Attendees: Allison A., Allison R., Marisa, Alice, Emily, Aman, Lisa, Emily, Dr. Valenza & Frances (online)
Reminder of upcoming events:
- NJLA Conference: April 20-22
- Young Adult & Children’s Services Section Joint Meeting: Friday, May 15 at the Cherry Hill Public Library from 9:30 am.
- AASL Conference – November of this year, in Columbus, Ohio!
Donna Swift-Wilson thanked RASL for volunteering at the NJASL Spring Meeting. Our presence made an impression. Hilda Weisburg, prominent writer and blogger in the field of school library science, agreed and commended RASL for its cheer and eagerness to help.
Hilda emphasized that we are going into a “relationship profession” and that, first and foremost, we have to nurture relationships. Rutgers, she said, will teach us how to do the job, but success comes from how to be on the job. The librarian who replaced Hilda at her former school library position did not know the Dewey Decimal System cold, but it didn’t matter because she supported the teachers and the students.
- Statistics about job outlook – schools are starting to rehire after the cutbacks a few years ago.
- Be ready to lead – Hilda told us a little parable that lions have to run faster than the slowest gazelle while gazelles have to run faster than the fastest lion, but whether you are the lion or the gazelle, every day, you have to be ready to wake up and run.
- On day one of the job, Hilda urged us to start. Don’t take time to “settle in” or leisurely get used to it. Leadership, especially when some schools are eliminating their school library positions, is not an option. It is a requirement.
- Hilda herself was not born a leader. She was not particularly confident in her first job, but once she was hired to work in an elementary school that employed an experimental school structure with an open-minded principal and a contributory environment, she gained leadership experience.
- We have to listen and learn from good (and bad) teachers, from students, and from administrators.
- We must remember that the library depends on funds from a higher organization and that organization has values. In order to continue the library, you must show how your library can provide what the stakeholders value.
- Build professional relationships with everyone in the building, even the ones you don’t like. And never agree with someone who is griping about school politics; express empathy, but do not express an opinion, nor repeat what you’ve heard.
- Learn from other librarians – join professional organizations, twitter chats, go to conferences.
- Display your school or your library’s mission statement and vision somewhere visible as a physical reminder of why you are doing what you’re doing.
Take risks – don’t hide in the library
- In 1997, the article Invisible Librarian was published and claimed that librarians were at risk because no one knew what they were doing, so their value was unclear.
- It is not the principal’s job to find out what you do. It is your job to inform the principal.
- Showcase the students’ work – no more long memos. Make it visual. This demonstrates their success and your technological skills
Advocacy is not begging for your job. It is having someone else beg for your job
- When her library was closed for a meeting among athletic directors, Hilda informed the teachers who were scheduled to be in the library that same day. One of the teachers marched to the office and demanded use of the library since her lesson plans revolved around the library. Following that incident, the meeting was moved to a smaller area of the library.
It’s not about you. It’s about the teachers and supporting their needs. They will go to bat for you if they need/depend on you.
Use the ALA free resources about advocacy!
- Appeal to emotions. People don’t care how much you know until they know how much you care.
- As a librarian, you’re in sales. Know that you have the power to transform learning and pitch it.
Hilda concluded by saying that she offers an e-course which contains the ebook of her title, Being Indispensable, which addresses much of what she spoke with us about. Donna seconded that people have to come first, though we will be tempted to do cataloging and displays. We tend to be task-oriented people, but the tasks always get done. Focus on the people.
NJASL has a mentoring program
Field experience–wring every bit of on-the-job information you can out of your supervisor. Donna and Hilda also addressed relationships. She said that the first year on the job, stay late a couple nights a week, but not more. If you are staying late all through the week, you are neglecting the relationships with your friends, family and significant other, and that is the fastest way to burn out.
To find Hilda online:
- Twitter: @hildakw
- Blog: slworkshop.net