A Efforts and changes around school libraries in Sweden today. Part three – What’s new after Istanbul?

Abstract

Introduction:
 As the IASL conference theme in Istanbul, Turkey was “Information, innovation and impact of school libraries” it is interesting, a year later, to focus on how the school library, as well as the school librarian, will have to adopt the field, as well as: looking back at the material brought out during the first two occasions of this theme, presented to the public at the IASL conferences in Long Beach (2017) and Istanbul (2018).
 The third part of the theme will mainly be a contribution of useful material and methods, practically applied in Sweden for over ten years. The material and methods function as an inspiration to the work and progress for school libraries and school librarians, both on a national and international level.
 This time a wider scale of the recurrent subject will be presented - mainly to create a practically developed knowledge adapted for school libraries. Knowledge ready to be transformed directly as the participants return to their homes, facing their own school library activities.
 Objectives of the presentation: The following subjects are set to be the material and methods, presented through the session:
 Efforts and changes around school libraries in Sweden today. Part three – What’s new after Istanbul?
 The topics are:
 
 Sweden’s reference group for school libraries - an effective working tool established and developed by The Swedish National agency for Education. 2. School library associations, networks, social media platforms, as well as digital portals and work modules, created by The Swedish National agency for Education – as useful working tools dedicated to each and every school librarian, located in the shadow of a nonexistent education for school librarians. 3. A future investment in a national school library education. Something that is not the reality in Sweden today, but will be, tough on a smaller scale, with a start in autumn 2020. A first start that hopefully will spread rings on the water to other major educational sites.
 
 The ambition is to give participants in Dubrovnik thoughts on how changes around school libraries can be done in a practical way. Also, learn how to use a reference group, where discussions can lead to knowledge. Learn more about the advantages of working with and through a school library association, as well as how to use different digital tools in a more effective way. And… if participants in Dubrovnik wants to use the material and methods directly during the conference – then there will for sure be even more knowledge to gain.