AASL review of research

A study undertaken by AASL’s Community of Scholars provides an aggregation and systematic review of research related to school librarian practice published in 2019.The AASL Strategic Plan (2019) also included five core values: learning; innovation; equity, diversity, and inclusion; intellectual freedom; and collaboration.  The researchers found the “core values to be tightly intertwined in the research. Learning outcomes were a focus in nearly 50% of the studies, but learning was a component of much of the remaining research in innovation and collaboration.”

Kimmel, S., Moore, J., Morris, R., Church, A., & Ewbank A. (2023). "School Libr*: A Review of Published Research Articles from 2019." School Library Research, 26. 

AASL studies

 AASL’s final snapshot survey results found changes have occurred over the past year that will impact school librarian practice for years to come. Respondents noted that their role in their school district or building increased during the current school year. When asked how their practices have changed, technology troubleshooting, e-book promotion, virtual professional development, and step-by-step instructional material for use of online tools and databases received the most “doing more” responses.

AASL. (2021). Final school library snapshot survey results. Knowledge Quest. https://knowledgequest.aasl.org/final-school-library-snapshot-survey-results/

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New research published in AASL’s peer-reviewed online journal, School Library Research (SLR), explores three topics. SLR articles can be accessed for free at www.ala.org/aasl/slr.

1) Kammer et al. examined successfully completed collaborative projects at the elementary, middle, and high school levels. Each project used integrated instruction or curriculum and were analyzed within the context of “what strategies make collaboration successful? 

2) Burns and Dawkins explored the alignment of the Standards Framework for School Librarians from AASL’s National School Library Standards with the ALA/AASL/CAEP Preparation Standards. The research team’s goal was to identify overlap between expectations school librarians are presented with during their preparation for practice and the Competencies they are asked to demonstrate in practice.

3) Thpmpson et al. examined the difference in school librarians’ teacher self-efficacy among those who worked in elementary, middle, and high schools. The research team attempted to determine if elementary school librarians’ self-efficacy could be a predictor of reading scores for the schools’ overall average rates on the Virginia Standards of Learning assessment.

• Kammer, Jenna, Matt King, Allison Donahay, and Heather Koeberl. “Strategies for Successful School Librarian and Teacher Collaboration.”
• Burns, Elizabeth, and April M. Dawkins. “School Librarian Preparation and Practice: An Exploration of the AASL National School Library Standards and ALA/AASL/CAEP School Librarian Preparation Standards.”
• Thompson, Jessica, Michelle Barthlow, and Kelly Paynter. “School Librarians’ Teacher Self-Efficacy: A Predictor of Reading Scores?”

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Information seeking behaviors study

This research paper compared Colorado Springs and Kampala (Uganda) upper elementary students' dispositions in seeking information. Dispositions of effective learners -- independence, creativity, self-motivation, and resilience -- were correlated with AASL learning standards. Both groups had an affinity for play and tendancy for creative. US students had more noncompetitive dispositions.
Crow, Sherry, and Lisa Kastello. (2016). The Dispositions of Elementary School Children of Individualistic and Collectivist Cultures Who Are Intrinsically Motivated to Seek Information. School Library Research. 
http://www.ala.org/aasl/sites/ala.org.aasl/files/content/aaslpubsandjournals/slr/vol19/SLR_DispositionsofElementary_V19.pdf

Common Core, Teachers, and Literacy

A new report reveals that educators across the US feel ill-prepared to help their students achieve the new Common Core State Standards in literacy. The report, , investigates the extent to which the professional expertise of educators working together is driving standards implementation. AASL members helped provide the data used in creating this report.
National Center for Literacy Education. (2013). Remodeling Literacy Learning Together: Paths to Standards Implementation. Urbana, IL: Author.
 www.literacyinlearningexchange.org.

School libraries survey

According to trend data collected by the American Association of School Librarians (AASL), library staffing , expenditures and physical usage remains consistent with 2011 results. The data also indicates connectivity to the school library continues to rise through increased networked computers in the school as well as remote access to school library databases. Data was collected as part of AASL’s national longitudinal survey, School Libraries Count! (SLC), conducted yearly since 2007.
AASL. (2012). School Libraries Count! Chicago, IL: AASL.
www.ala.org/aasl/slcsurvey.

Mobile technologies report

AASL Joins CoSN in Release of Report on Mobile Technologies and Social Media
This new report aimed at helping inform and guide education decision makers as they revise policies related to the use of mobile technologies and social media in schools. The report includes several key observations:

1. The use of mobile Internet devices and social media by young people is widely prevalent. The use of student-owned mobile devices for classroom instruction is growing, and more schools are moving from policies that ban their use to integrating them into the classroom.
2. Students and schools experience substantial educational benefits through the use of mobile devices and social media.
3. There are legitimate concerns about the use of social media that need to be addressed.
4. Current federal, state and local policies and procedures need modification or clarification in order to respond to current realities of expanded social media and mobile devices in schools.
5. Equity is a vital issue to consider when establishing policy around social media and mobile technologies.  

CoSN and the FrameWorks Institute.  (2012). Making Progress: Rethinking State and School District Policies Concerning Mobile Technologies and Social Media. https://www.cosn.org/Portals/7/docs/Press%20Releases/2012/UNESCO-CoSN_WorkingPapersOnMobileLearning.pdf
 

Mobile tech and social media in schools report

Leading education associations released a new report aimed at helping inform and guide education decision makers as they revise policies related to the use of mobile technologies and social media in schools. The report includes several key observations:

1. The use of mobile Internet devices and social media by young people is widely prevalent. The use of student-owned mobile devices for classroom instruction is growing, and more schools are moving from policies that ban their use to integrating them into the classroom.
2. Students and schools experience substantial educational benefits through the use of mobile devices and social media.
3. There are legitimate concerns about the use of social media that need to be addressed.
4. Current federal, state and local policies and procedures need modification or clarification in order to respond to current realities of expanded social media and mobile devices in schools.
5. Equity is a vital issue to consider when establishing policy around social media and mobile technologies.

American Association of School Librarians and Consortium for School Networking. (2012).  Making progress: Rethinking State and School District Policies Concerning Mobile Technologies and Social Media. www.cosn.org/MakingProgress

Social networking and employability study

A study of social networking found significant correlations between profile quality and academic performance, hirability, and job performance.
Kleumper, D., Rosen, P, & Mossholder, K. (2012). Social networking websites, personality ratings, and the organizational context: More than meets the eye? Journal of Applied Social Psychology. doi: 10.1111/j.1559-1816.2011.00881.x
http://http://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/10.1111/j.1559-1816.2011.00881.x/pdf

AASL School libraries count report

AASL is sponsoring a longitudinal survey that will provide data on the health of the nation's school library media programs. The annual survey is open to media centers at all schools teaching at the primary and secondary levels. The first survey was conducted in 2007, with annual results posted each year. Most of the questions are tracking questions, though each year the survey includes a short series of topical questions. In 2009 the topical questions were about approaches to teaching English Language Learners (ELL) in school library media programs.
AASL. (2009). School libraries count. Chicago: AASL.
http://www.ala.org/ala/mgrps/divs/aasl/researchandstatistics/slcsurvey/slcsurvey.cfm

National school libraries report

AASL's 2009 national survey of school libraries has been published. A special emphasis was placed on questions about teaching to ELLs. Main findings were that libraries increased hours and collections, but their budgets didn't.
AASL. (2010). School Libraries Count. Chicago: ALA.
http://www.ala.org/ala/mgrps/divs/aasl/researchandstatistics/slcsurvey/slcsurvey.cfm

AASL school library survey

Survey calls for targeted school library support
The average school library today is a well-connected facility with significant numbers of computers for students and staff to do research, according to an AASL survey of school library media centers. But the survey also suggests that school district leaders need to pay more attention to their elementary school libraries and that larger schools should be spending more per pupil on their libraries than they do now.
http://www.ala.org/ala/aasl/slcsurvey.cfm