Abstract
This Delphi study engaged 38 national experts in school librarianship to develop a consensus-based model of school librarian collaboration (SLC) that reflects current practice. Through three iterative rounds the panel achieved strong consensus on a definition of SLC, a framework representing a continuum of collaborative practice, and necessary conditions for success. The resulting definition of SLC is "an educator-to-educator partnership to enhance student learning through complementary expertise that develops over time and is built on mutual trust, shared goals, and open communication." The seven levels continuum of SLC are: Autonomy, Curation, Contribution, Coordination, Integration, Partnership, and Assurance. These levels allow practitioners to identify current collaborative practice and plan for growth. This work extends prior theoretical models by incorporating critical environmental, cultural, and dispositional factors that impact collaborative efforts and by creating tools to operationalize the consensus model for practitioners.
Recommended Citation
Harland, Pamela C.; Ballard, Susan D.; and Small, Rachel V.
(2025)
"Building Consensus for School Librarian Collaboration: A Delphi Study,"
Learning Hub: Vol. 1:
Iss.
2, Article 5.
Available at:
https://scholarworks.sjsu.edu/learning-hub/vol1/iss2/5
Article History
The study received IRB approval from Plymouth State University in February 2025 and data collection began in March, ending in June 2025. This is our first submission.
