Sarah Katherine Glass (right), a University of Mississippi library specialist, shows attendees at the symposium for K-12 school librarians models created by the 3D printers in the IDEAlab at the J.D. Williams Library. The gathering was organized to provide resources to help school librarians better prepare their students for college and careers Photo by Thomas Graning/Ole Miss Digital Imaging Services
Speakers offer practical knowledge, tools for librarians to take back to schools
School librarians should be familiar with the proposed Right to Read Act and have a book collection development plan.
Those are just two of the recommendations from Elizabeth Simmons, instructional materials and library media director in the Office of Elementary Education and Reading at the Mississippi Department of Education.
“Anything you do around your collection should focus on curriculum and community,” she said.
Simmons spoke December 11 during the University of Mississippi Libraries’ first symposium for K-12 school librarians, a free event at the J.D. Williams Library and other locations on the Ole Miss campus.
Participants came from north and central Mississippi and received continuing education credits for professional development.
“In 2022, UM Libraries recognized school librarians were struggling to find more accessible professional development opportunities in the state,” said Melissa Dennis, a coordinator of the event, head of research and instruction services for the libraries and associate professor.
“Thanks to our dean and sponsors, we made it one of our goals to provide a free school library symposium to offer 0.5 CEUs (continuing education units) for school librarians.”
Another goal was to provide resources to help school librarians better prepare their students for college and careers.
Session topics included using the online graphic design platform Canva, generative artificial intelligence for school library discussions, free databases for Mississippians and digital tools to engage students, and censorship issues in school libraries.
During her session on censorship, Simmons suggested that school librarians establish a diverse advocacy committee composed of teachers, parents, administrators and students in case of a complaint about a book. She also recommends having policies in place and to create a form to be filled out by complainants with questions such as “Have you read the whole book? If not, note the part that upsets you.”
If attendees were to take home one lesson from the session, Simmons recommended that it be, “Don’t buy books for the sake of buying books. When you’re buying books and you have that collection, make sure it’s really supporting all your kids. That, to me, is the biggest thing.”
Along with the educational sessions, symposium attendees could tour the J.D. Williams Library and its makerspace, the IDEALab, as well as the Department of Archives and Special Collections.
The final session featured a conversation with Gloria Burgess, author of the book Pass It On, which has been used in Mississippi studies classes in fourth and eighth grades.
“We hope a day of engaged learning will connect some of the research and community collaborations happening at UM with our school library peers,” Dennis said. “I am excited that this symposium showcased ways the university can be a valuable resource for the K-12 community.”
By Benita Whitehorn
