SCHOOL LIBRARIES WORLDWIDE

Volume 17, Number 2, July 2011

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Editorial
School Librarian Leadership around the World
Nancy Everhart

Internationalism as leadership in IASL research: Accomplishments and directions [public access article]
Marlene Asselin
The International Association of School Librarianship [IASL] is a leading source in school library research. Many IASL authors work in academic institutions that now identify internationalism as a priority in their research goals. This article examines how IASL-published research accords with a wider academic mandate of internationalism. Moving toward an international focus that recognizes the scholars and contexts of developing countries requires rethinking roles and responsibilities of researchers, and challenging assumptions about emerging nations. Illustrated by the author’s work in Ethiopia, recommendations are made for ways that IASL can support school library research that reflects developed and developing countries.

The power of Web 2.0: Teacher-librarians become school technology leaders
Jennifer Branch-Mueller & Joanne deGroot
This paper reports on a study that sought to understand the impact of a graduate level Web 2.0 course on the personal, teaching, and professional lives of teacher-librarians. An online survey asked teachers and teacher-librarians about their experiences before and after completing the course. After taking the course, participants were familiar with a variety of Web 2.0 technologies and were able to use these tools personally, for teaching and for professional development. Participants gained confidence and competence in their technology skills and have taken on leadership roles in terms of technology integration and are often the “go to” person in their school for Web 2.0 technologies.

Evidence-based practice: A practice towards leadership credibility among school librarians
Jeffrey DiScala and Mega Subramaniam
This paper examines the potential influence of evidence-based practice (EBP) in school libraries in affirming the role of the school librarian as leader. We begin with an examination of the most recently added role of effective school librarians, that of leader, and provide an overview of the current interpretation of this role. We then proceed with an introduction to the use of EBPs in school libraries, with an emphasis on the relationship of EBPs to student achievement. We articulate a potential relationship of EBP to building leadership credibility among school librarians by presenting examples of the use of EBP in linking student achievement to school library programs.

Librarians and leadership: The change we seek
Kaye B. Dotson and Jami L. Jones
School librarian preparation programs must prepare the twenty-first century school librarian to confront the evolving changes that are facing our profession. The need for change in our traditional roles to meet demands of our profession is evident, and we have opportunity to shape the change we seek by developing emergent school library leaders during their pre-service library education programs. In this study, the researchers surveyed a sample group of school librarians about their perceptions of leadership development within their graduate education program. The results of the study suggested that increased emphasis on leadership development in graduate school library programs will more effectively prepare school librarians for service as educational leaders, change agents in the curriculum and instructional process, and partners at both the local school and wider global communities.

School librarians’ advocacy for the profession: Results of a U.S. national survey
Ann Dutton Ewbank
As a result of eliminations in school librarian positions due to funding reductions in schools and school districts across the United States, library associations encourage school librarians to advocate for the profession. A U.S. national survey of 381 school librarians investigated present advocacy efforts, needs, obstacles, and successful methods. An overwhelming majority of school librarians believe that advocacy for the profession is important. Only half of the respondents reported engaging in advocacy activities. Respondents who reported position or funding threats were more likely to advocate and perceive a greater level of success in their advocacy efforts. The most frequent obstacles to advocacy were lack of time and lack of awareness. Future research should investigate advocacy impact on decision-making. Library associations are challenged to motivate school librarians to engage in the process of advocacy.

Assistive technology and autism: Expanding the technology leadership role of the school librarian
Demetria Ennis-Cole and Daniella Smith
Assistive Technology is any device, auxiliary aid, or low to high technology tool that allows a user with a disability (cognitive, physical, or neurological) to perform tasks that would be extremely difficult or impossible without the apparatus. Access to assistive technology in schools and public places is an attempt to “level the playing field” for individuals with disabilities by providing them with access to services, education, and employment. Technology support enables individuals with disabilities to complete daily living activities, work successfully, benefit from learning environments, and enjoy leisure time. School librarians can serve in leadership roles for students with autism, their families, and other school professionals by locating assistive technology tools; training teachers, families, and students to use these tools, evaluating the effectiveness of the devices; helping teachers integrate equipment into the school curriculum; monitoring student progress on and satisfaction with the apparatus; and helping teachers modify the curriculum to better support individualized student learning.

What is the impact of the school library on pupils’ personal development? A case study of a secondary school in Northern Ireland
Francesca Fodale and Jessica Bates
What is the perceived impact of the school library on pupils’ personal development? This paper reports on a case study of a secondary school (all girls, 11-18 years) in a disadvantaged area in Belfast, Northern Ireland. The study explores the impact of the school library in terms of personal development, and seeks to answer the question of how best to evaluate impact in this regard. Interviews and postal questionnaires are used to collect data from both school staff and parents. Data collected from the interviews with school staff show that staff regarded the school library as having a positive impact on pupils’ motivation to learn, and on their self-esteem and personal confidence during both formal learning activities in the library and periods of free access. The results of the survey of parents show that parents perceived that the activities of the school library contributed positively to pupils’ attitudes towards reading and the development of literacy skills. This paper makes a valuable contribution to how we demonstrate the impact of the school library and data is collected from a geographic area that is significantly under-represented in the research.

From human vending machines to lateral thinking: Helpful theories and models for school librarians
Andrew K. Shenton, Naomi V. Hay-Gibson & Ken Shenton
This paper provides a transdisciplinary perspective on the work of the school-based information professional. In particular, it explores various ideas originating outside LIS but which have special relevance to intermediaries operating in educational environments for young people. The material is discussed in relation to four key issues: the challenge of endowing information literacy instruction with credibility in the eyes of students and school staff, the problem of learners following formulaic patterns in their attempts to find information, interaction between the intermediary and youngsters using the library and priorities for the professional attempting to meet clients’ information needs. The article concludes by briefly highlighting the overall value of each of the theories and models.

Notes from the noodle factory: 21st-Century librarianship in search of new paradigms
Ralph Turner
In his 1976 dedication of the Connecticut College library, Kurt Vonnegut compared a library to a noodle factory, noting that in a society where many people do not really enjoy reading, “Noodles are okay. Libraries are okay. They are rather neutral good news.” It was an indifference, however, that could be tolerated three decades ago when libraries still maintained primacy as central repositories of information. In contrast, in this era of existential crisis and as libraries scramble for “relevance,” in face of a crisis of definition and mission, the urgent question then arises: “What new paradigms must be formulated to define the mission of the 21st-century library and delineate how that mission can better support both education and culture?

Indexed in Bibliothek Forschung und Praxis, Children Literature Abstracts, Contents Pages in Education, Educational Resources Information Clearing house (ERIC), Library Literature, and Library and Information Science Abstracts (LISA).

Last updated September 2011 (KSB)