Everyday Best Practices

Monteiro, Sarah

Anderson, M. A. (2011). EVERYDAY BEST PRACTICES. Library Media Connection, 30(3), 48-50.

Summary:

Mary Alice Anderson’s goal in writing this article was to encourage librarians to create a place that is welcoming to both students and teachers. She goes on to describe best practices that can be attained daily.

Anderson’s first practice is to “roll out the welcome mat.” By making your space a welcoming place, people will want to bring students in to work. She recommends keeping shades up, office doors open, and even complete your own work in a more accessible position in the library, if possible. If you are entering after an “unwelcoming predecessor…make lemonade our of lemons.” Use your predecessors lack of best practices as an opportunity to show the school how a library should feel, inviting.

Anderson goes on to explain that you need to “walk the walk and talk the talk.” To do that, you need to worry only about the things that truly impact the students and not sweat the small stuff like missing books. Your time needs to be spent with teachers and students collaborating and demonstrating the best practices. If teachers are reluctant to collaborate because of other reasons, see if you can make it easier for them to find that time and constantly be looking for ways to work together. Along with working to find collaboration time and build relationships, you need to fight to have as much technology in the library as possible. Acquire all of the technology you can and teach your students how to use them. You should also be collecting an e-library that students can access books though technology wherever they are. Try and be the “go to” person for technology.

Andersons believes that a best practice is by being a leader in the school and holding professional developments for the teachers on technology. You also need to be an advocate for the library, why it is important, and why you are important not just during budget time. Spread the word of what you do and keep a log.

Anderson ends by making a call to reach out to the families and community. Hold special programs for the families and extend these programs to the community. Last but not least, be the change you want to see. Come in every day with a positive attitude and continue to make connections with everyone, including others in your field.

Review:

I really enjoyed Anderson’s article. I agreed with everything she had to say feel that all of these practices are essential if you want to enter a school librarian position. The environment we create will dictate our importance. If the library becomes a place that is unwelcoming and off-putting, who will patronize and bring purpose to the space? The library is only a library when it has patrons, and our patrons will only come if they see a reason and feel welcome. We need to give them that reason. As librarians we have to be positive influences in our students lives, the lives of our teachers, and advocates for these better practices.

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