Adult Learners: Professional Development and the School Librarian

This practical guide clarifies why school librarians need to be part of the professional development process in their schools―and shows just how to achieve that goal.

To remain gainfully employed, today's school librarian has to be a leader in the school. To that end, Adult Learners: Professional Development and the School Librarian encourages librarians to become instrumental in providing professional development to teachers and staff. The book begins by explaining why librarians should participate in designing and presenting professional development, then goes on to provide tips, examples, and a complete model for doing this based on system used at the author's school.

Readers will discover how to determine what is practical and how to turn ideas into actions, whether they want to implement a major initiative or start with something small. Most important, this book details how to become part of the professional development team in ways that are both relevant and meaningful to the teachers and staff involved. When these stakeholders understand what the librarian knows and how they can benefit, the librarian's sphere of influence will be expanded―and a job just might be saved.

• A model for implementation that school librarians can put to immediate use

• Examples of 21st-century tools

• Suggestions for using Web 2.0 tools with teachers and staff