Collaborating with librarian is not just for English teachers, the library is full of resources that support the curriculum, teachers and students. Any teacher can take a step inside the library and see the benefits and joys of collaborating with their school librarian.

After the presentation you will be able to:
- Understand what collaboration is and why it is important.
- Recognize the different forms that teacher and school librarian collaboration takes.
- Determine an idea for collaborating with your school librarian.

Everyone should have four Post-it Notes in front of them. One yellow, blue, green, and pink. We will be writing something on three of them, yellow, blue and green and then will come back to them at the end of the presentation.

On your yellow Post-it, write your biggest fear, concern or barrier to collaborating with your school librarian.

On your blue Post-it, write a project, unit, or lesson that having support with would help you.

On your green Post-it, write a skill or resource that your school library or librarian has that can help you.

At this point your pink Post-it should remain blank.

The definition of collaboration is "united labour" (Oxford, 2016) or working "with another person or group in order to achieve or do something" (Merriam-Webster, 2015).

For our purposes collaboration will be a teacher or team of teachers working with the librarian to create a lesson or group of lessons that supports the curriculum and student achievement and engagement.

Teacher and librarian collaboration “helps to create a vibrant and engaged community of learners, strengthens the whole school program as well as the library media program" (Small, 2001, 1). Teacher and librarian collaboration has also been shown to improve student achievement (Montiel-Overall and Jones, 2011, 2). Stephanie Ham research showed that students who use both school and public library have higher test score in reading, math and science (Diaz, 2013).

The teacher and librarian each bring different knowledge and skills that create richer learning environments and projects for students. The librarian is not only there to support your students but also you the teacher. This might mean taking something off your plate, such as teaching them how to use the app they will be using or a specific component during research.

Collaboration between the librarian and classroom teacher many take many different forms and can occur in any subject, for any age and for any length of time. Some collaborations might last a whole unit while others are only one or two lessons.

Collaboration might look like:
- The librarian teaching or developing students research or technology skills.
- The librarian providing resources, materials, or technology.
- Co-teaching a lesson or unit.
- Co-creating lessons, projects, units, assessments, tools or inquiry-based projects.

Elementary Technology Example: The classroom teacher has an idea of what she wants accomplished and the librarian provides an app that will work. The librarian also takes on the responsibility of teaching the students how to use the app.

Link to Video: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9XV9kUDP9yE

Math Collaboration Example:
Kellie Shugart from Creekview High School reflects a collaboration with the school librarian. In this example the librarian provided the resources, i.e. the data for students to create their projects for the math class.

Link to Video: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=rZTVE4uFmHI

Art Collaboration Example:
In the lesson "Painting Poems" the librarian reads "Love Letters" by Arnold Adoff. During their writing period students created their own poems modeled on Adoff's. Then during their art lesson students created their own collage like those in "Love Letters." (Freeman, 2016).

Collaboration is not just for classroom teachers and the core subject areas any teacher for any class can successfully collaborate with the librarian.

Lesson idea retrieved from: http://www.scholastic.com/teachers/article/teacher-librarian-partnerships

For a successful collaboration you need to be:
- Flexible
- Honest about your expectations and limitations
- Open minded
- A good communicator
- A team player
- Clear about what you want students to learn and what need in terms of resources and support.

You also need to have time and trust.

It is also essential that feedback is provided about what worked and what didn't how it could be improved.

The American Association of School Librarians (AASL) states "the mission of the school library media program is to ensure that students and staff are effective users of ideas and information." One way that this can be accomplished is through "collaborating with educators and students to design and teach engaging learning experiences that meet individual needs" (AASL, 2009, 8).

Based on what you learned during the presentation and what you wrote on your green and blue Post-its at the start, write an idea for a collaboration with your school librarian on your pink post-it.

On the yellow Post-its we had written our biggest concerns, fears and barriers to collaborating with the librarian if you still feel that that is your biggest concern place it under the sad face. If you feel that your concern has been addressed or alleviated place it under the happy face. All the pink Post-its with your ideas for collaboration should be placed under the label that says "Ideas".

Based on the post-its that are still present concerns and barriers, i.e. those under the sad face. The discussion will focus on what can be done to lessen those concerns or fears, and some possible solutions. Participants will also have the ability to share additional concerns, fears, or barriers that they might have.

The ideas on the pink Post-Its will be shared with the group including discussing them including other ideas or expansions. The Post-its will also be grouped based on subject, grade, or type of lesson (will be determined based on responses and the make up of the audience).

Does any one have any questions or concerns that haven't been addressed?

I would appreciate everyone filling out the following survey about the presentation at http://goo.gl/forms/uKKhv0iUtx.

Thank you!

(AASL), Amer Association of School Librarians. (2009). Empowering learners : Guidelines for school library programs. Chicago: AASL. Retrieved from http://replace-me/ebraryid=10751717

Diaz, S. (2013). Transformation through effective collaboration: SLJ summit 2013; Retrieved from http://www.slj.com/2013/10/industry-news/transformation-through-effective-c...

Fontichiaro, K., & Oehrli, J. A. (2014). TURNING THE TABLES ON COLLABORATION PART I: PLANNING FOR SUCCESS. Library Media Connection, 32(4), 36-38.

Freeman, J. (2016). Teacher librarian partnerships. Retrieved from http://www.scholastic.com/teachers/article/teacher-librarian-partnerships

Merriam-Webster. (2015). “Collaborate”. Retrieved from http://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/collaborate

Montiel-Overall, P., & Jones, P. (2011). Teacher and School Librarian Collaboration: A Preliminary Report of Teachers' Perceptions about Frequency and Importance to Student Learning. Canadian Journal Of Information & Library Sciences, 35(1), 49-76.

Oxford, E. D (2016)."Collaboration, n.". Retrieved from http://www.oed.com.proxy.libraries.rutgers.edu/view/Entry/36197

Small, R. (2001). Developing a collaborative culture. School Library Media Research, 4 Retrieved from http://www.ala.org/aasl/sites/ala.org.aasl/files/content/aaslpubsandjournal...