Implementing the U.S. School Library Standards: Data and Dialogue from the Field

In this exploratory study, a survey was conducted to learn about school librarian perceptions on the implementation and practice using the US National School Library Standards (NSLS) for Learners, School Librarians, and School Libraries published by the American Association of School Librarians (AASL), a division of the American Library Association (ALA). Participants in the state of Virginia in the United States, reported on their experiences after attending training on the new NSLS and they began their personal plan of implementation. This report documents preliminary findings indicating participants found implementation training largely introductory. After one year many remain at the awareness phase of implementing the new standards, yet to begin transitioning their activities or implementing the standards into practice. Participants have encountered challenges to implementing the Standards including awareness and “buy-in” from other stakeholders in the district and time constraints, preventing their implementation efforts. Additionally, lack of confidence in their own understanding of the materials has prevented some school librarians from fully implementing the new Standards. Future directions of this research include final data collection and analysis from additional training sessions, as well as follow up interviews with some participants to gather deeper insights on the perceptions of the population. Recommendations include future training at both the school and district level to increase and sustain implementation efforts.