If you are not making use of the school librarian, you are making a huge mistake. In fact, underestimating the power of the school librarian is a mistake of epic proportions! If you think librarians are quiet, elderly individuals who just put books on the shelves, you have the wrong idea.
Today’s school librarians are most often not even called librarians. Instead, in public schools, they are often referred to as Media Specialists. These individuals hold graduate degrees in library media. Not simply by taking classes about the Dewey Decimal system, but also because they have learned how to make use of digital media and apply it to the classroom.
As Scholastic explains, “These are the people who will integrate the digital world into today’s classroom and throughout the curriculum. Specially trained and knowledgeable in the use of information technology, library media specialists have become one of the most important instructional partners, working with teachers and administrators to change what is possible in the classroom.”
If you are in edtech, you must not overlook the school librarian, also known as the media specialist. Sudah Narsipu claims, “The current jobs of librarians are not only enhanced by edtech, they depend on it. The best in the library field are not only utilizing edtech, but they are the experts in the field.”
Librarians Understand the Technology
Typically, school libraries are hubs for technology. Think about it. School libraries always have computers. What you may not have understood is that the librarians have learned how to use computers to help the students and teachers that enter the library. As technology has progressed, school librarians are still at the forefront of technology. For example, those with a degree in library media took graduate-level courses on how to use technology in the classroom.
Librarians Understand the Curriculum
When it comes to edtech and curriculum, librarians are the ones who know if a product will be a success or a failure in their school. Why? To put it simply, they are involved in every area of the school. They deal with administration, teachers, and students, as well as crossing all content areas. For example, Tech Learning asked school librarians what they did when they find new technology (apps, websites, programs, or hardware) and over 75% said they tell all their colleagues about their new finds.
Ultimately, the school librarian is edtech’s friend. If you want your company to get its foot in the door, the first door you should be prepared to enter is the library.
