Let's get ready for National Library Week. This special week happens April 23 -29. In preparation for this week, it is a great time to remember all of the important things the school librarian does. First and foremost, a school librarian is charged with supporting all of the students and staff at the school. They know about the mission and goals of the district and work hard to support the curriculum. Of course, they are skilled at motivating students to read and are champions of leisure reading. Librarians are skilled professionals who have Master's degrees and multiple certifications. A librarian's certification covers students in grades K-12, and they are all ESL and TAG certified
Librarians are busy people. They have library classes, They purchase and curate physical and online resources. They repair books. They keep the library tidy and the collection in order by shelving books, making displays and weeding the collection. They help teachers select titles for their classrooms. They serve on committees, help with tutoring and afterschool programs and coteach in classrooms. They run book fairs, write for grants and generally step in wherever they can to be helpful.
Librarians are fun, too. They read with excitement and use fun voices, dress up in fun costumes, wear funny hats and use puppets. They finger paint, run STEM challenges, host spelling bees, organize literacy nights and check out books on book buses. They attend monthly PLC meetings to network, learn from and encourage each other. There is a saying that librarians end those meetings with. We say, Be the light. Librarians love to be the light o campuses.
Do not forget to show your librarians how much they mean to your campus during National Library Week.