AASL Conference 2011: Preparing Tomorrow's School Library Leaders
RSSBy SLJ Staff
What does it take to be a leader in the field? Let's start with what it doesn't take: a school librarian who closes her door because she's too busy, who complains more than she works, and who simply views her role as support staff. Those are some tips given by media specialists Margaux DelGuidice, Gwyneth Jones, Shannon Miller, Wendy Stephens, and Laura Warren-Gross, who presented this morning at the "Creating Tomorrow's Leaders Today: A Guided Conversation about Leadership Programs" session during the American Association of School Librarians 15th National Conference in Minneapolis, MN, from October 27-30. DelGuidice, Jones, and Miller were among five newly minted media specialists chosen by the Cengage Learning/SLJ New Leaders Program last year for displaying leadership in their building, district, and state levels, and who are advocates for students, libraries, and 21st century learning. Stephens and Warren-Gross were chosen for the American Library Association (ALA) Emerging Leaders Program, which targets relatively new librarians under the age of 35 to take part in problem-solving work groups, network with peers, gain an inside look into the ALA structure, and have an opportunity to serve the profession in a leadership capacity. The five panelists, along with moderator Sara Kelly Johns, a former AASL president, held a lively exchange about what they learned from their respective programs and what it takes to be a leader in the field. This is particularly important given the rapidly changing role of school librarians and the graying of the profession. Warren-Gross, a middle school librarian at Maple Street Magnet School for the Arts in Kalamazoo, MI, was selected as an ALA Emerging Leader in 2008 and participated in a year of training and mentoring-and ended up presenting at ALA's Annual Conference in Anaheim, CA, in 2008. After participating in the program, she was selected to serve on several AASL committees, including the Librarian's Role in Reading Taskforce and the AASL Best Websites for Teaching and Learning Committee. She's also served as a professional development leader for school librarians in her district utilizing the training, skills, and knowledge, which she gained from the Emerging Leaders program. "I have gained professionally from being a part of ALA's Emerging Leaders program," she told SLJ. "I met colleagues who have stretched my knowledge and helped me grow as a teacher and a librarian. I also began writing a column for Infosearcher and have had the privilege of presenting at ALA Annual, the AASL national conference, and the NCTE national conference." DelGuidice, a high school librarian in Garden City, NY, and an adjunct professor of academic writing and research, also serves patrons in her hometown public library as a children's services librarian. As one of five promising school librarians chosen by SLJ and Gale/Cengage, in the fall of 2010, she traveled to Chicago to attend the "School Library Journal Summit on The Future of Reading." While there, each new leader was paired with a mentor—DelGuidice was matched with Kelly Johns—and networked and gained new knowledge about leading in the profession. "Many of us then took the information that we learned, and the connection that we made with our mentors, back to our home school districts to take on a leadership role within our schools and communities," says DelGuidice, who started mentoring up and coming school librarians in a nearby district. "Many of us have worked with new librarians in the same way that our mentors worked with us by providing insight, guidance and practical assistance." Becoming a new leader has opened many doors for DelGuidice. "The benefits of this prestigious selection continue to grow as I have been able to meet and collaborate with the other dynamic new leaders and other inspiring professionals in the field," she says. "Additionally, my school district and my library program continue to reap the benefits of this honor." Stephens, a school librarian at Buckhorn High School in New Market, AL, admits that she wasn't "aware of the ALA organizational structure and governance, and the importance of school library representation in ALA until hearing ALA past-president Leslie Burger speak in 2008. But not any more. "I now room with one of the other Emerging Leaders from my cohort at ALA, and she has made the move from public to school libraries as a result of the exposure," Stephens says, adding that she now participates in broader ALA work, such as the Web Advisory committee and now on Council, in addition to participating in several AASL division roles. "I have made many valuable connections among my peers, which makes conference-going more enjoyable but also more rewarding." Jones, a teacher librarian at Murray Hill Middle School in Laurel, MD, says her participation in the program led to her becoming a mentor to other school librarians nationwide using social media, such as Twitter and Facebook, and her popular the Daring Librarian blog. Miller, a teacher-librarian at Iowa's Van Meter Community School, now often consults with other school districts to help them enrich their library media programs with technology.
From left: DelGuidice, Kelly Johns,
Warren-Gross, Stephens, Miller, Jones.
Check out comments on the presentation on Twitter hashtag (#AASLLEAD).
