STRONG SCHOOL LIBRARIES BUILD STRONG STUDENTS SCHOOL LIBRARIES & DISTANCE LEARNING
April was School Library Month and Librarians spent it making the transition to online learning. Here's a snapshot of what School Librarians are doing to support our students and teachers.
READING
School Librarians support students' access to books by:
- Creating how to videos for digital book access
- Recording story reading
- Recording book talks
- Sharing professional/ academic information that supports literacy
- Providing space and/or resources for virtual book clubs
LEARNING
School Librarians support student learning by:
- Creating choice boards
- Sharing maker activities
- Creating video tutorials for classes
- Co-teaching classes
- Teaching digital citizenship lessons
CONNECTING
School Librarians maintain relationships with students by:
- Holding Virtual Library hours
- Sending outreach communication to students
- Boosting morale via social media platforms
CURATING
School Librarians help students and teachers navigate virtual learning by:
- Providing website access to online learning resources
- Curating digital resources
PLANNING & TRAINING
School Librarians support teachers by:
- Attending virtual staff or planning meetings
- Collaborating with classroom teachers
- Providing training for digital content use
- Leading professional training
Information compiled by the Prince William School Librarians' Association, April and May 2020, based on a survey of the membership.
“School librarians have deep expertise in digital literacy skills; have well-developed instructional strategies based on thinking critically, communicating creatively in a variety of media, and solving problems creatively; and are often role models for strong leadership, initiative, and other career and life skills.”
Trilling, Bernie. 2010. “From Libraries to Learning Libratories: The New ABC's of 21st-Century School Libraries.” School Library Monthly 29 (1): 43.