Traditionally, school libraries were all about the space and what we put in it. Then we realized that with advances in technology we could expand our space to the virtual world. This gave us the opportunity to provide more resources such as interactive websites, databases, and virtual field trips.

As we continue to transform our practice, school librarians are moving out of the school library’s physical space into the classroom and beyond.

The examples in the March/April issue of Knowledge Quest highlight just a few examples of how school librarians have gone beyond the physical walls of the school library into the larger learning community:

• Kay Calvert, school librarian and literacy coach, shares how her district transformed a school bus into a bookmobile and provided learners access to books, free lunch, art activities, and storytimes.
• Kelly Klober outlines a program that she launched that allows her learners to present their community research in the local cemetery.
• Janine Johnson offers a tour through virtual reality and offers advice on how to use it in your school library.
• Becky Calzada highlights a number of beyond-the-wall experiences occurring in her school district.
• Christine van Hamersveld shares the innovative approaches her school library used to accommodate the learners in her community while recovering from the ravages of Hurricane Harvey.
• Cassandra Barnett answers the question “How do we give our students the museum experience when they can’t get to a museum?” by describing a unique partnership that promotes object-based learning.
• Lori Hancock, Amanda Kozaka, and Allison Mackley discuss the connection between the AASL Standards and beyond-the-wall learning.

In addition, the issue includes articles from Sam Northern who describes his beyond-the-wall learning experience as a Fulbright Teacher studying inquiry-based learning in Finland and Phyllis Robinson Snipes and Holly Frilot who provide an update on the development of an evaluation system for Georgia school librarians.

It is our hope that the examples of beyond-the-wall learning experiences in March/April issue of KQ will inspire you to move beyond the walls of your school library. Take this inspiration and transform learning by putting it into action!

About the Guest Editors

Cassandra Barnett is program advisor for school libraries for the Arkansas Department of Education. She provides professional development, promotes best practices in school library programs, advocates for school libraries within the state, and looks for collaborative opportunities for school librarians. She is also is a project leader for the Arkansas Declaration of Learning. She is a member of AASL

Judy Deichman is the librarian at Nottoway Middle School in Crew, Virginia, and serves as the library coordinator for the county. She is a member of AASL and is currently serving as the AASL Treasurer on the AASL Board of Directors. In 2018, she received the AASL Innovative Reading Grant. She earned her National Board Certification in 2015.

Read their Guest Editor Column, “School Libraries Go Beyond the Four Walls.”

Knowledge Quest, Volume 47, No. 4 – School Libraries Go Beyond the Four Walls

Features

Beebe Badger Bookmobile…Blazing a Reading Trail
Kay Calvert

Tales of the Crypt
Kelly Klober

Jumping into the World of Virtual and Augmented Reality
Janine Johnson

Rethinking K-12 Library Services after Hurricane Harvey–Pasadena ISD
Christine van Hamersveld

“Librarying” Outside the Library
Becky Calzada

Beyond the Walls with Object-Based Learning
Cassandra Barnett

Beyond the Four Walls: Mingling with the AASL Standards
Lori Coffey Hancock, Amanda Kozaka, and Allison Mackley

Articles

P³BL: Problems, Phenomena, Passions
Sam Northern

Evolution of Evaluation in Georgia: Exploring School Librarians’ Responses
Phyllis Robinson Snipes and Holly Frilot

Column

CBC Column
Author Visits Can Spark a Sense of Wonder and Enhance Content Areas
Michelle Cusolito

Departments

President’s Column
Learner-Ready School Librarians Go Beyond
Kathryn Roots Lewis

Guest Editor Column
School Librarians Go Beyond the Four Walls
Cassandra Barnett and Judy Deichman

Author: Cassandra Barnett

Categories: KQ Content

Tags: bookmobile, evaluation, hurricane, object-based learning, virtual reality