It is widely accepted that library skills should not be taught in isolation. Collaboration is now the shape of library instruction. They are designed to provide school librarians and teachers with a framework for information proficiency, student achievement and life-long learning skills. The Information Literacy Skills, however, give us school library media specialists a balanced framework within which to work toward our ultimate goal of student achievement. The Virginia SOLs do include library skills throughout, thus strengthening the case for curriculum integration of library skill instruction and for collaboration as the method to ensure that this instruction takes place.
Collaboration is the buzzword at the moment.
The library media specialist and teacher develop a lesson or activity that uses the best the classroom, media center, and wider learning community can offer. The relationship between teacher and librarian should be seamless. The teacher and librarian are to be seen interchangeably in the classroom and the library media center. Collaborative teaching is the best way to ensure student achievement. With the proliferation of the information superhighway, electronic databases, and real-world applications, the library has had to change more than its name to keep in touch.