School Library Ready

AFTER YOU COMPLETE THIS CERTIFICATION SERIES, YOU’LL BE ABLE TO:

• Describe the roles and responsibilities of different school library personnel, and how each role contributes to the library’s overall mission.
• Identify relevant professional standards and explain how these relate to the functions of the school library.
• Discuss key values of librarianship in the context of your library and school.
• Understand how library materials are commonly selected, organized, and maintained in a school library.
• Explain and identify reader’s advisory strategies appropriate to your school community.
• Identify program ideas that may meet the needs of your school community.
• Describe how library resources support instruction in the school library and classroom.

This certification series includes 3 courses:

School Libraries 101: Foundations You Might Not Know (but should!) About Libraries

Start with the big picture. This course introduces the role of the school library, the responsibilities of library staff, and the values that guide the work. You’ll get a clearer understanding of how your role supports students, teachers, and the broader school community.

School Libraries 201: Making Reading Contagious with Collections and Readers' Advisory

Focus on helping students connect with books they actually want to read. This course covers collection basics, readers’ advisory, and practical ways to build a stronger reading culture through everyday library interactions.

School Libraries 301: Creating Programs & Lessons Everyone Will Love

Learn how to plan and deliver programs and lessons that actually engage students. You’ll explore practical approaches to participation, structure, and instructional support so your library experiences feel more effective and easier to manage.

COURSE ADVISOR

Maura Madigan, NBCT
School Librarian

Maura Madigan, NBCT is the author of Learning Centers for School Libraries, Project-Based Learning for Elementary Grades, and The School Librarian’s Guide to (Almost) Everything (ALA Store). She has been a school librarian for ten years and has worked in education for twenty-eight years as a teacher, college instructor, and educational advisor in the United States, South Korea, Japan, and the United Arab Emirates. Maura lives and works in Fairfax County, Virginia.

COURSE INSTRUCTORS

Carolyn Vibbert
School Librarian Division Specialist

Carolyn Vibbert is a K–12 Librarian Specialist and National Board Certified Teacher in Library Media. She holds an M.L.S. in Library Science and is a past president of the Virginia Association of School Librarians, an AASL National Conference Co-Chair for St. Louis, and a Senior Lecturer for Antioch University’s School Library Endorsement Program. She has presented professional learning sessions locally and internationally.

Dr. Karina Quilantán-Garza
Assistant Professor, Sam Houston State University

Dr. Karina Quilantán-Garza, known to students as Dr. Q, is a nationally recognized school librarian and Assistant Professor at Sam Houston State University. Her teaching and research focus on instructional design, professional development, leadership, and bridging theory to practice. She advocates for student creativity and empowerment and engages educators through her work and social media presence @cuethelibrarian.

Kaycie Hoffman Blaylock
Library and Resource Coordinator

Kaycie Hoffman Blaylock is a library leader with more than 20 years of experience in education. She currently serves as Library and Resource Coordinator for Alexandria City Public Schools and holds dual master’s degrees in Educational Media & Librarianship and Curriculum & Instruction, as well as an administrator’s license.

Cicely Lewis
School Librarian and Author

Cicely Lewis is the 2020 SLJ School Librarian of the Year and founder of the Read Woke® movement. She is an author, educator, and literacy advocate whose work empowers students to read critically and engage with social justice through literature and technology. Learn more at www.readwoke.com.

Tom Bober
School Librarian

Tom Bober is a school librarian, Library Journal Mover & Shaker, former Teacher in Residence at the Library of Congress, and author of multiple books focused on nonfiction, primary sources, and news literacy.

Ashley J. Cooksey
Assistant Professor and Program Director, Arkansas Tech University

Ashley J. Cooksey (she | her) is an Assistant Professor and advocate for school library media, student agency, and Universal Design for Learning. She is also a Change Leadership for Equity and Inclusion Ph.D. candidate and a registered yoga teacher.

If you’re stepping into a school library role without formal training, most of the job expectations aren’t written down anywhere. You’re expected to support students, collaborate with teachers, manage collections, and run programs, often without a clear picture of how those pieces fit together or what “good” actually looks like in practice.

This three-course certification series is designed to give you that foundation. You’ll learn how school libraries function within a school, what your role is in supporting instruction and literacy, and how to approach daily responsibilities with more clarity and confidence. Instead of guessing or piecing things together as you go, you’ll have a clearer framework for how to do the work and why it matters.

Across the series, you’ll explore collection development, readers’ advisory, programming, and classroom support, along with the values and expectations that shape the profession. You’ll also get insight into professional pathways if you’re considering continuing in school librarianship long term.

Upon completion of the three courses in this series, you will earn your School Library Core Skills certification from School Library Journal.

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 certification series consisting of 3 courses. Each course includes video instruction, slides, readings, and practical activities designed to connect directly to your day-to-day work in a school library.

EXPECTED TIME COMMITMENT

Each course is designed to take approximately 10–15 hours to complete. You can move through the series at your own pace and on your own schedule.

COURSE ACCESS

You will have access to each course for six months from its material unlock date.

CREDIT & CERTIFICATE

Complete all three courses to earn 24 professional development credit hours and your School Library Core Skills certification from School Library Journal.

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.