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
Four Ways to Get Creative Collaborating with Visual and Performing Arts Classes
by Suzanne SannwaldWhen I first started reflecting on my collaboration with visual and performing arts teachers, I immediately thought about all of the beautiful student artwork that I feature in the library. To me, this is a total win-win situation. Offering the library as a gallery space provides students an opportunity to share their creations in a public setting while the physical library is enhanced by the visible representation of student voices. Knowing that I still have plenty of room to grow when it comes to this area of collaboration, I have done a deep dive into exploring the ideas shared by other librarians and arts teachers. Let me share my main takeaways with you here. Read More >>
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![A NOTEworthy Pairing: Collaborating with Music Teachers [15:36]](https://schoollibraryconnection.com/assets/mediaserver/SLC/2294/2294808s.jpg)
While the visual and performing arts may not appear to have as many opportunities for traditional research as other classes, the subjects are still ripe for creative collaboration between teacher and librarian. Suzanne Sannwald sits down with Ohio librarian Angie Jameson, who shares the unique ways she's been able to work with music teachers at her school and offers advice for fostering productive and fulfilling partnerships.
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When it comes to decision making about the library program, in general, student voice can look like regularly soliciting student ideas and feedback that is meaningfully integrated into actions. Regarding collection development, it can mean curating a collection that features authors, subject matter, characters, and themes that are diverse and include representations of students' various identities. But, yet another way that I promote student voice, ownership, and belonging in the school library is through the visual arts.
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The arts have their place in every facet of a school, and the library is no exception. In this article, Heather Moorefield-Lang shares how the arts can be incorporated in the school library, making the media center a safe place where students can express themselves.
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There are many ways to support the arts in the library. What a better way to introduce inquiry and curiosity than through the arts with resources and programming in a space where every learner goes!
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How can a school librarian reach out to those teachers who are often islands? What are some things that can encourage fine arts teachers to pair up with you? In this article, visual arts teacher Katie McKinley shares fruitful suggestions for connecting with the art teachers in your building.
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MUSIC! MUSIC! MUSIC! Partnering with the music educator benefits the entire school. Just think of it, you could insert music into the library by inviting the school's musical ensembles to perform at events that celebrate the culmination of library projects. You will find many more ideas for collaboration with the music department here.
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Some co-teaching opportunities seem obvious, while others may come across as far-fetched. In her first year as a school librarian, Angie Jameson focused much of her efforts on working with the ELA and social studies departments, but when a substitute teacher took over the choral department near the end of the school year, she saw the opportunity and found the courage to propose a research unit. In this article, Jameson and music teacher Nathan Bachofsky share three models for bringing the library and music programs together.
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School librarian duties have expanded to include art programming, graphic design, visual literacy, makerspaces, and even art history. At the same time, library schools rarely prepare librarians for the art tasks they are required to perform. Librarians are overcoming those challenges by engaging in collaborative projects with art teachers and other art experts—learn from some of their experiences in this article by Valerie Closton.
Selected Reading
This chapter from Meera Garud, excerpted from Radical Collaborations for Learning: School Librarians as Change Agents, edited by Violet H. Harada and Sharon Coatney, provides case studies highlighting how school librarians have collaborated with artists to engage students in creative expression.