New on the Job: A School Librarian's Guide to Success

by Hilda K. Weisburg, Ruth Toor

As if transitioning from library school or a different type of library job into the role of a school librarian wasn’t challenging enough, just factor in today’s straitened funding environment for the position itself. Librarians new on the job need expert advice on what to expect and how thrive, and since its publication in 2006 this guide has served as an invaluable resource for the new school librarian. From job search strategies and discovering work philosophy to the nitty-gritty details of creating acceptable use policies, this revised and updated edition, which includes a new foreword from Sarah Kelly Johns, shares the joys and perils of the profession along with a wealth of practical advice from decades of experience in school library programs. With this guide as a roadmap, new school librarians canTackle the job search with confidence, with tips on everything from polishing a résumé and acing a job interview to ways of handling any potentially negative Google results and other digital footprintsLearn the secrets to successfully collaborate with teachersNavigate new roles and responsibilities through orientation and organizationCreate dynamic interactions with students to deepen their learning experiencesMaster the art of communicating with the principal, IT experts, and vendorsBecome familiar with school library technology, including e-book collections, online databases, and library management systemsReceive field-tested guidance on daily matters – from budgeting and purchasing to advocacy and programmingThe AASL Standards for the 21st-Century Learner, Partnership for 21st Century Skills, and Common Core State Standards are also thoroughly discussed. New school librarians as well as those already in the profession can set the tone for rewarding career with this one-stop, hands-on guide.

Genres: Professional Development, Nonfiction, Librarianship

240 pages, Paperback

First published October 15, 2014

Reviews

[Jamie · Rating 4 out of 5]

For all the points of help and references this book has a friendly flow to reading it. A bit laid but not too much. Some of the terms and lingo lost me of that isn't what you use. I also wish this or something similar was geared toward the paraprofessional staff, like myself, who are left fully running a library, just without the title or curriculum push. Man may not have a full degree, terminology might change. So that was my biggest gripe. I like how the author makes your situation feel relatable to to others, yet also gives insight to the other side of teacher's or admin. How to have a healthy balance in the job and the constant reminders to not tackle everything that first year. I can see how easy it would be to get in over your head that way.

[Heidi · Rating 4 out of 5]

A solid starter/overview book with some good suggestions for getting started as a SLMS. I'd prefer something like Administering the School Library Media Center, 5th Edition on my shelf for actual reference, but this was a good quick read the week before starting to prompt some reminders and inform on some etiquette you won't have run into in non-teaching professions.

[Erin · Rating 4 out of 5]

Back when I was working full-time, I was a law librarian, but now that my youngest is in kindergarten and I'm making choices about this next chapter, one of the pivots I'm considering is school librarianship. Basically, I used to be pretentious, but now I find myself wondering, "Wait a minute, someone would pay me to hang out in a room full of books, think bookish thoughts, buy fabulous books I don't have to spend my own money on, and spend my days helping kids realize books are amazing?" It definitely has its perks.

I can't talk about how effectively this book prepares someone to work in a school library, since I haven't actually worked in that setting, but I will say that it gave me loads of relevant information about things I'd need to consider about how I would navigate working in that setting. I recommend!

[Lee Ann · Rating 3 out of 5]

Helpful and concise. I definitely appreciated the portions about making time for self-care in a job that is ultimately about helping others, and I also liked how they stressed the importance of setting professional boundaries to manage your own stress--i.e. learning how to say not right now to a project when you're already swamped. There are also a lot of great resources listed throughout the book. I did feel some chapters made the assumption that the reader would know ALL the library lingo, and for someone like me, who was actually trained to be a public or academic librarian and not a high school librarian (even though I am one now, at a private school), that could be a little frustrating.

Overall, 3/5 stars.

[Cathlina Bergman · Rating 4 out of 5]

Practical guide for new school librarians. A bit outdated in places (recommends keeping lamps on hand for repairing overhead machines, discusses students photocopying from reference books, etc.). Published in 2015.

[Sara Westhead · Rating 3 out of 5]

Some good tips, while some of it was common sense. There were several sections that read like a 'how-to-be-a-good-housewife' books/articles from the 50s & 60s, which were extremely irritating.

[Rebecca Sofferman · Rating 5 out of 5]

Fantastic book for any new librarian. I used this as a textbook for my intro-level Managing School Libraries course at UVM. Students found it extremely helpful!

[Steph Holmes · Rating 4 out of 5]

Been a very helpful guide as I start my new journey as a school teacher-librarian instead of a classroom teacher.

[Corey · Rating 5 out of 5]

I really enjoyed this book. I'm starting my third year as an LMS, and didn't attend library school ahead of time (and now going back for my degree). This book provided some great perspective for me. There are some areas of my job that really frustrate me, and it made me feel so much better to know that some of these are just realities. I liked the positive "vibe" of the book. I really wish I had read this before my first year. I would have done some things very differently.

[Tonia Sandersfeld · Rating 5 out of 5]

I loved the conversational tone of the book and it included many important topics that a new teacher librarian needs to know. I feel like I have a much better understanding of the roles of a teacher librarian now as compared to when I was an English teacher. I will save this book to put on my professional reading shelf in my office when I get hired someday!