New York State Library Announces New Publication, “Roles of the School Librarian: Empowering Student Learning and Success”

State Librarian and Assistant Commissioner for Libraries, Lauren Moore, announced today that the New York State Library has released a new Informational Brief entitled Roles of the School Librarian: Empowering Student Learning and Success (2019) at http://www.nysl.nysed.gov/libdev/slssap/ncc-roles-brief.pdf. An Executive Summary of the document is available at http://www.nysl.nysed.gov/libdev/slssap/ncc-roles-exec-summ.pdf. This compilation of research studies shows that the school librarian’s contributions are consistently shown to be of positive value to students, teachers, and the wider school community.

The Northeast Comprehensive Center (NCC)/RMC Research Corporation, the New York State Education Department, and the New York State Library produced this new Informational Brief as an update to the 2011 publication Informational Brief: Impact of School Libraries on Student Achievement [web link]. The breadth of scientific and academic literature about school libraries and the important roles that school librarians play in student achievement published since 2011 inspired the expanded scope of the 2019 Brief.

In this 2019 Brief, numerous research studies on student achievement highlight the ways in which school libraries and school librarians are invaluable and integral to the learning process in the library, in the classroom, and beyond the school walls to the global community of learners. The Brief includes six statewide impact studies conducted since 2011 and goes beyond to look at the evolving roles of school librarians in leading technology integration in schools, engaging students with disabilities, assisting students with the transition to college and career, in STEM education, and more.

The methodology of the Brief strategically explores the five roles of the school librarian recognized and defined by the American Association of School Libraries (AASL): teacher, leader, instructional partner, information specialist, and program administrator. By defining and outlining these roles and providing research showing the effectiveness of school librarians when placed in them, this publication emphasizes not only the importance but the versatility of school librarians in assisting the learning process for students.

The Northeast Comprehensive Center (NCC) and the former the New York Comprehensive Center (NYCC), both directed by the RMC Research Corporation, worked with the New York State Education Department to support education leaders and encourage student achievement for over 25 years.

The New York State Library has served New Yorkers, state government, and researchers from throughout the United States for more than 200 years. One of the nation’s leading library development agencies and research libraries, the New York State Library is a program of the Office of Cultural Education in the New York State Education Department and is located in Albany, New York. For more information about the New York State Library, visit: http://www.nysl.nysed.gov. For more information about the New York State Education Department, visit: http://nysed.gov.