The Librarian Influencer of the Week is Robin Spencer, a Texas librarian. She’s known since 3rd grade that she wanted to be a school librarian. She has 15 years of experience working at the same elementary school as their librarian. Click here to listen to her interview now.
Here are some Librarian Influencer strategies Robin shared for early-career librarians:
Get to know your teachers.
Advocate for yourself to show the value of what you do.
Robin shares her personal experiences serving military families at her school library.
Robin recommends sharing this book with your principal: The Principal's Guide to a Powerful Library Media Program
Support your principal and their mission for the school.
Be a professional development provider on campus.
Read aloud to students of all ages. It’s powerful when you make reading fun!
She opens the library early and calls it Library Joy time. This is equivalent to her being on “duty”.
Find free library journals online.
Be sure to see what professional development your vendors provide. You can help your teachers tie books into their curriculum.
Connect with library Facebook groups.
Here is a list of Robin’s recommendations for your professional development:
Abilock, Debbie. Growing Schools: Librarians as Professional Developers. Libraries Unlimited, 2012.
Fox, Mem. Reading Magic. Harcourt, 2008.
Fox, Mem. Radical Reflections. Harcourt, 1993.
McGhee, Marla. A Guide to a Powerful Library Media Program. Linworth, 2010.
Miller, Donalyn. The Book Whisperer. Wiley and Sons, 2010.
Varachi, Christine. The Tibrarian Handbook. Upstart, 2012.
Professional Journals/Magazines: School Library Journal, The Horne Book, School Library Media Specialist, Teacher Librarian.
Facebook Groups: LM_Net, Elementary Librarian, Librarian Bookends. There are many more out there, do a search on FB for teacher librarians.
You can follow Librarian Influencer Robin Spencer at:
Twitter:@Robinmspencer
Facebook: robinlovellspencer
Instagram: Rspencer
Email: cpelib@gmail.com
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