Spotlight on Inquiry in the High School Library

 Spotlight on Inquiry in the High School Library - Susanne Clark 2022

The AASL Standards Framework offers school librarians a foundation of core commitments and competencies to help structure curricular objectives. These standards have been carefully crafted and revised over time to meet the complex educational needs of 21st century learners.  

These standards are meant to give clarity and common understanding to the key principles that apply to a diverse range of school libraries and librarians. Seeing these principles in action is an opportunity to create a deeper understanding of how the framework impacts the day-to-day life of a school librarian.  

Inquiry is one of six key foundations in the standards framework. The AASL framework states that inquiry is the act of acquiring knowledge by “thinking critically, identifying problems, and identifying strategies to solve problems'' (2018). Encouraging inquiry is a critical tenet of any library, but especially in a school library focused on supporting student’s educational journeys. 

High school students use a school library for a variety of purposes. We often immediately think of personal reading and research support as the two largest uses of libraries, but there are so many diverse ways the inquiry process happens in a school environment. Fountain High School librarian Tiffany Rickey shared her perspective with me on how librarians can foster the inquiry process. One of the first steps Rickey takes to implement inquiry is meeting with teachers to better understand their curriculum goals and plans. In order for her to support students with materials, she believes it is important to first identify future needs. Proactive planning helps ensure materials and resources are ready when needed. There is a concerted effort to make sure that the lines of communication are open, so that teachers and students can reach out to their librarian for support in a variety of ways. When handling issues or questions that arise, Tiffany Rickey uses honest transparency as a key element of her response and she shared, “I may not always know the answer, but the staff and kids know I will do everything in my power to help them find it.” 

Recently a one of the science teachers came to her curriculum support with a specific lesson plan. In the process Rickey was able to share with both students and the teacher an online scientific database filled with updated resources as a valuable research tool. Navigating the maze of online research can be daunting to high schoolers and her knowledge helped facilitate the information search process. Librarians can use these examples of sharing their information expertise to help build trust with teachers and create opportunities for further collaboration. 

Rickey shared that the learning curve of opening a new high school has been filled with plenty of challenges as she learned high school standards, met an all-new staff, and adjusted to a new student dynamic. She credits her own inquiry process of authentic reflection as a way to continuously improve her program.  Being able to dive into problems together is what makes the Fountain Inn Library such a dynamic learning environment. The culture she creates transforms the librarian role into one of partnership as a supportive team member, rather than a keeper of information, which is at the heart of building a space that supports inquiry. 

American Association of School Librarians. ( 2018). National School Library Standards for Learners, School Librarians, and School Libraries. ALA. Chicago.Standards Framework - National School Library Standards (aasl.org)

Rickey, T. (2022). Personal Interview.