII Deepening Our Understanding of How Literacy Is Changing 79

Conclusion 82

6 The Teacher-Librarian as a Curriculum Leader Jody K. Howard Howard, Jody K. 85

Introduction 85

Leadership---Initial Thoughts 86

What Is Curriculum? 86

Information Specialist---Curriculum Content 87

Information Specialist---Curriculum Mapping 88

Curriculum Mapping---Horizontal 88

Curriculum Mapping---Vertical (Scope and Sequence) 89

Information Specialist---Collection Mapping 90

Information Specialist---Additional Considerations 91

Instructional Partner 92

Instructional Partner---Curriculum Planning 92

Instructional Partner---Inquiry-Based Learning 93

Curriculum Responsibilities at the District, State, and National Levels 94

Leadership Revisited 94

Leadership Qualities 95

Leadership Skills---Information Specialist 95

Leadership Skills---Instructional Partner 96

Conclusion 97

7 Pride and Prejudice and Technology Leadership Kristin Fontichiaro Fontichiaro, Kristin 101

Prologue 101

My Perspective 102

Changing the Paradigm 102

Keeping Up 104

Gathering Diverse Perspectives 106

Questioning 108

Empathy and Interconnectedness 109

Walking the Tightrope between Responsible Innovation and Foolish Risk 110

Embracing Flexible Thinking 111

Keeping the "Educational" in Educational Technology 111

Saving Time for Self-Reflection 112

Conclusion 113

8 Staff Development---Teacher-Librarians as Learning Leaders Janice Gilmore-See Gilmore-See, Janice 115

Unique Role of Teacher-Librarians 115

Leading Professional Learning Communities 117

Teaching Teachers: Teacher-Librarian as Learning Leader 118

Technology Trainer 119

Practical Tips for Teacher-Librarians When Presenting to Colleagues 120

9 Leadership and Your Professional School Library Association Blanche Woolls Woolls, Blanche 123

Tranining to Be Leaders 124

Places for Leadership Practice in Associations 125

Finding a Mentor 125

Achieving Your Role in Association Leadership 126

Working as a Committee Member 126

Working as an Officer 129

Attending Conferences 129

Legislative Efforts of Associations 130

10 Shifting Our Vision for Our Futures: Leadership as a Foundational Element for Teacher-Librarians David V. Loertscher Loertscher, David V. 133

Index 137

About the Editor and Contributors 145