The role of the school librarian is varied, extending far beyond resource management and collection curation, to include collaboration and partnerships with internal and external stakeholders for both curriculum support and leisure time. Whether working individually, as part of a library team, or as part of a broader team within the school, local or global community, building and maintaining relationships has become an essential skill.
The Networked Librarian is an invaluable guide to working effectively with the whole school and beyond. Bringing together the author’s extensive experience in school libraries and education, it provides a means for school librarians to engage with their communities to create real impact.
Although packed with practical examples and vignettes, the book goes beyond a ‘how-to’ guide and considers the pedagogical evidence that leads to the success of team membership and leadership. Opening chapters consider what constitutes a team, introducing key elements of the theory of group dynamics, change management and effective communication. Separate chapters then outline how school librarians might engage with different people, both within school and in the wider community, from students and teachers; through support staff from IT departments to caterers; and from governors and parents to public and university librarians. The book also delves into how team working can enhance motivation, the development of self-esteem and how to deal with more challenging situations for amicable resolution. Finally, consideration is given to how networking can be used to promote library resources and services for impact, whether that is within school or in the local or global community. Overall, this book demonstrates the importance of creating networks to underpin practical applications of forming connections, collaborating with colleagues and co-creating and developing ideas to enhance the school library services.
By:
Sarah Pavey
Imprint: Facet Publishing
Country of Publication: United Kingdom
Dimensions:
Height: 238mm,
Width: 159mm,
Spine: 18mm
ISBN: 9781783306213
ISBN 10: 1783306211
Pages: 272
Publication Date: 25 February 2024
Audience:
Professional and scholarly
,
Professional and scholarly
,
Undergraduate
,
Undergraduate
Format: Hardback
Publisher's Status: Active
Introduction Acknowledgements Understanding the dynamics of working relationships Defining teams Preparing to work as a team in practice Applying theoretical models in practice Working through change Adapting to change Change curve Implementing change Communication Choosing the correct communication channel Encoding and decoding Verbal communication Tone of voice and listening skills Body language Cultural differences Understanding the dynamics of conversation Communication styles Dealing with difficult people What is challenging behaviour and why does it arise? Working through conflict Managing a difficult meeting Being assertive Librarians as leaders What is leadership? Why is leadership important? Leadership in practice Leading a library team Leading other teams Working with students Adapting communication style for student interaction Ensuring a safe and welcoming environment Working with student library helpers Behaviour management Working with teachers Why is collaboration with teaching staff important? Overcoming barriers to collaboration with teachers Teacher-librarian collaboration in practice Working with senior leaders, school governors and the inspection team Senior leadership teams School governors School inspectors Working with parents, guardians and carers Why is it important to work with parents, guardians, and carers? How can we be involved with parents, guardians, and carers? Parents as volunteers Parents as advocates How can we communicate with parents? Dealing with difficult parents Effective parent teams Working other members of the school community Working with support staff for student achievement and wellbeing Working with support staff for effective library management Building networks Competencies for networking Creating networks within our schools Creating and using external networks
Sarah Pavey has worked as a school librarian for over 20 years and is founder of the education training company and consultancy SP4IL. She holds degrees in biochemistry and information science and is an established author and regular speaker at conferences for school libraries as well as on wider education issues. Sarah is a Fellow of CILIP and the Royal Society of Arts and is part of an Erasmus project team researching digital and information literacy in Europe. Her training courses, both home and abroad, on a range of topics including behaviour management and personal management, are practical and acclaimed for being rooted in theory.
Reviews for The Networked Librarian: The School Librarians Role in Fostering Connections, Collaboration and Co-creation Across the Community
'Each chapter includes many examples of real-life situations where the reader can take time to reflect on what has occurred in the examples and see if there is relevance to their own school library situation. The examples could be used individually by a school librarian for reflection or in a library team setting where the situations and the points of view can be discussed and made relevant to their school library.' -- Margaret Sinnott, * Synergy, the research journal of the School Library Association of Victoria. *
