Managing the Elementary Library

Course

Professional Organizations [2:23]

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Transcript

It's really key that we are branching out beyond our school to interact with other school librarians to get ideas, to get support, to get counsel.

The last group about this spheres of influence that we can have as school librarians is about our professional connections. I think it's always important that as a school librarian, often, we're the only person in our school that does our job. It's really key that we are branching out beyond our school to interact with other school librarians to get ideas, to get support, to get counsel. And so, building those relationships in our professional field is just so critical.

I've had lots of great of opportunities over the years. Whether it's serving on committees, writing articles, publishing books, doing workshops or webinars. Any of those opportunities are great chances to interact, but just the fact that attending them and having those conversations with the person sitting next to you is even more powerful.

I will remember, one time I had this friend of mine, her name is Marge. And I got this phone call from her and it was on my voicemail on my office and it said, "Carl, this is Marge." from wherever she was working and she was the state association president. "I have a wonderful opportunity for you. Call me back." I really sat there and pause, because I didn't know her well at this point. But I thought I knew who she was and I thought, "Well, I'll call her back and see what happens."

It was the first time that I got asked to be on a community and it was such a wonderful experience and it connected me with so many great librarians. I think that's so important that we build those bridges together. Nowadays, with personal learning networks, you can do a lot of that virtually.

If you can't attend conferences where you can make some of those face-to-face connections, there are all sorts of groups on Facebook and people to follow on Twitter and Pinterest pages and things galore whether there's all sorts of technology connections where you can find librarians that are in similar situations and you can get support and you can get ideas about where you can take your library program to the next step.

Building those professional relationships is just such an important part that it helps our library to grow and I was always really crystal clear with my administrators when I would come back about what I got from the conference, I went to or from the webinar I sat in. So that they really could see that it justify the time or the expense for me being involved. Because I can tell you I'm a much better school librarian because of my involvement in the profession than if I had just stayed in my school library and not really interacted beyond the four walls.

Additional Resources

About the Author

Carl A. Harvey II, MLS, MS, is associate professor of school librarianship at Longwood University in Farmville, Virginia. Harvey received his master's degree from Indiana University and is the author of six books, most recently The 21st-Century Elementary School Library Program: Managing For Results, 2nd Edition. He is a past-president of the American Association of School Librarians, and his school has been the recipient of the National School Library Program of the Year.

E-mail: charvey@schoollibraryconnection.com

Twitter: @caharvey2

MLA Citation

Harvey, Carl A., II. "Managing the Elementary Library. Professional Organizations [2:23]." School Library Connection, ABC-CLIO, January 2018, schoollibraryconnection.com/Content/Course/2135531?learningModuleId=2135578&topicCenterId=2247903.

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https://schoollibraryconnection.com/Content/Course/2135531?learningModuleId=2135578&topicCenterId=2247903

Entry ID: 2135531