Monique R.

Howe-Freeman
Professional Growth Plan

To grow professionally as a school librarian beyond graduate coursework, my intention is to do the

following:
Continue my present membership in the American Library Association (ALA), Young
Adult Literature Association (YALSA), Virginia Association of School Librarians (VAASL),
International Literacy Association (ILA), and the Greater Washington Reading Council
(GWRC) with the goal of joining the Virginia Young Readers Selection Committee after I
have completed my first year of librarianship. These professional organizations will provide
a school librarian with the opportunity to keep current in the field, to network, and to
demonstrate leadership outside of the school setting.
By virtue of membership in the above organizations, they will provide me with the
opportunity to continue to read professional publications such as American Libraries, School
Library Journal, International Literacy Association, and Young Adult Library Services to keep
abreast of the latest teaching methods, literature, and technology available. Online
subscriptions to both Booklist and Kirkus Reviews are essential when it comes to selecting
current library materials for the school library. School Library Connection offers online
workshops to keep my information on the goings-on of librarianship fresh and current.
At minimum, it will be important to attend the fall and spring VAASL conferences
annually as they are held within my home state of Virginia. Attendance at one of the ALA
or YALSA conferences will occur every other year dependent on the availability of funds.
Attendance at conferences is primarily for networking with other librarians across the state
and country in order to share what is current in the field in regards to teaching and
literature. The information that can be gleaned from these opportunities are priceless as
they add to the fountain of knowledge of the librarian and provide fodder for what may be
possible in their own library.
Technology is changing rapidly therefore the school librarian must be able to keep up with
these changes. Continuing to explore Twitter as a means of connecting with librarians and
authors. The blogs of the Daring Librarian, Screwy Decimal, Library Dude, Library Girl, Hack
Library School (for library students), and Letters to a Young Librarian (new librarians). On a
personal note, I would like to learn how to create technology resources that can assist the
library community such as Symbaloo.
 In an effort to collaborate with other educators in the building as well as to provide relevant
professional development, I will present a series of mini-session coffeehouses in the library
on topics such as: Your Library and You, Locating Primary Sources, Using Primary Sources,
Supporting Inquiry with Primary Sources, Copyright and Primary Sources, Show and Tell:
Cool Tools to use with Students, Show and Tell: Cool Tools for You, as well as Mobile
Apps and You. These coffeehouses will be open forums to share and discuss the topics
casually with cross curricular peers.
By virtue of this Loudoun cohort, networking and resource sharing with future librarians
has already begun. The clinical experience has provided an opportunity to network with
librarians around the county as I learn the role of future librarian. One thing that I have
learned is that librarians email one another to share resources since all schools do not have
the same materials. Another opportunity that will be utilized is that of attending the bi-
monthly meetings as well as participation in the book club as a means of getting to know all
of the librarians and receiving current school system information.
Currently, certified as a Common Sense Media digital instructor but will keep that
certification current.
Continuous evaluation of the program will be enacted via the suggestion box that will be
visible in the library. It will be emptied every week to see if there are any therein. Feedback
will be requested by the populous also via surveys to the staff and parents as a means of
improving the school library program. Use of the AASL School Evaluation could also be a
means by which an evaluation of the total school librarian program could be evaluated and
from that information, improvements made for the subsequent year to encourage continued
and steady growth.