by Ann Vyoral
In 1998, a librarian at
my former district invited me to San Antonio for a day; she thought I would
enjoy the Texas Library Association Annual Conference. Enjoy was an
understatement. I was amazed, I was overwhelmed, I was inspired, and I was
hooked. I enrolled in library school and TLA became the high point every
year of my professional development. I went with our district librarians each
spring, but I never thought to share the experience with others.
All of that changed in
2008. Through a grant, librarians, teachers, a principal, and our
district instructional technologist attended TLA together. Magic happened
for all of us at that conference. Teachers heard their favorite authors
speak and attended collaboration workshops with their librarians. Our
instructional technologist declared that it was as good as TCEA. Our
principal attended the Administrator’s Conference, and spent hours in the
exhibits. And in the evenings, we all shared what we learned and
discussed how to implement the innovative ideas presented. We realized
that together we had the power to make things happen in our district. We
returned energized and started putting our ideas to work - together.
Many of these
participants returned to TLA, and other teachers joined us over the years. Our
instructional technologist became a regular, and four more administrators
attended with us, including our Assistant Superintendent. We knew we had
struck a chord when a principal asked why so many teachers were listing a
library conference as one of their professional goals! TLA Annual Conference
became a very important advocacy tool for the librarians in our district for
several reasons.
First, when educators
attend TLA, they gain a greater appreciation for librarians. They see
concrete examples of the incredible programs that school librarians launch,
they discover all the aspects of school life and curriculum impacted by a library/media
professional, and they hear famous speakers like Julie Andrews, Jamie Lee
Curtis, and James Patterson talk about the positive influence librarians had on
their lives. Administrators learn about best practices in school
library/media centers, and leave TLA as some of our biggest advocates. A
district wide media fair, one book/one school programs, and monthly library
technology training were some of the proposed initiatives that resulted from
our collaborative attendance at TLA. In 2011, when librarians rallied at
the capitol in Austin, we marched to our local legislator’s office with a
principal leading the charge. No library positions were cut that year in
our district.
Taking teachers to TLA
is a great way to develop classroom/library collaboration. Imagine
sitting with a reading teacher as Stephen Krashen talks about the the
importance of reading for pleasure to increase test scores, taking a high
school teacher to a session with college librarians who are discussing the
skills that our current graduates are missing, listening with a middle school
teacher as Suzanne Collins explains her character’s names in The Hunger
Games. The discussions triggered by experiences like these were invaluable
to collaboration in our schools.
Teachers love authors
and books. At TLA they meet some of their favorite writers, they are
exposed to new talent, and they return and share these experiences with their
students. Last year, a teacher who attended with my old district
went back to the hotel, spread her books on the bed, and posted a picture on
Facebook. The comments that followed, almost all from teachers, had one
word in common - “jealous.” The comment with the most impact, however,
was from a teacher who is now the district coordinator for multiple programs.
Her post said, “TLA changed my life.” The teacher’s response, “Amazing is
all I can say.” And those teachers won’t forget that a librarian
introduced them to TLA.
Finally, one of the most
urgent reasons to take teachers to TLA is to get energetic, new faces into our
profession. If we are going to advocate for libraries, if we are going to
persuade school administrators that every school should have at least one
certified librarian, if we feel strongly that every child can benefit from
interaction with a qualified professional, we must ensure a supply of
exceptional library candidates to fill these positions. When we take
experienced teachers and administrators to TLA, they become advocates.
When we take creative young teachers to TLA, they often return wanting to
become librarians! If we agree that it is imperative for a good school
librarian to spend time first in the classroom, then our audience for
university school library programs is obviously teachers. The librarian
who let me tag along with her 20 years ago knew that all I needed was an
experience like TLA to convince me that this was the professional move that I
needed to make. How many potential candidates are out there waiting for that
same push?
Sometimes we want to
keep special things to ourselves. But TLA is a secret librarians should
share. Reignite your own enthusiasm as you see the conference through the eyes
of a first time attendee. Advocate for your profession, collaborate with
your teachers, and recruit new librarians all in one place. Take your
teachers to Austin this year, and that place could be TLA.
Ann Vyoral currently works at Education Service Center, Region 20
as an Educational Specialist, Digital Resources and Library Services. She was
an English teacher for 14 years, and a librarian in Rockport, TX, for 14
wonderful years.
