NewIBLibrarian

Mar 09 2025

How to Implement a New IB School Library: Recommendations for PYP and more.

By Heeru Bhojwani IB Librarian, Librarian's Role, Teacher Librarian One Comment

Blurpeace, CC BY-SA 3.0

This post comes with another request from a librarian beginning his/her journey in the IB School.

I often get questions like:

Questions?

What do I need to purchase for the Library?

How is it different from other curriculums?

What cataloguing style and process should I start with?

Simply Said:

For the Primary Year Program, purchase picture books and fiction and nonfiction books that meet your readers’ needs, which means books for all reading levels.
Then, purchase books and resources that support the IB Learner Profiles, Units of Inquiry, Concepts and Transdisciplinary Skills.
Ensure you have an OPAC that supports your cataloguing and that your school community and parents can ensure they can access the resources that are available for all.
Your coordinator will ensure you are a part of the planning meeting (at least two meetings) with the teachers to support their literacy curriculum or the research and media literacy teaching and learning aspect of their curriculum. You may be invited to collaborate on other projects to support students’ learning.
Finally, the librarian will need to create a Library policy that aligns with the IB Curriculum and Action plans for 2-5 years, depending on the needs of the school.

Here is a list of expectations that are aligned with the IB Accreditation Standards

1. Aligning with IB Accreditation Standards (IB Standard 2.2, 2.3, 5.1, 5.2)

IB Standard 2.2: The school provides students with access to resources and services that support their learning and inquiry.
IB Standard 2.3: The school demonstrates a commitment to inclusion, diversity, equity, and access to resources for all students.
IB Standard 5.1: The school fosters the development of IB teaching and learning through collaborative planning and resource sharing.
IB Standard 5.2: The school provides various resources to support teaching and learning aligned with the IB curriculum.

To align the IB standards, the librarians ensure the library supports students across all three curricula by providing a balanced collection of fiction, nonfiction, magazines, and digital resources. These resources must reflect international-mindedness by housing local and international titles. Establish a library policy that includes the academic integrity guidelines that you can include from your school’s policies. All resources must be available to all members of the school: teachers, students, and parents. Finally, to meet the above standards, there must be some evidence of collaboration of units in the PYP and MYP program where the librarian weaves within their library classes, either the UOI, Learner Profiles or supporting/reinforcing conceptual understanding of the UOI. And in collaboration or teaching of research and ethical use of information in the high school or the DP program. (And, it doesn’t have to be with all the units, as much as you can – because it is not humanly possible to collaborate with all grades from all grades, especially if you are the only librarian for the whole school or even a part of the part program)

2. Collection Development & Curation (IB Standard 2.2, 5.1, 5.2)

IB Standard 2.2: The school provides students with access to resources and services that support their learning and inquiry.
IB Standard 5.1: The school fosters the development of IB teaching and learning through collaborative planning and resource sharing.
IB Standard 5.2: The school provides various resources to support teaching and learning aligned with the IB curriculum.

The library collection must include a diverse collection of fiction topics that showcase different cultures and values. The collection must include all genders, values, and lifestyles, creating an open-minded approach to thinking. The collection must include global perspectives and different points of view for all 3 IB programs. Fiction and nonfiction books must align with the PYP Units of Inquiry, MYP Global contexts, and a variety of other books/resources that support the DP Extended Essay, Theory of Knowledge, and other recreational reading. The online databases, eBooks and research tools like Jstor or Questia, Gale or EBSCO or the Librarian can curate several resources to support the IB curriculum

3. Information Literacy & Research Support & Inquiry-Based Learning (IB Standard 2.3, 4.1, 4.2, 5.2)

IB Standard 2.3: The school librarian demonstrates a commitment to inclusion, diversity, equity, and access to learning for all students
IB Standard 4.1: Students develop research and information literacy skills that enhance their ability to engage with the curriculum.
IB Standard 4.2: The school librarian integrates ATL skills to support students in becoming self-regulated learners.
IB Standard 5.2: The school librarian provides various resources to support teaching and learning aligned with the IB curriculum.

Developing a research skills program that supports the three curricula aligned with the Approaches to Learning (ATL) Skills. Students must teach students and teachers to use citation tools and citation styles for students. Digital, media, information & AI literacy sessions by librarians must be embedded in the teaching process to support teachers and students.

Another important part of the implementation of the IB program is that the librarian must try and collaborate to embed library sessions into Units of Inquiry with support from the curriculum coordinators. Support subject-specific research resources (sciences, humanities, arts, etc.) by providing resources both in print and digital resources. Finally, the library spaces must support collaborative learning, quiet study, and discussion areas.

4. Physical & Digital Library Infrastructure (IB Standard 2.3, 5.1)

The library space or the Learning Commons must have a flexible design that includes reading zones, collaborative spaces, and digital workstations. Implementation of a user-friendly cataloguing system (e.g., Destiny, Follett, KOHA) for easy access to resources. Moving one step forward is to provide maker spaces and technology tools to support design thinking and creative projects. OR there is a close relationship between technology and Library spaces. Offer 24/7 access to digital resources through a well-maintained library portal.

This cannot be accomplished in a day, nor does the school or the IB Organization expect the School Library Team to implement all of the above. The school administration works in partnership with the curriculum coordinator and the school librarian to implement the above. The school usually has approximately 3 years to implement the above in stages and with positive intentionality of embedding the school’s IB teaching and learning practices.

~Assisted by ChatGpt4.0 & IB Program: Standards & Practices

Mar 01 2025

Tips for a New IB Librarian

By Heeru Bhojwani IB Librarian, Librarian's Role 2 Comments

Image Credit: viktortalashuk

Recently, I have had a few Librarians reach out to me asking how they might learn about the IB Curriculum and what a librarian’s role might look like in this curriculum.
Having worked in an international school for decades, I recommend these few tips. Please consider this my opinion. Please know you will need to unpack and understand many educational, academic vocabulary words when learning about the IB program. The IB curriculum focuses on process, collaboration, student agency, international mindedness, transdisciplinary themes, program of inquiry and much more. Understanding these concepts comes in slowly as you begin to grasp the curriculum and the methodology or process of teaching & learning. Here is the IB Ideal Libraries document for an overview.

Tips for a New Librarian

1. Understand the IB Framework

Familiarize yourself with IB standards, practices, and terminology. If you are not working in an IB school, it is important to connect with the Liferarian Members or IB school Librarians and practically unpack the terminology of the Themes in the PYP, the Transdisciplinary Approach in the MYP and the Research Aspects of the Diploma program from a Librarian’s point of view.

3. Audit & Learn the Current Library Collection

As practising librarians, it is our role to assess available resources, identify gaps aligned with the IB curriculum, and identify new resources that will match the new descriptors of the IB themes in the primary year program. Print materials like books and magazines are heavily used in the elementary or primary section compared to the middle and high schools. Identifying fiction/nonfiction books and digital resources for middle and high school students is important as you continue to keep the school library current and add books to meet the various needs of the students and the curriculum.

4. Ensuring a Robust Budget

Identifying your needs and providing reasons for requesting a budget, as well as always learning and justifying your budget by purchasing resources that are available to all members of the community, is an important part of the role. Resources that match and support critical thinking, global awareness and a deeper understanding between human and natural worlds and the society/economic structures of the world.

5. Building Strong Relationships Slowly and Steadily

Connecting with teachers, students, and IB coordinators to integrate library services is essential to the IB curriculum. This can be challenging, but slowly approaching one teacher and student at a time will help. However, as a Librarian, you will need to be proactive and ask, share, request, learn and grow; you cannot wait for people to upskill you. Librarians can take an active part in the curriculum by supervising Service, Personal projects and being a part of the Extended Essay, which is an independent research paper. Primary school librarians are involved in the Grade 5 Exhibition Unit, which is an inquiry-based research project. These opportunities help librarians connect with students and teachers.

6. Develop Information Literacy Programs

Plan sessions on research skills, digital literacy, and citation practices while understanding the IB’s policy on Academic Integrity. If you are not aware, scour the net and learn from credible websites, how might you teach the above and match it to your library curriculum or embed them in the units of inquiry for the PYP or in the social studies/sciences in the Middle school and supporting the research components in the High School.

7. Curate a Diverse Collection

Ensure materials support global perspectives, multilingualism, and IB themes. Books and resources that cater to all sections of society and all subject areas, from Psychology to Ecology to Media and even Economics and Entrepreneurship.

8. Leverage Technology

Use library management systems and digital databases effectively. Learn what other academic resources can be used to support student learning. If the school cannot budget immediately, then curating a list of open education resources in the form of videos, academic papers, eBooks, and more can be helpful.

9. Promote the Library

Organize book clubs, author visits, community books or literary magazines for writers and poets, empower students to participate in book awards that highlight students’ voice and power, like the National Jarul Book Awards, and support IB-aligned reading challenges. Book displays, and book talks can support and promote reading.

10. Stay Updated

Engage in IB librarian networks and professional development opportunities through online learning communities like the Liferarian Association and other platforms that are open to learning collaboratively.

If you are looking to learn more, contact