At ALA Midwinter on January 22nd in Atlanta, the Transitions to College Committee of the Library Instruction Round Table (LIRT) met and discussed challenges in preparing students for college. A mix of public, school, community college, and university librarians shared ideas for making the transition smoother for all students.

According to the multi-type library committee, “libraries can be a powerful influence in helping students prepare for the high school to college transition. They can be even more powerful when they work together.” To that end, the committee has made a resource map to help foster relationships between librarians at varied institutions to discuss and collaborate on transitions-related projects.

The map, intended to serve as a starting point for collaboration, seems like a great place for BayNet members to share expertise. Currently only a few Bay Area institutions are included on the map.

As a librarian in an independent high school, I am particularly interested in working with first year experience librarians and other college librarians to ensure that my students are well prepared for research skills they’ll need in college. I think dialogue between K-12 and college librarians as well as public librarians working with school-age students can target critical thinking and critical searching skills amongst the students we serve. Special libraries could also add to the conversation, sharing information seeking trends and information literacy needs seen in their libraries.

To view the map or add yourself to it, visit the Connecting Librarians for K-20 Transitions site here: Connecting Librarians for K-20 Transitions.

 

Post Written by Sarah Levin; Librarian, Urban School of San Francisco; President, Bay Area Independent School Librarians