Emerging Trends - Evolving Global Information Infrastructure and Information Transfer - page 169

The diffusion of knowledge is a vital function of library and information profes-
sionals. Therefore, the library is a lifelong learning unit in any institution or commu-
nity. A student completes a major to show that she can do work in depth. However,
a student at any level should be charged with learning how to learn, in order to be
equipped for lifelong learning.
Children's Services
To be relevant in the future, libraries must provide services to children. Over the
last ten to fifteen years, there has been a focus on early childhood services, and
that trend continues to expand. Sharon Morris, the director of library development
at Colorado State Library, said the following:
Research on literacy shows that the first three years of life are critical. Chil-
dren's librarians are being vigilant and proactive, learning all they can about
brain research and child development and changing story times by going
beyond a fun experience for kids—inspiring them to read but also providing
an educational experience for children, parents and child care people.
Librarians now provide parents with suggestions for home activities they can
share with their young children. For example, some librarians give cards to parents
for things they can to do at home with their children. Parents are encouraged to be
the first teachers in children's lives and to assist them as they take their first steps
along the path of lifelong learning.
Trends in Schools
An ongoing trend in schools is the establishment of standards for learning and
the assessment of students' learning. Teacher evaluations are also aligned with the
evaluation of students' learning. At the national level, Common Core has been es-
tablished as standards for science, math, and English/language arts. These stand-
ards have been adopted by 45 states.
The central and logical person for standards implementation is the school lib-
rarian, because he or she works with all school personnel and knows curriculum.
The current standards for school librarians, Empowering Learners (2009, 8), states
that the mission of the school library media program is “to ensure that students and
staff are effective users of ideas and information. The school librarian empowers
students to be critical thinkers, enthusiastic readers, skillful researchers, and eth-
ical users of information.” The school librarian is in a position to be a leader in the
school and central to the mission of the school in the 21st century.