Leading for School Librarians: There Is No Other Option

According to speaker, author, and former school librarian Weisburg, who teaches at William Paterson University, librarians no longer have a choice: If they want to remain relevant, they must become leaders and advocates. The author offers valuable first steps, challenges librarians to develop student-friendly spaces, and inspires readers to exercise their leadership abilities by becoming involved with state and national library organizations. Like any good instructor, Weisburg reviews the concepts established in previous chapters before building on them; each chapter concludes with a bulleted list of key ideas and sources. The book also realistically addresses obstacles, though the refrain that school librarians are constantly being judged may seem like overkill to some readers. Resources for cultivating a dynamic library that's indispensable to the school are abundant. One caveat: Readers may be confused at Weisburg's advice to become familiar with the standards associated with the Every Student Succeeds Act (ESSA), as ESSA removes the mandate for states to adopt the Common Core State Standards but does not create alternate standards. Regardless, the message that librarians should be knowledgeable about the various education standards is important.