Become a School Librarian

School librarians assist students and teachers in their quest to be consumers and producers of information. No longer is the library simply a warehouse for books. Instead, the library is the hub of the school. The librarian is an indispensable guide in teaching and helping students to effectively navigate and evaluate the information seas. Today's librarians have many roles:

  • Teacher: teaches information literacy skills so that students become critical thinkers and researchers, enthusiastic readers, and ethical users of information; promotes reading for pleasure and learning.
  • Instructional Partner: collaborates with teachers to develop units and lessons based on the Pennsylvania Common Core and A Model Curriculum for Pennsylvania School Library Programs.
  • Information Specialist: provides access to library information resources 24/7, connects the school with global learning communities, and guides students, teacher, and other members of the educational community in the ethical use of information.
  • Leader: leads and participates in the planning and development of the program and the school’s learning community; serves on school and district committees.
  • Program Administrator: ensures students and teachers have access to resources that meet their various needs and interests, manages the library's physical and virtual spaces, develops library programs and events, teams up with local public libraries to better serve their clientele, and much more.

Take a look at Joyce Valenza's blog article entitled "What Librarians Make," a passionate articulation of the importance of librarians.

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