Are school librarians endangered? Leaders share thoughts on the profession

CHICAGO – The American Association of School Librarians (AASL) is proud to present the second set of podcasts in its 30 Second Thought Leadership: Insights from Leaders in the School Library Community series. Thirty Second Leadership features school librarian experts delivering brief and practical advice based on the themes of Knowledge Quest issues. Questions, current videos and thought leader bios can be viewed at www.ala.org/aasl/30second.

The just released 30 Second series focuses on the recently released Knowledge Quest issue, “Futurecasting,” and explores the question, “Are school librarians an endangered species?” Those offering their insight include:

• Henry Jenkins, provost's professor of communication, journalism and cinematic arts at the University of Southern California and the 2012 AASL Fall Forum keynote speaker.

• Doug Johnson, director of media technology for the Mankato Area Public Schools and Minnesota State University adjunct faculty member.

• Michelle Luhtala, department chair of the New Canaan (Conn.) high school library and recipient of the 2012 National School Library Program of the Year (NSLPY) Award.

• Heather Moorefield-Lang, education and applied social sciences librarian at Virginia Tech in Blacksburg, Va.

• Delia Newman, associate professor and the director of the SLiM (School Library Media) program at Drexel University's iSchool.

“The question posed in this set of the 30 Second podcast series is very provocative,” said Carl Harvey, AASL president. “With budget cutbacks and the elimination of school library programs affecting so many of our members across the country, we need to look at the future of our profession and how school librarians stay vital and relevant in the educational community.”

Published bimonthly September through June by the American Association of School Librarians, Knowledge Quest is devoted to offering substantive information to assist building-level school librarians, supervisors, library educators and other decision makers concerned with the development of school library programs and services. Articles address the integration of theory and practice in school librarianship and new developments in education, learning theory, and relevant disciplines. Visit Knowledge Quest online at www.ala.org/aasl/knowledgequest.

The American Association of School Librarians, www.aasl.org, a division of the American Library Association (ALA), promotes the improvement and extension of library services in elementary and secondary schools as a means of strengthening the total education program. Its mission is to advocate excellence, facilitate change and develop leaders in the school library field.