China and Singapore, here I come

From, as Click and Clack put it, the Shameless Commerce Division:

I've been invited to do a series of workshops in early March 2014 in Shanghai, Hong Kong, and Singapore for librarians and teachers/tech integration specialists. I am very excited about this opportunity! Last year I had the chance to work with educators in Beijing, Bangkok and Tokyo and enjoyed the experience very much. 

For more details, see <http://21c-learning.com/doug-johnson/>. Please help me spread the word to others in the region who may be interested. Thanks!

Questions librarians need to answer

In a recent post, Jennifer LaGarde (LibraryGirl) suggests that these questions "really need answering" by librarians:

In 2014...

1. How will you make a difference for students?
2. How will you make your work the answer to the priorities/problems that keep your principal up at night?
3. How will you use student data to make instructional and programatic decisions?
4. How will you measure success?
5. How will you connect the dots between your work and student learning?
    
6. How will you share this data with your administrators and community? 
7. How will you ensure your diverse population sees themselves in your space (as well as in your collection)?
8. How will you dispel negative/outdated library stereotypes?
9. How will you grow your PLN?
10. How will you help strengthen our profession by sharing your work beyond the walls of your school.
11. How will you make sure everyone who walks into the library sees a focus on students (instead of stuff)?

Great, great questions, LG! Many that I've been asking as a professional for 30 years - and still don't have rock solid answers for. Which simply means that they are important.

I'd like to add just a few questions to your list...

1. What new skills will you learn this year that you can teach your students and staff?
2. What rules can you change to make your library a more user-friendly place?
3. What is your library's "purple cow?" (Boring is always the riskiest strategy - Godin)
4. How can you demonstrate leadership in your building? What are you willing to take responsibility for?
5. What can you do to get the non-connected members of our profession* who you know connected, changing, and good representatives of the library field?
6. Have you asked yourself about your personal commitment to the field? Are you still a librarian in order to make the world a better place?

The question I am going to be working on this year is "How can I help educate school administrators on the qualities of an effective librarian?" Wish me luck.

I have said it before and I will say it again, librarians, libraries, and library programs are too important to too many kids NOT to be indispensable.  Make 2014 your year to be indispensable to your students and staff.

* Jennifer would call these our zombie librarians.