Growing Schools

When librarians work as professional developers, they can build relationships and develop deeper capacity within individual teachers, who can then share that increased expertise with their students. Professional development offers a nimble, scalable, and more efficient way to bring library instruction to every student.

Debbie Abilock, cofounder of Noodle Tools, Inc., an online platform for teaching academic research, speaks internationally and consults in schools based on over 30 years as a school administrator, curriculum coordinator, librarian, and ICT director. Abilock is founding editor of Knowledge Quest, the journal American Association of School Librarians (1996-2010); and edited Standards and Guidelines for Strong School Libraries for the California School Library Association She has authored more than 50 articles and chapters, most recently for Technology in its Place: Successful Technology Infusion in Schools and Libraries Unlimiteds independent School Libraries: Perspectives on Excellence. Kristin Fontichiaro is clinical assistant professor at the University of Michigan's School of Information, Ann Arbor, Ml. Formerly, she was an elementary school librarian and professional development facilitator for Birmingham Public Schools in Michigan and a classroom teacher. She coedited an eBook original, School Libraries: What's Now, What's Next, What's Yet to Come, and has published four Libraries Unlimited titles: Story Starters and Science Notebooking: Developing Student Thinking Through Literacy and inquiry, 21st-century Learning in School Libraries; Active Learning Through Drama, Podcasting, and Puppetry; and Podcasting at School. Violet H. Harada is professor in the Library and Information Science Program at the University Hawaii at Manoa. Her recently published works include Libraries Unlimited's Assessing For Learning: Librarians and Teachers as Partners, Second Edition, and Librarians as Learning Specialists Meeting the Learning Imperative for the 21st Century.