Future Ready Librarians: Let’s Lead the Way!

Have you heard about the Future Ready Schools (FRS) initiative? This project is a collaborative effort led by the Alliance for Excellent Education and many other educational organizations that is working to help K-12 schools across the U.S. implement research-based digital learning strategies and tools that support a rigorous, personalized learning environment for all students.

Sounds pretty good, right? Even better: this initiative given special recognition to school librarians as critical leaders in school transformation. In order to support librarians in this leadership role, FRS launched the Future Ready Librarians initiative with the goal of providing “resources, strategies and connections for district leaders and librarians to work together to promote and implement innovative learning opportunities for students.”

But what does that really mean? This infographic shows how librarians can lead the way in promoting and supporting the key aspects of Future Ready schools.

As I was combing through all this information, I couldn’t help thinking “Wait, don’t school librarians already do all these things? Why do we need another buzzword for the work we’re already busy doing?” Whether this initiative turns out to be an overhyped catchphrase or a powerful force for innovation (or something in between) remains to be seen. But I think it’s worth exploring and considering how this initiative could 1) help us cultivate stronger partnerships with our school district leaders and 2) strengthen our efforts to advocate for school libraries and librarians as a transformative force in education.

Want to know more?

• Sign up here for the free webinar Future Ready Librarians: What’s Not to Love? on Tuesday, Feb. 14, 2015 at 4:00 p.m. EST.
• Check out this video
• Join the conversation on Twitter #FutureReadyLibs