Being Indispensable: A School Librarian's Guide to Becoming an Invaluable Leader

by Ruth Toor, Hilda K. Weisburg

Overview

In New on the Job, experts Ruth Toor and Hilda K. Weisburg helped newbies make the transition to real-world school librarianship. Being Indispensable is all about staying one: without a proactive approach, school librarians, facing a severe economic downturn and budget cuts, run the risk of becoming an endangered species. In clear, simple, and practical language, this book empowers school librarians by helping them

• Understand what other stakeholders in a school need and want
• Demonstrate their importance to administrators, teachers, and parents
• Plan strategically in both their personal and professional lives
• Master important tools like advocacy and marketing

Making the case for the vital role school librarians play in learning, this book gives readers all the strategies they need to become the kind of leader their school can't do without.

Product Details

ISBN-13:	9780838992135
Publisher:	American Library Association
Publication date:	10/19/2010
Sold by:	Barnes & Noble
Format:	eBook
Pages:	192
File size:	1 MB

About the Author

Ruth Toor retired after 29 years as an elementary school librarian in Chatham, New Jersey. She is a past president of AASL and a past member of ALA Council. During her AASL presidency, she was its representative to the National Forum for History Standards as well as a member of the Implementation Committee for Information Power: Building Partnerships for Learning. She taught graduate courses at Rutgers and Montclair State Universities. A past president of NJASL, she received its President’s Award.

Hilda Weisburg retired as library media specialist at Morristown High School in Morristown, N.J. in 2004. She has taught graduate courses at William Paterson University and Rutgers University. A past president of the New Jersey Association of School Librarians (NJASL), she is the association’s delegate to AASL’s Affiliate Assembly, on which she has served as chair and Region II director. Currently, she is a member of the ALA Literacy Committee and the ALA/CBC (Children’s Book Council) Joint Committee. She is the chair of the 2010 National Institute (Fall Forum). She has given presentations at AASL and state library media conferences and given staff development workshops for many school districts. In addition, she has been a library consultant for several New Jersey districts. With Ruth Toor, she has written thirteen books for librarians, the most recent being New on the Job: A School Library Media Specialist’s Guide to Success. The duo has been writing and editing the School Librarian’s Workshop since 1980.

Table of Contents

Contents Introduction Part I: Knowing Who You Are 1. What's Your Mission? Claim Your Territory Write a Mission Statement Taglines Core Values Your Elevator Talk Key Ideas 2. What Makes a Leader? Authority versus Leadership Qualities of a Leader Creating a Vision Professional Skills of a Leader Personal Characteristics of a Leader NETS as a Lead-in to Leadership Solidifying Your Position with the AASL Standards Key Ideas 3. Where Do You Stand? Assessing Yourself Checking Your Surroundings Personal Strategic Planning Program Strategic Planning Time Management Key Ideas Part II: Knowing Your Stakeholders 4. What Do Administrators Want? Board of Education Superintendents Central Office Principals Supervisors and Department Chairs Key Ideas 5. What Does the Community Want? Parents Business Owners The Public Library Community or Other Colleges Other Community Members Key Ideas 6. What Do Teachers Want? Elementary Teachers—Classroom Elementary Teachers—Specials Reading Teachers / Literacy Coaches Middle School Teachers High School Teachers ELL Teachers Special Education Teachers Guidance Counselors Nurses Key Ideas 7. What Do Students Want? Primary Students Intermediate Students Middle School Students High School Students Special and Cocurricular Programs Key Ideas Part III: Thinking Bigger 8. How Does Advocacy Develop Leadership? Advocacy in Practice Telling Stories Three-Step Approach Staying on Message Nonverbal Messages Room with a View Key Ideas 9. How Do You Get a Larger Perspective? At the State Level At the National Level Politically Speaking Successful Campaigns Scanning the Environment Key Ideas 10. Does This Really Work? Reality Check Honest Assessment A Vital Skill Managing Stress Partnership for 21st-Century Skills National Board Certification Final Words Key Ideas Appendix: Web Resources A E M R T W