My Job Title Matters

I am a school librarian!

You've heard me say this before. Do I sound like a broken record? I hope so. 

This spring, I sent out a survey to members of NC School Library Media Association. One of the questions asked about job title. Most of the job titles listed did not contain the word librarian. oh my!

Our jobs have changed, but so have the roles and duties of teachers, counselors, and administrators. We’ve all evolved in our professional roles. Technology has touched and changed every position in schools. But in many cases, the school librarian title has changed so much that the position of school librarian cannot be identified by looking at a list of school jobs. And we wonder why outsiders don’t know what we do.

I've sung this song before, but today, I want to add a new verse. 

In the past, my concern has been for our identity as school librarians. When people hear the word librarian, they know we deal with books, computers, coteach, lead PD, but with different titles others are seriously confused about our jobs. How will staff and parents know who we are and what we do when we are called anything but a librarian? That multitude of job titles weaken our identity and threatens our unity. 

In this last year, I've recognized another threat. A switch from certified school librarian to something else. A job title change may mean a subtle transfer of responsibility - a transfer from a licensed school librarian to another instructional position, a transfer to an assistant, a transfer to nothingness. And yes, the replacement may love children, he or she may be well versed in literature, but still lacking what we as trained and certified school librarians are uniquely qualified to accomplish:
  • providing innovative reading programs
  • developing exciting and diverse collections
  • supporting choice in reading materials
  • encouraging independent reading
  • fighting for equity
And for those that need to look at numbers, this inevitably means a drop in reading scores. Why? Because the primary position in each and every school that advocates for reading has been eliminated. 

I know we've been around this block before, but we have to keep circling. We have to say something. We have to be loud. We have to be clear. Our message must be consistent. Because if we are not all of those things, the vital role librarians play in schools for students will be eliminated right along with the job title. 

I am a school librarian.





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