After CLASS: What's Next for School Library Research

The research process of the CLASS II research agenda is detailed along with findings from the formal final report of the project. Findings are organized by using the shared foundations from the 2017 AASL National School Library Standards and include highlights from the aggregated research. A discussion of innovative future directions for school library research builds on the CLASS II research findings.

Collaborative Leadership in School Library Learning Commons

We have a brand new school library standards document in Canada to assist schools with transitioning to futures oriented teaching and learning. Leading Learning: Standards of Practice for School Library Learning Commons in Canada was officially released to the world in June 2014 and is now finding its way into strategic planning around the country. The publication of Leading Learning is an event of true historic significance. As the document says, “Learners have a right to expect good school libraries in every school in Canada.” Standards can indeed help measure practice, but Leading Learning does much more. By focusing on the needs of the learner, Leading Learning provides a framework for growth. Every school, no matter the status of its library program, can find itself in this framework and decide on tangible steps for improvement. The development of Leading Learning brought together input from every province and territory in the country, and successfully developed standards for growth that are meaningful within this very disparate context. This is a remarkable achievement.

Library Practice for Young Learners (LYPL)

The LPYL project focused on human resource development and was designed to explore some of the untested innovations in the South African draft Policy Framework for School Library Standards (South Africa, 1998) among a sample of school librarians in all of South Africa’s nine provinces. The project was also designed to provide mutual exchange of knowledge and expertise between Swedish and South African library personnel. Ideas from a conference in 1995 and the planning of the South African Policy Framework for School Library Standards formed the important bases for the strategic direction of the project. The two phases involved South Africa’s national and provincial education departments and two South African and one Swedish non-governmental organisations.

Book Review: Maximizing School Librarian Leadership: Building Connections for Learning and Advocacy

In Maximizing School Librarian Leadership, Moreillon blends the 2018 AASL National School Library Standards and the concepts of Guided Inquiry Design: A Framework for Inquiry in your School by Carol Kuhlthau, Leslie Maniotes, and Ann Caspari (Libraries Unlimited, 2012). Moreillon tasks the school librarian to join the school leadership team in promoting inquiry learning through advocacy and professional development. By helping their school build a culture that supports a shared vision, the school librarian can help teachers embrace new ways of teaching with inquiry learning. Moreillon does an outstanding job of showing how the AASL standards and the Guided Inquiry Design (GID) model combined creates a deeper learning experience for students. The book outlines multiple strategies for inquiry learning but focuses primarily on using the GID model.

Contextualizing the Transformed Roles of the School Librarian and Library: A Case Study to Inform LIS Education

Accredited school library educator preparation programs are responsible to align their curriculum to the American Association of School Librarians Standards for the Initial Preparation of School Librarians (2010). These standards include Teaching for Learning, Literacy and Reading, Information and Knowledge, Advocacy and Leadership, and Program Management and Administration. To keep more current with the actualities of the profession, the AASL recently released new National School Library Standards for Students, School Librarians, and School Libraries (2018). In the document, the roles and responsibilities of school librarians have been reexamined. A challenge for school library educator preparation programs is keep up to date with the changes to ensure a curriculum that prepares graduates with the relevant knowledge and skills to be effective school librarians. This study will help LIS schools by examining the attributes of a high-quality school library program in practice.