Librarians help students learn how to learn.

My extra duties assigned by administration include substitute teaching when we don't have enough coverage, before and after school hall duty, and School Improvement Team. Because I taught in my school before moving to the position and them knowing my tech deficits, we have someone else who handles technology issues, although I am expected to assist her. In reality, I work with every ELA teacher in our middle school to schedule time to help their students with book selections and to co-teach lessons relevant to reading and books. I also plan lessons with other teachers for working with SPED students on reading skills, with gen ed teachers doing research projects, and with electives teachers for topics relevant to history of their subjects. I request purchases of relevant books focused on the needs of our curriculum and students, and for our magnet theme. I also do all the background paperwork, circulation work, and my own research about our school and library needs and am genrefying my fiction collection. Digital literacy is another area that should be prioritized, but I have a hard time committing to lessons I'm to teach independently since my admin pulls me frequently to sub (typically at least 2 to 5 days per week with varying amounts of time involved). I also am pulled to be gen. ed. teacher in IEP meetings when the student's team can't participate.

Although it should be, what this video said about the importance of libraries is not what I see in my building despite my school district pushing to ensure librarians are the center of the schools.

School libraries (and school librarians) should be well used tools for students (and teachers). They are a place in which questions can be asked, exploration is always occurring, and deep understanding can be constructed. It should be a place for curiosity and investigation. I intend to make my school's library all of these things, but I have to figure out how to do so. The good news is that I have a very supportive principal; the kinda bad news is that I am unsure of even where to start.

At this time, the librarian at my school is expected to be in charge of the book collection and circulation; as the media coordinator, I am also the device manager. This means that I am the building liason for the technology department, I am in charge of all 550+ student iPads, and all of the staff devices as well. I am the EBOB coach and I handle other things such as Read Across America planning and book fairs.

Media teachers can help classroom teachers extend what is being taught in their classroom. As a former classroom teacher, I always want to remember how I wouldn't have time for more of the "fun things". In media I can help build on what is being taught in the classrooms with more interactive activites.

Read alouds! Students K-5 love to be read to. The more books they can be exposed to the better. Through read alouds, book talks, or book commercials, students can better choose books based on their interest in the media center.

Over the years, librarians have also taken on more of a role with technology. At my school I am the tech contact and have time in my day scheduled to helping teachers and students with their devices. We also bring student devices into media so students know how to access their books on SORA, the public library, and find books from our collection on Destiny.

No matter what role a librarian is playing from day to day, hour to hour, it is in full support of the school as a whole and also to each individual student.

A school librarian is a teacher, leader, technologist, reading advocate, program manager, webmaster, Social Media specialist, Infinite Campus guru, Ident-A-Kid, PTA rep, ILT, SIT and Priorty Teams and so much more.

Roles that librarians have taken on...well, we are the hub of technology. Both for students and teachers. We teach students how to access information and evaluate information. We teach teachers where resources are and how to blend technology into learning and teaching as a tool. We might head up school news crews and yearbook crews. Teaching students life skills in sharing information and editing products. Makerspaces are encouraged to be part of the library, fueling those standards of inquiry, exploration, and collaboration. Then there are those other hats outside of the library program such as testing coordinator, broken technology problem solver, random school projects, remote school day planners, and so on.

Librarians are a highly valuable part of the school family with so many ways to support students and staff with the large variety of hats we wear.

School librarians take on many roles, including teacher, program administrator, information specialist, reading advocate, technology guide, and many more. We are frequently asked to do more and more. Battle of the Books advisor, Yearbook advisor or class, Help Desk classes, makerspace managers, babysitters of test takers, school news, and are often in charge of laminating everything for staff. I think part of the reason school librarians are asked to do so much is that the administration really doesn’t understand or see all that we do on a day to day basis. For elementary schools, that may be less so since classes are usually on a fixed schedule and always in and out of the media center. But for secondary schools, it may be a matter of educating administration on the many hats we wear and how much we are asked to do that is above and beyond. 

As the video mentioned, we need librarians in schools now more than ever, not only because test scores are higher when there is one, but also because of the support they provide for every person in the school, including teachers. They help support teachers and other school staff by encouraging collaboration and aiding teachers in classroom learning. Additionally, they provide resources and tools for inquiry-based learning. School librarians are often early adopters of technology, being school leaders in how to evolve as new technology continues to develop.

One of the biggest roles of the school librarian is balancing literacy and technology. Librarians help keep students reading, which directly connects to student success, while also teaching them how to find, evaluate, and use information. They support research, information literacy, and digital skills, and they give students opportunities to create, explore, and even have fun while learning. In many ways, school librarians act as both reading teachers and technology instructors.

School libraries make a difference because they are often considered the biggest classroom in the school. They provide instant access to information on almost any subject and help students learn how to learn. Research shows that schools with strong library programs and librarians present tend to have higher reading scores, showing the positive impact librarians have on student achievement.

Ideally, the school library should be the focal point of the school. It is a collaborative space for teachers and students and a place where meaningful learning happens. When school librarians are given the freedom to do their work well, the library becomes the center of learning, creativity, and connection within the school.

They can have the same impact as many different types of student support positions within the school. What struck me as compelling was the case that can be made for school librarians to meet the needs of students over the Reading Specialist and Information Technology Facilitator. Obviously, it's important to have all three positions in a school, but the School Librarian can fulfill all of those roles, and when faced with a budget cut, should be considered last. This shows the lasting impact that school librarians have on students, which test scores indicate!  

I think a lot of times, administrators especially, don't realize the potential that school librarians can have on students. School librarians can enrich learning, boost literacy levels, and be champions for information technology. When administrators think of the school librarian, they focus primarily on either the space itself or just books and reading. As we all know, school librarians go beyond that! I also don’t think that teachers realize how much they can utilize the school librarian to support their needs. Many teachers use the librarian as a glorified "babysitter" for their classes.  

It's our job as librarians to advocate for what we can do and share the value of what a school librarian brings to a school.  

School librarians take on a wide range of roles that go far beyond what you would expect. They serve as instructional partners by collaborating with teachers and supporting curriculum and school improvement goals. From my observations of my school's librarian, as well as visits to a local elementary and high school, librarians are often asked to step into additional roles within the school. My librarian also serves as our tech person for minor computer issues, she fills in as the regular education teacher for IEP meetings, and she administers make-up district and state tests. At the elementary school I visited, that person was in charge of the school yearbook, was the SIT chair, and ran both the Battle of the Books and Science Olympiad teams. When I visited a local high school, I found that they, in addition to their regular duties, also ran credit recovery classes and supervised students taking remediation and college classes online.

Today's school librarians are expected to be flexible, knowledgeable, and highly collaborative. They are often relied upon as problem-solvers and staff wherever needs arise, whether this means assisting with testing logistics, supporting student learning gaps, or managing and introducing new technology initiatives. These varied responsibilities highlight how essential librarians are to the daily functioning of schools, even though their work is sometimes overlooked.

School librarians make a difference by wearing many hats and adapting to the evolving needs of their students, schools, and communities.

School librarians wear so many hats. From reading specialist, to research guru, to IT technician, to software marketer, to fundraiser, to bookseller, to video-producer, to book-guru, the list may literally never end! My hope as a new school librarian is to showcase my special skills, passions, and willingness to learn to my team so we can collaborate to motivate student learning.

I also really appreciated what they said about giving librarians “freedom to do good work” and how we should set “no ceilings” on what students learn in our library. I think that if we make the library a place where students are excited to be, it will help create that love of learning and help them become life long learners.

School libraries are the epicenter of a school, which makes having school librarians so important. Libraries bring students from all grades in the school together to learn across all subjects. Whether it's elementary, middle, high, or university, librarians are there to help promote learning. There are so many quotes from the video I loved, but two of them are that "we teach how to learn" and that "we set no ceilings on what they can learn". Both of these quotes show that important school libraries are to supporting the learning that is happening outside of the library in the classroom and outside of school. There is proof that schools with a school librarian have higher reading scores. This just shows how important having a library is for the students. Another word that the video used to describe the library was "limitless". I think this word describes what a school library used correctly can be. There is no limit on the learning and support that a school lirbary can have on a child. This is something that I wish more people outside of the field realized.

More quotes I liked: "Biggest classroom in every public school in this great country."

"One of the great team builders in the schools."

What different roles do school librarians take on? or are expected to do? or asked to do in schools?

School librarians take on so many different roles. Whether that be technology help, teachers, collaborators, and many more. Being a librarian, you put on multiple hats a day and switch between them several times. There are roles they are expected to do, such as teach and be an information curator for their library. However, there are many roles they do that aren't thought about that are still done. For example, in my school, when there is no technology help at the school, then the librarian turns into tech help. I feel like this is one of those roles that many people and fellow coworkers don't realize the librarian is also doing during their day. School librarians end up doing more jobs than what is in their official job description. But as someone who works in a school library, I definitely think it's worth it!

Librarians are expected to take on all of the roles: librarian, tech facilitator, teacher, collaborator, administrator, social media manager, and more.

I appreciated when Rebecca Miller said, "When librarians have the freedom to do good work, it is transformative." Many times, it can be discouraging when the majority of my day is eaten up by student computer issues or subbing for other teachers, and I can't get to the core of my work. When we are allowed to do good work, we do, and we excel, but the school/admin team has to be understanding of that.

For the second question, I cannot help but think about the fact that I am getting ready to go on maternity leave in May. I have now had 3 different hour long meetings with my Principal to discuss the many different roles I take on and who will cover it. I am proud that I wear many hats at RHMS and can jump in wherever teachers and students need support. Beyond media and tech, I can help as a certified history and AIG teacher, literacy expert, DPS Tech Champion, web‑master, network manager, Magnet Coordinator, curriculum designer, and organization guru. I also create engaging bulletin boards, manage the RHMS Marquee, post school wide Canvas/Rooms announcements, offer Google Drive expertise, serve as a Canvas and Infinite Campus liaison, and facilitate RHMS MTAC. But I am a little nervous about who will cover it all while I am away!