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CHICAGO – Newly published research study from the American Association of School Librarians’ (AASL) peer-reviewed online journal, School Library Research (SLR), used interviews and research methodology to analyze successful collaborations between school librarians and teachers. Articles can be accessed for free at .

In the recently published “Indicators of Successful School Librarian and Teacher Collaboration: A Phenomenology,” Kathy Colvin and Melanie Lewis Croft present a study examining the links between building relationships and establishing successful collaboration. The researchers collected data via interview and analyzed benchmarks of collaboration to determine which aspects of relationship cultivation allowed for greater success in collaboration.

This research “revealed that relationship building is the essence of successful collaboration, and those relationships are derived from four specific indicators: building a culture of collaboration, making the collaboration relevant to learning, starting small, and advocating.” The research team identified four key themes that lead to greater collaboration, leading to the possibility that educators “can shed past apprehensions of working together and forge successful collaborations in the future, creating highly engaging and effective learning experiences in the classrooms and school libraries to the benefit of all on campus—students, teachers, librarians, and administrators alike.” The researchers encourage additional research in this area, as much of the interviews were conducted during the 2020-21 school year during a period of virtual learning.

School Library Research (ISSN: 2165-1019) is the successor to School Library Media Research (ISSN: 1523-4320) and School Library Media Quarterly Online. The journal is peer-reviewed and indexed by H. W. Wilson's Library Literature and by the ERIC Clearinghouse on Information & Technology. It welcomes manuscripts that focus on high-quality original research concerning the management, implementation, and evaluation of school libraries.

The American Association of School Librarians, , a division of the 91´«Ã½ (91´«Ã½), empowers leaders to transform teaching and learning.