Interview with Librarian on the AASL Explore Standard
I interviewed my supervisor librarian on the ways that she incorporates the Explore standard of the AASL framework in her library programming. The library is in a suburban school district in South Carolina; the school includes grades between PK and 5th grades. The school population is 459 students, with 100% of the students being from low-income families. The student demographics are 45% of the students are Black, 30% are White, and 15% are Hispanic (Great! Schools.org, 2025).
I asked the librarian for examples of how she includes the Explore standard in her library programming. The librarian regularly uses SC Discus to explore different lesson topics to expand upon the student’s interests and knowledge. For example, I have watched the librarian cover biographical information, specifically regarding Langston Hughes and Faith Ringgold. During these lessons, the librarian utilized different platforms to acquire the most accessible information for the students. In addition, the librarian gives students plenty of time to explore the topic in the various formats. All resources are highlighted that explore the topic, such as fiction and non-fiction books.
The library does not currently include families for school activities. However, outside the library, a local volunteer plants a school garden for the students to learn about and enjoy. The volunteer works with the librarian to select a picture book that is displayed as a story walk through the garden. Students learn about the life cycle of plants and the nutrients needed for the garden to survive. In addition, students explore the growth and development of the garden while also enjoying the picture book selected, which is prominently displayed.
In order to maintain the explore standard with students, the librarian regularly weeds and improvises the collection development. Books are selected based on award winners, such as the South Carolina Book Award winners, book reviews, and the resources that are available. The library receives a small budget from the school district and also a donation from a private donor. The allocated budget is a problem that the school librarian faces when trying to allocate resources toward library programming. In addition, another challenge is encouraging the students to be receptive to exploring the topic and resources enough so that they also become familiar with the information.
Challenging students with the information and taking ownership of their information-seeking abilities is a critical component that the librarian referenced with the Explore standard. She does not meet regularly with grade-level teachers but has the foresight to know the curriculum taught and can implement the curriculum standards into the library programming. Teachers also communicate with the librarian via email for needs. The librarian stresses that the students need to understand the worldview of topics and explore what they currently know and how it correlates to what they heard in the lesson. The interview further expanded my views on how I will incorporate the Explore standards of the AASL Framework into my library programming.
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