NEWS RELEASES > APRIL 17, 2019
MCHENRY, IL – Education leaders Bill Bass and Shannon McClintock Miller have collaborated on a new book for K-12 school librarians designed to show them their full potential to empower their schools, students, and communities, and how they can collaborate to create positive change. Leading from the Library: Help Your School Community Thrive in the Digital Age is published by ISTE and available now for purchase.
“Through this book, Bill and I want librarians to discover the influence and impact they can have within their school community and profession as leaders within the library, classroom, community, and world,” said Miller, K-12 district teacher librarian at Van Meter Community School District in Iowa. “We hope by sharing our voice, experiences and stories, we will help librarians lead from the library, making a difference within their communities and in the lives of their students too.”
The innovation coordinator for instructional technology, information and library media for the Parkway School District in St. Louis, Mo., Bass said he and Miller wanted to highlight the essential role librarians play as “leaders who work collaboratively to build relationships, mold culture and climate, and advocate for the needs of students and the community. Libraries are critical elements of our schools and provide opportunities for all who enter the buildings while striving to address the needs of literacy in the digital age.”
The 150-page book begins by discussing the benefits of bringing the outside world into the library through the use of social media, videoconferencing, and other tools that enable librarians to partner with others. The second half expands upon these connections by addressing how librarians can lead in the greater educational community by sharing resources and strategies and partnering with school leaders to tell the story of the school community. Throughout, Bass and Shannon make direct connections to the ISTE Standards describing opportunities to empower learners and incorporate the standards into their school leadership.
The co-authors again will be collaborating at the 2019 ISTE Conference in Philadelphia where they will team up for a session at 9 a.m. Sunday, June 23 titled, “Leading from the Library in the Digital Age.”
Bass (@billbass) has authored three books and is currently president of the ISTE Board of Directors. Miller (@shannonmmiller) is a spokesperson for Follett and Future Ready Librarians® and author of the blog, “The Library Voice.”
The new book can be pre-ordered now ($20.97/ISTE members and $27.95/non-members) by visiting ISTE at https://id.iste.org/.
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