10 ways administrators should be collaborating with their librarians

Whether a principal, superintendent, head of technology, or head of curriculum, there is likely a gem of a resource among your staff who could push your Future Ready agenda forward. Long gone are the days when librarians were simply the “keeper of books,” and the administrators who have grown to realize this have found it much easier to accomplish their strategic vision by mobilizing this dedicated and knowledgeable part of their staff. Here’s how many are doing it.

1. Librarians facilitate curriculum development and instruction.
With textbooks waning, districts across the country are exploring other options, including the curation of open educational resources and other content. Curation comes second nature to librarians, who have specialized degrees to help them determine what is relevant, credible, and effective. Use them to partner with teachers and curriculum staff to curate the right resources for your lessons.

2. Librarians are ninjas in digital citizenship.
With each passing day, the need to develop students who are more critical of what they find online becomes increasingly important. Through training, librarians can help students, teachers, and all your other staff become better digital citizens, potentially authoring guidelines, offering classes, and professional development.

3. Invest in the right digital resources.
Your library is likely the first department in your district to truly embrace digital, as databases have been procured by librarians for the last 30 years or more. Librarians are an excellent resource to help you evaluate the quality of a new digital resource, as they have spent years perfecting evaluation rubrics and likely can also outline implementation challenges based on experience. They can also tell you what you should, and should not, spend your money on.

4. Create collaborative spaces.
A modern-day school library is looking more like an airport lounge than what many of us may have been accustomed to. Students are sitting in comfortable spaces, talking and sharing. Schools have the opportunity to work with the librarian to create these collaborative spaces to promote better interaction between students, teachers, and other staff throughout the building.