School Librarianship in 2015--My Thoughts

You Know What They Say About Assumptions...

School Librarianship in 2015

“I wish I could just sit and read all day!”

“How is this hard? You just check in and out books.”

“Can you make these copies for me/fetch me some white-out/do some other menial, secretarial task that isn’t in your job description?”

Overwhelmingly, in my sixth year as a school librarian (and eleventh year in education), I have found that most teachers, staff, students, and community members have no idea what being a librarian truly entails. They just know if they like you, if you can find them a good book, and how to procure such an “easy job” for themselves. While many other librarian colleagues say, “It’s up to you to educate them!” the reality of actually doing that is different. If you say, “I have a Master’s degree,” it can come off as braggy; if you share a wonderful autobiography on your website, no one will read it. Most teachers have no idea that in order to become a school librarian, you have to spend a minimum of three years as a classroom teacher—but telling them, “You know, I had to endure the torture of 180 students myself” comes off as stilted and, again, braggy.

So how can we advocate for ourselves? I have found the best success comes from doing, not telling. I can tell a teacher that I am a certified and experienced teacher myself, but I would rather show them by inviting their class into the library and teaching a brilliant lesson with aplomb. All it takes is a few teachers to get on board, and then the whispers will start circulating around the school: “Man, that librarian knows her stuff. And she’ll teach your class for you! And even grade the papers!”

This recently happened, as a matter of fact—a teacher came to me asking for ideas to kickstart her upcoming poetry unit. When I taught English, poetry was absolutely my favorite unit, so I jumped at the chance. I put together an interesting intro and lesson, purchased bags of candy to use as bribes (hey, these aren’t my actual students, so I need to make sure they take me seriously!), and proceeded to get to do something I have been wanting to do for years—spine poetry! It was a hit, and other requests soon came pouring in.

While sometimes I do wish all I did was sit around and read all day (which never, ever, ever happens), the fact is that the job description of a librarian changes with the times. We are now information specialists, media connoisseurs, research experts, and digital citizenship stewards. We bridge the gap between the brittle, arcane pages of Homer and the promiscuous lure of a Google search. While our actual job description may change, an indelible fact remains: as long as there is information in this world, there will be librarians. It’s up to us to gently nudge our colleagues into utilizing us to our full capacities.

*Just as an FYI, in my district, to become a librarian one must have a Master’s of Library (and Information) Science, at least three years as a classroom teacher, and a passing grade on a media specialist certification exam.