Last week I had a wonderful day with some colleagues from Michigan. These fabulous elementary school librarians drove all the way down to see our program. It was an honor for them to think it was worth the time and money, but it was just as much a benefit to me as I hope it was to them.
The day was filled with sharing and talking about the who, what, where, why, and how about our job. We took a little time to talk about the gloom and doom of school funding in both our states, but for the most part we really tried to stay focused on discussing the craft of our field.
Over the years we’ve all developed some tricks and techniques that work in all our various roles. From instruction to administration, we find ways to make our job easier. We find ways to make our jobs more effective. I know I get up everyday and think how can we move our program to the next level.
I’m a huge fan of networking and sharing. As a matter of fact I met one of the colleagues from Michigan years ago when we were both leaders in our respective state associations. We always talked about having a day just to share and learn from each other, and a few weeks back she emailed and asked to visit. I replied back with a resounding yes.
I believe that conversations like the ones I had with my friends from Michigan are what helps us become better school librarians. The chance to share our success (and failures), absorb new ideas from others, and just reflect a little bit on where we are and how far we come is so important.
There are lots of ways to do that – whether it be face to face like my visitors from Michigan or whether it be an online Skype™ conversation with another colleague. These interactions are what help us to grow and develop as school library leaders. We often get isolated in our jobs, and this is a way to make connections so we don’t feel so alone.
But, we need a place to start making those connections. For me, it was my involvement with our state organization, AIME, and then our national organization, AASL, which led me to begin making those bridges and connections to colleagues all over the country. The colleagues and network I’ve built will serve me well for many years to come. They can support me in the time of need and help me celebrate in the time of successes. Its one of the reason I value those memberships in my professional organizations so much!!
Tags: AASL · AIME · ReflectionNo Comments