Introducing a School Librarian's Information Shelf
Empowering school libraries to serve their communities
School librarians and staff help prepare all students for success. A shifting educational landscape presents new opportunities and challenges, requiring fresh approaches to the important work of empowering students. A School Librarian’s Information Shelf offers curated resources with actionable advice, including recorded presentations, topical articles, and practical toolkits.
Practitioner-recommended library tools
From 2019-2022, OCLC mentored fifteen school librarians who received grants from the Institute of Museum and Library Services to transform their school libraries in various ways. The knowledge and insights shared by these librarians and other subject matter experts led to the creation of A School Librarian's Information Shelf, an online directory of videos, toolkits, strategies, and more. Some of the strategies implemented by participating libraries include:
- Redesigning libraries for 21st-century learning
- Advancing staff skills
- Strengthening partnerships with stakeholders
- Enhancing existing programs and services to further prepare their students for success
When you browse the Information Shelf, you’re learning from peers who have applied transformative practices to their school libraries.
Resources to support students
The Information Shelf offers a variety of resources to explore that can be applied to any school library:
- School library advocacy resources and data visualization strategies to help tell a powerful story to stakeholders about your library and students.
- Student-centered library strategies and toolkits for creating dynamic spaces and implementing connected learning opportunities that support the learners at the heart of your library.
- Inquiry-based learning resources that offer a variety of approaches for enabling students to follow their curiosity.
- School library makerspaces, including how to create them and infuse compassion and community into your projects.
- Virtual teaching and learning, with videos, tools, and guides to inform your library’s approach to delivering engaging online learning.
Beyond the school library
While these resources were created with school librarians and staff in mind, their application can extend to other library types. Small public libraries, public libraries with student programs, and school staff whose work intersects with school libraries can all benefit from this rich collection of resources.
Whatever your role, we know you’re already doing the hard work of leading learning and transformation. We hope you’ll find these tools helpful as you continue to empower students and reimagine your library to meet their changing needs.
Learn more in a webinar
“School Librarians Lead Learning and Transformation” is an introduction to the School Librarian’s Information Shelf and an opportunity to gain insight from practitioners who have applied transformative practices at their school libraries.
This project was made possible by support from OCLC and the Institute of Museum and Library Services (project number LG-00-19-0289-19).