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"  Leading Learning: Standards of Practice for School Library Learning Commons in Canada, 2014 offers a vision and provides practical approaches for all those engaged in creating successful 21st century school libraries in Canada. Its framework presents five standards supported by a set of themes and growth stages that lead to the transformation from traditional library facility to vibrant library learning commons. The standards represent guideposts along a journey of continuous growth. Because Canadian schools are at different points on this journey, this publication includes a range of markers of progress, sets of implementation strategies, and rich examples of innovation and success. Leading Learning also contains key resources to provide educators, individual schools, and school districts with helpful direction and support."

"The national association for the school library profession, the American Association of School Librarians (AASL) has defined the term "effective school library program" to assist with the implementation of the Every Student Succeeds Act (ESSA) at the state and district level:"

A reflection about one school library faculty's goal of creating a positive learning environment with space that would help students and teachers develop real-world connections and the approach they took to creating it. The ideas for the space included housing the collection, helping students and teachers collaborate, being a hub for learning with a flexible floor plan and supporting newly developing areas in educational technology. The school decided to create a learning commons to move beyond traditional thinking about libraries and respond to what the kids and teachers really needed. The faculty envisioned their environment to be developmentally appropriate for their young students, as well as to foster a sense of creativity, inspiration, and encourage dialogue and a sense of community. The new learning commons library offered more space for stacks, added conference rooms and a lounge area, but the learning commons concept informed more than the library. These design changes increase opportunities to be inspired by student work and performances and create stronger interpersonal connections among students and faculty.

AASL site. This page has links to their definitions and statements. The first is a definition that is the new position statement, "Definition for an Effective School Library Program," published by AASL as guidance for administrators, school boards and school librarians in the implementation of ESSA. It provides the elements of an effective school library program as a fundamental component of college, career and community readiness.

This page is updated regularly with new documents. "AASL continues to examine ESSA, unpack the provisions for school libraries within the ESSA, and communicate how they will impact the school library community. AASL's ongoing work with the ALA Washington Office, as well as the association's partnerships with other educational organizations, will highlight opportunities within ESSA language for school library programs. Read more about the next steps in the link below for ESSA Opportunities for School Librarians.  "

This revised edition includes five new studies (Colorado 2012, Kansas 2012, New Jersey 2011, New York 2012, and Pennsylvania 2012). However, the Delaware, New Jersey, and New York studies are continuations of research cited in the first edition. Using smaller samplings of surveys or focus groups, these studies drill down into particular aspects of school library programs, such as what quality programs look like, what effective school librarians do and their dispositions. They also seek to learn what stakeholders-teachers, school administrators, librarians, students, and parents-value and think about the relationship between school library programs and student academic success.

"School libraries matter because they can help every member of your school community gain new knowledge, skills and dispositions for learning and personal development that they will use throughout their lives."

Storify "Redesigning Thinking in Libraries with Hamish Curry At this workshop hosted by School Library Assoc of Victoria, Hamish Curry of NoTosh guided library staff through a design thinking approach to exploring the future possibilities for their individual school libraries."

Like their municipal counterparts, school libraries are seeking their place in an era of overabundance of resources and Cloud-based information networks accessible from any mobile device. Getting together to examine their role in 21st century education, library media specialists from more than 50 school districts from Putnam/Northern Westchester and Southern Westchester BOCES met earlier this month at a conference themed, School Libraries: Innovative and Engaged Learning.

The role of the school librarian is to guide students and fellow educators through the intersection of formal and informal learning. The instruction the school librarian offers is integral to a well-rounded education. As educators and instructional partners school librarians are critical to teaching and learning in the school community. The school librarian plays a prominent role in instructing students, faculty, and administrators in a range of literacies, including information, digital, print, visual, and textual literacies. As leaders in literacy and technology, school librarians are perfectly positioned to instruct every student in the school community through both traditional and blended learning.

Many school libraries work hard to try to keep all students but especially boys coming to the Library, reading books and engaging with what they are reading. Many of the strategies work for girls as well as boys and, although an aversion to reading isn't gender specific, every time you investigate some research it always shows that boys read less. This article explains some strategies one library has tried in order to combat boys disengaging from reading. She is not saying these will work for your school, but she has noticed a big uptake in the number of boys in the Library and of course the number of books they are borrowing.

"Today our experienced professionals and new library workers must find their passion around people to build an educated and involved citizenry and ensure digital and economic opportunity for all. Library professionals are the essential element of strong schools, colleges, universities, and public communities."

A presentation for the Independent School Library Exchange of Southern California by Buffy Hamilton.  The slides in this post are from her presentation about the possibilities for makerspaces and school libraries. " Please note all links referenced in the session are live and accessible via the SlideShare post below"

From the Guardian: Schools of the future series. Technology just have to mean the end of school libraries.

"Research and academic libraries are moving quickly in many directions in response to expectations of patrons who are growing accustomed to the consumer technology experience and digitization of content. Among the trends that are redefining institutional libraries: a push for mobile content delivery, more focus on managing research data and rethinking the use of library spaces. These and other trends were highlighted in a new, freely available report published by the NMC, a community of experts in educational technology."

"2015 was a big year for libraries' digital efforts, with a record number of readers borrowing ebooks and digital audiobooks. Overdrive, the leading supplier of digital content to libraries and schools, reported Tuesday that, in 2015, readers borrowed more than 169 million ebooks. This marked a 24-percent increase over 2014. There was also a notable spike in audiobook usage, which saw a faster growth rate than ebook library borrowing"

5 minute video, published on 4 Apr 2014, that has principals talking about the benefits of the school (teacher) librarian. Principals Know: School Librarians are the Heart of the School was crowdsourced by Dr. Judi Moreillon and Dr. Teresa Starrett using funds provided by the Texas Library Association, Demco, and the Dean's Research Funds (College of Professional Education, Texas Woman's University).

"The author went to Youtube looking for the top five videos about and for libraries and this is what they found.  The three criteria were: 1. Had to be about school libraries 2. Definitely no cheesiness!  It has to have importance attached to it 3. Well done format. " And there were 4.

The American Association of School Librarians supports the position that an effective school library program has a certified school librarian at the helm, provides personalized learning environments, and offers equitable access to resources to ensure a well-rounded education for every student

The School Librarians of Rhode Island (SLRI) found that the image students, and parents in particular, held of Rhode Island public school libraries was behind the times. It was clear that perception needed to evolve along with reality.What they decided to do is explained.