From October 18-20, Rutgers School of Communication and Information will collaborate with The New Jersey Association of School Librarians (NJASL) to host the fifth annual School Library Bus Tour, the first tour held since COVID lockdown.

Lisa Manganello MLIS’07, a SC&I Master of Library Sciences alum and South Brunswick High School librarian, co-founded the tour with SC&I’s Assistant Teaching Professor of Library and Information Science Joyce Valenza. Valenza and Manganello created the School Library Bus Tour in 2017 to show Masters of Information students at Rutgers opportunities what a successful school library looks like and to connect with their future colleagues. The tour now includes 11 school libraries. Although there are no school buses involved, groups will carpool for three days across New Jersey to witness the best library science practices.

The three-day event will show new librarians successful programs, introduce a strong professional network, and give experienced librarians a chance to step into another school library for a day. “The tour is guaranteed to foster creativity, community, and teamwork,” amongst New Jersey school librarians, said Manganello.

The tour now includes 11 school libraries. Although there are no school buses involved, groups will carpool for three days across New Jersey to witness the best library science practices.

Manganello’s former library mentor and previous student teacher are both part of the tour. “It truly shows the power and importance of building relationships to new school librarians. We value each other's work, and the tour provides us a way to work together to introduce the next generation of school librarians to our programs.”

During the pandemic, the tour and other events were not able to be held because of health and safety precautions. But this was not the only reason. “School librarians became even more valuable during the pandemic as schools transitioned from in-person to remote learning and back,” Manganello said. There were too many daily tasks librarians needed to complete during lockdown to support their students and faculty. “In addition to providing resources, teaching online lessons, and assisting teachers and administrators with technology, many school librarians picked up jobs that the administrators needed done.”

This year’s tour is different from others because it accounts for the evolution of library science that came from the pandemic. School systems have become a virtual hybrid, so school libraries followed suit. “School libraries and school librarians are more important than ever, and I hope that those who participate in our tour begin to see that value firsthand,” said Manganello. “Our library is always growing and evolving to better serve our students and staff. I am excited to share these changes with our visitors.”

This year’s tour is different from others because it accounts for the evolution of library science that came from the pandemic.

The tour allows SC&I Master of Information students to network with current librarians and their schools, forming professional connections and displaying their skills for future employment.

“Meeting students from SC&I is always my favorite part of the tour,” said Manganello. “MI students come prepared with some great questions that get me thinking about new and different ways that my library can adapt to better meet the challenges of the internet-centric world.”

To learn more about the 2022 School Library Bus Tour, or to sign up visit the website here.

Discover more about the Master of Information program at the Rutgers School of Communication and Information on the website.