“Librarians must be leaders in the fields of education, technology, and information and be both willing and able to share their expertise” (pg 1).

“If we want students to meet technology standards, adults must do the same” (pg 8).

“We are very good at associating librarians with our past, but the question is, do you see them as part of the future” (pg 15).

“Change the focus from what we want students to do to what we want them to be” (pg 17).

“{Libraries} are the spaces where we get help, find information, and explore topics that we find interesting” (pg 20).

“Being born in the digital age and having access to technology does not mean they have a deep understanding of how technology works or impacts them, and they are often limited in their usage by adults. They are explorers of the digital world but don’t see it as magic” (pg 20).

“ . . . we need to engage our students in discussions about usage, responsibility and decision making” (pg 21).

“One of the most important adult relationships that librarians can foster is with teachers and staff in their school or district” (pg 21).

“Culture does not change because we desire to change it. Culture changes when the organization is transformed; the culture reflects the realities of people working together every day” (pg 35).

“Keep in mind that your school, and what goes on in it, is a reflection of the community it serves” (pg 38).

“Your librarian is one of the few people in the school district that connects with every student and supports every teacher. They know the school differently than you do” (pg 39).

“{The librarian’s role} is to empower your teachers and sometimes that means pushing them to learn and try new things outside their comfort zone” (pg 44).

“If you don’t tell your story, someone else will” (pg 49).

“Leaders are a champion for their programs, initiatives, students, staff, and community” (pg 49).

“You can’t be a champion for everything all at once. What you can do is define your story and determine how to tell it” (pg 50).

“Just because you have a busy calendar doesn’t mean that you’re being effective. It means you’re doing lots of stuff” (pg 55).

“Can one be literate in the digital age without having an understanding of the messages of media or how to critically consume information?” (pg 74).

“As we look at trends in news coverage, bias, and how we share and personally vet information, being critical consumers of information is one of the most important skills that we can teach our students . . . images and videos have become even more prevalent through digital tools, so we must help our students understand the messages that they are both consuming and creating” (pg 75).

Grade: A

Simple and short, yet deeply profound. I gave this to my librarian, copied chapters for different teachers, and have been inspired to truly invest in our library, librarian, and digital literacy.

A must-read for educational leaders.

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