The Librarian Influencer of the Week is Len Bryan. Len has worked in school libraries across several states. He currently works in Denver, Colorado as the Manager of Library Technical Systems where he leads the district’s technical services team in providing access to library resources, including books, eBooks, databases and the Destiny OPAC. Click here to listen now!
Here are some Librarian Influencer strategies Len shared for early-career librarians:
Here is a link to some Colorado certification information.
Len’s team manages book baskets they send out to teachers to use.
They also manage makerspace kits they share across the district which include things like K’nex and augmented reality sandbox.
Whatever is important to my district needs to be important to me as the librarian.
Advocacy is a key part of your role:
Advocate for a baseline level of excellence across your district.
Connections with your community are vital. Reach out to your PTA and local businesses. Let them know what you are doing for kids. They will become your advocates.
Create a library advisory committee to provide opportunities for people to share what they would like to see in the school library.
Focus on equity in your collection. Denver ISD has created an equity audit. **We are not yet making this public, though we might soon.
Tell your story or someone else will. Tell them the power of school libraries to transform the lives of your students.
Curate relationships as carefully as you curate your collection.
Diversify your social media feeds.
You can follow Librarian Influencer Len Bryan at:
Twitter: @lenbryan25 https://twitter.com/lenbryan25
Email - librarianlen@gmail.com
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