Supporting School Librarian Learning: New Opportunities for Instructional Technology Collaboration with School Librarians

Abstract

Frequently noted in library and information science literature and popular press, libraries are undergoing a rapid public makeover (Martin, 2015; Wernick, 2011). As part of a recent initiative supported by the American Library Association, librarians are striving to raise public awareness of the importance of libraries and library services in communities (American Library Association, 2016). The past image of libraries as places largely for the lending of books has shifted to an acknowledgment of libraries as spaces for engagement of youth through library programming that reflects emerging interests in the development of twenty-first century skills (Young Adult Library Services Association, 2015). This is particularly noticeable when considering school libraries. With the push toward STEM (science, technology, engineering, and mathematics)/STEAM (science, technology, engineering, arts, and mathematics) and twenty-first century skills in education, school librarians have begun to look for ways in which to provide such opportunities for students (Bell, 2015). Consequently, school libraries are increasingly embracing maker, digital literacy, science, and technology-geared programming while promoting libraries as learning environments that encourage exploration, tinkering, and play (Bell, 2015; Paul, 2015). In some libraries, these learning environments are taking form as in-house makerspaces and learning labs.