Collaborating with the AASL Standards

The school library is the hub of learning in the school. It is important that a school librarian collaborate with all members of the school community. In addition, the librarian needs to assist students in “working effectively with others to broaden perspectives and work toward common goals (AASL 2018, LIbrarian III).

Amanda Jackson at Gateway Elementary in Greenville County, SC has a variety of ways in which she collaborates with her community.

Collaborating with Students

In library lessons, Mrs. Jackson provides time for students to collaborate with each other. Many lessons with younger learners lead to Maker activities that involve collaboration. These activities may involve using legos to build an element of the story, or talking with others about their connections.

Fifth grade students work together to create an iMovie project on careers each year. This collaboration allows for students to work together to share ideas, strategies, and talents to create and publish the movie. This collaboration project allows both the learners and the staff to exchange ideas. This project integrates the school librarian, the guidance counselor, and classroom teacher instruction.

Collaborating with Teachers and Staff

Mrs. Jackson has a variety of collaborative projects with the staff throughout the school year. Many of the grades host Book Tastings in the library. The teachers allow their standards to create the menu. Some grades focus on genres, others on specifics such as a focus on nonfiction.

Second graders had a Teddy Bear sleepover in the library. Each student brought a bear to school that stayed overnight in the library. Students used these bears as book buddies the following day to read stories with.

She also created a Reading Passport with students to focus on connecting the classroom reading standards to the library. Each time students came for a library class they focused on one skill and gathered stamps for the activities they completed.



Fifth graders begin doing more research projects in the classroom. Mrs. Jackson collaborates with the teachers to assist students with skills, such as note-taking to help improve the research process.

Mrs. Jackson is also a collaborative leader, as she has served on faculty council in the past. She has also started a technology committee at the school. This committee helps bridge the gaps between technology in the classroom with the information that librarians receive from the district with data sharing agreements and new tools that students can use.

Collaborating with Parents and Other Community Members

Mrs. Jackson collaborates with the Parent Teacher Association with a variety of projects. These include a Birthday Book Club (with celebration in the Library), Real Men Read, a Book Float Parade, and having Book Fairs coincide with Grandparent’s week.

She holds several Lunch and Learns with parents throughout the school year. These provide parents the opportunity to learn tools, understand reading programs and how to help their child, and summer enrichment programs. She has also held a Summer Book Club where families came to discuss the book in the middle of the summer.

To advocate and share all that happens in the library, Mrs. Jackson uses a variety of tools for communication. These include an Instagram account, making announcements and sharing videos on the Morning News Program, having a great School Website, sending home Flyers and sharing lessons with students using Google Classroom.

References:
American Association of School Librarians. (2018). National School Library Standards for Learners, School Librarians, and School Libraries. Chicago: ALA.