"The secret to high performance and satisfaction--at work, at school, and at home--is the deeply human need to direct our lives, to learn and create new things, and to do better by ourselves and our world" Daniel Pink, Drive
Pink's quote summarizes my philosophy of school librarianship. I believe that libraries provide a way to direct our lives, to create and learn new things, and to better the world around us. These ideas guide everything I do in my position as a school librarian. I want every student who enters my library to feel empowered, to have the opportunity to grow and learn, and to think globally.
Empowering Students
School libraries provide students with skills they need to become lifelong learners (Stripling, n.d.). We teach kids to make sense of the world around them through research, evaluating sources, and determining validity. We teach students how to think and inquire. We demonstrate and encourage a love of reading through self-selection, independent reading, and reader's advisory. We act as reference librarians and conduct effective reference interviews. We also teach students to behave ethically and safely in online environments. But it is not only academic needs that we meet as school librarians. We also meet the social and developmental needs of kids. We provide safe spaces for children who need them. We are a gathering place for those who feel left out and alone. We also seek out ways to encourage those who are struggling or anxious. Finally, we connect kids to resources when they need them. Books, Websites, and videos are just a few of the tools we use to inform and empower our students. We also make connections between students and staff members who provide services.
Creating and Learning
School libraries are not just about books anymore. We create a culture of literacy, including opportunities for creating and learning. A "creation culture" (Fontichiaro, 2015) means "carving out spaces and activities for creation...experimenting with novel avenues for drawing in new patrons, or providing a wider range of services for existing patrons" (p. 192). In my library, we have a large Makerspace. It allows students to stitch, solder, build, create, plumb, program, code, craft, tinker, wire, draw, and invent. My students visit the Makerspace as part of their enrichment period, and I provide a monthly rotation of activities from a wide range of STEM disciplines. We have sewing machines, soldering irons, 3D printers, robots/coding programs, electric circuits, virtual reality goggles, stop motion animation apps, and green screens. We also have low-tech options such as art/craft supplies, puzzles, games, Legos, and K'nex. The purpose of the Makerspace is to "satisfy the personal need to create" (p. 193) as well as jumpstart thinking about future careers.
Impacting the World
Finally, I believe that school libraries should be places that provide opportunities for students to impact their local communities as well as the global community. Students should have access to resources that provide diverse perspectives, especially those that challenge thinking and force students to ask difficult questions. Books in the library should represent authors and characters from diverse backgrounds (including race, ethnicity, gender identity, and sexual orientation). Access should be provided to digital resources that will take students beyond their physical borders: virtual reality field trips, Skype sessions with authors and other classrooms, online book groups, etc. are just a few of the ways to expand our students' horizons. Real-world, project-based learning also provides opportunities for students to solve problems that will impact their generation.
Conclusion
School librarianship is a noble calling. I have an important job that I take seriously. I empower my students to be lifelong learners. I provide opportunities for them to learn about themselves through creating and learning in the Makerspace. I plan activities for them to impact lives beyond their own, in an effort to help them develop empathy and caring. In conclusion, I believe that what we do in school libraries impacts students' lives and the lives of those in our communities.
References
Fontichiaro, K. (2015). Creation culture and makerspaces. In Hirsh, S. [Ed.], Information services today: An introduction (pp 192-198). Lanham, MD: Rowman & Littelfield.
Stripling, B. (n.d.). The value of school librarians, libraries, and school library systems. Retrieved from https://www.esboces.org/cms/lib/NY01914091/Centricity/Domain/69/Stripling.Value.of.School.Libraries.pdf.