This groundbreaking book about developing the professional dispositions of school librarians uses three fictionalized librarians to serve as authentic models addressing familiar topics and situations. Tales Out of the School Library: Developing Professional Dispositions is a book that empowers anyone working in the school library to redefine their practice to meet the needs of young learners today. It covers familiar, everyday topics of the most concern to practitioners—assessment, literacy and reading, diversity, intellectual freedom, communication, collaboration, and more. But it is the approach that makes this book unique. Each chapter of Tales Out of the School Library begins with a story from one of three fictional, yet recognizably authentic library media specialists—composites of real professionals, each with distinctive personalities, strengths, and challenges. These tales of elementary, middle, and high school librarians play out over the course of a school year, and serve as the focal point for discussions of essential aspects of teaching, communication, and leadership. Follow-up questions, an annotated bibliography, connections to AASL's Standards for the 21st-Century Learner, and discussion questions further add to the value of this innovative volume.

Finding himself unemployed, Cyrus Henshaw does something he swore he would never doa "he applies for and receives a teaching position! He is gradually honed into a teaching machine under the tough tutelage of a domineering principal, an eclectic group of faculty misfits, and a horde of unconcerned students. Telling Tales Out of School is a must have for anyone that has ever taught, or thought of teaching. Not only will Dale Davis' wit keep you laughing, you'll also fall in love with all of the colorful characters."

This handbook provides librarians and technology specialists with the tools to understand the issues and challenges related to their counterparts' jobs, and find ways to work together for the betterment of all concerned. School Librarians and the Technology Department: A Practical Guide to Successful Collaboration was inspired by the authors' collective realization that far too often librarians and technology specialists fail to collaborate successfully, and sometimes even find their groups at odds with one another. This book is the antidote: it is a powerful call to establish and improve relationships between the two for the benefit of the students as well as the librarians and technology specialists themselves. The book begins by providing background information about the history of librarianship and the use of computer technology in schools. The authors trace the origins of the positions related to educational technology, such as "technology specialist," "teacher," and "director." The following chapters describe and address specific concerns of both librarians and technology specialists. Most importantly, this collaborative work offers practical suggestions for cooperation between these two groups of educators as they work together to offer the best possible materials and instructions to students. School Librarians and the Technology Department concludes by hypothesizing what the future holds in the realms of librarianship and technology in this rapidly changing information age.

Completely revised with even more contributions added by practicing school librarians, this book further examines the responsibility to lead in many areas and identifies the real-world, day-to-day application of established theory and best practices. In today's educational landscape, school librarians need to lead the way in many areas, including advocacy, literacy, technology, curriculum, vision, collaborative instruction, and intellectual freedom. All of these areas are vital to building and sustaining a school library program that enhances and encourages student achievement, as well as to providing enhanced services to students and faculty. This revised edition of The Many Faces of School Library Leadership offers invaluable insights from recognized leaders in the field of school librarianship that detail leadership roles embraced by accomplished practitioners and consider the research regarding best practices. An essential read for practicing school librarians as well as for pre-service school librarians, it offers today's school librarians actionable advice for strengthening their roles, underlining their value, and protecting their future—all while boosting student learning and achievement. The expert guidance and perspectives in this book will bolster those who are facing enormous challenges to meet them and allow school library staff to protect their jobs and to save school library programs from extinction.

This book provides practical strategies and step-by-step plans for developing advocacy initiatives for school libraries. School libraries provide an essential service to the community, but without proper funding few libraries stand a chance to maintain the resources they offer—or to survive at all. School librarians can play an instrumental role in the survival of their programs. This how-to book provides school librarians with effective advocacy and activism strategies for promoting and improving their library programs. Activism and the School Librarian: Tools for Advocacy and Survival offers straightforward, practical approaches for creating advocacy programs. This guidebook examines the characteristics for becoming an advocate, explores the meaning of advocacy/activism as an effort that is ongoing and proactive, and provides the steps required for initiating a successful program. The contributors address the various types of advocacy and activism, including legislative advocacy at the local, state, and national levels; school and district level programs; and community-based initiatives. The book includes expert advice from successful advocates and provides helpful reproducible tools.

As school districts across the United States increasingly question the need for trained librarians, this collection of research-based evidence helps make the case for a state-licensed librarian in every school. While serving on the AASL legislation committee, Mirah Dow recognized the urgent need to utilize research-based evidence to prove school librarians are much more than an educational luxury. This collection is the result. It brings together school library research studies and findings from the past decade and draws connections to how they can be applied to situations and questions that occur in practice. Taken as a whole, the research underscores that state-licensed, school librarians are a necessity for 21st-century students. Chapters center on important research studies from the past decade that examine data and locate school libraries within operational contexts. Methodologies are explained and findings summarized, while notes clarify practical applications for school librarians. Because each chapter includes a connection to broad realms of theoretical influence in the social sciences, the work will also be relevant to educators and public policymakers, arming them to better communicate research-based links between investments in school libraries and student learning outcomes.

Compact yet remarkably comprehensive, this book covers all the major aspects of school library services, from administration to instruction focused from the elementary school librarian perspective—now updated and expanded to include the latest developments in makerspaces, the Common Core, social networking, and eBooks. How do you accomplish a technology transformation at a time when budgets are extremely limited? What is the proper location for web-based social networking in the school library? What are the best practices for working together with students, parents, and educators? The 21st-Century Elementary School Library Program: Managing for Results is an invaluable resource for answers to these and many more questions, as it brings together in one volume the advice and insights you need to bring your library into the new century. This invaluable guide provides tips and techniques, forms and templates, and advice on everything from staffing and budgeting to collaborating with teachers and other libraries, to Web 2.0 and other new computer tools for building collections and devising special programs. Whether you are just getting started or are a library veteran seeking effective program renewal, this book belongs on your shelf.