Editorial
School Library Monthly/Volume XXVI, Number 4/December 2009
Leading the Way
By Deborah D. Levitov
The theme of the October 2009 School Library Journal Summit was "Librarians as Leaders of 21st Century Learning." The keynote speaker was Bernie Trilling from Thinkquest and author of the book 21st Century Learning Skills: Learning for Life in Our Time (Jossey-Bass, 2009). He asked attendees to focus on a child beginning kindergarten this year and answer the following questions: What will the world look like twenty years from now? What skills will this child need in twenty years? What will the world of learning look like for these students?
In summary, attendees determined that student learning of the future will be more collaborative and innovative. It will involve teamwork, with cross-cultural understanding and communication using multiple literacies, and there will be a prerequisite of computing skills and career learning. Learning will be much more virtual and more digital with open, transparent communication. Primary skills will involve thinking, problem-solving, compassion, questions, solutions, science and math, technology, and adaptability.
What does this mean for schools and school libraries? What does it mean for school librarians? It means the way school libraries are administered must adapt to and create a new type of learning environment. Leadership of the school librarian is critical. Collaboration with other educators to teach information literacy and inquiry is paramount in meeting the learning needs of students. This, in turn, calls on school librarians to bring their skills as information specialists to the forefront. Sound familiar? These are the five roles of the school librarian outlined in Empowering Learners: Guidelines for School Library Media Programs (ALA, 2009). They have been around a while but they are taking on a new look in the 21st Century. The transformation is already underway. How are you adapting and leading your program into this era?