The School Library System (SLS) of Genesee Valley BOCES, an educational services agency supporting 22 small, rural school districts in Western New York, is honored to announce the release of a national resource for advancing understanding around the many roles of school librarians. "The Day the Librarians Disappeared" is an ebook developed in partnership with GapingVoid, a culture design firm, and made possible in part by a National Leadership Grant through the Institute of Museum and Library Services [LG-250060-OLS-21]. The ebook is available online at https://www.flipsnack.com/gapingvoid/imls-ebook/full-view.html and has been released under a Creative Commons license to allow free use in libraries across the country.
In 2021, the SLS received a two-year National Leadership Grant through the Institute of Museum and Library Services, the federal funding agency for museums and libraries. The Libraries.Today project (https://libraires.today) was established to investigate the shifting roles of school librarians during the pandemic. Christopher Harris, Ed.D., Director of the School Library System of Genesee Valley BOCES, is serving as the principal investigator for the grant. The first national forum for the Libraries.Today project was held in May, 2022. The forum included interactive discussions that collected evidence of the amazing work undertaken by school librarians during school shutdowns and in the changed educational setting as the pandemic progressed. A report from the forum is available on the grant website at https://libraries.today.
A key finding from the forum was that much of the work school librarians were recognized for, such as organizing electronic resources and providing instructional technology support, was actually taking place prior to the pandemic but without full awareness in schools and communities. The Libraries.Today advisory board recommended taking action to reframe stakeholder understanding around the role of school libraries and the value that school librarians bring to their communities.
The ebook uses a narrative story to explore the consequences of an event where all the school librarians and library resources disappeared. As the narrator discovers, despite some outdated stereotypes, modern school libraries serve critical roles in education for students, teachers, and families. Research supports this story; there is a strong correlation between the presence of a certified school librarian and a quality school library program and student achievement. “Despite the research, there have been more cuts to library positions across the nation. These cuts are often taking place in districts where other staff are being added, so it’s not because of a budgetary issue. It's an understanding issue,” explained Dr. Christopher Harris, Director of the School Library System of Genesee Valley BOCES.
The ebook created by GapingVoid is being released nationally today. “We have enjoyed learning about and reframing the valuable work that school librarians do each day for their students and communities. All transformation is linguistic and stories bring clarity where there is confusion. We hope this simple story transforms your thinking in an impactful way,” stated Senior Culture Science Engineer Kevin Denton, the lead from GapingVoid on developing this ebook.
The Libraries.Today grant project will work with other national organizations around school libraries to spread the word about the importance of this resource for explaining the work of school librarians. "GapingVoid did an amazing job of developing the graphics in the book to be stand-alone posters or images that can be used in other ways," Dr. Harris noted. Given the Creative Commons Attribution, NonCommercial, No Derivatives license, school librarians are free to make wide use of the ebook and graphics. This wide usage will help the story bridge the gap of understanding and lead to a better awareness of what school librarians bring to their communities.
About the School Library System of the Genesee Valley BOCES:
The School Library System (SLS) of the Genesee Valley BOCES, established by Commissioner's Regulations in 1985, is a state-funded program dedicated to improving the libraries of the region's 22 districts and non-public schools. Through cutting-edge web development, professional support, and the facilitation of resource-sharing tools, SLS provides mission-critical support for libraries and classrooms.
About GapingVoid:
Gapingvoid is an end-to-end culture design firm that believes culture is central to meaningful work. Their cross-disciplinary team utilizes storytelling to increase human connection and transform organizations.
About the Institute of Museum and Library Services:
The Institute of Museum and Library Services is the primary source of federal support for the nation's libraries and museums. We advance, support, and empower America’s museums, libraries, and related organizations through grantmaking, research, and policy development. Our vision is a nation where museums and libraries work together to transform the lives of individuals and communities. To learn more, visit www.imls.gov and follow us on Facebook and Twitter. The views, findings, conclusions or recommendations expressed in the ebook do not necessarily represent those of the Institute of Museum and Library Services.
