International School Librarianship: Advice and Stories from Around the Globe
This title will be available Fall 2026. You may place an order and the item will be shipped when it becomes available. Customers outside of North America (USA and Canada) should contact Facet Publishing for purchasing information.
Primary tabs
You don't need to be an ALA Member to purchase from the ALA Store, but you'll be asked to create an online account/profile during checkout to proceed. This Web Account is for both Members and non-Members. Note that your ALA Member discount will be applied at the final step of the checkout process.
If you are Tax-Exempt, please verify that your account is currently set up as exempt before placing your order, as our new fulfillment center will need current documentation. Learn how to verify here.
- Description
- Table of Contents
- About the author
Written in an accessible yet professional tone, this book serves both as a comprehensive introduction for newcomers to the field and as inspiration for seasoned professionals seeking fresh perspectives on familiar challenges.
International school librarians come from various backgrounds and work in diverse situations, but it is common for them to serve as the sole library professional in large educational institutions. Despite their shared challenges, these practitioners lack robust peer networks for knowledge sharing and to support professional growth.
This collection of narrative essays bridges that gap by bringing together the voices of experienced and award-winning librarians from around the world, including the UK, US, Australia, Brazil, Canada, India, Kenya, Mexico, and New Zealand. Each contributor begins with an anecdote from their career, then extrapolates that vignette into a working methodology for library practice, intertwining theory from research and applications from their own library. Each vignette addresses a particular topic or practice, such as
- imagination and storytelling beyond the pages of a book;
- collection development and cultural sensitivity;
- transitioning from university to school librarianship; and
- AI and student wellbeing.
Introduction
Chapter 1: Borders: the transformative role of CPD in International School Librarianship - Sarah Pavey
Chapter 2: Not our diversity: collection development and resource curation in international schools - Nadine Bailey & Katie Day
Chapter 3: AI, it's not them, it's us: while everyone watches this fascinating new technology blossom, who's got their eyes on the students? - Alan Jacques
Chapter 4: Mother tongue literature: how to promote reading in Vietnamese when your students want to read books written in English - Truc Nguyen (Tan Thanh)
Chapter 5: Changing the ethos, turning the tide: what are those quotation thingies are all about? - John Royce
Chapter 6: Using the IFLA School Library Guidelines to integrate the library into your school's educational process - Mary Rose Grieve
Chapter 7: Managing goodwill in a library nostalgia environment - Anthony Tilke
Chapter 8: Insider perspectives from a BIPOC educator, who started life as a BIPOC student - Catherine Bae
Chapter 9: Building Community through International School Libraries: how do we make sure everyone belongs when no one is really "from here"? - Linda Hoiseth
Chapter 10: Navigating cultural sensitivity while building a rich library collection - Heeru Bhojwani
Chapter 11: Post-plagiarism: what relevance does plagiarism detection have in an inter-textual world where originality itself is under challenge? - Phill Taylor
Chapter 12: Don't mix up your 'gogies': lessons learned from adult education that will increase motivation, trust, & buy-in, when librarians step into the role of teaching the teacher - Alan Jacques
Conclusion