Early-Career School Librarians’ Use of Information Literacy Skills to Master Their Information Needs

Though a tenet of school librarianship, early-career school librarians do not enter the field with a strong foundation in information literacy. Many have experience as classroom teachers yet are unaware of the job-related demands to be successful as a school librarian. The authors provide an overview of those responsibilities, the task of preparation programs to address gaps in understanding, and the results from a recent mixed-methods study in the United States exploring the professional information needs of early-career school librarians and library school students. Results revealed the source of support for these individuals resides in participation in professional learning communities and strong mentoring, provided and encouraged by their employer and preparation program, and intentionality to support their information literacy skills to foster expertise in the field.