Teacher-Librarian Collaboration: The School Library Media Specialist as Portrayed by Teachers' Professional Organizations

In the professional school librarian community, collaboration between teachers and librarians is emphasized as a key to a successful school library program that has a positive impact on student learning. A content analysis was performed on journal articles and convention sessions of two teachers' professional organizations, the National Council of Teachers of English (NCTE) and the National Council for the Social Studies (NCSS), to determine if teachers are likewise encouraged to engage in this collaborative work. Little mention of the school library or teacher--librarian collaborative relationship was found; even less was found concerning its impact on student learning. Suggestions to better utilize the communication channels of professional teachers' organizations are offered for school librarians, both individually and collectively through the American Association for School Librarians (AASL) and affiliate organizations