Collaborate

As any school librarian can attest, collaboration, whether with subject-specialist teachers, other librarians, or even other members of the community, is vital. One of the American Association of School Librarians’ six volumes in their shared foundation series, this title examines collaboration through the lenses of the school librarian, students, and the school library. Exploring multiple projects, the author demonstrates how collaboration at both the primary and secondary levels can help librarians achieve major instructional goals. Coleman explains how collaboration fits within four domains (think, create, share, and grow). The school librarian is more than a curator of resources, but rather an active instructional partner who can work with classroom teachers to create authentic learning experiences. The author stresses the importance of improving the library’s physical space and making time—to plan with teachers and to allow students to explore, fail, and redirect themselves. She advocates that librarians begin by connecting with one teacher, but she suggests that schools consider developing “learner cohorts” in which the librarian, technology specialist, and interested teachers work together to develop ideas—which will hopefully build a network of teachers across disciplines who create a road map for collaboration.