The Guide School Librarians Keep Within Reach: A Conversation with Maura Madigan

School librarians are often expected to be experts in almost everything: instruction, technology, collection development, collaboration, advocacy, and more. Yet few resources acknowledge just how wide-ranging and ever-changing the role truly is.

That gap is exactly what inspired The School Librarian’s Guide to (Almost) Everything, the newest book by Nationally Board-certified librarian and author Maura Madigan. In a recent conversation, Madigan shared how the book came to life, what makes it different from traditional professional texts, and why it’s designed to support both new and veteran school librarians.

The Book She Wishes She’d Had

Madigan describes The School Librarian’s Guide to (Almost) Everything as “the book I wish I had when I first became a librarian.” Unlike more linear professional texts, this book was intentionally designed as a reference librarians can return to again and again.

“Our jobs are not just one track, one focus,” she explained. “You’re not doing everything every single day, but you need to know a lot of different things.”

Rather than requiring readers to start at the beginning, the book allows librarians to “dip into” the topics they need in the moment; whether that’s preparing for an interview, navigating conflict, or thinking through emerging technologies.

“I didn’t want to read a lot of front matter,” Madigan said. “I wanted to get right to the nuts and bolts.”

A Car Manual, an Encyclopedia, and an Advice Column

With nearly 100 short, accessible entries arranged alphabetically, the book covers topics ranging from artificial intelligence to yearly planning. Madigan jokingly—but accurately—describes its structure as:

“A car manual meets an encyclopedia meets an advice column.”

That blend reflects her writing style, which intentionally feels conversational and collegial. “I wanted it to feel more like a conversation with a trusted friend or colleague,” she said, an approach familiar to anyone who’s ever turned to fellow librarians in professional learning communities or online groups for advice.

Each entry is concise and practical, with a robust “Read More” appendix pointing readers toward books, articles, blog posts, podcasts, and other vetted resources for deeper exploration.

Choosing the Topics Librarians Actually Ask About

The topics included in the book grew directly out of Madigan’s experiences with mentoring new librarians, participating in professional Facebook groups, and coaching colleagues. Madigan wondered:

“What are the questions people are asking? What are the things you’d actually go to a book for?”

That real-world focus also meant making careful editorial decisions; sometimes combining topics, sometimes cutting ideas that didn’t feel essential. Despite aiming for an A–Z format, Madigan resisted the urge to force an entry for every letter. (There is no entry for X.)

“I wasn’t going to be gimmicky,” she said. “I wanted it to be natural.”

Writing for a Field That Keeps Changing

Some of the most challenging entries to write were those on rapidly evolving topics, particularly artificial intelligence.

“I feel like this is still an area where we’re all learning,” Madigan acknowledged. “By the time the book is published, some things will already be different.”

Rather than offering rigid definitions or prescriptive rules, she focused on providing guiding questions and principles to support thoughtful decision-making.

“It’s more about an approach,” she explained, “not saying, ‘This is what AI is and this is exactly what you should do,’ but helping librarians think about what they need to consider in their role.”

Grounded in Standards and Best Practice

Throughout the book, Madigan intentionally anchors her guidance in AASL and ALA standards and best practices. Having previously authored two standards-based books, she is deeply familiar with the frameworks and was careful not to force alignment where it didn’t naturally fit.

“These aren’t just my ideas,” she said. “There’s a reason I think these things and a reason I do them in my own school library.”

Unexpectedly Powerful Entries

When asked which entries she’s particularly proud of, Madigan highlighted sections on interviewing and conflict resolution. These are topics librarians frequently ask about but may not expect to find in a professional guide.

Having served both as an interviewee and on interview panels, she encourages librarians to confidently advocate for themselves. “You have to toot your own horn,” she said, noting that interviewers may not have read every detail of an applicant’s résumé.

Her conflict entries offer practical guidance for navigating difficult situations with administrators, colleagues, students, families, and volunteers—an area many librarians (and individuals in general) find challenging but unavoidable.

“Conflict doesn’t usually go away,” Madigan said. “If you ignore it, it tends to come back in a bigger way.”

A Book for Every Stage of the Career

While the book is especially helpful for those new to the profession, Madigan is quick to emphasize that it’s not just for beginners.

“I hope it has valid and helpful information for veteran school librarians too,” she said. Even after more than a decade in the role, she still finds herself asking, “Wait—how do you do that?”

Ultimately, The School Librarian’s Guide to Almost Everything reflects the reality of librarianship today: complex, evolving, and deeply human. It’s a guide meant to sit on a desk, not just a shelf—ready whenever a librarian needs a reminder, a resource, or a little reassurance. You can listen to an audio recording of the entire conversation to hear more about Madigan and her newest book!

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Maura Madigan, NBCT, is the author of Learning-Centers for School Libraries, Project-Based Learning for Elementary Grades, and The School Librarian’s Guide to (Almost) Everything (Maura Madigan | ALA Store). Madigan’s writing has also appeared in School Library Journal, American Libraries, and School Library Connection. She’s been a school librarian for eleven years but has worked in Education–as a teacher, college instructor, and educational advisor–for twenty-nine in the US, South Korea, Japan, and the United Arab Emirates. Maura lives and works in Fairfax County, Virginia.

Dr. Jessica Thompson is a lecturer at the University of West Georgia and serves as the Program Coordinator for the School Library program. She is a member of ALA, AASL, VAASL, and GLMA. Jessica authored the 2021 Knowledge Quest article “Cultivating Our Self-Efficacy as School Librarians,” co-authored the 2021 School Library Research article “School Librarians’ Teacher Self-Efficacy: A Predictor of Reading Scores?,” and authored the 2015 School Library Connection article “Ladies and Fairies and Cats, Oh, My!: Innovative Library Promotion.” She is interested in all things school library-related, especially engaging students in reading activities.