School Library Musings: Why Become a School Librarian?

There is no doubt in our minds that one of the best jobs around is being a school librarian.

Instructing, collaborating, sharing, and creating all seamlessly converge in this often uncelebrated but wonderful profession—even as outdated yet ingrained stereotypes persist despite the many remarkable, even heroic, role models today. What makes this generally unheralded profession so rewarding?

With national standards as guides but few state-mandated library curricula, school librarians have a great deal of autonomy in what and how they teach their students. They get to work not just with one grade, but with a school’s entire student body. They get to teach students how to navigate the digital world in a meaningful way; collaborate, teach, or coteach with other faculty members; help administrators solve research questions; and provide programming with real-life people and events that entertain, engage, and inform students—all the while connecting classroom learning to the larger world.

They do this as they fill their library shelves with amazing works of fiction and information, full of those essential “windows and mirrors” that help students see how they fit in that world.

Depending on a school’s or district’s ability (and desire) to create robust learning centers focused on student academics as well as personal growth, there are several possible positions available in a school library, and many permutations of these positions.

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Plenty of schools operate with only one full-time teacher staffing the library, or one part-time staff member, or no staff at all. But plenty of others across the country understand that the library is their biggest classroom and needs staff to run it. A strong and supported school library team—consisting of a full-time, credentialed school librarian and a full-time clerk—can make for a dream career.

What, then, does it take to become a school librarian?

We took very different paths to arrive at our jobs.

Laurie received a BA in English from a small liberal arts college, then launched her first career as a journalist. Years later, she returned to school to earn an MLS (master of library science) with an emphasis on children’s librarianship, and began her second career as a librarian—first in public libraries, then in a public TK–8 school, and ultimately in an independent school.

Connie worked in public and university libraries while earning a BA in geography from California State University, followed by an MLS from Emporia State University in Kansas. Upon her return to California, she pursued teaching credentials in history, English, and elementary education, teaching in both junior and senior high schools before settling into a teacher-librarian position at a public high school.

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All of our school librarian colleagues came to their positions through their own unique journeys, many from classroom teaching first, and others from vastly different careers that somehow led them to education, instruction, and libraries.

The “rules” for staffing vary by state and by type of library. Where we live, in the state of California, one needs both a teaching credential and a library services credential to be hired in a public school as a school librarian (called “teacher-librarian” here). Because the emphasis is on teaching, an MLS or MLIS (master of library and information science) degree is not required; the requirement centers on obtaining the teacher-librarian credential.

This library services credential is a separate credential—similar to those for social science or elementary education—and allows the holder to teach that subject in the classroom. But since the position of school librarian or teacher-librarian is not mandated in California, few schools in the state today are run by credentialed school librarians.

Most private, or independent, schools don’t require credentials at all. The school librarian is part of the teaching faculty and—like a teacher-librarian—teaches students at all levels while also running the library. In this setting, having an MLS can provide a huge competitive advantage when seeking a job in the private school sector.

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States have their own rules regarding the scope of the school librarian role and the education required for it, and each state also has its own education code that lays out whether the position is required, recommended, or nonexistent. EveryLibrary offers a fabulous state-by-state map of school librarian requirements across the United States, along with additional data on school librarians, school libraries, and student achievement, including the names and contact information for personnel in each state.

Most states, like California, require a teaching credential and either an MLS or a specific score on the Praxis II Library Media Content Test, but only a handful enforce those requirements. And in some states, you can be hired as a teacher-librarian while still completing your coursework. This is one avenue for getting a job while still learning the ropes.

It sounds like a lot of education is required to become a teacher-librarian. Obtaining a BA or equivalent degree plus teaching credentials (depending on state requirements) does take time, but the rewards are high. Engaging every day with different groups of students, constantly evolving technology, and changing resources means the work is always stimulating. You can come to the field from a multitude of backgrounds and educational experiences, rather than having to follow a rigid path.

School librarians often emerge as leaders within their schools and communities. You get to run the biggest classroom in the school, and everyone loves to come there — what could be better?

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