Toolkit

• “The morning announcements! Teachers often overlook e-mails, but when
their students hear about fun things on the announcements, [teachers]
respond!”
• “Need to ensure you are at the table at school leadership team meetings
even if not a formal member.”
• “Effective leadership requires the support of others. Find teachers and
parents who buy into the program and have them spread the word about
the importance and success of library programs.”
• “In order to be a successful leader, I believe it is important for the school
librarian to align his/her program (AASL standards as infrastructure) with
the school’s mission and vision. I strongly believe that our role as leaders is
to build capacity and maximize impact within all those we serve: students,
teachers, staff, administration, parents, and colleagues. The scope of our
job is HUGE, and the reality of our daily schedule is a packed instructional
schedule, a tsunami of circulating books to be processed, a massive todo
list, and an e-mail box filled with questions or ideas that need to be
addressed NOW. Combine that with the constant hum of open access,
and it becomes abundantly clear the most effective model of school library
leadership is one that models exemplary techniques and lessons with the
intention of empowering others to integrate them in their own settings.”
• “Collaboration, communication, and staying positive are the keys to
effective leadership.”
• “The more visible we can be in our buildings and county the better!”
• “I have lots of open media time and lots of clubs of interest to kids during
the lunch hour. I send e-mails often to staff about what students are working
on in the school library. I am the sponsor of the Student Government
Association and am with all students each week. I think diversity and fun
things bring kids into the school library for leisure. A welcoming staff is
also key in getting kids to feel welcome coming to the school library.”
• “I go to all weekly grade-level planning meetings and am a member of the
Leadership Team.”
What Hinders?
It is not always easy to implement innovation and share your vision. Dedication is
necessary when encountering challenges that are widely felt by school library staff.
Below is a sampling of nationwide responses regarding leadership challenges.
• “Being seen as a leader is a challenge. I’m in a school where the librarian for
ten years prior did not do anything in the school, so it’s a culture shift for
the staff here to see the library as a collaborative teaching environment.”
6 Leadership