One thing I have consistently heard from preservice school librarian graduate students (all of them current or former classroom teachers) is that they didn’t really know what the school librarian’s job entailed before they started their library science preparation program. There are most likely many practicing school librarians who entered into the profession without deep knowledge of the benefits, rewards, and complexities of serving as an educator working in a school library.

In a course I teach called “Art of Storytelling,” students participate in an assignment called “digital advocacy storytelling.” Students begin the assignment by connecting with a core belief in librarianship. They build on their passion for a particular aspect of library work to develop a digital story targeted to a particular audience. They field test their advocacy story via social media, revise it based on feedback, and publish a final version.

Even if these stories were originally targeted to other audiences, I believe students’ advocacy stories can serve as recruitment tools to invite classroom teachers into the profession. Three students from the Spring 2016 class have given me permission to share their stories—stories that make a strong case for why they aspire to serve in the role of a school librarian leader.

Thank you to Lauren Scott (@MrsScott_1), Kathryn Shropshire (@MrsShropshire7), and Maricela Silva for allowing me to share your stories here.

Lauren Scott: Building Bridges Through Collaboration @Your Library®

Kathryn Shropshire: Read Together, Grow Together @Your School Library®

Maricela Silva: Coteach Technology @your library® 4 Lifelong Learning

You can view their one-sentence themes and digital reflections on this assignment on our course wiki.

School librarians are in the very best position to identify classroom teacher colleagues who have the “right stuff” needed to be passionate, exemplary school librarians. If every school librarian would recruit even one classroom teacher to pursue further education in school librarianship this year, our profession could be in a better position to staff all preK-12 schools in the U.S. with outstanding school librarians.

What’s your school librarian story? How will you share it to advocate for the profession and enlist exemplary classroom teachers to join us?

Word Art Image created with Microsoft