Issue link: http://educator.cta.org/i/969549
has both a teaching credential and a mas- ter's degree in library and information or media science. Another term is "library media specialist." D e spit e h av i n g a m a st e r 's d e g re e , some say their colleagues think of them as clerks and aren't aware of what they do. Teacher librarians can support and complement classroom lessons. ey save classroom teachers time and work by finding collections of books on subjects they teach, gathering primary sources for social studies lessons, finding relevant lesson plans, gathering curriculum ref- erence materials, showing teachers new apps and tech tricks to make learning fun, and showing students how to 35 A P R I L / M AY 2 018 ANGEL A ANTHONY, Hercules Middle School, United Teachers of Richmond Angela Anthony considers herself one of a new breed of librari- ans who enjoy innovation and trying new things. She sometimes teaches or co-teaches lessons in regular classrooms, such as one she recently created to educate students about plagiarism and its consequences. "I love integrating technology and literacy in our school," says Anthony, who assists students with creating videos and introduces them to databases for school research projects. She started an accelerated reading program to promote read- ing for fun and prizes — with a Google Classroom component where students submit book reviews for peers. Her after-school Library Club will compete against other school library clubs in a Battle of the Books contest. A Makerspace Club meets after school in the library, and she plans to hold a Makerspace Fair for the public to see what stu- dents create on the library 's 3-D printers. "People think that all I do is sit and read and take care of books all day," she laughs. "But I am just like a regular teacher who is busy all day long. I never sit down. Lunchtime is my busiest time." She is proud the library is a safe space for students at lunchtime and before and after school. "Some kids did not feel a sense of belonging at school," she says. "I love that all kids are welcome in the library." Some kids did not feel a sense of belonging at school. I love that all kids are welcome in the library." — Angela Anthony, United Teachers of Richmond Teacher librarian Angela Anthony at Hercules Middle School with student Samuel Kim. By the numbers Source: California Department of Education 1:7,187 California's ratio of teacher librarians to students in 2014-15. 50 th California's national ranking in ratio of teacher librarians to students. The state continues to rank at the bottom of professional library staffing numbers. 9% Percentage of California schools with credentialed teacher librarians (part- time or more). Most of them are at the high school level.