Help! I’m new at this.

Frequently I hear “I’ve never been a librarian before. I don’t know what to do! Help!”

Answering the above question is not easy because there are so many variables that effect the answer.

  • How many students?
  • What is the country and culture?
  • What are the demographics of your students?
  • What is the curriculum being taught?
  • ECE, Primary, Secondary, or all three?
  • What is valued by your administration?
  • What do you have to start with?
    • Facilities
    • Collection
    • Budget

Managing a library is complex and time consuming. There is a reason that the Masters of Library Science (or Information Science or Librarianship) exists. Running a library and providing library services is very different than teaching and requires a different set of skills and knowledge. It is best to invest in the education and training before seeking or accepting a librarian position. 

A good checklist is found at The Blue Skunk Blog. Keep in mind that you do not have to do ALL these tasks. I am a full-time school librarian with 28 years of experience and I can only check off 37 out of 71. Also, some of the items listed do not apply in the international setting like “districts” and “interlibrary loan.”

It is not unusual for administrations of international schools who do not have a full understanding of the nature of the job of librarian to assign the job to a teacher or someone with no library experience or training. It is just about putting books in order on the shelves, reading aloud, and checking books out, right? It is possible to find a school where the purpose of the library is well understood and supported. Carefully asking questions during the interview process is vital to identify what the expectations and support structures are.

In a worst case scenario, you might find yourself facing unreasonable expectations. One example from a colleague – the library had been locked up and unused for 5 years, there was no catalog recording the contents of the library, the books were old and worn, yet they expected her to be able to check books out to students the next day.

You may also find yourself in a situation where the administration does not allow the discard of any library books, no matter how damaged or outdated the books may be. Break out your diplomacy skills. You will need to negotiate with administration about what is priority, what can be done, and what cannot be done. If they are focused on the money that was spent on those books, therefore the books are too valuable to discard, try to bring them around to a perspective that values student needs. Students do not need outdated information. Parents paying high tuitions do not expect to see their child with beat up, ragged books. A well weeded library – devoid of old books, full of new books – will increase student reading interest. However, if diplomacy fails, you may have to accept that you have to put those boxes of old, ratty books back in the closet, hopefully, not back on the shelves.

If the school is new and the library is an empty room that you are expected to fill, you will need to find vendors for furniture, books, etc. This can be very challenging in the international setting. Start with getting an orientation on the purchasing process at your school. Do you have a budget? (Believe it or not, librarians have been told only “There’s no specific library budget, but we will tell you when you’ve spent too much.”) Who does the purchasing? Are quotations from multiple vendors obtained? Are there favored vendors? Will you be given any access to these quotations and a say in the purchasing decision? This not a given. Sometimes “cheap” beats out “quality.”

Selecting books can be daunting, especially for those with no prior library experience. Where do you start? The case of a brand new, empty library, is easier than the existing library collection. There are vendors who offer “starter” collections. If you are selecting yourself, aim for a balance of non-fiction and fiction, picture books, comics/graphic novels, etc. Cruise the website catalogs of primary/middle school nonfiction publishers. You can purchase series books that cover standard topics in science, mathematics, history, etc.

Non-fiction Publishers (a partial list):

Fiction Publishers (a partial list):

It is also fairly easy to get on the emailing lists of publishers. You might find yourself receiving emails about new books weekly, if not daily.

Pay attention to awards. What books/authors win awards, but also which publishers are showing up in the award lists frequently? Awards clue you in to well written books. Well written is probably my top criteria for selection. Definitely in the top 5 criteria, at least. I do not want my language learning students to be reading poorly written works. Reading is a key way to learn language, so why learn mediocre use of language?

Awards:

      • Caldecott Medal (picture books)
      • Kate Greenaway Medal (picture books)
      • Newbery Medal (middle novels)
      • Carnegie Medal (middle novels)
      • Theodor Seuss Geisel Award (beginning readers)
      • William C. Morris (debut YA novels)
      • Michael L. Printz (literary excellence)
      • Pura Belpre (Latinx)
      • Coretta Scott King Book Award (African-American)
      • Amelia Bloomer Book List (strong girl characters)
      • National Book Award
      • National Book Critics Circle Award
      • A much longer award list at ALA

Read book reviews and lists of “best books.” There are plenty of reliable review sources. My primary review source is Kirkus Reviews. A starred review by Kirkus and relevance to my school’s curriculum will put a book right onto my purchasing list.

Review Sources:

Webinars can be a great source of training, ideas, and book choices. To participate live can involve time zone issues. Happily, most webinars are recorded and posted to archives later allowing you to listen at your convenience.

Webinars: