School Librarians and Innovation

Last week I had a great day in Newark NY (Yes NY not NJ) at the BOCES Library Leaders Day. Afterwards two memes started on some blogs that have been very interesting.
The Wanderings… blog started a meme on:
I will blog because . . .
Just some samples …
I will blog because my students pay attention to blogs
I will blog because it helps me share ideas with my school community
I will blog because it helps me expand my ideas with ideas from other people in the cyberworld who are thinking about the same things that I am thinking about
I will blog because I want to model social networking behavior for my colleagues and students.
I will blog because I need to “reinvent” myself as a Library Media Specialist in a changing world . . . once again!
There’s also a I will blog instead of . . . to talk about what needs to be given up. I love the idea that we have to think about sacrifice at the same time as we think about innovation.
She builds on this with another Wanderings meme:
I WILL as a school librarian . . .
Her challenge is fun – and she encourages you to add to her list:
Let’s have a little competition at our school library and get ready for the future. I will use a laptop, interactive Library/Web 2.0 tools, a library web page with access to subscription databases, plus unfiltered access to the Internet. You will use a desktop computer, no subscription databases, a filtered Internet connection, and no interactive technologies – not even email. Are you ready…?
Some samples here are really cool… click to the full list above…
I will access research databases with the full text of thousands of periodicals & reference articles – you will have the library’s 30 periodical titles and a copier.
I will save my notes to a blog, wiki or other collaborative website so I can work on them from any computer, anywhere, anytime – you will save your notes to a disk or other portable storage media, and carry it with you from computer to computer.
I will work with my collaborative learning group to complete a school project any time, any place, using a blog, wiki or other web-based collaborative tools – you will meet with your group in the library whenever you have the same “free” period.
I will add podcasts, video clips and other multimedia to my presentation and post it to the web – you will share it with your teachers and students.
I will help my students develop the search and evaluation skills they need to survive in an enormous, unmoderated information environment – you will help children learn to use the Dewey Decimal System.
I will remain calm, even if a student’s cell phone accidently rings. You can freak out like a buggywhip maker hearing a new fangled car horn.
I will play games because I know playing is just another word for learning that is fun. You will say “No Games in the Library” because your students have to be working, not enjoying being in the library.
I will remember that we have always had students just copying encyclopedia articles and turning them in. You will complain that with this new media students are just cutting and pasting rather than reading.
I will remember that technology isn’t the point, that the point is to design projects that make kids think, rather than projects that show all the bells and whistles. You will stick with the same projects your kids have always done.
I will balance my “collection” – print, electronic and online – allocating resources to encompass all areas. You will focus on one area to the detriment of the other.
Interesting.
Then, over at the Infomancy blog, where Chris Harris has talked about School Library 2.0 and what needs to happen. Again, interesting.
This is a group of school library leaders having an open discussion about how to empower learners and make a difference. It’s great to get to peer in on their learning and conversations.
Stephen