New+Light+Through+Old+Windows

by Mark Ray

Like old houses, libraries and library programs are in decay. In many districts, they are perceived as liabilities and eyesores in the shiny new 21st century neighborhood. Administrators and school boards see dusty books, underutilized librarians and the old-fashionedness of the space called library. They see a house that the owners have neglected. And instead of renovation, they want to knock it down and put in a parking lot.

In Vancouver Public Schools, district administrators see in libraries a unique fixer-upper in which they have invested time, money and sweat equity, believing the architecture, 'good bones,' and assets of the library and teacher librarian can not only be saved, but add value to the neighborhood. Like all good renovations, things take time. And they never really end. As such this this is very much a work in progress, but it's work. And it's progress. And it's working.

As we approach another long spring of likely cuts to library programs, I want to offer up some quick DIY suggestions to administrators and school boards. I would like to suggest that you may just have a diamond in the rough on your street. And it's worth thinking twice before you knock it down. For the record, this extended metaphor does not in any way represent my actual beliefs about the renovation of old homes. And the examples I am using reflect actual past, current and future practices in Vancouver Public Schools. For that, I thank my many new bosses and colleagues.
 * **Knock down walls.** Old houses have small rooms and too many walls. Even open-concept libraries often erect physical and programmatic walls between teachers, district administration and even students. Districts should connect libraries to the curriculum department either by design or by fiat. Make teacher librarians responsible to a program larger than their own building and 'library.' Libraries are already structurally connected to reading, literacy, research and theoretically support all subjects through their library collections, textbooks and instructional materials. Connect libraries, teacher librarians and their assets to the curriculum department. Identify one or more teacher librarian liaisons to meet with the curriculum coordinator or team on a regular basis. Vest those people with leadership responsibilities. Either hold joint curriculum-library meetings or schedule meetings in which curriculum leaders share, discuss and plan curriculum initiatives. As curriculum departments shrink, their challenges increase. At minimum, this new great room improves efficiency, communications and the coordination between district and building. At best, the curriculum department can mobilize expertise, leadership and support for projects and programs that are ultimately in the best interests of everyone.
 * **Add new windows.** Old houses have lovely, but small windows which can be limiting. Windows need to be opened to allow light into the library while providing new outlooks for teacher librarians. In VPS, this expanded view of the library program has begun through a multi-year training of teacher librarians by the IT department with the goal of having TLs serve as technology leaders in the schools. Originally designed to help successfully launch a new video-on-demand service in the district, the training plan rapidly expanded into an extensive training program that included topics including productivity tools, classroom responders, video production and podcasting. As an indicator of this program's success, two teacher librarians now teach the district classes on the use of the video-on-demand service. For the district and IT departments, training teacher librarians as tech leaders provides sorely-needed support for new and existing technology initiatives, particularly with the integration of technology into teaching and learning. For teacher librarians and the schools they serve, it connects them to the latest and greatest tools for students and teachers while opening the window for the library and teacher librarian to expand their role to add educational technology to their traditional functions associated with information technology.
 * **Improve the wiring.** While many libraries feature state of the art technology, many teacher librarians are poorly wired to the IT department. In the same way that walls separate curriculum and libraries, the wires between teacher librarians and IT leaders are often thin, frayed or unreliable. Lay some robust fiber between teacher librarians and the IT department. There are several ways to do that. First, identify a key project that connects IT needs with libraries. In VPS, the first was a major library/textbook automation implementation. The IT department identified a teacher librarian to serve as a project leader who worked with all the necessary building and district stakeholders involved in the project. Working closely with IT leaders, the project was successfully implemented, dramatically improving district-wide systems and saving the district hundreds of thousands of dollars. By choosing a teacher librarian, the IT department gained credibility with the end users who were responsible for making or breaking the project. By having a teacher librarian in a leadership role, teacher librarians had their concerns, needs and valuable input included throughout the project planning and implementation. A second approach is to include a teacher librarian as part of the instructional technology planning of the district. In VPS, a teacher librarian works as part of the ITF team, meeting, planning and implementing district technology initiatives, many of which are not directly connected to their library assignment. The ITF department gets the benefit of a street-level view and the insights of someone who knows students, teachers and building needs. Additionally, they gain access to and support from the cadre of teacher librarians. The same efficiencies, improvements to communications and coordination that the curriculum department can enjoy can likewise be leveraged by IT departments.
 * **Put on a new coat of paint.** Like wallpaper or a particular vintage hue, 'library' as a word, idea or brand can be viewed one of two ways. Some view it as classic, with or without a patina of nostalgia. Others view it simply as funky, faded and/or outdated. Vancouver has taken the lead from state library and instructional organizations and the ProjectLIT initiative to align to language and best thinking associated with school libraries. School librarians are working alongside curriculum and IT coordinators to rename, re-brand and refocus the people and places heretofore known as //library media specialists// and //library media programs//. This work is currently underway. First, the district plans to align with state language with school library professionals adopting the name //teacher librarians// and changing existing library media programs into //LIT programs// that include //library information and technology// components. Next steps include using the simplified LIT framework as the basis for redeveloping library programs and library spaces. All of this will be done with teacher librarians in the lead and with district administration alongside fully in support. While people and programs don't change simply by calling them different names, this re-branding is endorsed and supported systemically. And beyond name changes, the professional roles, programs and spaces will be aligned with district and strategic initiatives that include curricular, technology and other components that may extend beyond the traditional circle defined as the library program.

Like old houses, libraries, teacher librarians and library information and technology programs have many desirable features that are unique and often hard to find. If you want to read more about these assets, I'll be posting another article on this topic soon. For now, think about it this way--you, as a school board member, district administrator or building principal face lean budgets, increasing challenges to meet existing and emerging expectations, decreasing district support structures, overtaxed teachers and the specter of having to fundamentally reform what you call school. In libraries you have systems and structures that support learning and link buildings with district operations. In school librarians you have certified teachers who have the time, mission and responsibility to work with all students and teachers in a building. In library programs you have instruction that supports many of the 21st century skills that you probably aren't teaching yet--information problem-solving, digital citizenship, technology integration, etc.

Put simply: if you knock down this house, what are you going to put in its place?