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What's new—and essential—for school libraries in the 21st century
By Nancy Messmer
In this new century, what is essential for school library programs is not new. The mission of a school's library media program is still to ensure that students and staff are effective users of ideas and information. It's still critical to connect the work of the teacher-librarian directly to the school's goal of increasing student achievement. And strong school library programs still teach information literacy, promote reading, and organize information resources.
What is new in the 21st century is ubiquitous access to information of all kinds. A critical skill in the past was to find information, but the new required skills are to plan systematic searches for information, gather and analyze information, and then make meaningful, high-quality work based on new and synthesized knowledge. What's new is a glut of information and a cacophony of media inputs that are confusing to students and teachers. What's new are demanding academic standards and budget cuts, causing school leaders to look for instructional strategies and programs that work and are most cost-effective. The overload of information and the focus on student achievement lead us to a new and more urgent development of strong library media programs.
One organized response to the critical need for dynamic information and strategic reading services in schools is happening here in Washington State. Teacher-librarians are part of a two-year K-12 Library Initiative led by the state library in partnership with the state superintendent's office, the Washington Library Media Association, and local educational service districts. The program involves professional development for 900 teacher-librarians in the areas of information literacy and strategic planning.
Mike Eisenberg, dean of the Information School at the University of Washington, kicked off the work by issuing a challenge to schools. To confront the problems of information overload and more challenging standards for student achievement, he said we need "an information unit--staffed with information professionals--able to deal with the overwhelming quantity of information and the complexity of information systems, and able to provide direct information on demand, consult on appropriate uses of information technology, and instruct in information access, use, manipulation, and evaluation."
How do we do this? We invest in existing programs and staff: library media programs and teacher-librarians. We create libraries that are "carefully selected, managed, and organized systems of information services, information resources, and information facilities,-- much of which can be accessed any time, anywhere.
Eisenberg specifically challenged teacher-librarians to focus their work by thinking of themselves in three roles: teacher, reading advocate, and information manager. This means that we:
- Teach essential information and technology skills that are integrated with the curriculum;
- Advocate reading through guidance and promotion; and
- Manage and provide information services, systems, resources, and facilities.
In thinking about what is new and essential, Eisenberg said, "What is essential is directly linking all aspects of the library program to student learning. A key word here is 'directly.' Reading advocacy, information--literacy instruction, information management ... must be directly tied to student learning. What is also new is defining our management-administrative role as that of CIOs [chief information officers] of our schools. If librarians don't fill this role, someone else will."
In the Bellingham Public Schools, teacher-librarians are accepting Eisenberg's challenge. We have been key players all along in the implementation of computer technologies and the connection of new technologies to important intellectual student work. Our core value for the use of computers has been that they are used for communicating, analyzing, and problem-solving. Choices about purchasing software and hardware and placement of computers are based on the work that students will do. What's new is making the direct link between student achievement and strong library media programs.
Teacher-librarians chair school technology committees and sit on all major district curriculum committees to ensure that information literacy is a key part of new curriculum initiatives. Teams of teachers and teacher-librarians create web-based resources to support teaching and learning. They create various web guides leading students to appropriate resources. They work with students to create projects such as virtual museums (see the link for the Bellingham Student Gallery at the end of this article).
Because the internet is more akin to a city center (magnificent museum, city hall, back alleys, flea market, etc.) than to a library, our district purchases electronic resources that are designed for use by students, such as ProQuest databases, World Book Online, ABC-CLIO World Geography, and SIRS Online. Our model is to purchase districtwide resources and distribute them over our network to every computer. Resources such as SchoolKit and Investigations enable students to engage in guided, inquiry-based activities, and the format allows teachers to change and refine the projects as needed. Some schools invest in the use of Accelerated Reader to support independent reading.
Resources are carefully chosen according to an instructional materials policy that guides us to support specific learning goals. While it is important for schools to provide up-to-date resources and tools worthy of the intellectual work we ask of adults and children, it is also essential to focus on the learning and not on the technology itself.
In summary, schools are responding to the imperative of increasing student achievement in many ways. As we search for ways to do this effectively and efficiently, it is important to remember what is essential. It is the mission of the school library media program to ensure that students are effective users of ideas and information.
Nancy Messmer is the director of library media and technology for the Bellingham, Wash., Public Schools.
School librarians in Bellingham provided their own insights into what is new and essential for school libraries in the 21st century:
What is essential in a school library is for librarians to combine their strengths in information literacy with teacher strengths to create the best instruction for kids. ---Timmi Eggert, Shuksan Middle School
The proliferation of information means that the library walls that enclose the resources have become invisible--students and teachers must learn how to access and sift through this information to locate helpful, meaningful, reliable sources. However, books are and will remain the heart of every library.
--Chuck Pittis, Happy Valley Elementary School
What is essential is the role of the teacher-librarian as information manager and teacher of information technology skills. This involves working with students in new ways to develop high-quality [areas of inquiry], sort and evaluate information, become efficient in their search through the excess of information, and design efficient, user-friendly ways to find information.
--Mariann Strachan, Larrabee Elementary School
Knowledge of your staff's and students' strengths and areas for growth. Love of literature, various genres, and staying current on best reads. Knowledge and expertise of technology networks and organizing files and folders logically for use by all. Knowledge of how to help staff and students access information that is relevant and accurate to their question.
--Carol Beebe, Roosevelt Elementary School
What is essential is being flexible to meet the demands of the school population, providing access to materials at students' levels of instruction, and networking with teachers and colleagues to maximize facility and resources.
--Penny Jewett, Whatcom Middle School
What is essential is not new. Information literacy has always been essential in every aspect of teaching and learning. What's new are the tools we have at hand. One of those tools is the explicit description of information literacy. The more obvious tools often obscure the critical thinking aspect of information literacy, though.
--Ralph Hayden, Bellingham High School
Essential in a school library? Up-to-date materials and technology that support the curriculum. A professional librarian to plan and execute the school's library program and facilitate resources and people. Instruction in technology use for both staff and students. An inviting environment and staff. A balance of technology and print [resources] that excites and invites users.
--Carol Wintercorn, Squalicum High School
What's new and essential is having a wider range of books (readability) to meet the needs of all independent readers, meeting the need to offer a broad selection of books and topics for all students.
--Dar New, Silver Beach Elementary School
We need to teach information skills in context in response to information overload. Librarians need to do more than help patrons (students) access information; we need to help students process information. In school libraries, with all of the other content requirements aimed at teachers and students, these process skills must be taught in context to be meaningful. Reading advocacy is not so new, but is still essential. We create the environment that immerses kids in great literature and keeps them coming back for more.
--Analisa Ficklin, Carl Cozier Elementary School
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