Thought leaders in school libraryland

In response to my post "Age and Change," Alice Yucht suggested:

Have you seen this: Who are the thought leaders in educational leadership? [by Jon Becker] I think you and Gary Hartzell need to compile a similar article re: school library leadership!

Yeah, get me in trouble, Alice. I just know that I would leave some top notch influencers off the list.

But it may be a good idea, especially if a comprehensive and thoughtful list could be moved to the SIGMS wiki or the T-L Ning - where lots o'people who are better read and better informed than I am could add to it. (I am admittedly weak about international school librarians, academics*, and AASL leaders). I often get asked to suggest good writers and presenters about library related topics. This would be a great resource any of us could just point to when asked such a question.

Whether through books, articles, editorialships, blogs or organizational leadership, these folks have made sustained, public contributions directly addressing school libraries - and influenced MY thinking about the field.

1. Alice Yucht
2. Amy Oberts
3. Anita Beaman
4. Annette Lamb
5. Barbara Jansen
6. Barbara Stripling
7. Bob Berkowitz
8. Brenda Anderson
9. Brian Kenney
10. Buffy Hamilton
11. Carl Harvey
12. Carol Gordon
13. Carol Kuhlthou
14. Carol Simpson
15. Carolyn Foote
16. Cathy Jo Nelson
17. Chris Harris
18. Clarence Fisher
19. Daniel Callison
20. David Loertscher
21. David Warlick
22. Deb Levitov
23. Deb Logan
24. Debbie Abilock
25. Diane Chen
26. Diane Cordell
27. Dianne McKenzie
28. Donna Baumbach
29. Doug Achterman
30. Doug Johnson (somebody else suggested this)
31. Ernie Cox
32. Fran Bullington
33. Frances Jacobson Harris
34. Gary Hartzell
35. Gail Dickinson
36. Gwyneth Jones
37. Heather Loy
38. Hilda Weisburg
39. Jacquie Henry
40. Jamie LaRue
41. Jamie McKenzie
42. Jane Prestebak
43. Jean Donham
44. Jeri Hurd
45. Jim Randolph
46. John Royce
47. Joyce Valenza
48. Judi Moreillon
49. Judy O'Connell
50. Karen Kliegman
51. Kathy Lemaire
52. Kathy Schrock
53. Keith Curry Lance
54. Ken Haycock
55. Kristin Fontichiaro
56. Larry Johnson
57. Laura Pearle
58. Laurie Conzemius
59. Leigh Ann Jones
60. Lesley Farmer
61. Lisa Perez
62. Marcia Mardis
63. Mary Alice Anderson
64. Mary Ann Bell
65. Mary Ann Fitzgerald
66. Mary Woodard
67. Mike Eisenberg
68. Nancy Everhart
69. Nancy McGriff
70. Nicola McNee
71. Patricia Carmichael
72. Rob Darrow
73. Rob Rubis
74. Ross Todd
75. Sandra Hughes-Hassell
76. Sara Kelly Johns
77. Shannon Miller
78. Shelee King George
79. Stephen Abram
80. Stephen Krashen
81. Susan Sedro
82. Vi Harada
83. Wendy Stephens

Please add your own "thought leaders" in a comment. Rather than me replying, I'll just update this post.

And I just know I've left people off the list. My apologies in advance.

* Becker's article is worth reading since it speaks of a disconnect between academics and practicioners. Also see An Open Letter to New Professors by J.M. Anderson on the Minding the Campus blog.

Comments on this post are closed. Please see: Thought leaders in school libraryland - the next step

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Comments

[Mary Fran Daley]

Carol Gordon !

[Barb Jansen]

Thank you, Doug. I am honored to be included in your list.

[Carl Harvey]

Wow, Doug! So honored to have been included on your list. It is such an impressive list of leaders and thinkers that I'm most humbled to be thought of in their company.

Please do make sure to add your name to the list. Your articles, books, presentations, and blog have been most influential in our field to get people thinking about school libraries!

Carl

[Jacquie Henry]

I am incredibly honored to be on this list.

Did I miss Diane Chen on this list? (http://sljsummit.ning.com/profile/DianeRChen)

[Jeri Hurd]

I can not believe I am even on this list--and sandwiched between Joyce Valenza and Jamie McKenzie! I assume these are not in hierarchical order!! : )

Again, and as always, thanks. I am honored, humbled and completely motivated/inspired to get out of my "I want to go home" slump and start some working/thinking for real.

[Kelly Stanchfield]

Doug,

This is a wonderful list. Not only was I inspired by Annette Lamb in library school, but also Nancy McGriff. She has been a wonderful mentor to me through the years. http://www.doe.in.gov/olt/slms/mcgriff_n.html

Thanks for all you do!

[Robin Sowder]

Annette Lamb and her eduscapes site!!! Still referring to it. Larry Johnson is a pretty good guy too.

[Ellen Hrebeniuk]

No links?

[alice yucht]

Hmm... Perhaps another reason for the disconnect between academics and practitioners? http://www.mindingthecampus.com/originals/2010/08/an_open_letter_to_new_professo.html

[Mary Woodard]

Wow! I am completely blown away to be mentioned in such illustrious company on a blog that is in the MUST READ section of my Google Reader. Thanks so much!

[Barb Jansen]

YOU should be there! I have been learning from you for years!

[Richard Moore]

L e s l e y ... Farmer
spelling counts!

[Hilarie Mukavitz]

While not a school librarian per se, I'd include Clarence Fisher. http://www.evenfromhere.org/ He definitely has a good grasp on information literacy.

[@AspenWalker]

Jamie LaRue
http://www.jlarue.com/

[Annette Lamb]

I'm honored to be on your list!

I particularly enjoyed your focus on "sustained, public contributions". Whether you're a beginning school librarian or have been in the profession for many years, we can all learn from each other. New professionals bring fresh perspectives while veterans mix their years of experience with emerging ideas. It's this blending of viewpoints that makes the public access websites such an important resource.

[Rebecca Reynolds]

Hi all,
I am a new assistant prof at Rutgers and this fall and I am teaching a class called Learning Theory, Media and the Curriculum. One of my course assignments for the school library students in the program is to do a multimedia project that asks them to research, describe, and analyze a chosen project-based educational intervention involving technology. I ask students to:

a) describe the innovative educational technology / curricular program
b) cite any research that has been done evaluating the program's effectiveness
c) analyze this program themselves, for its possible application within the school library setting of the future.

I am new to the specialized area of school libraries; my background is in ed-tech more broadly, so I currently have a list of projects including 5th Dimension, Intel Computer Clubhouse, Scratch, Logo, Alice, Globaloria, LIFE Center, GlobalKids, Digital Youth, ETC.

I know that for instance Annette Lamb and David Warlick also have developed curriculum/technologies that fit in well to this assignment.

Who else from the Top Researchers list should I include as options for the assignment, and what is the name of their program? I will research them myself and offer them as potentials to my students for analysis.

I would greatly value any suggestions anyone might have time to provide! Thank you so much for your expert insights to help out a school librarianship newbie. . .

[Dianne McKenzie]

Wow - thanks for the mention on this list and I am very happy to be able to help people think about what they do, as much as others help me to think about what I do - they raise the bar and I try to keep up - scrambling most of the time ...

One person who has also been an influence in another environment is John Royce. He works in Istanbul, and is a strong advocate and worker for school librarians in International schools across Europe and Asia. His blog is here - http://read2live.com/index.htm,and his sustained input on the ECIS iskoodle listerve is always an inspiration!

Together we learn from each other!

[alice yucht]

Yikes! How did we leave out Brian Kenney?

[Dawn Nelson]

Because we'll never hear it from her - Jane Prestebak. Her work on things like the Research Project Calculator (http://rpc.elm4you.org/), Minnesota's Information and Technology Literacy Standards (http://memotech.ning.com/page/memo-information-and) and AASL's 2010 School Librarian job description ( http://www.ala.org/ala/mgrps/divs/aasl/guidelinesandstandards/learning4life/resources/sample_job_description_L4L.pdf ) are just a few examples of the excellence to which she holds professionally.

[John Royce]

Wow! Honored and awed to be up there. Thanks!!

Some favourite names up there,

I don't see Kathy Schrock listed - I'd also suggest Kathy Lemaire, who did so much for British school librarianship during her tenure at the School Library Association.

One name not there and never will be now, the late Anne Clyde. Unless you're going to start a Blue Plaque list, Doug?

John