School Libraries and the COVID Slide Report from EveryLibrary Institute
School librarians, long identified as thought leaders in school communities, provide invaluable services and resources to children in times of crisis. With educators facing unprecedented challenges presented by COVID-19, school librarians and their libraries play a more important role than ever. The new report "School Libraries and the COVID Slide" from the EveryLibrary Institute looks closely at how school library programs staffed by certified school librarians can help stand in new education gaps during COVID disruptions.
School librarians provide critical services for children in distance education as well as in-person. Now that COVID-19 shutdowns have impacted learning for children around the nation, school librarians are needed more than ever, and they deserve our support. In "School Librarians and the COVID Slide", authors Allison Mackley and John Chrastka take a deep-dive into the many ways that school librarians do to teach with expertise and empower learners in an in-person and virtual environment.
As an integral and valued member of the learning community, the certified school librarian positively impacts learning by fostering an environment for personalized learning, equitable access to resources, and instructional opportunities that engage learners in a well-rounded educational program. Within the physical library and across the virtual environment, the school librarian empowers all members of the learning community to become critical thinkers, enthusiastic readers, skillful researchers, curators, and ethical users of information. They support learners as they make meaning through traditional and multimedia text and create new knowledge to actively engage within a global society. The school librarian’s reach extends beyond the walls of the library to engage with stakeholders, as well as local, state, and national organizations and partners. School librarians are champions for social justice, as they model and develop a commitment to equity, diversity, and inclusion.
Download your free copy of the EveryLibrary Institute’s new “School Librarians and the COVID Slide” white paper from https://www.everylibraryinstitute.org/school_libraries_covid_slide.