Delving into AASL’s Shared Foundation of Collaborate

CHICAGO —Published by the American Association of School Librarians (AASL) and ALA Editions, Mary Catherine Coleman’s book “Collaborate” examines effective implementation of the Shared Foundation from the National School Library Standards. Part of the Shared Foundations series, in this book readers will discover strategies for establishing deeper connections to school curriculum and mission, activating collaborative opportunities, facilitating learning networks, modeling respect while working in diverse groups, and moving beyond support and resources to instructional partners. Examining the Domains of Think, Create, Share, and Grow reveals the development of the collaborative mindset in learners at different grade levels and how making both physical space and time space contribute to shaping a culture of collaboration across the learning community. Brimming with authentic examples of Collaborate in action, this book offers:

• strategies for strengthening collaborative relationships with administrators and other educators by leading mission-based professional development;
• engaging lesson ideas and projects that scaffold learning and promote voice and choice while building the mindset of Collaborate in learners;
• trajectories for developing Collaborate skills in grades K-12 and mapping or documenting learners’ growth; and
• complete renovations and smaller incremental changes to school libraries that demonstrate opportunities to rethink learning and create space for collaboration in all settings.

Coleman is a Lower and Intermediate School Librarian at the Francis W. Parker School in Chicago. She earned her Masters’ in Library and Information Sciences from Dominican University in River Forest, Illinois and has worked in public and school libraries for the past fourteen years. Recipient of the AASL School Collaboration of the Year Award, she has presented at local, national, and international conferences on school library programming, maker empowerment, and collaboration in school libraries. She documents her work on her blog The Reimagined Library.

The American Association of School Librarians (AASL), a division of the American Library Association, empowers leaders to transform teaching and learning.

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