New Research Explores School Librarian and Teacher Collaboration

CHICAGO – New research published in the American Association of School Librarians’ (AASL) peer-reviewed online journal, School Library Research (SLR), explores successful strategies for school librarian and teacher collaboration. SLR promotes and publishes high-quality original research concerning the management, implementation, and evaluation of school libraries. Articles can be accessed for free at www.ala.org/aasl/slr.

The research team of Jenna Kammer, assistant professor, Matt King, school librarian, Allison Donahay, school librarian, and Heather Koeberl, fifth-grade reading and history teacher, examined successfully completed collaborative projects at the elementary, middle, and high school levels. Each project used integrated instruction or curriculum and were analyzed within the context of “what strategies make collaboration successful?”

Findings indicated the school librarians utilized many different strategies to lead the collaboration to success. These strategies included initiating the collaboration; securing support from the principal; identifying a shared vision with all collaborators; collecting and analyzing data about the progress of the collaboration; holding regular meetings; and documenting the collaboration.

School Library Research (ISSN: 2165-1019) is the successor to School Library Media Research (ISSN: 1523-4320) and School Library Media Quarterly Online. The journal is peer-reviewed and indexed by H. W. Wilson's Library Literature and by the ERIC Clearinghouse on Information & Technology. It welcomes manuscripts that focus on high-quality original research concerning the management, implementation, and evaluation of school libraries.

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