Implementing the AASL Standards in Local School Libraries
The American Association of School Libraries (AASL) Standards, are what guides librarians in creating a successful school library program that promotes literacy and technology-based research skills. The standards consist of six shared foundations, which are inquire, include, collaborate, curate, explore, and engage; and four domains, which are think, create, share, and grow. Each of the domains have competencies that describe what learners, librarians, and library programs should be able to do if the foundations are being implementing.
During recent visits to two different school libraries, I interviewed the librarians to discuss how they have been implementing the standards into their programs. For the interviews, I focused on two foundations with each librarian. Before our meetings, I provided them with their competencies and the questions I would be asking. The questions were as follows:
- What are some examples of the ways in which you are implementing these competencies in your library program?
- What are some of the resources in your library program that you are using to implement these competencies?
- Do any of the competencies that you are implementing include collaboration with classroom teachers? If so, please provide examples.
- What are some of the challenges that you face when trying to implement these competencies?
- Are there any other comments that you would like to make regarding the Shared Foundations/Competencies and Domains that we have discussed today?
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Collaborate
When asked how she collaborates in
her library program, White explained that she uses Google Classroom to give
surveys for teachers to fill out that update her on what they are currently
teaching. She explained that by having this information, she can help with
lessons and materials that are relevant to their units of study, and she can tailor
her library lessons to coordinate with what students are already studying in
class. She said that teachers do not have time to do extensive projects and activities
in class, so collaborating with them allows students to develop independent research
and technology skills through their time in the media center while diving
deeper into their classroom curriculum.
White explained that some of the resources
she uses to collaborate are as simple as books for read-alouds that complement
the teachers’ lessons. For example, she reads a book called Weasel by
Cynthia de Feliz in which the main character is faced with a moral dilemma, and
they’re able to discuss character motivation and predict how the outcome could
have changed based on different decisions. She said this compliments lessons on
characterization and making predictions that the teachers may be doing in class
during reading lessons. White went on to explain that she also has Google
Classrooms for her students, which allows her to create group assignments where
they can collaborate. Although White does collaborate concerning units and
lessons, she does not co-teach very often.
I asked White about challenges she
faces when trying to collaborate, and she stated that working on a fixed versus
a flexible schedule made it difficult to co-teach because her schedule is full
with all teachers bringing classes once a week, barely leaving her time to meet
her other responsibilities. She said that the amount of work that teachers must
do also greatly limits the time they have to collaborate, so she struggles to entice
them to work with her. She attempted to get the schedule changed to flexible,
but she received pushback from teachers who did not want to lose their planning
time because the library visits are considered a related art at Mountain View. White
believes that the size of the school and the schedule limits the amount of time
she sees kids in the media center; they are only with her for 30 minutes, and
15 of that is to return/check-out books. She said that having other roles limits
her time as well. For example, emergency situations with technology can pull her
away when she is supposed to be teaching, so sometimes her clerk has to assist,
or she puts on a video in lieu of a lesson. White believes that until elementary
media specialists across her district can move away from a related arts
schedule, collaboration and meaningful 21st century skills will be difficult to adequately
teach and reinforce.
Curate
I discussed how White implements the competency, curate, in her library program and she explained that she encourages students to make suggestions about different books or topics that they would like to see added to the collection. She makes sure to adequately add materials by purchasing award winning books each year, and she also regularly weeds materials. The resources that she uses to curate includes book vendor magazines, which she makes available for students to browse and make suggestions for purchases. White explained that she also uses the “Achieving Exemplary Library Program Standards” to make sure she is weeding and adding the right amount of materials.
She stated that she utilizes collaboration to help her curate by working with teachers and checking curriculum standards to make sure there are materials that correlate with what they’re doing in the classroom. White provides eBook links on her website for easy access and she offers Playaways as well. She explained that students check-out Playaways about certain topics/stories that they may not read in print because they prefer to listen, and the majority of students are drawn to the Who Was biography series although they might not normally read a traditional biography on the same person.
When asked about challenges related to curating, White said that the biggest challenge, currently, was budgeting funds. She explained that there’s a very fine balance maintaining the collection with enough items per student while considering the appropriate average age of the collection. She went on to state that it can also be time consuming because she must make sure to check various reviews to ensure purchases are appropriate for her audience. She said that, despite the challenges, curating is her favorite part of the job.
The second interview was on November
4th, 2020, at Powdersville Middle School in Greenville, SC. Amanda Squires has
been the librarian there for two years, and she also graduated with her MLIS
degree from USC. During our visit, we discussed her use of explore and
inquire.
Explore
I asked Squires how she models and encourages learners to explore at Powdersville Middle, and she explained that she does so through accessibility. For example, her library furniture allows for both independent and group settings. She has small tables on wheels with chargers that can be moved, depending on the activities they are doing. There are chargers in the floors and on the couches, so students can work or read while using their iPads in various spaces, instead of only at a desk or table. In addition, Squires explained that she allows students to pick whatever book they want without having to adhere to a leveling system or limitations set by her or their teachers. She has no limits on the number of books learners can check out, and she never charges overdue fees. Access in her library, she stated, “is unfettered.”
I asked Squires about any additional resources she uses to encourage exploration, and she explained that learners have access on their iPads to Discus and its various educational programs. She said that she encourages students to use it because there is so much to explore within the state’s resources, and it is all free. She also discussed her scheduling in that it is flexible, and all ELA teachers give students the freedom to explore the library when they bring them in, which is every two weeks on average. During their visits, Squires explained, she presents book talks that “sparks their curiosity” and encourages them to explore those books and others like them.
When discussing whether collaboration is included when she is encouraging learners to explore, Squires explained that there is very little collaboration, unfortunately. She said she has been trying to establish relationships with ELA and science teachers so that she can work with them, but she explained that time makes it difficult. This challenge is the biggest one that she faces when trying to encourage exploration through collaboration or individually. She says that she is constantly having to solve technical issues and that classes are visiting regularly, so it is difficult, even with a flexible schedule, to collaborate and co-teach lessons. Teachers, she explained, are busier than usual this year due to the pandemic. They are all required to teach virtually in addition to traditional learning, so they have students on the computer who they are managing while they are simultaneously teaching their in-person learners. She said that this made any type of collaboration difficult because teachers were simply too busy.
Inquire
I asked
Squires how she implements inquiry into the library program, and she
answered that collaboration was difficult due to the circumstances discussed
above, so she does as much as she can regarding inquiry when learners
come in to check out books with their ELA classes or individually. She said
that she encourages kids to look for things instead of just showing them where
the items are. She will take the time to walk them through using Destiny, with
the students controlling the computer and searching for what they want to find.
She shows them DISCUS and encourages them to use it if they have an inquiry for
a class assignment. She said it is difficult, though, to teach it individually if
it’s multiple students and the teacher does not allow her to teach it to the whole
class. The resources that she uses to implement inquiry, outside of Destiny
and DISCUS, is simply the students’ iPads. She stated that she tries to meet kids
where they are in their knowledge and help them to advance using their own curiosity
and her guidance.
When
asked if inquiry includes collaboration with classroom teachers, Squires
explained that, as mentioned before, collaboration is difficult. She stated
that she would love to collaborate more and that she recently had a science
teacher ask her for more books on epidemics and diseases, so she purchased those
and pulls them for her when she needs them. She says, otherwise, collaboration
does not happen in the sense of co-planning and co-teaching. This, in addition to
technology issues, presents challenges when implementing inquiry in the
library program. She explained that technology can be spotty, so it’s hard to
rely on it when the internet goes out. Finally, she said that getting people to
see her as a “research specialist” and not just as a “story person” will take
time, but she plans to continue advocating for her role.
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