Explore

          On January 30^th, 2019, I met with Joy Scaglione, my cooperating librarian, to discuss the AASL National School Library Standards for Learners, School Librarians, and School Libraries Shared Foundations. I let Ms. Scaglione choose which of the six she wanted to talk about since this was my first interview.  She chose the Shared Foundation V., Explore. I asked her the questions outlined in our instructions and recorded her answers in paper notes. The Competencies address the following statements:

A.   Think - School librarians foster learners' personal curiosity.

B.   Create - School librarians stimulate learners to construct new knowledge.

C.   Share - School librarians prepare learners to engage with the learning community.

D.  Grow - School librarians help learners develop through experience and reflection. 

         When I asked Ms. Scaglione what some of the ways were that she was implementing these competencies she said that she addresses fostering personal curiosity by trying to introduce numerous different topics and genres during her students “library time.”  Her classes come on a fixed schedule and she said that each week she chooses something new and different to introduce or talk about.  She also explained that she gets to know many of her students and suggests for them new ways for them to branch out.  She also makes it a point to help them find information about things they are curious about like different breeds of dogs or places on the planet. 

         Ms. Scaglione talked about how she uses different resources to help  her students construct knowledge.  She said that she teaches her students how to use Discus to do school research, however, she also shows them how to search for things that interest them personally, not just academically.  Further, Ms. Scaglione talked about how she encourages students to go beyond physical books and use the eBook collection she has provided for them.  In addition, she talked about being able to get visiting authors to come to the school to expose the students to writers and illustrators that they may not be familiar with.

         When I asked if Ms. Scaglione got to collaborate with teachers on lessons, she said yes, especially with 3^rd and 4^th grade teachers.  She said that the teachers do sometimes ask her to go to their classes and do lessons on research.  She mentioned that the main way that she gets to collaborate with teachers is through them asking her to do lessons about specific genres from time to time.  She gave the example of discussing fantasy and historical fiction with kids and then reading excerpts of both to the students.

         Ms. Scaglione said that her fixed schedule partially keeps her form doing more elaborate lessons and from spending more time with students to help them learn how to reflect on their learning and try new things, but that the schedule does work for her as a primary elementary school librarian because she must see every last student in the school at least every other week.  She added that she believes this is important in establishing students’ patterns of using the library early on so that they will be more comfortable in a library later and be able to navigate the OPAC and resources when they get to middle and high school.

         Reflecting on my interview with Ms. Scaglione, I see that primary school librarians spend a great deal of time functioning as more of a related arts teacher than a collaborator.  Ms. Scaglione is very content in her position and feels that for the age of her students she very much addresses the Shared Foundation “Explore.”  I agree with her.  I lack the experience with students in her age group to even begin to do as much as she does with over one thousand students.