6 Foundational Skills Librarians Can Help Cultivate

As the nature of work evolves, our ability to solve complex problems has become even more valuable to organizations. Workers using technology to find answers, overcome challenges, and innovate will be more equipped to compete in a rapidly changing world.

• According to Research by the National Skills Coalition in partnership with the Federal Reserve Bank of Atlanta, more than 92 percent of jobs across industries require digital skills. 
• The more digital skills a job requires, the higher its median hourly salary, and individuals who lack digital skills risk being locked out of high-paying jobs.
• Over the next decade, The U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics expects STEM jobs to grow 10.8 percent faster than average, compared 2.8 percent for all other roles.

That’s why preparing our students to meet those challenges beginning in K-12 is critical. The information age demands our students spend more time accessing, evaluating, and creating digital materials. In turn, it’s our responsibility to ensure that students acquire the skills they need to recognize the advantages and pitfalls of technology and how they can apply it to solve problems.

School librarians, who are our resident instructional experts, and library media specialists have stepped in to guide them, but school library funding continues to be threatened, posing a great risk to our schools, teachers, and students.

• In 2018-2019, there were 20 percent fewer librarians than in 2009-2010, according to a recent survey on school librarian employment.
• Between 2009-2010 and 2018-2019, all states lost school librarian full-time equivalents (FTEs) except for New Hampshire, which gained almost 3 percent.
• There are fewer school librarians in states that don’t mandate some level of school librarian staffing and in states that have such mandates but do not enforce them. There are more librarians in states that have and enforce mandates.

School districts must better communicate the critical role school librarians play and take necessary steps to protect their funding.

We’ve spent decades working in schools and have witnessed how school libraries—and their librarians—continue to transform their collections and services to meet emerging needs. Rather than pare library staff and cut collections, district leaders need to recognize their value and continue to make investments in their libraries and staff. When it comes to housing computer labs, managing databases, aligning ebook collections and curricula and literacy goals, and helping create multimedia projects, our librarians ensure educators and students have the resources to teach and learn in a digital world, thereby directly impacting students’ academic success.

The Evolution of School Librarian to Library Media Specialist

There’s been a significant developmental change in the school librarian’s role over the past three decades. The recognition of the librarian as an instructional leader is at the forefront of this shift.

As we continue to develop a better understanding of the teaching practices that lead to sustained learning, we’ve become more reflective on the educational environments we want to foster for our students. There is a stronger need for a much more organic and holistic approach to educating children, focusing on building effective relationships between students and staff. Schools in which librarians and classroom teachers have relationships based on mutual respect and the desire to provide a nurturing and developmentally appropriate environment for the students are the ones that thrive.

A school librarian or library media specialist does much more than check out books or read to students. Librarians understand students as individual learners and can be game-changers for their academic trajectories, observing their triumphs, successes, struggles, and setbacks. The sway and impact of their work go well beyond the scope of the physical walls of the library space; it is also borne in their involvement in classroom spaces and adjusts dynamically to the needs of students.

According to the American Association of School Librarians, library media specialists fulfill many roles and responsibilities, which include serving as:

• Teacher by instructing students in analysis of information, locating and using resources in a variety of formats that meet those needs, and communicating what those resources provide. They also stay up-to-speed on teaching and learning research and aid students in accessing, evaluating, and using information from multiple sources to learn and apply new knowledge.
• Instructional partner by working closely with educators to identify links across student information needs, curricular content, and learning outcomes. They also create policies, practices, and curricula that help students develop information and communication skills.
• Information specialist by providing leadership and expertise to teachers and students, finding information resources in all formats, and bringing awareness of information issues to the school community. They also share strategies for locating, accessing, and evaluating information within and beyond the library media center.

Because they understand the many ways technology can shape and enhance teaching and learning, school librarians bridge the technology gap for their entire school community. Their expertise gives teachers the assistance and digital resources they need and ensures students have the knowledge and tools to apply their learning.

Here are some of six foundational skills librarians help schools cultivate:

1. Literacy Skills

Students and teachers have many options for choosing books that meet their students’ reading levels, genres, interests, and needs. Thanks to digital tools, librarians can more easily search and access materials in various formats. These tools also allow them to customize reading lists and establish shorter borrowing periods for books, saving time and money.

Librarians can aid educators and students as they:

• Practice reading digitally with ebook and audiobook platforms such as Sora;
• Learn how to use digital book catalogs;
• Use digital reading platforms to create additional accessibility;
• Use graphic design/publishing tools such as Canva and Book Creator; and
• Look for ways to incorporate mindfulness into learning.

2. Information Literacy

Not every teacher is trained or qualified to instruct students in information literacy—but the school librarian has the experience and knowledge to serve as a resident expert.

School librarians teach critical research tools and skills that students need as they prepare for college and careers. These include:

• Identifying reliable websites;
• Using search tools beyond Google;
• Presenting research findings to an audience;
• Synthesizing research content;
• Finding essential information from sources;
• Refining research topics/subtopics and reevaluating findings;
• Organizing, saving, and retrieving digital content;
• Citing sources;
• Avoiding plagiarism/copyright infringement;
• Developing annotation skills; and
• Navigating book/ebook appendices and indexes.

3. Multimedia Creation

Studies have shown that using multimedia for instruction can positively impact cognitive and academic achievement, comprehension, and application. It helps simplify complex content and goes beyond the limitations of text to communicate an idea or process.

Teachers can use multimedia to enhance their lessons, and students can create multimedia projects to demonstrate their learning. School librarians can help both by assisting with:

• Digital editing tools;
• Graphic design programs/3-D printing;
• Ebook creation;
• Video/screencasting tools;
• Live streaming tools for morning broadcasts; and
• Digital storytelling.

4. Digital Citizenship

We exist in a world that is ever-evolving in its use of technology and related tools. According to Common Sense Education Research, more than 97 percent of kids have home internet access, 43 percent of students age 8-12 have a smartphone, and most students over 13 have their own smartphone. When it comes to information and entertainment, most tweens turn to social media, with TikTok, Snapchat, and Discord occupying the top three social platforms among 11- to 12-year-olds.

Students are in a danger zone right now. We must teach them how to develop a healthy relationship with technology and not just be passive consumers in the digital world. To help them navigate the current digital environment, schools must prepare children with the skills needed to successfully navigate the current digital environment—including how to discern what is quality and accurate information and how to evaluate tools and systems to determine their appropriateness and applicability.

We expect our librarians to lead students as they develop and maintain these skills, just as we expect teachers to be able to incorporate technology into practical and engaging lessons. Librarians and library media specialists also help students harness the power of emerging technologies for creative and educational purposes, building skills to use technology in a healthy way.

We can’t give out hardware to students and expect them to automatically be able to use it safely and responsibly, and we can’t ask their parents to sign an acceptable use agreement and assume that this covers us. Librarians provide essential instruction on media safety and creating a healthy digital footprint.

5. Responsible Artificial Intelligence Usage

In January 2023, the emergence of ChatGPT as a mainstream platform established artificial intelligence (AI) as both a technological boon and a source of anxiety. Today, schools struggle to balance using AI as a teaching tool while ensuring students use it ethically and responsibly.

When students enter the workforce, chances are at least part of their organization will use AI to analyze data, identify trends, optimize sales, or elevate the customer experience. They need to be prepared to use it appropriately throughout K-12 and beyond.

Common Sense Education suggests that schools get in front of artificial intelligence by teaching AI literacy, discussing its applications, and examining its ethics. School librarians are often responsible for teaching their communities about the following:

• Risks and benefits of AI;
• AI tools for students;
• Ethical considerations related to AI; and
• Using AI to collaborate on research topics.

6. Technology Support for Families

Technology allows students to continue their school day at home. As more and more schools leverage 1:1 devices and learning apps, students are increasingly using their devices and the internet to complete research projects and homework.

School librarians often serve as a conduit to families, helping them better understand how technology complements the curriculum and how to ensure online safety, just to name a few essential duties.

What We Can Do to Protect Our Investment in School Librarians

Studies show a direct relationship between students’ academic success, including scores on reading assessments, and their access to school librarians. In light of this, school libraries that are alive, thriving, and staffed with school librarians must not be viewed as “extras” or as “luxuries” for districts to maintain. They are absolute necessities.

Cutting funding and eliminating school librarians undermines the core foundational principles of our educational institutions and denies the inextricable purpose of schools in preparing students to be independent and contributing members of our society. We do a tremendous disservice to children by taking away the life-changing attention that they can receive from a school librarian.

In reality, school librarians are the best bang for an administrator’s buck—they work as co-teachers, reading instructors, technology specialists, professional development facilitators, and so much more.

• Librarians are masterful at connecting children with the appropriate resources to help them engage in their learning. They are the difference-makers in children’s lives. An elementary school librarian gets to know a child from kindergarten through fifth grade and watch that child grow academically. They can often identify kids struggling with reading, help support those children, and support their teachers.
• Librarians help middle and high school students navigate the research process, guiding them as they sift through and make sense of information.
• Librarians help support all content areas. We’ve seen great examples of librarians working with science, math, and social studies classroom teachers to select books and ancillary materials or help conduct searches online.
• Librarians are the “early adopters” who help curriculum and technology departments make important decisions on materials and budgets.
• Librarians forge relationships with community librarians and families, sharing their knowledge and best practices.

It’s our responsibility to amplify their voices and shine a light on their work and the value librarians bring—and make sure others do the same. Administrators must reinforce and support the value of school librarians and libraries at budget time, ensuring that there is a sustained commitment to funding them.

We need to speak out in professional organizations and at the regional, state, and national levels about why we need them to help reimagine what education might look like in the coming years. By ensuring students receive the guidance and support they need to become adept digital problem solvers, we’ll be well-equipped to create a generation of career-ready learners.

Joseph Meloche is superintendent of Rose Media School District and a member of the American Association of School Librarians School Leader Collaborative.

Skye Silverstein is the library media specialist at the Rosa International Middle School in Cherry Hill, New Jersey.