Papers and Articles

The Lilead Survey: A National Study of District-Level Library Supervisors: Roles, Responsibilities, Challenges, and Professional Development Needs.

In this paper, the second of two reports on the results of the survey, the Lilead Team presents findings related to the responsibilities and tasks assigned to the position, professional development needs of supervisors and staff, and the range of stakeholder groups with which supervisors work.

Weeks, A. C., DiScala, J., Barlow, D., Massey, S. A., Kodama, C., Hall, R., … Follman, R. The Lilead Survey: A National Study of District-Level Library Supervisors: Roles, Responsibilities, Challenges, and Professional Development Needs. School Library Research, 20. http://www.ala.org/aasl/sites/ala.org.aasl/files/content/aaslpubsandjournals/slr/vol20/SLR_LileadSurvey_V20.pdf


From Library Power to the Lilead Fellows Program: Creating School Libraries that Young People Deserve.

Almost twenty-five years after the creation of the National Library Power Project, the Lilead Fellows Program, an initiative funded by the Institute of Museum and Library Services (IMLS), is benefiting from many of the lessons learned during the Project, particularly by the Library Power Directors and district library supervisors.

Weeks, A.C. (2016). From Library Power to the Lilead Fellows Program: Creating School Libraries that Young People Deserve. Teacher Librarian, 44, (1), pp. 12-15.


The Impact of the School District Library Supervisor: A Review of the Literature and an Agenda for Research and Action

This article looks at the literature available concerning the roles, responsibilities, and contributions of school district library supervisors. It presents a review of the literature on how the role of the supervisor is presented in library standards, how the role is perceived by those in the education community, and the effect supervisors have on school library programs (SLPs). Following the literature review, an agenda is presented which looks at current research on the roles and responsibilities of district library supervisors and future research opportunities for scholars and others to further understand and support the work supervisors undertake.

Massey, S. A., DiScala, J., Weeks, A.C., Barlow, D., & Kodama, C. (2016). The Impact of the School District Library Supervisor: A Review of the Literature and an Agenda for Research and Action. Library Quarterly: Information, Community, Policy, 86 (4), pp. 389–402.


The Lilead Survey: A National Study of District-Level Library Supervisors: The Position, Office, and Characteristics of the Supervisor

The Lilead Team presents findings from the first survey (2012) related to the position and office of the supervisor; demographic information, qualifications, and career paths of the incumbents of the position; and changes in policies, curriculum, and resources that impact the supervisor’s responsibilities for library services.

Weeks, Ann Carlson, Jeffrey DiScala, Diane L. Barlow, et al. (2016). The Lilead Survey: A National Study of District-Level Library Supervisors: The Position, Office, and Characteristics of the Supervisor. School Library Research, 19.


Promoting Transformational Change by Focusing on the Why of Inquiry-Based Instruction

The Lilead Project Team explains the importance of the why: how this was the focus and goal of the surveys, and how Fellows are using the why and inquiry to become leaders in their districts.

DiScala, J., Weeks, A.C., & Kodama, C. (2016). Promoting Transformational Change by Focusing on the Why of Inquiry-Based Instruction. School Library Connection, 1 (8), 13-15.


Many Paths to Change: Different Approaches to Enhancing Learning in School Libraries.

Current Lilead Fellows Shari Blohm, Susan Grigsby, Kathy Moore, and Amy Soma talk about how the Lilead Program is supporting leadership skills in school library staff to help ensure high-quality learning.

DiScala, J., Blohm, S., Grigsby, S.K.S., Moore, K., & Soma, A. (2016). Many Paths to Change: Different Approaches to Enhancing Learning in School Libraries. Young Adult Library Services, 14 (3), 22-26.


The Lilead Fellows Program

The Lilead Fellows Program is a novel and creative way to meet school district library supervisors’ needs and desires for their professional growth as district-level library leaders. It is a program that integrates many facets that characterize successful and effective professional development (PD) and a model that can be used to enrich a district’s professional learning environment.

Kodama, C., DiScala, J., Weeks, A. C., Barlow, D., Jacobs, L., & Hall, R. (2016). The Lilead Fellows Program. Knowledge Quest, 44 (4), 54-59. 


A Tale of Two Surveys: A Comparison of National Studies on School District Library Supervisors

In the last 50 years, the only national surveys of supervisors of school library services at the district level in the United States were conducted by research teams separated by decades in the College of Information Studies, University of Maryland. In this paper, the background, purpose and goals, methodologies, and findings of the two surveys are compared. The comparison reveals similarities and differences in the profile of the district supervisor, roles and responsibilities of the position, and incumbents’ attitudes toward and experience with change.

Barlow, D., DiScala, J., Weeks, A. C., Kodama, C., Jarrell, K., Jacobs, L., & Massey, S. A. (2015). A Tale of Two Surveys: A Comparison of National Studies on School District Library Supervisors. School Libraries Worldwide, 21 (2), 73.


Take Me To Your Leader

“Let me speak to your supervisor.” Whether you’re on the phone with your bank, visiting your grocery store, or complimenting great service at a hotel, the person to whom you are talking immediately knows how to direct you to the boss. Knowing who runs things and who can get things done most efficiently is critical in nearly every business or organization. Customers can identify an authority figure who can solve problems, and employees all know who is “in charge” and who can provide feedback and guidance on their work.

DiScala, J., Moses, A., & Weeks, A. C. (2015). Take Me To Your Leader. School Library Monthly, 31 (5), 29-31.