ERIC Number: EJ1049068
Record Type: Journal
Publication Date: 2015
Pages: 6
Abstractor: ERIC
ISBN: N/A
ISSN: ISSN-1094-9046
EISSN: N/A
What's a School Librarian's Favorite Preposition? Evidence in, of, and for Practice
Richey, Jennifer; Cahill, Maria
Knowledge Quest, v43 n3 p68-73 Jan-Feb 2015
School librarians, professional library literature, and scholarly library literature tout the benefits of schools staffed with certified school librarians. However, recent reductions in library funding and elimination of school library positions suggest stakeholders do not connect the school library program to positive student learning outcomes. In an era of teacher accountability school librarians are expected to prove their value by demonstrating how they contribute to student learning. Evidence based practice (EBP) offers school librarians a cyclical and systematic process (Oakleaf 2011) for collecting meaningful data that documents student learning. In 2013, Jennifer Richey and Maria Cahill designed a study to answer the following questions: (1) To what extent do school librarians apply components of EBP?; (2) To what extent, and with whom, do school librarians share EBP data?; and (3) To what extent has formal LIS education supported school librarians' applications of EBP? A web-based survey in which 111 randomly selected certified public school librarians in Texas voluntarily and anonymously responded to 26 yes/no, multiple-choice, multiple-selection, and open-ended questions focused on EBP implementation (Richey and Cahill 2014) was conducted. Significant findings reveal that EBP is imperative for school librarians to implement because it: (1) Offers a practical avenue to improve school library programming and services; (2) Adds tools to facilitate structured growth of the program; (3) Generates evidence that the school library program and school librarian contribute to student learning; and (4) Positions the school librarian and the school library program as essential to the academic development of students.
Descriptors: School Libraries, Evidence, Librarians, Multiple Choice Tests, Online Surveys, Program Implementation, Librarian Attitudes, Library Research, Educational Practices, Educational Change, Change Strategies, Library Development, Elementary Secondary Education
American Association of School Librarians. Available from: American Library Association. 50 East Huron Street, Chicago, IL 60611. Tel: 1-800-545-2433; Web site: http://www.ala.org/ala/mgrps/divs/aasl/aaslpubsandjournals/knowledgequest/knowledgequest.cfm
Publication Type: Journal Articles; Reports - Research
Education Level: Elementary Secondary Education
Audience: N/A
Language: English
Sponsor: N/A
Authoring Institution: N/A
Grant or Contract Numbers: N/A