Being Indispensable

Toor, Ruth, and Hilda K. Weisburg. Being Indispensable: A School Librarian's Guide to Becoming an Invaluable Leader. Chicago: American Library Association, 2011. ISBN: 978-0-8389-1065-8



This non-overwhelming volume helps school librarians gain the right perspective to make advocacy and leadership more successful. -- Jen

From ALA's website:
In New on the Job, experts Ruth Toor and Hilda K. Weisburg helped newbies make the transition to real-world school librarianship. Being Indispensable is all about staying one: without a proactive approach, school librarians, facing a severe economic downturn and budget cuts, run the risk of becoming an endangered species. In clear, simple, and practical language, this book empowers school librarians by helping them

• Understand what other stakeholders in a school need and want
• Demonstrate their importance to administrators, teachers, and parents
• Plan strategically in both their personal and professional lives
• Master important tools like advocacy and marketing

Making the case for the vital role school librarians play in learning, this book gives readers all the strategies they need to become the kind of leader their school can’t do without.

Table of Contents
Introduction

Part I Knowing Who You Are
1 What’s Your Mission?
2 What Makes a Leader?
3 Where Do You Stand?

Part II Knowing Your Stakeholders
4 What Do Administrators Want?
5 What Does the Community Want?
6 What Do Teachers Want?
7 What Do Students Want?

Part III Thinking Bigger
8 How Does Advocacy Develop Leadership?
9 How Do You Get a Larger Perspective?
10 Does This Really Work?

Appendix: Web Resources

Index