How Do School Libraries Prepare Students For Success In College And The Workforce

Libraries have developed standards that ensure students will be ready for whatever they are faced with in a changing world. The American Association of School Librarians has provided tools and standards that teach school librarians how to prepare students to become effective learners in the twenty-first century. Many of these standards emphasize being able to find, comprehend, and evaluate information effectively as well as meeting Common Core State Standards. These benchmarks are just one way college readiness is measured and school programs that are led by trained and certified librarians become key factors in a student’s growth.

In addition to honing college readiness skills, libraries also provide extensive resources and support in the college search process. Librarians can helps students organize their priorities and research locations, financial aid, and majors so that they are ready to make informed decisions when the time comes to choose a college that fits their needs.

Libraries Teach Research Skills

Librarians are trained in conducting research. While schools drill students on facts and emphasize testing, libraries help ensure that students are also developing key skills that will instill confidence in learning and beneficial habits. Life in college becomes more research-intensive than ever before meaning students will not only be able to find credible and useful information, they will also need to know how to sort through, analyze, and critique it before incorporating it into their arguments and topics.

Libraries Help Improve Writing Ability

Writing becomes a major aspect of college and the workspace as well. Students need to write concisely and be impactful with their paragraphs in order to explain their thoughts clearly to their peers and professors. This in turn translates to skills needed in the workplace. They might have to adapt their writing skills to grant or proposal writing, white papers, or reports. When these skills are instilled at an early age through local public libraries, they become habits that follow students as they go into their future endeavors.

Libraries Bridge the Digital Gap

The use of computers and the internet is becoming an increasingly core aspect of education and digital learning these days. Not only is access an important part of ensuring that students receive equal educational opportunities, developing digital literacy is an important skill that plays into many roles students will end up in. Libraries fill the space that students need to research colleges and careers as well as learn how to use technology in a way that is responsible and safe.

Libraries Build Critical-Thinking Skills

Many employers note that new hires lack soft skills and were deficient in areas such as communications and reading comprehension. This goes to show that just attending classes is not enough to prepare students for their next steps in college and future careers. Libraries help foster these important critical-thinking skills in students through programming, resources, and encouraging reading from a young age. In turn, students are able to develop social skills, a productive work ethic, time management, and good verbal and nonverbal communication skills. All of these skills are important components not only of good workers, but good leaders. Instilling and practicing these skills from an early age lead to higher levels of creativity and innovation as well as problem solving skills in complex situations. This helps students in their future careers and gives them potential for earning higher wages.

Libraries are gateways to information that students need in order to become successful in adapting to college life and the workforce. 

They become extremely important in helping students learn and develop habits and skills that become critical in their future work whether in the college lecture hall or at their first job.