Change and the School Librarian: An Experience in Evolution

The literature in both education and library science since the 1980s has encouraged school librarians to support education change through service to school-wide initiatives. The difference in the literature from the last century to this one is the transition from a reactive stance to a proactive one. The former encouraged librarians to gain strength by supporting school reform initiatives initiated by the administration. This article indicates that now, just the reverse is happening. School librarians are encouraged to present initiatives that would garner the support of the administration. School librarians are expected to propose instructional reform, train others in new concepts and principles, lead in the implementation, and assess the impact of those changes. School librarians now have the power to create whole school change, rather than stand in line to be granted it. It is the evolution of leadership in the school library field. For the future, the dispositions of the school librarian, the definition of excellence in school librarianship, and the changing structure of the school library will be of paramount importance in the school reform landscape.