Mary Virginia Gaver conducted the first correlational research in the field of school libraries. Many in the field trace the beginning of the search for proof that effective school libraries impact student learning to her study published just over fifty years ago. While conducting her study she developed measures of the effectiveness of school library programming and the positive influence of a certified school librarian. Today's digital environment allows us to display effects that were never possible in Gaver's analog world. Recent efforts to establish causality have been mounting. From the linear analog world of Mary Virginia Gaver to today's hyperlinked digital environment, school library research has evolved from finding correlational relationships to uncovering the causes of student success. Future research will allow for high-definition characterization of the emerging roles of school librarians and their professional actions that drive student achievement. This integration of theory and practice will launch us into new worlds of research-driven practice.