ABSTRACT
At the very beginning of the past century, trained school librarians were assigned to U.S. schools with students from kindergarten through high school. This continues to be a role most often available in schools in the wealthier nations. The introduction of computer technology initiated a new era in the provision of information and created a new leadership role. This entry begins with a history of school librarianship in the United States, the preparation of school librarians, and their working environment. Also included are sections on teaching information literacy; standards and guidelines; the functions, traits, and skills of school librarians; and a brief discussion of school librarians in the global community. While the title, school librarians, has other forms such as school library media specialist or teacher librarian, in this entry the term will be the more universally used, school librarian.
