In this video discussion, Suzanne Sannwald speaks with high school teacher librarian Anthony Devine and public youth services librarian Miko Osada, who have forged an inspiring professional partnership to better serve the needs of learners in their community—in both the school and public library setting.
When asked how school librarians connect with their community, public library collaboration was among the top responses. Therefore, this video may reflect a partnership that many school library professionals are already familiar with. But whether you already have a strong relationship with your public library or not, hearing from this duo is inspiring all the same. Meet high school teacher librarian Anthony Devine and public youth services librarian Miko Osada, who serve a shared community and have developed a commitment to working together as they do so. The two meet regularly, with or without a formal agenda, and often find that some of their best ideas emerge spontaneously from their conversations. It may be discouraging that there isn’t a simple formula for creating strong collaboration, but Devine and Osada’s professional bond is a good reminder that sometimes the answer is just a matter of prioritizing one another, and finding value in learning about the work of each collaboration partner without expectations. When genuine care and interest is in place, serendipitous results emerge. While it may not appear to be strategic at face value, the productive and positive results are clear.
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