From Eye Rolls to Engagement

AFTER COMPLETING THIS COURSE, YOU'LL BE ABLE TO:

• Set and communicate clear expectations in ways that resonate with adolescents and fit the unique authority structure of the secondary library.
• Apply a proactive, library-specific behavior management framework built for mixed-use, open-access spaces.
• De-escalate tension without damaging the relationships that keep your library functional and welcoming.
• Manage the competing demands of simultaneous open-access periods, whole-class visits, and drop-ins without losing control of the environment.
• Navigate harder situations, including chronic disruption, students using your library to avoid somewhere else, and moments when multiple crises land at once.
• Build a secondary library environment where expectations are clear, students feel welcome, and you have a plan for when things go sideways.

You will leave with a practical framework designed for the realities of the middle and high school library, not adapted from approaches that were never built for your context.

If you're someone who:

• is working with students who don’t necessarily want to be there and aren’t shy about showing it
• is managing a mix of open-access time, classes, and drop-ins, all happening at once
• feels like expectations are unclear or inconsistently enforced, and students take advantage of that
• is navigating eye rolls, pushback, or low-level disruption that chips away at your time and energy
• wants to keep your library welcoming without letting it turn into a space where anything goes

This course was built for you.

This course is especially relevant for:

• middle and high school librarians working in grades 6 through 12
• library staff managing open-access or mixed-use library spaces
• librarians balancing instruction, supervision, and student support at the same time
• anyone working with adolescents in a space that functions as both a classroom and a social environment

If you’re trying to run a space that feels both welcoming and functional, and not constantly negotiate every expectation, you’ll find this useful.

THIS COURSE CONSISTS OF 3 ON-DEMAND MODULES:

Module 1: Building Your Library's Behavior Foundation

Preventing problems before they start involves designing environments for pre-teens and teens. This module will cover adolescent development and how that influences approaches to setting and communicating expectations with students. By creating a culture of understanding, respect, and belonging, you will set students and yourself up for success.

Module 2: Proactive Management in Practice

Sometimes you just want to know what to do. This module covers real-world tactical ideas, including proactive and reactive approaches to behavior management. In addition, you’ll learn ways to address the gap in expectations from a classroom to the library, working with teachers, and how to approach rotating schedules vs. mixed-use periods. At the core of all these strategies is an emphasis on building relationships with students to encourage a positive environment.

Module 3: Complexity in the School Library

Some behavior in the library is more challenging than others. Chronic disruptors, distressed students, and unexpected crises require a different set of skills and approaches. This module will offer strategies for these harder scenarios, teach de-escalation techniques, and address the importance of building support networks, so you’re not navigating this alone.

COURSE ADVISOR & INSTRUCTORS

Zinnia Bayardo, Library Instructional Support Specialist in a Texas district

Zinnia is a BOOK-loving, techie, CHICANA TEACHER-LIBRARIAN who celebrates her bilingual, bicultural identity, working to bridge the linguistic divide one libro at a time! Promoting and sharing LIBROS, CULTURA, y COMUNIDAD - BOOKS, CULTURE, and COMMUNITY!

COURSE INSTRUCTORS

Gabriele Goldberg, High School Librarian

Gabriele has been in education for twelve years as both a teacher and a school librarian. She holds a BA in English from St. Mary’s College of Maryland, a MA in Leadership in Teaching from Notre Dame College of Maryland, and a certificate of Library Studies from the University of Maryland. She is currently a high school librarian in Maryland, where she focuses on curating a collection reflective of the school she serves.

Jane Marchione, Middle School Library Media Specialist 

Jane has been a middle school library media specialist for the past 7 years and taught middle school ELA prior to moving to this role. She began her time in the library the year COVID struck and changed the way schools and libraries seemed to work that winter/spring. Since her time in the library, she has implemented different strategies and programs to try and increase the reading checkouts and reading interest among her middle school population. The library is created around the students and for the students: aiming to make the books added more diverse in every way (topic, genre, length, format, and character race/gender/identity). Jane sees the school's Language Arts classes on a flexible but routine basis. During lessons they cover lots of book tastings, library scavenger hunt skills, research, and even curriculum-related content.

Vanessa Eichler, High School Librarian

Vanessa Eichler is the librarian at the Patricia Strawn Library, serving John Jay High School, Science & Engineering Academy, and Early College High School in Northside Independent School District in San Antonio, Texas. She has worked in NISD for 22 years, with secondary-level experience in English Language Arts, Theatre Arts, Art, and librarianship. Vanessa believes schools should be places of joy and discovery, and she is passionate about creating library experiences that inspire both. She strongly believes in the connection between reading and student success in school and in life. Vanessa is a proud member of the Texas Library Association. She holds a Master of Library Science degree from the University of North Texas.

Behavior management in the middle and high school library comes with its own set of pressures. You're serving adolescents who are testing boundaries, asserting independence, and not always thrilled about authority—in a space that functions simultaneously as a classroom, a study hall, a refuge, and a social hub. This course was built for that reality.

In this course, you'll develop a proactive behavior management approach grounded in the secondary library context. You'll learn how to set and communicate expectations in ways that resonate with older students, de-escalate tension without damaging the relationships that keep your library functional, and manage the competing demands of mixed-use, open-access spaces.

You'll also tackle the harder situations—the chronic disruptor, the student using your library to avoid somewhere else, and the moments when you're mediating conflict, supporting a distressed student, and managing a full room at the same time. This course won't promise a drama-free library. It will give you the tools and confidence to run one that works.

SESSIONS AND PRICING

Early bird pricing ends one month before the session deadline. Course materials unlock on the session deadline date.

GROUP OPTIONS

Training a team? Choose the setup that matches how you want to plan and pay:

Group course enrollment: Enroll 3+ staff in this course and save.

Bulk course credits: Prepay once, get the highest per-seat discount on every course, and assign seats later.

Unlimited annual licensing: System-wide access for a year with no per-course approvals.

Request Discounted Group Pricing

Questions? Email groupsales@libraryjournal.com.

COURSE FORMAT

This is a fully self-paced, asynchronous online course consisting of 3 modules. Each module includes video instruction, slides, readings, and reflective exercises designed to connect concepts directly to your daily work.

EXPECTED TIME COMMITMENT

Each module is designed to take approximately 4 hours to complete, for a total of 12 professional development hours. You may move through the course at your own pace and on your own schedule.

COURSE ACCESS

You will have access to all course materials for six months from the material unlock date.

CERTIFICATE OF COMPLETION

Complete all modules to earn 12 professional development credit hours and a School Library Journal certificate of completion. Certificates are emailed upon completion.

ACCESSIBILITY

All video recordings feature auto-captioning. If you require accommodations, please email course-support@libraryjournal.com upon registration and we will make our best efforts to support your needs.

SUPPORT

For technical or course-related support, please contact course-support@libraryjournal.com.