Rose by Any Other Name

This month I officially started the next step in my teaching career. I have taken the position of Library Resource Center Director in the junior high which I have taught in for the past 13 years. Now some people might wonder, “What is a Library Resource Center Director and what do they do?” Basically, I am the school librarian. It really is as simple as that.

For some reason, schools are constantly changing the titles of individuals and programs. In some cases, I think it's to break away from old mentalities or ways of doing things. My own district is looking to rebrand the library space and create what will eventually be known as Learning Commons. I will then be known as the Learning Commons Director or some other variation. Apparently, schools don’t want librarians anymore. Or at least they no longer want a school librarian that sits at their desk and barks at kids about overdue library books or tells them to take their food and drink elsewhere. I am all about changing the role of the school librarian and creating a position that is more relevant to today’s schools and more specifically tailored to today’s student needs.

The problem I am seeing with this trend of new titles and positions is that it distracts from the work being done. What I mean by this is I think about William Shakespeare and the phrase “a rose by any other name would smell as sweet”. No matter what you call a position or a title or a program, it all comes down to the work being done. I fear far too many people are obsessing over what we title things and not enough time focusing on what we're doing. We see principals being called “lead learners” and yet doing the same thing principals have always done. Yet we all feel better with these new titles and shiny hashtags.

Rather than worry about what we call people or what their titles are maybe we should focus on the work being done. For me, I am a librarian. My job is to provide services and resources for students and teachers in numerous capacities. A librarian does check out books. They also manage resources that are increasing in amount and digital capacity. In addition, they teach classes and co-teach with other teachers. They provide professional development on literacy, science, math, technology or any other area in which there is a need. If you are lucky like me, you also manage a video production lab and eventually a robotics center.

My goal, among many other this year, is to not be defined by the title I am given but rather the work that I do. Many people have asked me if I went into this new position to get out of the classroom. They wonder if I'm trying to avoid the myriad of initiatives and new programs and expectations that are being piled on classroom teachers. Some think I'm just tired of working with kids and therefore I can go and hide in the library at my desk. None of these are true. I expect to be working with more kids, more regularly and on a deeper level than I ever have before. I also know that I will be providing more support and resources for staff than I ever could before as a classroom teacher. If this first month on the job is any indication, I am in for a long and busy year working with kids and teachers.

Yes, I realize there are stigma and stereotypes that I will need to overcome. My goal is to not do that with a new title or by trying to tell people what I'm going to do but rather just do it and let them see it in action.