Special Collaboration: Establishing Successful Partnerships between School Librarians and Special Educators

Background

The school library media center should provide equitable access to learning resources in an inviting environment that welcomes all members of the learning community (American Association of School Librarians [AASL], 2009). For many students with intellectual disabilities the library media center has a positive association and is a place where they can develop information literacy skills, self-esteem, and independence (Murray, 2000). The library media center is a place away from the classroom where students can find support (Jurkowski, 2006) and a place for students to learn to work independently (Downing, 2006). To insure that students are comfortable it is important that the library facility has a welcoming environment (Murray, 2000) has good lighting, adequate signage, and is well organized (Downing, 2006). The school library media center is also a place where special education teachers can find support and collaborative partners.