Tacoma Public Schools (TPS) in Washington, serving over 30,000 students across 53 schools, is committed to developing future-ready libraries that foster collaboration between teacher librarians and educators. The district’s innovative approach focuses on enhancing digital literacy and integrating technology into the curriculum to improve student outcomes.

The Vision

The district launched a two-year pilot program, “Libraries of the Future,” under the leadership of the instructional technology department. This initiative aimed to transform the traditional library model into a dynamic space for learning and collaboration. Suzanna Panter, NBCT, M.Ed., was brought in as the Innovator and Facilitator for Teacher Librarians to drive this vision forward.

“It’s been an amazing experience in Tacoma, and we’re seeing a lot of progress. Assistant superintendents are going into the libraries and making concerted efforts to talk to the teacher librarians and see for themselves what’s going on instructionally. We are looking deeply at assessment in the library, how we work with teachers, and we’re working closely with all educators to make sure everything we do is a true partnership,” Panter said.

Initial Steps and Investments

The initial steps included securing a cart of 30 new laptops for each library to integrate technology daily. Recognizing the outdated book collection, the school board approved a one-time $750,000 library collection refresh with Follett Software. Additionally, funding was provided to start Makerspaces in many schools, creating vibrant, interactive learning environments.

“They knew they needed a school library expert to support their new program,” Panter explained. “The Tacoma administrators were excited when they saw how my previous district integrated technology, had open-access libraries and vibrant Makerspaces, and co-taught with classroom teachers. This was the very model they had envisioned for their district.”

Breaking Down Barriers

Panter identified collaboration and leadership as key to fostering instructional partnerships. The department was previously siloed, with library staff bogged down by inefficient tasks and outdated policies. Panter implemented updated, common-sense policies, processes, and equipment to build trust and teamwork with teachers.

“We needed to build trust and a feeling of teamwork with teachers. Additionally, the inefficiency amounted to limited time with students, which in turn dampened student enthusiasm. We had to break down barriers to access,” Panter said. Changes included widening book borrowing limits and purchasing kiosks for self-checkout, freeing up teacher librarians to spend more time teaching and planning. Since the changes, the district reports a 28,000+ increase in circulation and a seven books-per-student circulation increase in the participating pilot schools.

Institutional Partnerships

Panter focused on building robust, mutually beneficial partnerships with teachers, local universities, and community members. Part of this endeavor was the selection of six elementary schools and three middle schools to participate in the Libraries of the Future pilot program. The nine librarians from these schools underwent intensive training on the Guided Inquiry Design (GID) framework to enhance their coteaching work with classroom teachers.

“We are using this framework to help guide our coteaching work with classroom teachers,” Panter explained. “Classroom teachers come to the teacher librarians with a standard or topic they need to teach. The teacher librarian works with the teacher using the GID framework to co-plan a unit, teaching the content.”

Results and Recognition

Tacoma’s Libraries of the Future have brought significant innovations and partnerships, contributing to aggressive gains in important benchmarks like on-time graduation rates. The Washington Library Association recognized the leaders of the TPS Instructional Technology department as Supervisors of the Year for school libraries in Washington.

“I’m thrilled with the way we’re working together. Everyone’s been open and welcoming to the new model. Our leadership is fully on board, which is crucial. We are sharing and making an impact. Libraries of the Future are about more than books and story time. Future ready libraries allow students not only to deepen and widen their knowledge base and love of reading, but also give them a time and place to explore their own interests and develop life skills and passion for projects,” Panter said.

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