The Role of Today’s School Librarian Is Not What it Used To Be

The image of a little grey haired lady with glasses perched on the tip of her nose saying “Shhhh” as she paces the floor is a stereotype that this generation of students will never understand because yesterday’s crabby  librarian has evolved into today’s savvy media specialist. Modern media specialists are much, much more than a keeper of books. They are innovators of technology, instructors, collaborators, and organizers that claim a leadership role in staff development.

With budgets shrinking every year and positions being eliminated it has never been more important for school media specialists to demonstrate their worth. Keeping up with trends and staying current on new technology and upgrades to existing platforms is a crucial part of the job.  Being well trained in areas of hardware, software, and applications is an invaluable asset that earns respect and creates job security when the knowledge and skills are shared with others.

I have read a lot on the negatives of training and staff development, but it doesn't always have to be bad. Yes, classroom size grows larger every year and everyone is stressed for time, but much of the new technology will actually save time while enhancing classroom instruction. The key is knowing what is available, how it works, becoming excited, and sharing that excitement. Creating excitement is the key turning those negatives into positives.

Staff development does not always mean to group lecture or training. Sometimes it works best when starting small. A good way to begin is to begin with simple networking and conversation. Talk to teachers, administrators, and other staff to learn what areas of technology interest them and what they would like to know more about. Tell them about new apps you've discovered or the newest digital camera. When you discover something new that can be used in the classroom, send out an all-staff email or put notices in mail boxes; and always offer to demonstrate it. It is easier to get a small group of language arts teachers together than the entire staff and the offer to “demonstrate” or “show”, rather than “instruct” or “train” them is more casual and can be less threatening for the ones that object being forced to give up more of their time. The key is to create excitement because excitement spreads.

Much of the staff development today is not mandatory. Many school districts coordinate staff development classes that meet at night. For example, my school is hosting a class for novice users to introduce educational apps and software such as Edmodo, Weebly, and Powtoon. The instructor is the art teacher from my school, but the class is made up of teachers from other schools in the area who would like to become more comfortable using and implementing technology. Nobody required the teachers to sign up and take the class. They chose to participate because our art teacher introduced it in a nonthreatening, yet exciting way.  

Training and sharing information should not be limited to students and staff. It should encompass all stakeholders. A great way to increase parental involvement and develop a solid standing in the community is to offer parent training sessions. Many parents are lost trying to navigate or even log into the websites that can provide them with their student’s progress and other vital information. Some have no experience with teacher blogs or even email. Offering a free night of training for parents is a great way to network with others and fill a void that often goes unnoticed. It also reinforces the important role a media specialist to the school and the community.

Classes such as these should be commonplace for all school media specialists. Most districts pay staff development instructors. The one described here is a paid position. We must never forget that as classroom instruction evolves, so does the library and the role of the librarian. The job description has changed and will continue to do so. The media specialist position should be deemed as crucial, and if we prove that it is, it will be.