School librarians or Library Media Specialists are one of the few people who work with every single student in the school. They are one of the few people who can support all teachers and students in all subject areas.
Despite evidence that shows the positive impact school library media specialists have on student learning there are too many schools who have to operate without the benefits of having a librarian on staff. Cutting back on school library media specialist positions in our schools is short sited.
- School library media specialists are trained professionals who have the skills necessary to evaluate and update collections to support school curriculum.
- School library media specialists have a deep understanding of literary genres to assist students in choosing books to read for pleasure while continuing to challenge reading and comprehension skills.
- School library media specialists are expert researchers who can curate information sources to meet the specific needs of teachers and students.
- School library media specialists teach research skills, digital citizenship, online safety and multimedia communication skills.
- School library media specialists provide professional development opportunities to teachers in the areas of digital citizenship, research and copyright issues.
In order for school media librarians to have the most impact on student achievement school leaders need to make a commitment to providing opportunities for library media specialists to collaborate with classroom teachers.
For more information on how School Library Media Specialists make a positive impact on our learning communities check out the following articles.