I'll admit that Joyce Valenza's posts often make me want to lie down and take a nap, and this one is no exception, but it is one of the most important things I've read in awhile since it clearly states what makes librarians effective as professionals. Transparency is the New Fierce breathlessly discusses the difference between transparency and invisibility, the non-negotiable importance of a vital online presence, and, by default, the role of the librarian as school leader and curator. If anybody still has any questions about whether or not the school librarian's job could be done by a clerk just as effectively, they haven't run up against Valenza and librarians like her.
Nor have they read Doug Johnson's A 12 Point Library Program Checklist for School Principals - 2012.
For those overwhelmed by the idea of managing a library, serving in a leadership capacity in their building, and developing a strong online presence, here a few tips for developing a school library blog.
1. Just sign up and start. I use TypePad, but WordPress is great too, and Blogger works as well. I pay a yearly subscription to TypePad and run multiple blogs from it, but you can start free if you want to. You might prefer to work with a wiki. Whatever. Options abound, but you need to pick one and go. Find out what your district recommends and what they block first, though.
2. Incorporate your existing web page into your blog. If you have something going already, you can tie it into your blog fairly easily.
3. If you are fascinated by FaceBook, Google+, Twitter, or other social networks, fine, tie them in too, but recognize your limitations. Every component you choose to add is a time drain. Start with one thing you can manage and build from there.
4. Remember your purpose and your audience. I believe strongly that the library blog should be aimed toward students first. It should promote effective use of technology, showcase good books, highlight library activities, and give students a chance to review books and discuss technological and information literacy issues as well as enhance a sense of community. I keep a digital recorder at the desk and when students start to talk about books, I whip it out and develop a blog post from what they say (with their permission, of course.)
5. Embrace a sense of inadequacy. I just said that I record students talking about books and develop blog posts from what they say, but I don't manage to follow through as often as I would like. I have accepted the fact that my blog will never be perfect, never be done, never be quite what I think it could be. Years ago I heard a presentation on developing web pages, and the guy said, "Building a web page is like painting your house. Sooner or later, you have to admit, 'That's good enough.' "
5. Post at least twice a week. TypePad allows me to put together posts ahead of time, set to go up early in the day every school day.
6. Make it a priority. Do not let it slide. Refer to it often when working with students and faculty. Build your lessons into it. Incorporate classroom and school activities. Avoid duplication and drop the way you used to organize things and use it as an organization and management tool. If your online presence is an intregal method of how your do business every day, it will be a priority, and you will keep it up.
As Joyce Valenza says,
"To sum up:
- Being transparent scales out your purchases across the school population.
- Being transparent allows you to scale your practice and your instructional voice to the whole community.
- Being transparent allows you to reach your learning community 24/7 wherever they are, wherever they go.
- Being transparent demonstrates your value as a teacher and an information professional.
- In tough times, when one librarian is spread across more than one building, being transparent is the most effective way to be a professional, to be there virtually when you cannot there physically.
- Being transparent is no longer optional. It hasn’t been optional for a long time.
- Practicing teacher-librarians today are obliged to communicate their programs effectively in both face-to-face and online spaces.
- Transparent practice is no longer optional. Mobile practice is no longer optional. Our practice should be cloud-based, participatory, portable, and attractive.
We are all about openness, communication, and accountability. At a time when we need to world to recognize our contribution to learning, we must be transparent. It should be our culture.
Let’s make 2012 a year to be both fierce and transparent."
(Martha House)
