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Position Statement on the School Librarian's Role in Reading

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Position Statement on the School Librarian's Role in Reading

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American Association of School Librarians (AASL)

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Rationale: Reading is a foundational skill for 21st-century learners. Guiding learners to become engaged and effective users of ideas and information and to appreciate literature requires that they develop as strategic readers who can comprehend, analyze, and evaluate text in both print and digital formats. Learners must also have opportunities to read for enjoyment as well as for information. School librarians are in a critical and unique position to partner with other educators to elevate the reading development of our nation's youth.

Reading skills involve thinking skills. The extent to which young people use information depends upon their ability to understand what they read, to integrate their understandings with what they already know, and to realize their unanswered questions. To this end, school librarians model and collaboratively teach reading comprehension strategies: assess and use background knowledge, pose and answer questions that are appropriate to the task, make predictions and inferences, determine main ideas, and monitor reading comprehension as well as the learning process.

In addition, 21st-century learners must become adept at determining authority and accuracy of information, and analyzing and evaluating that information to synthesize new knowledge from multiple resources. School librarians model and collaboratively teach these skills and strategies.

With a deep knowledge of the wide variety of authentic reading materials available in the school library and beyond, the school librarian has a key role in supporting print and online reading comprehension strategy instruction in collaboration with classroom teachers and reading specialists. School librarians co-design, co-implement, and co-evaluate interdisciplinary lessons and units of instruction that result in increased student learning.

While the responsibility for the successful implementation of reading promotion and instruction is shared by the entire school community, library programs serve as hubs of literacy learning in the school. The following components of school library programs position school librarians in leadership roles in developing reading comprehension strategies and in promoting free independent reading:

School libraries provide students, staff, and families with open, non-restricted access to a varied high quality collection of reading materials in multiple formats that reflect academic needs and personal interests.

School librarians practice responsive collection development and support print-rich environments that reflect the curriculum and the diverse learning needs of the school community.

School librarians take a leadership role in organizing and promoting literacy projects and events that engage learners and motivate them to become lifelong readers.

Classroom teachers, reading specialists, and school librarians select materials, promote the curricular and independent use of resources, including traditional and alternative materials, and plan learning experiences that offer whole classes, small groups, and individual learners an interdisciplinary approach to literacy learning.

Classroom and library collaborative instruction is evidence-based, using research in librarianship, reading, English-language arts, and educational technology in order to maximize student learning. School librarians partner with classroom teachers, specialists and other literacy colleagues to make decisions about reading initiatives and reading comprehension instruction, and to develop all learners' curiosity in, and intellectual access to, appropriate resources in all formats and media.

When learners follow an inquiry process they assess and use reading comprehension strategies. The skills identified in the Standards for the 21st-Century Learner align with the reading process.

Opportunities for planned and spontaneous library use best serve learners as they identify, analyze, and synthesize ideas and information by using a wide range of materials in a variety of formats and media. Availability of library resources and professional staff at point of need develops intellectual behaviors that transfer to future academic pursuits and lifelong academic and public library use.

Along with classroom and reading specialist colleagues, school librarians provide and participate in continual professional development in reading that reflects current research in the area of reading instruction and promotion.

View the School Librarian's Role in Reading Toolkit.

Revised 09/01/2010

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Position Statement on the School Librarian's Role in Reading

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Rationale: Reading is a foundational skill for 21st-century learners. Guiding learners to become engaged and effective users of ideas and information and to appreciate literature requires that they develop as strategic readers who can comprehend, analyze, and evaluate text in both print and digital formats.

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School Librarian's Role in Reading Toolkit

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School Librarian's Role in Reading Toolkit

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American Association of School Librarians (AASL)

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School Librarian's Role in Reading Toolkit

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Excerpt from the School Librarian's Role in Reading Position Statement

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American Association of School Librarians (AASL)

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Web 2.0

Sections

Introduction

Technology provides SL a wealth of tools to use in the teaching of reading and the possibilities are endless! In today's media centers students are reading e-books, sharing their stories online on wikis, creating book trailers, blogging as their favorite book character, participating in online book discussions, and taking online literature field trips. The SL should begin by learning the reading curriculum standards. Then work with the teachers as they plan for their reading instruction by bringing them ideas for collaborating to create new and exciting options for their students.

Motivation is often cited as an important factor in reading development and teachers often question how to engage students in this process. These new Web 2.0 participatory resources provide for an exciting and authentic way to motivate students to read. Digital texts and media are allowing students to create and connect to the text through engaging them as active readers and giving purpose to their learning.

The SL is knowledgeable in the areas of children's literature and technology; by participating in reading instruction the SL is afforded the opportunity to combine literature and technology to create an engaging learning experience for students.

Professional Resources

Articles/Books

Alexander, B., and A. Levine. 2008. Web 2.0 Storytelling: Emergence of a New Genre. EDUCAUSE Review, 43. (Accessed May 28, 2009).

Banister, S. 2008. Web 2.0 Tools in the Reading Classroom: Teachers Exploring Literacy in the 21st Century. International Journal of Technology in Teaching and Learning, 4, 109-116.

Ben-David Kolikant, Y. 2009. Digital Students in a Book-Oriented School: Students' Perceptions of School and the Usability of Digital Technology in Schools. Educational Technology & Society, 12 , 131-143.

Royer, R., and P. Richards. 2009. Learning Connections: Language Arts: Digital Storytelling. Learning & Leading With Technology, November, 29-32.

Hamilton, B. 2009. Transforming Information Literacy for Nowgen Students. Knowledge Quest, 37, 48-53.

Hastings, R. 2009. Collaboration 2.0. Library Technology reports, 45, 7-9.

Desilets, B. 2008. Learning Connections: Language Arts: Interactive Fiction Enhances Reality. Learning & Leading With Technology, March/April, 31.

Leu, Jr., D.J. 2002. The New Literacies: Research on Reading Instruction with the Internet. In A.E. Farstrup, and S. Samuels (Eds.), What Research Has to Say About Reading Instruction. Newark, DE: International Reading Association.

McPherson, K. 2004. Multiplying Literacies in School Libraries [Electronic version]. Teacher Librarian, 32, 60-62.

Smolin, L. I., and K. A. Lawless. 2003. Becoming Literate in the Technological Age: New Responsibilities and Tools for Teachers [Electronic version]. The Reading Teacher, 56, 570-577.

Online Web 2.0 Resources for Reading Instruction

Integration Ideas

Create your own modern day fairy tale, myth or fable - podcasts or blog

Blogs for reader's response to a prompt or classroom connection

Continue classroom discussions online on blog or wiki

Teach sequencing with putting pictures from Flickr in order on VoiceThread or SlideShare

Teach setting with Google Earth

Digital storytelling using various online tools (Animoto, VoiceThread)

Online reading circles or literature discussion groups using blogs or wikis

Wikis to publish a class newspaper

Blogs of keep a journal or respond to current events they have read

Create podcasts of book character interviews

Create book trailer videos as an alternative to traditional book reports

Student read, write and record a podcast of original poetry

Students create book review podcast

Get students excited about reading when they follow KidderLit on Twitter. Everyday they post the first line of a young adult or children's book. The trick is that they don't tell you what the book is or who the author is. A research project perhaps or a challenge between groups, classes or schools? You can also limit the age groups and/or genre of the books that are chosen.

Have students develop messages as historic or fictional characters might have communicated in 140 character tweets - "Historical Tweets"

Create an account that only students access and use it to recommend books. Keep kids reading through the summer. Students will need to be creative in "hooking" their peers to read in only 140 characters.

A new spin on the old cumulative story. Start with you posting a story starter and then use TwitterFall to have students add their part to it.

Online Books and Periodicals
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School Librarian's Role in Reading Toolkit

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Technology provides SL a wealth of tools to use in the teaching of reading and the possibilities are endless! In today's media centers students are reading e-books, sharing their stories online on wikis, creating book trailers, blogging as their favorite book character, participating in online book discussions, and taking online literature field trips.

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Scenarios for How School Librarians Can Integrate the Components of the Position Statement across All Grade Levels.

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Scenarios for How School Librarians Can Integrate the Components of the Position Statement across All Grade Levels.

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American Association of School Librarians (AASL)

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Scenarios

This page provides school librarians with 100-word scenarios about how to integrate the components of the position statement into school library programs at all grade levels with all types of supports and constraints.

Examples
Elementary Fixed-Schedule Library (serving as planning time for classroom teachers)
A SL working in an elementary fixed-scheduled library can teach reading comprehension strategies using picture book literature as stand-alone lessons: activating/building background knowledge, using sensory images, questioning, making predictions/inferences, determining main ideas, using fix-up options, and synthesizing. Over a seven-week period, she/he can teach one per week. At the end of seven weeks, she/he can begin combining two strategies in each lesson. Using think-aloud procedures, the SL can share her/his own mental processes while using the strategies and involve students as individuals, small groups, or whole classes in practicing the strategies. Share lesson plans with classroom teachers and administrators.
Elementary Fixed-Schedule Library (serving as planning time for classroom teachers)
A SL on a fixed schedule can teach summarization skills, a key reading comprehension strategy. Over a five-week period the SL teaches the students how to summarize information using non-fiction texts based on a topic being studied in the classroom. The SL models how to determine main ideas and supporting details and use technology tools, such as the AutoSummarize tool of Microsoft Word, Kidspiration and Inspiration or Webspiration, and Wordle, to display a summary. The SL differentiates the process based on need. Students' published products can be posted on the class or library blog, wiki, or displayed within the school.
Elementary Fixed-Schedule Library
A SL on a fixed schedule can adapt and use this situation to their advantage! This is an opportunity to see all students every week. Work with the classroom teachers when they are planning for language arts and learn the reading and comprehension standards for each grade level you work with. The SL can then work with the teacher to reinforce the teaching of the reading and comprehension skills from the classroom with mini-lessons. SL are children's literature experts and what great way to teach, through children's literature. Look to your collection and develop lessons around picture books that tie to a particular skill. Not only will this earn you respect from your teachers, but they will see how you are helping them teach and meet their curriculum objectives. Collect data on your instruction, classes served, and these lessons; then when those standardized test scores come in you will have a viable way to show are contributing to student achievement.
Middle School Flexible-Schedule Library (teachers schedule time for their classes to use the library as needed, accompany their class to the library, and collaborate with the librarian)
A SL working in a middle school flexibly-scheduled library can teach strategies in reading and extracting information from non-fiction materials when a classroom teacher schedules classes to do research for projects. The SL can review the access points in non-fiction materials and model a strategy such as "THIEVES" (Title, Heading, Introduction, Every first sentence in a paragraph, Visuals and vocabulary, End of chapter questions, Summary) to preview non-fiction material. The SL can also teach strategies for note-taking and note-making using print graphic organizers as well as online sources such as NoodleTools and Read Write Think.

With middle school students, a SL can model prereading strategies such as reading for a purpose and writing high-order thinking questions before reading. Students will become more engaged with print and non-print materials both when they are prepared to read.

The middle school SL can teach students how to read actively by using sticky notes to write questions that arise while reading. Students can also be taught to note when they have found something interesting that they want to remember and when they come across a word or phrase that they may want to look up later.
High School Flexible-Schedule Library
Conduct note-making mini-lessons related to determining importance when students begin a research project in the library. Use an informational text, book or Web site, and model searching for main ideas and supporting details. Use electronic tools for note-making and share the actual notes made from the example. When monitoring students' research, ask them to identify main ideas and indicate where they have recorded them in their notes.
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School Librarian's Role in Reading Toolkit

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Scenarios This page provides school librarians with 100-word scenarios about how to integrate the components of the position statement into school library programs at all grade levels with all types of supports and constraints. Examples Elementary Fixed-Schedule Library (serving as planning time for classroom teachers)

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Step 1- Review the resource with your group.
Step 2- Discuss with group
Step 3- Decide on take-a-ways
Step 4- Pick someone to share