Libraries in the 21st century

There has been some chatter on the listservs in Vermont this week about the role of libraries in schools. The chatter had a very inauspicious start as a technology coordinator posted a request in search of "innovative libraries" for a librarian to visit... this was inauspicious in that many librarians took offense at his choice of language and its suggestion that innovation and libraries are oxymoronic. It was even more inauspicious as librarians in our state are a very innovative group of professionals.

(For full disclosure-- the technology coordinator was from my school district, the request was made so that the librarian who is my colleague could visit other schools. For several years, I taught in the sequence of courses that many Vermont school librarians complete to become licensed. Further, my teaching colleagues and I have deep respect for our librarian and her community of colleagues in the state. Fellow teachers to whom I showed the words of our technology coordinator were embarrassed by the words of our technology coordinator and the fact that our leaders bypassed our librarian and her network when seeking models to visit.)

Anyways... in response to this original request, Vermont librarians posted to the list with many examples of how school libraries are among the most innovative areas of 21st century schools. Their ideas and examples were so illustrative of their work, that I asked for permission to repost some of their examples here. Here are some examples of very innovative Vermont librarians...

I hope you will also check in with Lauren Parren and Laura Mina from Mt. Abraham Middle/High School. They are 2012 Rowland Fellows, and transformation of their school's library is a major focus of their grant work: http://www.therowlandfoundation.org/current-fellows.shtml

Many libraries in Vermont have developed robust virtual libraries which are available to their students and faculty from any device with internet access.  I refer you to Stowe Middle/High School where students can use a QR code to link to their school library.  Spaulding High School, U32, Montpelier High School, and many Chittenden County schools have wonderful virtual libraries. Additionally many Vermont school librarians do double duty as librarians and technology integrationists.

Vermont librarians also describe the work they do...

It’s unfortunate that as an IT Director your email indicates that you have very little experience working collaboratively with your School Librarian since so much of what we do is very similar--providing timely customer support, providing equipment and tools for 21st century learning, making financial decisions about equipment and materials needed to support teaching and learning, creating an accessible learning environment, and providing professional development opportunities for our teachers.  Of course in addition to these similarities, librarians are also responsible for curriculum, for the largest classroom in our schools, for teaching, providing one-on-one instruction, materials selection, collection management, and administering a fully developed library program. 

Vermont librarians are also a very active professional group, and use technology to create and maintain their connections in our rural setting. Also, they actively participate in technology conferences:

If you are looking for effective models of libraries as learning centers/learning commons, it’s worth investing 7 minutes to watch Joyce Valenza’s “What Librarians make or Why Should I be More than a Librarian?” video (inspired by Taylor Mali’s performance piece “What Teachers Make”).  Joyce clearly articulates what Vermont Teacher Librarians are working toward and advocating for on behalf of our students:  a strong, vibrant bricks-and-mortar as well as virtual learning space that addresses the radical shift in the information and communication landscape that faces our students and staff.  These are the goals that inspired VSLA (Vermont School Librarian Association) to seek a collaboration with VITA-Learn to cosponsor Dynamic Landscapes, now a robust two-day conference.  These are the goals that brought out a significant showing of librarians at ASCD’s recent edcamp.  These are the goals that inspire the work that occurs in libraries across Vermont each day.  Take a look:  http://vimeo.com/17247140.  

Finally... if you give me a school full of teachers and a principal and a technology coordinator (and keep going with a list of any other roles you think are essential to the function of you school) who approach their work in the way this librarian does, then we will transform everything about our schools and education will no longer be an election issue...

Is my library completely transformed from the traditional 19th or 20th century library? Perhaps not entirely, but I continually strive to have this space be a center for collaboration, learning, and inquiry for all school members. With incredible support and respect from our technology staff, we continue to look for and provide the necessary materials and resources for learners of all types and abilities.