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One of the most valuable things I learned was the value of creating a network. I learned so much from reading the discussion posts and responses. The weekly Google meets were a perfect way for me to understand how the reading and discussion could apply in the real world.

I used to think people might be “put off” if I asked for help but now I know that’s not true. In fact, it’s been the opposite. This has also given me a true understanding of the value of collaboration now that I’m doing it.

I started a new job as a librarian at the public library at the end of September. While not a school library, this course definitely provided real-life preparation. I learned to get a sense of the culture and listen to people in the community, especially when starting out. My ideas, especially with regards to technology, have to connect with where my community is. I also learned to adjust how I deliver a message based on the recipient. A presentation to the principal or board may be highlight cost-benefit features whereas one to faculty might highlight pedagogical benefits.

I would recommend two things. Go to as many weekly sessions as you can! If not, definitely listen to the recordings. Also, get your classmates’ contact information and social media handles.

😄 Thanks, all!

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I'm going to try my hand at a metaphor - this course took the most important ingredients from all the other courses before it and put them together to create a dish with flavors worth so much more than the sum of it's parts.  This semester was a real-life application of some of the skills so desperately needed in our profession - flexibility and adaptability.  Some of us weren't even allowed in the kitchen this semester (or at least only some of the time), yet we still managed to be a part of the culinary process!  I learned how to be a leader during these times of uncertainty by finding ways to step up and support our staff, students, and families during this difficult time by learning new cooking techniques and using different culinary tools.

I'm grateful for the creative flexibility we were afforded for our assignments and in our discussions.  Student choice and voice is not just for K-12 learners!  All of the content, discussions, assignments, and activities had real-world implications and in many cases I was able to use what I was learning/developing/creating in our school library immediately.  The relevancy and practicality made the learning more sticky for me.  My biggest regret was not being able to attend office hours (I have a standing commitment on Tuesday evenings).  While I'm grateful to have the recordings, I would encourage students next semester to attend.

Two things that continue to stick with me - the first, "culture eats strategy for breakfast" has stuck with me and how I think about large-scale change in my building. The second is something Dr. V said, "Where you are is not where you will stay". Now that I know what "good" and "innovative" looks like I have a lot of decisions to make!

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I really cannot believe that this semester is over – at the start, I was completely terrified. I had absolutely no idea how I would balance work with school, field experience and taking care of my one-year-old son, especially with day care being opened and closed sporadically. Now that we are at Week #15 and wrapping things up, I am proud to say that I was able to successfully work through all of my anticipated issues. With that being said, the most valuable thing that I learned in this course is the value of perseverance. Throughout our personal lives (and our librarian lives), we are going to experience hardships that are inside and outside of our control – how we choose to react to them is everything. If we keep a positive attitude, our students, faculty and staff will see that – not only will they be more willing to help us, they will also feel more comfortable coming to the library with questions, concerns and any of their information needs. If we are constantly negative or nasty, we will not create a library environment that others want to utilize. Attitude is everything – like our text said, we want to lend a listening ear, but should be careful not to add to complaints. For students entering this course next semester: YOU CAN DO IT. Keep a positive attitude, stay on top of your work and don’t sweat the small stuff – before you know it, you’ll be in your last week of the semester and feeling sad that it’s all over.

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I think the most valuable thing I learned in this course was how to be a school leader.  I don't think I fully understood all the different roles I could play until now.  Part of this change was due to Covid and the need for teachers to switch to a different teaching mindset, one which involved many more tools than in the past.  This provided me with a tremendous opportunity to talk to them about new options for their lessons or student deliverables.  I also loved that I was able to take the lessons, not just from this class, but from my Field Experience as well, and apply them to the real world.  Our district most definitely needs to see a needs assessment for why the library is important and the training session really provided me with an opportunity to showcase the librarian's (i.e. my) skills.
Because of this gained knowledge I was able to really showcase my ability to collaborate and add value to other teachers.    This class showed me some of the other roles librarians play outside of being in the physical library space (and not just from Covid).  Being a part of the classroom team was great.  I believe for me this class provided the last piece of the puzzle of how I can play all the 5 roles that a librarian can and should play.

I have loved my time and Rutgers and will miss it!

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  I am ending this course with increased understanding of a librarian’s role as a leader and problem solver. This has clearly been a semester with many problems, as most of us have had to work under restrictive settings. Almost every project I created for my field experience served to solve problems for teachers, students, parents and administration. We are builders and sharers.  It is highly rewarding to know that we are making a difference every day. We are paving paths to equity, building digital supports, and inspiring critical thinking and creativity. 
  Prior to this semester I knew that I would be involved in co-teaching and participating with our professional organizations, but I didn’t have much experience the amazing results that come from collaboration in education. Through our Office Hours, class conversations, projects and my field experience, I value collaboration more than ever. When we work together we can solve the big problems and actually change the world. I am inspired to embark on my new profession and on the lookout for more problems to tackle with new collaborators. 

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I feel like I am always gushing about the topics we discuss and the resources we interact with. Everything we discussed impacted me I found it all relevant to field experience. My biggest takeaway this semester is this: Librarians are leaders. 
Though I knew this, it was hard to fully conceptualize the fact until doing field experience this semester. We have a leadership role and responsibility that we must own, for our purposes, but also for the entire school community. While looking back at my notes, I came across something Deb Kachel said during Week 10 while in office hours: “You can’t really be an advocate unless you’re a strong leader.” So much of what we do stems from our role as a leader in our school. If we want for our students to succeed and for our whole school community to benefit, we must embrace the role of a leader. 
If I could offer any advice to future students, it would be to be confident in your abilities and take initiative. Don’t overstep but learn when you should just go ahead and do something. So many of the digital resources I created this semester would not have been done if I didn’t look at the library website, assess what was missing, and create resources that could fill those gaps. 
I cannot believe this journey is coming to an end, but I know my learning will continue as I continue on in the field. 
-Angela 

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1.

It’s difficult to name the one most important thing I have learned this semester, as there were so many valuable lessons… But if I had to narrow it down to the most essential understanding I gained, it would be “the pyramids weren’t built overnight.” Sometimes it feels like I am in over my head, trying to complete my coursework, working as a full-time teacher, while running the library on my own time, and still having a personal life. My mentor told me, “you’re doing fine,” and it occurred to me how much I really needed to hear that. I am doing fine, and though I have had many obstacles in trying to build a library program in my school, the fact that I’m trying and doing my best has to be good enough. Finishing up my coursework and graduating opens up a lot of time that I can use to focus on other things, including this new advocacy work I’m involved in for NJASL, working more on the ideas I have to build up my program, and continuing to seek out PD experiences and networking opportunities.

2.

I was surprised by how many librarians also feel like staff and admins have no clue what librarians do. I thought my situation, in which I am the only employee at my school that truly understands the role of a librarian, was unique, and I thought this was a result of them never having had a full-time, certified librarian on staff. Wow, how wrong I was. So many schools with certified librarians still have no idea, which is a bit alarming.

I was also surprised that other faculty don’t understand that a master’s degree is required for SLMS certification. This is obviously a direct result of so many school libraries being run by volunteers and/or paraprofessionals, and from the profession itself being so “seemingly” isolated. It really doesn’t need to be that way, which brings me back to Advocacy. As fresh graduates from this program, it is our responsibility to advocate for our profession, one way is to join NJASL’s advocacy efforts (wink, wink).

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The most valuable thing this semester was the Materials selection policy we created.  My library did not have one and I was just waiting for a book to be challenged.
I was surprised to find that the majority of my peers felt the same way about some 'old-fashioned' notions about the library.  I didn't think Dewey was that important in the modern world and I found many agreed.  I have been genrefying my collection where sensible and was comforted to know that this is where we are heading as a profession.
I am already in the 'Real World' , so the class did not prepare me for it, but it did fill in some gaps in my real world. This was a great semester, I felt as if I learned how to be a better me (in my job).

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It is so hard to believe this part of our journey is coming to an end.  This graduate program has been packed full of valuable information that is extremely relevant to every day practice.  This particular course helped build confidence in who I am as a librarian (although I still worry about being “good enough”).

The community scan and needs assessment provided valuable insight into understanding our complete community, not just what we deal with inside the school’s walls.  Developing a strategic plan was extremely valuable for me this semester.  I’ve been a part of the school library world for quite some time, but I’ve never witnessed the librarians I’ve worked with create an extended plan.  Navigating the overall planning process, has given me tools that will be of practical use in real life.   I also truly enjoyed developing an interactive workshop for a group within our community.  It stretched my thinking to be more inclusive and allowed me to consider participant engagement rather than simply presenting.

I would tell students entering this course next semester that they should really pay attention to the weekly discussions.  Read them all!  Each and everyone of our classmates this semester contributed in such engaging ways.  It is through these discussions that we are able to see firsthand how other libraries function and what librarians are doing in real life practice.  I would also suggest curating from Dr. Valenza’s weekly playlists.  I’ve found so many wonderful resources in those playlists that I just know will be of value in the future.

I am so extremely proud to officially be joining the field of librarianship with all of you!  Thank you for helping guide my learning this semester.

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I used to think school librarians had some leadership opportunities in schools if things went well, the administration was supportive, and the librarian had the necessary leadership qualities, but now I think a school librarian must be a known leader in the school. No other faculty member has the curricular access that a school librarian has which automatically puts the librarian in a leadership position; we have the bird's eye view of needs, deficits, overlaps, and opportunities.
In addition, we get to see students outside of the classroom, creating opportunities to develop a different type of relationship with them than we might have in the classroom if we were their full-time teacher. This carries the benefit of our connecting with kids in ways that better their lives by giving them space to explore their interests and have fun within their school day. It likewise carries a responsibility to tune into our students, looking out for those who may be struggling or in need of support.
I feel fully prepared to tackle all of these leadership roles after our work this semester. It was a challenging semester but worth every minute. It has been an honor learning and working alongside all of you, and I wish you all the best of luck!

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I can't believe that this journey is over! What a crazy semester. For me, the most valuable thing that I learned from this semester had to be developing the strategic plan. Studying my school community, and library and making a practical plan to move forward was something that I wouldn't have been able to do well without the guidance from this course. It think what surprised me the most was pushing myself to make changes that had been in place in my school that weren't really benefiting everyone, especially the mission of our library. I think the discussions, and readings helps give the the confidence to do that. This course helped me realize the potential my library can have, and I am so thankful for the connection I was able to make with my mentor because of this course. Future students should realize that there is a lot of work in the beginning but it pays of in the end!

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Honestly this semester has just reaffirmed that the world can be crazy, stressful but fulfilling. You need to be able to balance the administration, teachers, parents and students without becoming overwhelmed. I have always been flexible and good at adapting but even my patience was tested listening to my FEs talk about the decisions that were being made by the higher ups.
I also realized that while every library is different, they have the same underlying values. Librarians want to help, that is all. It doesn't matter who they are helping a student, teacher or parent. The library world is a great one to live in!

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It seems so difficult to summarize everything we've learned in this course because I feel like we learned so much! While I've learned a heap of information every semester, this semester felt most beneficial to me. What I loved most about this course is how it directly related to my field experience. I felt like each week, our topics related to exactly what I was doing in my field experience, which wasn't always the case in other courses. Honestly, to me, the most beneficial assignment was Assignment 3. Needs assessments and community scans seem kind of inherent, whereas creating a workshop truly required me to think outside the box. I never considered that we'd have to provide information or learning, but of course we would - they're part of the school community, too! This course was probably the most relevant to the real world, as well. We not only learned about teaching, but we also learned about ourselves. Taking a week to discuss our personalities and leadership skills makes it easier to improve. To be honest, this is probably not something I would reflect on on my own. Finally, my advice for next semester's students is to have confidence! It can seem so overwhelming and like we don't know a ton, but I think confidence is key! We know what we're doing, we're passionate and creative, and we keep students in mind, so there's no reason not to be confident. More often than not, risks pay off or if they don't, they're a learning opportunity. I liked the advice last week of turning obstacles into opportunities. Definitely something to keep in mind!

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One of the most valuable things I learned from this course was the value of connection. I have a tendency to lone wolf things. I don’t like being a burden and I don’t like being a bother to others. But in a sense these things are necessary. Or more accurately the value we can get from connecting with others and advocating for our libraries is more important than any discomfort I feel regarding bothering others. I continue to work on leveraging my social media influence to make gains for my community that way my FE librarian has, but interning with her has provided me a fabulous model for turning brief in-person meetings to great, digital and professional connections. Learning how to do that is in valuable to me. And thinking about all the ways I can build advocacy in my future library and even connecting it to the outside community has been exciting (I really appreciated the letter template/Flipgrid during the advocacy week). I have already had experience as a school library assistant, so I have long felt comfortable with the day to day management of the space. But librarians are pathfinders and bridge-builders to our teachers, students, communities. This course provided me a direct way to bridge my prior knowledge to meet the real world needs a librarian provides, that is to get out from behind our bookshelves and provide the services our students most need. I would suggest incoming students take advantage of each weekly chat, ask all the questions you can think of, and listen to your peers as they ask their questions.  Learning from other librarians has been a great part of this program and knowing that there is a community once you leave the school that is there to support continued learning has been a game changer for me. I advise all incoming students to take advantage of all the connections you can get their hands on. You never know how it will help you in the long run. 

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In the words of a dear friend of mine, “ISBN a long road.” All library puns aside, I have learned so much from this program, and this semester especially, as I gained more confidence in my ability to be an effective teacher and librarian. My biggest takeaway from this semester would be that our library practice is what we make it. The professionalism, alignment to standards, and culture we build in our libraries is dependent upon us to create because it fits with how we see the library, not because it is expected. We have gotten the opportunity to think aspirationally this semester, especially when doing our needs assessment and action plan, but I think that is a good mindset to have when thinking of entering a school library. Don’t settle. Be aspirational and inspirational.

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What I learned the most from this class and from my FE is that everyday doesn’t look the same. School librarians take on so many roles, work with so many different people, start different projects, so daily activities and jobs are always going to be different. There may be days where you take on more of a teacher role, and there may be days where you work with the books a lot (creating displays, weeding, checking out, etc.) I’ve also thought a lot about the facilities this semester. My FE school library is lucky that they just got to have this beautiful renovation for the library, and that they have three staff members working for the library, one being a library assistant that helps with circulation, one being the tech assistant, and one being the media specialist that did every possible task you could think of and more. But not every school is going to be like that. I could end up in a school with no assistant and have to advocate to have volunteers, or a school that has an outdated design/floor plan that I have to do my best to work with. No matter what, I’m always going to have to advocate for the library, which actually means that I am advocating for the students, because they deserve to have a space and resources for them to be able to experiment and research and work and be creative and feel included.

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The most valuable thing I learned from this class was that my line of thinking about the modern library space was not crazy.  Ditching Dewey, genrefying and prioritizing reading for pleasure seems to be where our whole industry is heading.  This gave me the courage to make some big changes here this year.

This course has definitely prepared me for the real world. I have made many changes here in my library and