Characteristics of World Class School Librarians
by David V. Loertscher, Michelle Young and Charlene Peterson
Over 30 school librarians across the U.S. and Canada and who had been nominated by their peers for their excellence were interviewed as a part of the AliveLibrary Project at San Jose State University. The major question was “What are the major characteristics of world class school librarians.” Each was read and rated by three researchers, and in several rounds resulted in eight major characteristics that seem to undergird high impact on teaching and learning across a wide spectrum of locations, affluence, diversity, and communities.
David Loertscher is a professor in the School of Information at San Jose State University; has written extensively about the library learning commons and continues to teach students in the masters program to become rock stars in our profession.
Over the years, Professor Loertscher has taught and held professorial roles at four universities and spent a decade leading the editorial department at Libraries Unlimited. His leadership as the President of the American Association of School Librarians (AASL) during the "Count on Reading" initiative saw an impressive 68 million books read nationwide. For access to his extensive body of work, including numerous books and articles written over the past 50 years, visit davidloertscherlibrary.org.
Michelle Young has been working in education since 2005. She has enjoyed a variety of positions, including Library Technician, Assistive Technology Specialist, and Education Specialist. Currently, she is in her second year as a Teacher Librarian. Michelle recently graduated from San Jose State University's iSchool, earning her California Teacher Librarian credential along with a Master's degree in Library and Information Science. Her goal is to continue working in the heart of the school—the library—where she aims to create a program that supports inclusion and accessibility, fostering a space where students can pursue their passions and develop a lifelong love of learning.
Charlene Peterson is a former high school language arts teacher and has taught in New Mexico, Virginia, and Colorado from 1993 to 2023. While working her way through a Master of Education and Principal Licensure program at Colorado State University, she fell in love with school library education and had the good fortune to serve as a school librarian for the past seven years. Serving as a school librarian prompted her to enroll in the Master of Library and Information Science Program at San Jose State University where she serves in the roles of the ALiVE! Library Initiative coordinator, graduate assistant to Dr. David Loertscher, president of the iSchool's Library Advocacy Group, and co-project manager of the Reading Nation Waterfall Sunrise Project.
It's great to see that so many of my experiences and thoughts were echoed in other's interviews.
ReplyDeleteThe eight characteristics of effective school library leaders rings very true for me and aligns well with strands within Leading Learning.
Facilitating Collaborative Engagement = Library Concept, and Collaboration
Advancing the School Goals = Culture and Community
Effective Instructional Design = Program Management and Expertise
Fostering Literacies = Literacy and Collection
Designing Participatory Environment = Learning Environment