Experiences from a School Librarian Series: AASL Standards

Experiences from a School Librarian Series: AASL Standards - Shared Foundation of Engage

Welcome to part three of a four part series on how practicing school librarians implement the AASL (American Association of School Librarians) National School Library Standards for Learners, School Librarians, and School Libraries. This series will delve into four of the standards for school librarians: Explore, Collaborate, Engage, and Inquire.

Shared Foundation: Engage (Standard 6)

“Ethical use,” “validity,” and “attribution” are just a few of the words within the AASL Standard's “engage” shared foundation for school librarians (American Association of School Librarians [AASL], 2018). Most elementary students would have no idea what those words mean and certainly not how they apply to information. However, a well-trained librarian, like elementary school librarian Betsy Long, understands both the vernacular and how to teach students to engage with information in a responsible and ethical way.

With so many resources available to students, they can easily get overwhelmed by the sheet amount of information they have access to. Elementary school librarians like Mrs. Long begin teaching students right away, even in Kindergarten, how to efficiently and responsibly sift through the large information landscape. Mrs. Long, for example, begins teaching note-taking strategies to her Kindergarten students, thus as they get older, she can build on these early foundational skills (B. Long, personal communication, November 16, 2020). In working with a fourth grade class recently, she was able to go beyond note-taking and teach students how to access quality print and digital sources. Additionally, she regularly teaches students about copyright and their digital footprint throughout all grade levels. Many students still forget to give credit to their sources, but she is unrelenting in pushing students and reminding them of the importance accurately citing their information (B. Long, personal communication, November 16, 2020).

No student is too young to begin learning about “gathering and using” information in a “safe, legal, and ethical” way. As Mrs. Long’s experiences further illustrate, scaffolding information instruction is important for helping students grow and become more proficient in how they engage with content.

References

American Association of School Librarians (2018). National school library standards for learners, school librarians, and school libraries. Chicago: American Library Association.

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