What’s In It For Me? How Principals & Teachers Benefit from Strong School Library Programs

1. What’s In It For Me?How Principals & Teachers Benefit from Strong School Library Programs Keith Curry Lance

2. WII FM Everybody’s Favorite Radio Station: What’s In It For Me

3. Quantitative Studies Timeline Other Researchers Related Events

4. Studies Focusing on Principals & Teachers • Indiana • Information literacy • Idaho • ICT literacy • Pennsylvania (in progress) • 21st Century Learner skills

5. What’s In It For Me? In what roles they see librarians What administrators value about library programs What teachers experience with library programs How they assess teaching of info literacy How that relates to test scores

8. Most Popular Librarian Roles Reading motivator Instructional support Teacher Instructional resources manager In-service professional development provider

9. Administrator Quotes This elementary school has a librarian who has instilled a love of reading in all students, including the most reluctant. She finds books that are appealing to individual students & sets them aside. This individual attention has created a library that is magical in the eyes of our students. Our high school has an inspiring new librarian. She makes the library a study, technology & research resource. She encourages teachers to partner with her on writing, technology & subject exploration. Our librarian’s vision & dedication make our library welcoming to all—especially poor and refugee students.

10. Teacher Quotes My kids use the library like crazy, and our librarian has a very inviting & friendly personality. Kids just get better the more they use the library. Thank goodness we have a librarian who is so available to us. Ours is a school of readers. The librarian is instrumental in this. If students don’t like a book they are reading, they don’t have to read it. Our librarian helps students find books they are excited to read. Time and again, reluctant readers say “I want another book like that.”

11. More Teacher Quotes Our librarian sends us links to helpful websites and resources on the web almost weekly. She always thoroughly checks them out, and gives us a quick summary of how they may be helpful in the classroom. I am lucky & grateful to work in a school with an excellent librarian. The library truly is “the academic, social, and emotional hub of the learning community” as declared in its mission statement.

13. What Administrators Value in Library Programs Idaho Administrators • 9 out of 10 value as essential or desirable: • Librarian on committees • Collaboration with teachers • Flexible scheduling • 8 out of 10 value: • Librarian as in-service provider • Librarian & principal meeting regularly Indiana Principals • Almost all value as essential or desirable: • Collaboration • Librarian as in-service provider • Librarian on committees • 9 out of 10 value: • Flexible scheduling • Librarian & principal meeting regularly

14. Principal Quote The library should be the heart of the school. The librarian is the key to successful collaboration among the academic components of a school culture.

17. Most Common Library-Related Activities Engaging Teachers Librarian provides instructional resources Classes to library on fixed schedule Classes/students to library on flexible schedule Teacher requests instructional resources Teacher accompanies students to library (4th in IN)

19. Value of Collaboration with Librarian to Teachers • When it comes to teaching their students … • Information literacy • Independent learning • Social responsibility • More teachers believe they do a better job when collaborating with their librarian than when going it alone

21. Instructional Collaboration & Access to I-Design Resources • Librarians provide teachers with • Instructional partners • Access to instructional design resources • Sometimes librarians initiate partnerships & pro-actively offer resources. Sometimes teachers initiate partnerships & ask for resources. • Regardless, students are more likely to succeed when librarian & teachers work together.

22. Teacher Quotes I have a very collaborative relationship with our librarian. Our latest endeavor has lasted 5 years. It has enriched me as an instructor. Being a fairly new teacher, I am still learning. Our librarian is one of the first resources I go to for help. Our librarian was incredibly helpful to me in putting together a research project. I have more confidence as a teacher because of her efforts.

26. Administrator Support of Libraries Leads to More Successful Schools • Schools more likely to succeed when administrators value • Librarians & teachers working together • Librarians provide in-service to teachers • Librarians & principals meet regularly • Principal appoints librarian to key committees • Librarian role addressed in teacher hiring interviews • When administrators believe their library programs do a better job of teaching ICT literacy, students more likely to excel at • Reading • Language arts

27. Administrator Quote I have served in several school districts over 25 years. Successful schools have an active, forward-thinking, highly involved librarian.

28. Pennsylvania (In Progress) • National Leadership Grant research project of the Institute of Museum & Library Services • Updating 2000 PA school library impact study • First such study to incorporate • 21st Century Learner standards (from American Association of School Librarians) • State and Common Core Standards • Will produce infrastructure specifications and cost estimates for 21st Century school libraries

29. For More About School Library Impact Studies Library Research Service’s School Library Impact Studies page http://www.LRS.org/impact.php Mansfield University’s School Library Impact Studies Project http://library.mansfield.edu/impact.asp Rutgers’ Center for International Scholarship in School Libraries Impact Studies page http://cissl.rutgers.edu/joomla-license/impact-studies