Juggling the responsibilities of teaching, budgeting, curating, programming, planning, and advocating, it's no wonder that school librarians feel overstretched. Training student volunteers in leadership skills is the solution you’ve been looking for. Empowering students will not only assist you in balancing the day-to-day operations of the school library, it will also give learners the valuable experience they need for their future growth while fostering a sense of ownership and pride in their tasks. The authors share nuts-and-bolts advice drawn from their own successful  student volunteer programs and other real-world success stories to guide you  at your own school library. Using this book, you will

• be introduced to the many benefits of learner-led library leadership, which nurtures critical thinking and problem solving, collaboration and communication, inclusivity and respect, and creativity and initiative;
• discover how empowering student volunteers can give you breathing room to focus on high priority items, tackle ever-growing pending tasks, foster collaborative relationships, and tend to your own wellness and stress management;
• walk through the essential steps for making it happen, from creating a "call for volunteers" poster and conducting interviews with learners to drafting a parent information letter and permission form, managing sign-in sheets, and completing a reflection rubric;
• receive clear, actionable frameworks for goal setting, building your leadership team, training learner leaders, offering praise and motivation, and effective behavior management; and
• learn strategies to use your student leadership program for generating greater visibility for the school library, increased administrative support, better communication with the school community, and more opportunities for extracurricular clubs and programming.

Dione Mila is a public elementary school librarian in South Florida, the first in Broward County to earn the coveted Florida-Power Library School Award. She has served as President of the Broward County Association of Media Specialists, Region 5 chair for Florida Association for Media in Education, Chair for the Sunshine State Young Readers Award Grades 3-5, and is a frequent speaker at FAME Conferences. Her experience, research, and application of Learner Leadership in the School Library allows her to present at local, state, and national conferences, inspiring others to incorporate learner leadership within their own school libraries. 

Diana Haneski is the librarian at Marjory Stoneman Douglas High School, a Florida Power Library in Parkland. Her work with learner leaders at Westglades Middle School, Park Trails, and Silver Lakes Elementary Schools motivates her to share and mentor new librarians to explore ways to have joyful library programs. Along with her therapy dog, River, she presents at conferences on how library workers can find joy and support their communities’ mental health.