October 17, 2025
Looking to remove Sharpie that those little ones (or big ones) thought would be a great idea? Try spray sunscreen! It works like a charm.

Erin Weaver, Ft. Wright Elementary, Kenton Co. School District, Kentucky

October 10, 2025
Choose the quietest person you see in the school and invite them to suggest a new way of representing your library dilemma. The rumor will become that the school library encourages ideas into action for ALL students.

Harry Brake, Woodbridge High School, Delaware

October 3, 2025
Build strong teacher partnerships by offering tailored resources, co-teach lessons, and integrate library skills into curriculum. Be proactive, communicative, and approachable. Make sure to show how your support enhances student learning without adding extra work.

Christine Szeluga, Cranford High School, New Jersey

September 26, 2025
Show up to events – sports, music, theater. Students and administration notice. Connect with clubs. Showcase student artwork. They do notice.

Stephanie DeYoung, Everett Alvarez High School, California

September 19, 2025
Be the Go-To person in your school. Teachers, staff, and students all need help finding some information in the building. School librarians do not know everything, but they know where to find anything.

Robbie Barber, Tucker High School, Georgia

September 12, 2025
Don’t hesitate to offer professional development to your school/district staff or at non-library conferences. Your teaching colleagues will benefit from the shared knowledge, and you may shift their perception of what a Teacher Librarian can do for them and their students.

Sarah Logan, Camas School District, Washington

September 5. 2025
Keep themed wishlists on your vendor and/or Amazon. If a grant opportunity pops up, you already have what you need, how much it will cost, and what your goal is. This year I have a non-fiction wish list, a “same book in English and Spanish” wishlist, and an adaptive materials wishlist.

Wendy Gassaway, Alder Elementary School, Oregon

August 29, 2025
Show up, try, and do your best—you have more to offer than you know. Don’t wait for others to solve problems. Promote school libraries. Let others shine. Leadership isn’t about ego. Be visible: attend meetings, join committees, and take initiative.

Natasha Carty, Tres Volcanes Community Collaborative School, New Mexico

August 15, 2025
Sharing your library’s story is important. Whether you do social media, newsletters, infographics, board presentation, an annual report or something else, make sure to share how your library impacts the students in your school community. If you don’t tell your own story, someone else will.

Maureen Squier, Questar III School Library System, New York

August 8, 2025
School librarians assess community needs and use evaluations to create strategies that improve student understanding. By addressing challenges and promoting 21st-century literacies, librarians support teachers, empower administrators, and help improve educational outcomes for all students.

Christine Beachler, Lowell Area Schools, Michigan

August 1, 2025
When dealing with disparaging comments from the community targeting library staff or books, be prepared with a Positivity & Fact Campaign! Tell your truth and work with your district to correct disinformation and share all of the ways your school library positively impacts the students!

Hannah Byrd Little, The Webb School, Tennessee

July 25, 2025
Librarians lead by collaborating with teachers to improve student learning. Offer lessons connected to your currcilum with engaging digital tools. Don’t wait to be asked—let teachers know how you can support them. When librarians teach, students grow—and so does your leadership.

Lauren Jones, Mesquite ISD, Texas

July 18, 2025
School librarians assess community needs and use evaluations to create strategies that improve student understanding. By addressing challenges and promoting 21st-century literacies, librarians support teachers, empower administrators, and help improve educational outcomes for all students.

Hannah Byrd Little, The Webb School, Tennessee

July 11, 2025
Publicize all you do! If stakeholders don’t see what you are doing, they don’t know why you are important, and they will imagine their own narratives. If you share success, you build a story that people want to participate in!

Rebecca Lowe, Lake Orion Community Schools, Michigan

July 4, 2025
Inclusive libraries serve all learners! Partner with special ed, Multilingual teachers, and staff to offer adaptive tools, multilingual books, and sensory-friendly spaces. Small changes create big access. Inclusion isn’t extra—it’s essential. #InclusiveLibraries

Gretchen Zaitzeff, Canyons School District, Utah

June 27, 2025
Providing professional development is a great way to position yourself as an educational leader in your high school. School Library Teachers have resources that our colleagues aren’t aware of that can elevate their teaching. This is a great way to help them out and plant the seeds of collaboration.

Barb Fecteau, Massachusetts School Library Association

June 20, 2025
Don’t be shy or hesitant to volunteer for leadership opportunities. Join committees in your community, state, and through AASL. We need your talents and perspectives! Then someday you’ll look back and see something great started for you all because you took a chance on yourself.

Jamie Gregory, President, South Carolina Association of School Librarians

June 6, 2025
Highlight an achievement, great lesson, or fun activity by emailing your union leaders and administration about it. Bcc them if that works for you or forward it to them after the initial send, but make sure they have it in writing!

Jennifer Hossack, Washington Middle School, Montana

May 30, 2025
At the start of the school year, share a LIBRARY COLLABORATION flyer with teachers highlighting how you can support them—book clubs, research help, choice boards, team teaching, and resources. Include your availability! Follow up with a friendly email a couple of weeks later to spark collaboration.

Susie Snow, Hiawatha Elementary School, Vermont

May 23, 2025
School libraries are joyful hubs of learning. Just look at a learner’s excitement on library day or a student finding a new favorite book. Amid busy days, take a moment to appreciate these joyful moments, share a positive story, and ask students what brings them joy in the library.

Courtney Pentland, North Star High School, Nebraska

May 16, 2025
Looking for an easy way to track series order? Write #1, #2, etc., on the top of each book with a Sharpie. This makes it easy to see the order and which books are available, without needing special spine labels. Once students get the system, they’ll stop asking which Percy Jackson comes next!

Nora Wiltse, King College Prep High School, Illinois

May 9, 2025
Simon Sinek said, “There are two types of decisions: good decisions and lessons learned.” In our busy days, take time to reflect on what worked, what didn’t, and what changes to make. Reflection builds resilience and helps focus on positive change. Don’t be hard on yourself—learn and move forward..

Lindsey Kimery, Metro Nashville Public Schools, Tennessee

May 2, 2025
Sustainable library leadership is rock star librarianship. Whether you’re presenting nationally or helping someone locally, every contribution counts. Lead in ways that energize you—quiet support or public action—all help move the work forward.

Juan Rivera, A. Philip Randolph Campus High School, New York

April 25, 2025
Take care of yourself! The hardest part of the job is self-care, but if you don’t take care of yourself, burnout is inevitable. I make sure the experiences I create in the library, like crafting and working in my makerspace, bring me joy too. Remember, this is a marathon, not a sprint.

Barbara Johnson, Jack Jackter Intermediate School, Connecticut

April 18, 2025
For success as a committee chair, create a shared digital workspace. Maintain three key sections: (1) Agendas and notes, (2) Action items with responsibility and deadlines, (3) Committee information including the committee charge, annual goals, and member information.

April Dawkins, University of North Carolina Greensboro

April 11, 2025
By actively listening to students and staff, you can better understand their needs, build trust, and encourage collaboration. It helps you adapt library services and find new ways to make the library even more valuable.

Kelly Hincks, Detroit Country Day School, Michigan

April 4, 2025
Empowering students with leadership roles in the library—such as assistants, book recommenders, or event organizers—helps them develop skills, gives them ownership, and fosters a sense of belonging. It invests them in the library’s success and strengthens their connection to the space.

Arlene Laverde, Townsend Harris High School/Queens College, New York

March 28, 2025
As a school librarian, remember that taking time to build strong foundations pays off in the long run. Invest in understanding your students’ needs and collaborating with teachers. Thoughtful planning and relationship-building may slow initial progress, but this approach fosters trust and engagement, leading to faster success overall.

Becky Calzada, Leander ISD, Texas

March 21, 2025
James Clear says, “You do not rise to the level of your goals, you fall to the level of your systems.” To support library goals, share weekly updates, create a tech schedule, start lessons with book talks, and plan your week ahead. Effective systems move you closer to achieving your library goals.

Lindsey Kimery, Metro Nashville Public Schools, Tennessee

March 14, 2025
Leadership is a skill set and an action, not a position. Never sell yourself short thinking you aren’t a leader because you are “just a school librarian.” You already employ leadership as the sole person who serves all students and provides equitable access to learning, literacy, and information.

Heather Hornor, Library Coordinator, Texas

March 7, 2025
We have the power to choose how we face the challenges in our day. While budget deficits and administrative decisions could leave me feeling devalued and powerless, I choose to focus on what I can control. When you enter our library you are welcomed, loved, and met with joy. That will never change.

Wendy Garland, Dedham Public Schools, Massachusetts

February 28, 2025
Invite families into the library through programs or volunteering, and let them see the wonderful things you are doing in the school library. When the question of funding the library comes up, they will remember those moments and be more willing to support and advocate for your program.

Neha Thakkar, Illinois State Board of Education Principal Consultant of Computer Science & Media Literacy

February 21, 2025
Inquire. Include. Collaborate. Curate. Explore. Engage. While standards fatigue is real, the AASL National School Library Standards offer tools for tackling challenges. Turning shared foundations into questions—like identifying knowledge gaps or finding collaborators—can lead to meaningful growth and learning.

Juan Rivera, A. Philip Randolph Campus High School, New York

February 14, 2025
Transforming your library happens best through strategic phases, not sweeping changes. Choose one manageable initiative per quarter – like revamping one collection section or launching one new program. Document results carefully and use these successes to build support for future changes.

April Dawkins, University of North Carolina Greensboro, North Carolina

February 7, 2025
To entice reluctant teachers to collaborate, ask them which standards that they least like to teach or that students have the hardest time learning. Then, offer a creative idea to teach or review those standard(s) like via a BreakoutEDU or escape room.

Sarah Sansbury, DeKalb County School District, Georgia

January 31, 2025
Gathering feedback from students and staff is crucial for aligning library resources with users’ needs and interests. By engaging with the community, libraries can better ensure they offer relevant materials and services that enhance learning and foster greater engagement.

Sam Northern, Simpson Elementary School, Kentucky

January 24, 2025
Let students be the experts! As librarians, we may know a bit about everything, but learning from students is one of the best parts. Whether it’s a second grader sharing frog facts or a manga enthusiast explaining details, I love showing that I don’t have to know it all—and that I’m excited to learn from them

Nora Wiltse, King College Prep High School, Illinois

January 17, 2025
Volunteer with your professional library associations. The fellow professionals you meet and collaborate with from across the various types of libraries not only help you grow as a leader but also become invaluable members in your library advocacy ecosystem. We are stronger together.

Cherity Pennington, Shawnee Public Schools. Oklahoma

January 10, 2025
Find people in your orbit with great talents. Artists can decorate windows or build displays. Organizers can get on board to create dynamic shelving, shelf-read, or genrefy. Student leaders can start book clubs. When you bring in others, they develop deep connections to you and the library.

Tara Thibault-Edmonds, Rondout Valley High School, New York

January 3, 2025
As school librarians, we support everyone in the building. Successful collaborations are our best advertising, and they take time to build. By creating strong relationships through small, everyday interactions, we show our value and make a lasting impact on the school community.

Arlene Laverde, Townsend Harris High School/ Queens College, New York

December 27, 2024
Effective school librarians put the three Ls into practice: learn, listen, and link. Engage in opportunities to LEARN from those in your school community. LISTEN for the needs of those you are learning from. LINK the library to the need by offering a solution the librarian (you) can provide.

Katie Salmela, ISD 191: Burnsville-Eagan-Savage Minnesota

December 20, 2024
School libraries are vibrant hubs of learning and joy. Enjoy a learner’s excitement on library day or delight in finding a new book. Though days may feel long, take moments to appreciate the joy in your library. Share a positive story, ask students what they love, and embrace these joyful moments.

Courtney Pentland, North Star High School, Nebraska

December 13, 2024
Make an effort to meet with your principal regularly – either monthly or quarterly – to share your school library story.

Shannon Gile, Milton High School, Vermont

December 6, 2024
Sharing individual stories can have a profound impact. Highlighting a student’s discovery or a teacher’s success through the library demonstrates the value of its resources. These personal narratives make the library feel more relatable and integral to the school community.

Kelly Hincks, Detroit Country Day School, Michigan

November 29, 2024
Take care of yourself! The hardest part of the job is self-care, but if you don’t take care of yourself, burnout is inevitable. I make sure the experiences I create in the library, like crafting and working in my makerspace, bring me joy too. Remember, this is a marathon, not a sprint.

Barbara Johnson, Jack Jackter Intermediate School, Connecticut

November 22, 2024
Build relationships with students, teachers, and parents. Take time for casual chats, listen actively, and show appreciation. Create collaborative projects and book clubs to foster community, making the library a hub for learning and growth.

Becky Calzada, Leander ISD, Texas

November 15, 2024
Strong leaders deliver clear, concise messages that blend emotion, logic, and research. As school librarians, we manage curriculum, programming, and communication with students and parents. We break down complex ideas, making them relatable through newsletters, meetings, emails, and teaching/co-teaching.

Hannah Byrd Little, The Webb School, Tennessee

November 8, 2024
Attending after-school activities is a great way to connect with students, staff, and families. Whether it’s a game, concert, or play, your presence shows support, builds trust, and strengthens relationships. Being visible at these events enhances your leadership and fosters a positive school culture.

Lindsey Kimery, Metro Nashville Public Schools, Tennessee

November 1, 2024
I always keep a standing meeting with my administrator on the calendar. We touch base about things going on in the school, ways I can help, or ways the library can support learning and learners. These meetings help me support the school and help my administrator understand how they can support me.

Barbara Johnson, Jack Jackter Intermediate School, Connecticut

October 25, 2024
As a school librarian, you have a unique observational role in the school. I recently learned that access to period supplies was a huge need. To get more of these supplies, I’ve written grants and I’ve worked with staff to distribute them. This fulfilled a need and created more support for the library.

Juan Rivera, A. Philip Randolph Campus High School, New York

October 18, 2024
“School librarianship is a marathon, not a sprint.” As school librarians, we are often inspired by what we see and learn, but it is impossible to do everything at once. Instead, we can focus on what needs the most attention or will have the best results and move forward from there.

Courtney Pentland, North Star High School, Nebraska

October 11, 2024
To increase learner engagement, start a “Student Library Advisory Board” that meets monthly. Give them real decision-making power in book selections, event planning, and space design. Their ownership will transform your library from a place they visit to a space they champion.

April Dawkins, University of North Carolina Greensboro, North Carolina

October 4, 2024
As a school librarian, avoid comparing yourself to others; instead, focus on your unique strengths and contributions. Celebrate your achievements, learn from peers, and share best practices. Emphasize collaboration over competition to create a supportive environment for all.

Becky Calzada, Leander ISD, Texas 

September 27, 2024
Are you increasingly worried about censorship or book challenges? Create a support group of other school librarians. By maintaining even a group email or text chain, you can find encouragement and strength. Our students need us to stand up to censorship, and we are better together.

Nora Wiltse, King College Prep High School, Illinois

September 20, 2024
A school librarian’s ultimate purpose is supporting our students and teachers, and for this reason, maintaining focus in a world of distraction is necessary for any school librarian leader. As school librarians, we need to consider how our work supports the school’s mission and vision, ensuring that the library’s goals not only reflect the school’s values but also uphold the ethical standards and best practices of the library profession.

Hannah Byrd Little, The Webb School (TN)