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Top 10 of 2014, No. 1: Libraries, reinvented

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eSchool News highlights some of the 10 most significant ed-tech developments of 2014, and school libraries are No. 1

Each year, the eSchool News editors compile 10 of the most influential ed-tech developments and examine how those topics dominated K-12 ed-tech conversations. No. 1 on our list for 2014 is the new role of school libraries.

School libraries have evolved from quiet places to read books into bustling centers of collaboration, learning, and research. School librarians are emerging as leaders as they help teachers learn valuable technology integration skills. They also teach students how to research and evaluate information.

With libraries serving as many schools’ central hubs, it’s only natural that they would intersect with many of the other top trends on our list—by setting up maker spaces, letting students explore coding, and helping to increase student access to the internet after school hours.

At the same time, libraries are often the most vulnerable program within a school, easiest prey for the budget axe for administrators who underestimate their role in 21st century schools.

(Next page: How libraries are turning the tables on their traditional role)

Read on to discover examples of school libraries that are on the edge of innovation:

10 changes a school library must consider in the digital era [1]

5 emerging trends in today’s libraries [2]

Four ways to advocate for school libraries [3]

With no internet at home, kids crowd libraries for online homework [4]

Librarians’ evolving digital roles [5]