This September I am transitioning to the High School Library – after two years in a split building position.  The HS position is full-time in one building which is coveted in the library world.  All of our elementary librarians travel between two libraries.  It is bittersweet!  My previous position was half-time at an elementary building and half-time in our vocational high school program.  It was the best of both worlds!

I saw my sweet elementary students regularly but then still had access to the high school kids who were voracious leisure readers (graphic novels, comics, manga, etc) and also really into technology.  I had the chance to teach a lot of information literacy skills and critical assessments of web sites.  My biggest accomplishment?  Getting the teachers to stop sending their kids to the Library computer lab to use Google to research a topic or project.  Google is a search engine, not a reliable database!

It took two years to forge relationships with teachers to allow me to demonstrate the resources that we have with regards to online databases, Research 101 and the validity of sources.  It was really hard to recruit some teachers who had already decided that the library didn’t have anything valuable to offer.  The part-time status of the position also made it hard to effectively create change.  But eventually, I was able to win a few of them over and slowly tip the scales in favor of the resources that can be provided by a certified SLMS.

One useful piece of advice that I received during my library school grad program was from a guest speaker – a school librarian that had 25 plus years of service.  She visited to extol some wisdom for the newbies in the field.  I will never forget some of the gems that she shared!  Credit goes to Librarian Sharon Davis.  She had flaming red hair and a spitfire personality to match.  “Respect comes with time and performance.” You have to earn your stripes!  This was unbelievably true.  When you are new, people don’t know you, they don’t have any idea what kind of educator you are.  You have to slowly encourage teachers to collaborate with you over time, it can’t be forced.

This phrase has helped me over a few rough patches and will serve me well in my new position.  I am looking forward to working with new teachers and students this coming year at SHS.  It is an exciting time to be a school librarian!