The first comprehensive history of American public school librarianship. "Can I get a library pass?" Over the past 120 years, millions of American K–12 public school students have asked that question. Still, we know little about the history of public school libraries, which over the decades were pulled together and managed by hundreds of thousands of school librarians. In American Public School Librarianship, Wayne A. Wiegand recounts the unseen history of both school libraries and their librarians. Why, Wiegand asks, did school librarianship turn out the way it did? And what can its history tell us about limitations and opportunities in the coming decades of the twenty-first century? Addressing issues of race, social class, gender, and sexual orientation (among others) as they affected American public school librarianship throughout its history, Wiegand explores how libraries were transformed by the Great Depression, the civil rights era, Lyndon Johnson's Great Society programs, and more recent legislation like No Child Left Behind, Common Core, and the Every Student Succeeds Act. Wiegand touches on censorship, the impact of school segregation on school libraries, disparities in funding that fall along lines of race and class, the development of school librarianship as a profession, the history of organizations like the American Association for School Librarians, and how emerging technologies affected school librarianship. Wiegand clarifies the historical role of the school librarian as an opponent of censorship and defender of intellectual freedom. He also analyzes the politics of a female-dominated school library profession, identifies and evaluates the profession's major players and their battles (often against patriarchy), and challenges the priorities of librarianship's current agendas, particularly regarding the role of "reading" in the everyday lives of children and young adults. Filling a huge void in the history of education, American Public School Librarianship provides essential background information to members of the nation's school library and educational communities who are charged with supervising and managing America's 80,000 public school libraries.

In this practical guidebook, experienced librarians—a public librarian and a school librarian—share advice and ideas for extending resources, containing costs, and leveraging capabilities between school and public libraries, offering insights and strategies to overcome today's economic challenges. The current economic crisis has had a drastic impact on both public and school libraries. As budgets shrink, resources become scarcer, and the job of the librarian becomes harder. The conundrum of doing more with less challenges even the most seasoned professionals whose institutions face service cutbacks, disappointed patrons, and possible job eliminations or closures. This book asserts that a collaboration between school and public libraries can effectively serve the needs of two populations—teens and the community at large—while minimizing the cost to do so. Better Serving Teens through School Library–Public Library Collaborations offers thought-provoking advice and ideas for practical use in real-world libraries. The authors provide step-by-step guidance for those who wish to start, strengthen, or extend a partnership with colleagues at a sister library, covering topics ranging from teen advisory boards and collaborative programs to homework help and professional development. Veterans in the field, as well as beginners, can utilize the wealth of tools within—including worksheets, timelines, and checklists—to leverage the capabilities of other agencies tp fortify both their own and their institutions' value.