Welcome!
The true power of school libraries and librarians is not in the resources that we amass, but in the relationships that we build and the connections that we foster. On this page, we will highlight ideas for collaborating with various stakeholders and explore ways to ensure that these experiences are effective and meaningful. By sharing the models and best practices implemented by other librarians, my hope is that you will be inspired and find fresh ideas to take back to your community as conversation openers for potential collaborations. I invite you to visit this page throughout the year for more ideas and updates as we connect across our shared professional community. Thank you for joining me!
Suzanne Sannwald
Teacher Librarian, West Hills High School, Santee, CA
Suzanne Sannwald
Teacher Librarian, West Hills High School, Santee, CA
Expanding Your Impact with Community Collaboration
by Suzanne SannwaldWhen thinking about all that "community" may mean for a school library context though, the possibilities for connection are limitless. Working from a premise that community includes anyone who is not a student or staff member, there are many potential entities and ways for interacting. While the possibilities are wide open, I have identified three main themes when it comes to how school libraries may engage community: authentic learning, instruction, and participation. Read More >>
Video
![School and Public Library Collaboration [19:31]](https://schoollibraryconnection.com/assets/mediaserver/SLC/2261/2261590s.jpg)
Suzanne Sannwald chats with school teacher-librarian Anthony Devine and public youth services librarian Miko Osada to learn about how their ongoing collaboration promotes literacy, introduces students to public library resources, and helps strengthen their local youth community.
Video
![Using and Creating Community Resources [19:26]](https://schoollibraryconnection.com/assets/mediaserver/SLC/2260/2260858s.jpg)
Suzanne Sannwald chats with librarian Sara Smith about how sharing her expertise around comics, manga, and graphic novels has helped not just her students, but the broader community of libraries and librarians, too.
Feature
Harvard's Democratic Knowledge Project collaborated with librarians to help partner libraries learn about the Ten Questions for Young Changemakers framework, experiment on their own, and develop new learning modules and program resources to help other librarians implement the Ten Questions to cultivate civic learning.
Webinars
In this webinar Gina Seymour discusses how to use your makerspace to teach empathy and compassion while your students #MAKE the world a better place. Discover how to build community partnerships, effectively collaborate with staff in your school, and initiate tangible, easy, low-cost projects.
Editor's Note
Authentic learning that connects with the world outside of the school is a powerful way for students to give purpose to their learning and make it meaningful. And the library can provide critical support for students in an authentic learning environment.
Article
Librarians from Arizona State University develop workshops to educate high school teachers and librarians to better prepare students to cross the grade 12-13 gap. Ideas for high school-university collaboration are demonstrated in this article.
Selected Reading
This excerpt from Bridget Crossman's Community Partnerships with School Libraries: Creating Innovative Learning Experiences describes how inviting in local community experts of all kinds can support student learning.
Feature
While living in Perth in Western Australia, librarian Sarah Betteridge felt isolated from her students and colleagues; but with some help from modern technology, she found new ways to reach her school community. In this article, Betteridge offers innovative ways for 21-century educators to stay connected with their students, no matter where they are.
Feature
School librarians have access to students during the school year, but it is public librarians who serve children in the evenings, on weekends, and during summer and other vacation times. Young people need access to information every day. Therefore, the hours that libraries are open present a critical reason for school and public libraries to collaborate.
Feature
Angela Hartman descibes her One Book/One Community project based on the inspiring book by R. J. Palacio. The experience touched people not just in her school, but in her city and beyond.
Article
A solo librarian has only so many hours in the day, but hundreds of tasks comprise a strong library program. Consider how coordinating the actions of volunteers can enrich and extend library services.