School Libraries Seek Relevance Through Virtual Access

Librarians' Roles Shifting to Address the Demand for Quality Online Content

During a time when school administrators are being forced to make tough decisions about budgets, libraries are working to reassert their relevance to schools by shifting from a quiet place to study and browse for books to an interactive, media-rich space for students to learn about digital tools, collaborate, and share their work.

Gone are the days when a library was essentially a warehouse of books, said Cassandra Barnett, the president of the Chicago-based American Association of School Librarians and the school library media specialist for the 2,000-student Fayetteville High School in Arkansas.

“We have really burst out of our walls, and we’re a part of everything in the school now, which I’m not sure was always...