From Learners to Leaders

Juggling the responsibilities of teaching, budgeting, curating, programming, planning, and advocating, it's no wonder that school librarians feel overstretched. Training student volunteers in leadership skills is the solution you've been looking for. Empowering students will not only assist you in balancing the day-to-day operations of the school library, it will also give learners the valuable experience they need for their future growth while fostering a sense of ownership and pride in their tasks. The authors share nuts-and-bolts advice drawn from their own successful student volunteer programs and other real-world success stories to guide you at your own school library. Using this book, you will be introduced to the many benefits of learner-led library leadership, which nurtures critical thinking and problem solving, collaboration and communication, inclusivity and respect, and creativity and initiative; discover how empowering student volunteers can give you breathing room to focus on high priority items, tackle ever-growing pending tasks, foster collaborative relationships, and tend to your own wellness and stress management; walk through the essential steps for making it happen, from creating a "call for volunteers" poster and conducting interviews with learners to drafting a parent information letter and permission form, managing sign-in sheets, and completing a reflection rubric; receive clear, actionable frameworks for goal setting, building your leadership team, training learner leaders, offering praise and motivation, and effective behavior management; and learn strategies to use your student leadership program for generating greater visibility for the school library, increased administrative support, better communication with the school community, and more opportunities for extracurricular clubs and programming.