Being the Bridge: Reevaluating Plans and Making Creative Adjustments

When I applied for the position I have now, I created a very ambitious five-year plan that I gave to the administration. I’d been developing this plan for years based on research, podcast episodes, conversations with high school media specialists across the country, and all the ideas that popped into my head. I knew what the culture was surrounding the library at the school I was applying to. I knew what many high school libraries looked like. I had a vision for what could be. I was really tired of people telling me that high school libraries were different and this or that wouldn’t work because the students wouldn’t come, and the teachers wouldn’t want to be involved. I knew there had to be a way. I created a plan. I surveyed the staff and the students and then, I got to work. 

As I transitioned to a space that needed a lot of TLC, I started working on updating the space first. I spent my summer picking paint colors for the walls, spray-painting book carts and café tables, updating bulletin boards, moving furniture, and getting rid of the outdated reference section. My principal gave me time in front of the staff during pre-planning to help them reimagine what our media center could be. I very clearly laid out what the space should look like, what I could do with their students, and how I could support their instruction. They all seemed very receptive to the changes.