Branding isn't just for companies and celebrities. Your school library is a brand too, and this book will show you how powerful the concept of branding can be. You will learn how to use it as a tool for articulating the value and importance of the school library while also better defining and delineating to stakeholders who school librarians are and why having a school librarian matters. Complete with a list of guiding questions at the end of each chapter to help you put its concepts into practice, this book includes templates, checklists, and worksheets to assist you in undertaking school library branding, a rebrand, or a brand rehabilitation; offers concrete guidance and techniques for engaging effectively with your community by creating a strategic communications plan; walks you through incorporating the use of data and community demographics analysis to improve your practice and thus increase positive perceptions of the impact of your work; shows how to use existing AASL personas as well as how to develop additional learner personas (such as trauma-sensitive, special groups and non-users) through a brand audit; presents a focused exploration of brand behavior, emphasizing the impact, influence, and integrity of brand credibility; analyzes the work of Jim Collins (Good to Great), John Kotter (Our Iceberg is Melting), and others to shed light on the importance of the "business" aspects of the school library; and spotlights successful and unsuccessful examples of branding from the realm of both business and libraries, connecting them to the AASL Standards.

With the recent passage of the Every Student Succeeds Act (ESSA), school libraries are poised for a potential turnaround. But there's only one way forward: school librarians must become leaders, fully interwoven into the fabric of the educational community. And to become a truly effective leader you've got to have a plan. In her new book, Weisburg builds on her decades of experience and mentorship in school libraries to offer a carefully crafted roadmap that guides readers step by step through the process of transforming into a leader, from becoming aware of what's at stake to learning and mastering the necessary skills for leadership. Using a pragmatic approach that acknowledges the challenges to come while also offering unabashed inspiration, this book incorporates first-hand understanding of the dynamics of the educational environment, from the building to the district level; begins by addressing common fears about taking on a leadership role, and shows how to move past them and gain confidence; demonstrates how to build credibility among stakeholders and peers through strategic risk-taking; discusses ways to rely on one's strengths to grow skills and expertise; explains how to know when to lead and when to manage, plus the fine art of delegation; gives pointers on communicating effectively, becoming visible, behaving ethically, maintaining a healthy life-work balance, and other important career issues; and shows readers what it takes to move onto a larger stage and become a local educational leader who also has a presence on the state and national level. By starting with the basics and offering concrete ideas for moving forward, the book shows readers how they can slowly build their confidence and skills to become the leaders their students and the profession needs them to be.