ESSA and School Libraries in Pennsylvania

On a beautiful Fall day, librarians from around the state of Pennsylvania convened at Toftrees Conference Center in State College Pennsylvania to discuss the provisions for librarians in the Every Student Succeeds Act. Lead by Laura Hicks, the Region 2 Director of the American Association of School Librarians board, we reviewed the definition of an effective school library program before exploring the specific federal guidelines and state interpretations of these guidelines. We ended the workshop by discussing ways in which we can apply what we have learned to our own school libraries.

The AASL definition of an effective school library program pulls from two important phrases present in the Every Student Succeeds Act language, including that libraries provide "personalized learning environments" to ensure a"well-rounded" education. Additionally, AASL outlines how the school library program is essential to "college, career and community readiness," including that the library is staffed with a certified school librarian, it has current digital and print resources, and it provides staff development and collaboration opportunities. Furthermore, AASL offers the qualifications that a school librarian should possess, including being "instructional leaders," supporters of multiple literacies (digital and information, among others), and elevators of reading initiatives. More information and precise verbiage can be found on the AASL Position Statements page: http://essa.aasl.org/aasl-position-statements.

Following the definition of an effective program, with the help of video messages from the American Library Association Executive Director of Washington Office Emily Sheketoff, we explored each part of ESSA that pertains to developing and maintaining effective school library programs.

Title I of ESSA ensures that state and local agencies improve basic programs. Ms. Hicks urged us to consider what we are already doing, as school librarians, to improve digital literacy for our students. What can we do to impact student learning? Schools need librarians and access to effective school library programs in order to impact student achievement.

In Title II, ESSA advocates for supporting effective instruction. School librarians often lead their own professional development workshops or in-service day sessions after attending conferences and workshops. Because entire districts benefit from school librarian attendance at conferences and workshops, Title II Part A funds can be used for the librarian to attend professional development opportunities. Additionally, Literacy Education for All, Results for the Nation (or LEARN), specifies that school librarians can participate in required grant activities. According to Sheketoff, these grants can be used for teachers and school librarians to meet and collaborate on literacy initiatives. Innovative Approaches to Literacy (IAL) specifically states that funds should be used for supporting effective school library programs. Ultimately, school librarians can aide in applying for grants, and they need to research and make sure that the district grant writer is aware of important school grants that can help in enhancing library programs.

Title IV, Part A discusses Student Support and Academic Enrichment Grants, otherwise known as Block Grants. ESSA essentially authorizes school librarians to learn about technology, as librarians offer "access to personalized, rigorous learning experiences supported by technology." Therefore, librarians should be afforded the opportunities to update technology skills and provide technology for their students.

The session ended with discussion on how to apply all of these elements to our own libraries. We were encouraged to develop short speeches that could quickly and spontaneously help others see the importance of school libraries and librarians.

Allison Burrel, President of the Pennsylvania School Librarians Association, also directed us to take a look at the new ESSA recommendations developed for the state of Pennsylvania specifically: http://www.education.pa.gov/Documents/About%20PDE/ESSA/October%2018,%202016/AIR%20Report%20PA%20ESSA%2010%2014%2016.pdf. Further information about the Every Student Succeeds Act can be found on the PA Department of Education website: http://www.education.pa.gov/Pages/Every-Student-Succeeds-Act.aspx#tab-1.  A compilation of resources and advocacy tools can be found on the ESSA and School Libraries website: http://essa.aasl.org.

Ultimately, librarians must stay abreast of new legislation that provides effective school library provisions. We can remain hopeful that the federal government, state, and local agencies recognize the importance of school libraries to student achievement. But we must still continue to advocate for all that school libraries can do to support digital and print literacy, technology skills, teacher professional development, and overall school culture. Our students depend on it.

Work Cited
American Association of School Librarians. Connecting ESSA to School Librarians. 25 Oct. 2016.

Highlights from AASL 2015

 Beautiful Columbus, OH! There could not have been a better city to host the conference. I had a lovely dinner in German Village after spending the first day learning at the Idea Lab.

 I met up with another Westmoreland County librarian! I was excited to see so many LMS's from Western PA.

"Beyond Issue" books panel really gave me the opportunity to think about the difference between books about mental illness and books with dynamic characters who happen to experience mental illness. Great book list!

 I attended another fantastic panel that featured "perspectives from the Middle East." The moderator was none other than Sabaa Tahir! So star-struck.

Brian Sleznick's keynote was so fantastic that it prompted me to unexpectedly purchase The Marvels and get it autographed! He is a born storyteller. I put his keynote right up there with the Neil Gaiman lecture I attended in Pittsburgh.

The Introverted Public Speaker: Why You Should Still Be a Presenter

I have often pondered the answer to this question: why am I, an introvert, also a public speaker? It doesn't seem to make sense. At the beginning of November, I had the honor of leading a concurrent session at the 2015 AASL national conference. After the thrill of my proposal acceptance wore off, a mild panic set in. I knew I would be prepared, but the racing pulse just wouldn't slow down. Why did I agree to do this?

And then I had to reflect on why I had put so much time into creating a proposal - why I wanted to present so badly. One reason I am a presenter is because I am passionate about what I do. I enjoy being a school librarian, and I am excited to share the projects that have been successful in my library. If my ideas can help a colleague, all the better.

Perhaps the bigger reason I present is because of the librarians who have made me the passionate

professional I am today. Whether I am learning at a conference, in a class, over lunch, from the PSLA listserv, on Twitter, through blogs - I am excited about my job because so many wonderful colleagues have shown me the way. The community of school librarians out there have offered me lesson and promotion ideas, they have modeled how to be a tech leader in their schools, and they have demonstrated how to convey a love of learning. It only seems fair that I pass this excitement on to others. My predecessors should not bear the entire burden of inspiring a whole new class of librarians. We are a community of seekers and most importantly sharers. I present because I feel incredibly lucky to be a member of this community and I want to give back in any way that I can.

Finally, I present because then I get to start the conversation in which I want to participate. I have been very fortunate to attend several different library conferences, and the topic that has most shaped the teacher librarian I am today is library promotion. The only way students get the full impact of their information literacy education is if they have the opportunity to come to the library. I am very lucky to have learned many of my promotion skills at conferences.

If you are on the fence about becoming a conference presenter, put your fears aside and reflect on how much you have gained from other conference presenters. Good luck on your next presentation!

Library Promotion

As I prepare for my session on collaboration for the AASL 2015 National Conference, I can't help

but reflect on my journey through library promotion. The two facets of school librarianship certainly go hand-in-hand. When I accepted a position as a part-time middle school librarian/part-time high school English teacher back in 2011, I didn't know much about library promotion. In fact, promotion is one of the biggest facets of the job that sets a teacher librarian (with a flexible schedule) apart from a classroom teacher. I knew I needed to make teachers and administrators aware of what the library had to offer them, but I wasn't quite sure how to go about doing that effectively. And I probably didn't do a great job that first year. I had a lot of obstacles to overcome both personally and professionally, but those cannot be excuses for scanty library use. I only really started to become adept at library promotion after I joined the Pennsylvania School Librarians Association Promotions Committee - and I joined quite by accident! I attended my first leadership summit expecting to be a part of another committee that needed more members, but unfortunately the only other member from this committee had other obligations during our meeting time. So, in an effort to make my trip to the workshop worthwhile, I sat down with a lively and organized group of ladies (imagine that - organized librarians!). This group turned out to be the Promotions Committee, and they welcomed me with open arms. Not only did we discuss different ways of effectively promoting our services to our school communities, but we also created a number of advocacy lists to help other librarians discover great ways of promoting their libraries.

One of the greatest professional experiences I have had was presenting a session at the PSLA annual conference. Along with four other amazing school librarians who work with students ranging from grades K-12, we presented ideas for library promotion. While presenting was fun, the best part of doing this presentation was learning from all of the other fantastic librarians who attended the session.  The greatest take-away was that a conference session presenter is merely a facilitator, and using the time to have a group brainstorm can be immensely beneficial to all participants.

Since this presentation, I have now implemented several promotional ideas that I gathered from session participants. One that I have used the past two years is the Used Book Sale. Not only am I able to make a little bit of petty cash for other promotions, but also I am able to provide a reason for parents to check out the library during open house, an incentive for administrators to come see what we are up to in the library, and maybe a way to coax a few students and teachers who do not normally frequent the library to see what we have to offer them. We have received book donations from community members who are happy to give their used books a meaningful home, and we have been able to fund prize drawings and reading incentives for other library promotions.

Based on my previous experiences with library conferences, I cannot wait to facilitate a discussion on collaboration at AASL 2015. I cannot even anticipate the kinds of strategies and project ideas I will gain from my colleagues who have school libraries all over the nation. But I know that I will return from the conference excited to try new ideas and ready to collaborate with teachers.