School Librarians and the Second Wave of COVID-19
The EveryLibrary Institute analyzed the responses of school librarians from 15 states, seeking to understand how school libraries have responded to the COVID-19 pandemic. 70% of respondents reported learning had moved fully online/remote instruction, while 18% used hybrid learning.
Supported Literacies
Of those who responded, key themes emerged. School librarians extended themselves beyond their job descriptions and provided their school communities with invaluable resources. Some librarians offered delivery services to their students to maintain access to library resources. Other librarians partnered with community organizations, such as the public library, to help students to sign up for library cards and extend their access to information. Many school librarians became responsible for educating their students (and teachers alike) on navigating the online environment by creating video tutorials which helped them to understand the databases they would now be using more heavily. Librarians throughout the United States pivoted quickly and provided access to information in non-traditional ways - with students' success remaining top of mind.
Equity
Equity came to the forefront as disparities between communities and students were only heightened. Many librarians ran mobile libraries to continue to distribute resources, while others took the time to audit their collections for diversity and identify gaps. School librarians created “Takerspace” kits (makerspace-to-go), while others created landing pages to link resources on social justice issues. Minimizing the gaps where possible and providing information was of the utmost importance for school librarians.
Social and Emotional Learning
School librarians sought to provide students with social and emotional learning opportunities in addition to information. School librarians were tasked with helping students to understand and move through the world around them - one that was unrecognizable in many regards. Through social media, some librarians hosted virtual field trips and workshops to help keep students and their families connected. Many librarians highlighted mental health resources with special care around relationships, career exploration and loneliness.
Learning Environment
Through the staff’s best efforts, the learning environment remained a challenge for many students. Being fully online was a challenge sprung on students and staff alike. The learning curve in navigating new tools was large. School librarians sought to close the gap for students and teachers to the best of their abilities.
The paper provides ample examples of the multitude of unique challenges school librarians faced and the solutions they brought forward. Through it all, collecting the narratives from the librarians has been critical for advocacy efforts and ensuring the role of the school librarian is recognized. Using a survey internally through SDS will ensure you have qualitative data to support the narrative your school is sharing. Having data to support your organization’s efforts is critical during the best of times… and certainly, during the worst of times.
