A school media specialist, also known as a school librarian, teacher librarian, or school library media specialist, is responsible for the upkeep of a school’s library resources. This includes fiction and nonfiction books, magazines, educational software, DVDs, and other related materials. The school media specialist’s main goal is to promote information literacy. A school media specialist, according to the American Association of School Librarians, encourages students to become skilled researchers, enthusiastic readers, critical thinkers, and ethical information users.
Although school media specialists are not teachers, they do spend a lot of time working with students. They work with students to answer questions about how to conduct research for a project, including how to determine whether or not a source is reliable and what citations are required to avoid plagiarism issues. They may also suggest leisure reading materials by recommending authors based on the books a student has previously read.
School media specialists assist teachers in planning lessons that promote the development of reading and critical thinking skills when they are not working with students directly. This includes recommending specific reading materials that correspond to the lesson’s theme and objectives. The school media specialist may occasionally contact other school districts to request materials via an interlibrary loan program. Because the job of a school media specialist typically entails working with the most up-to-date computer software and online informational resources, tech support may be included in the job description.
Outside of the school’s library, a school media specialist may have no other job responsibilities in larger schools. Smaller schools, on the other hand, are more likely to have a school media specialist who is also qualified to teach English or a related subject. In smaller districts, some school media specialists also serve as supervisors for students involved in journalism, yearbook, speech, or drama.
A bachelor’s degree and a valid teaching certificate for the state in which you wish to work are typically required for school media specialist jobs. However, a growing number of people in this field are opting for a master’s degree in educational technology or library science. State certification as a school library media specialist may be required depending on where you live. If certification is required, it will almost certainly have to be renewed every three to five years.