School librarians are teachers and leaders on their campuses. They support teachers in many ways. Librarians offer teachers professional development in best practices, new technologies, and research strategies. Librarians work with teachers as instructional partners. They may provide support through collaborative planning and as coteachers in collaborative lessons. Librarians offer technology integration support, assisting teachers and students with digital tools. Additionally, librarians are innovative leaders – offering training and support in the most current, relevant tools and practices. This support leads to increased student achievement which ultimately benefits all stakeholders, including teachers (Burns, 2018).
When librarians work to build positive, impactful relationships with teachers, they will in turn improve the overall perception of the library. Teachers will act as vocal advocates – sharing the positive impact of the library with other key stakeholders – administrators, parents, and community members, leaning in to the library program, and seeking the support of the librarian more and more often (Burns, 2018). This reciprocal, collaborative relationship results in a shared vision for the library – and empowers the librarian to lead the school forward.
Reference
Burns, E. A. (2018). Advocating for change in school library perceptions. Teacher Librarian, 46(1), 8-14.
