Working in school libraries is tough.

The community you serve is a group of kids who need access to all sorts of good information and training in good resources. And it’s also teachers, administrators, staff, and parents. It is keeping up with state standards, with books that are good and books that are required in class. Increasingly it’s about working with technology, figuring out how to best implement it and make it work across the community of users.

We can’t make all of it easier, but the American Association of School Librarians provide some guidance for you to use, and to share with your administration.

An important part of working in a school library is being a leader and doing constant advocacy. That work involves reaching out to the people in the community to keep telling them what you have to offer, and how you can help them to accomplish their goals. Using these standards can be a good step toward making that happen!

“The AASL Standards framework reflects a comprehensive approach to teaching and learning by demonstrating the connection between learner, school librarian, and school library standards. Three sets of standards (Learner, School Librarian, and School Library) make up the AASL Standards Integrated Framework featured within the National School Library Standards. Use the resources here to familiarize yourself with the structure and get started using the standards in your practice.”

We know that not every school can master every step here – money and time are still limiting factors for a lot of schools. But CMLE is here to help you to provide with assistance in building your library, including scholarships, minigrants, policy writing, in-person visits, meetings with your colleagues as your advocate, or other things that might help you move forward!

 

You can watch this video to get started, or share it with your colleagues: