Librarians are responsible for their professional development and must demonstrate professional achievement through scholarly or professional accomplishments to attain tenure and promotion. Librarians should shape a professional plan that focuses on their areas of specialization and that will help he/she achieve the ultimate professional goal: 1) Collaborative Relationships 2) Professional Development and 3) Leadership Roles.

Collaborative relationships involves changing both the attitudes toward and expectations of the role of the library media specialist. Research shows that most students, teachers, and administrators don't perceive library media specialists and media centers as integral to their own success. Library media specialists are often viewed as storytellers and providers of resources rather than co-teachers who share common goals. It is up to the library media specialist to take steps to change this by serving on curriculum committees, attending planning meetings, and sharing ideas for integrating the media center into the curriculum. 

Each day, school media librarians must seek to broaden and deepen their knowledge base in order to make informed, thoughtful decisions that will support the instructional goals of the schools in which they carry out their work. They encounter opportunities to act as instructional partners with colleagues; assist in the design of student-centered curriculum; and engage in assessment, evaluation, problem-solving and planning with regard to the library media program and the needs of the school community, exercising reflective decision-making practices. It is also within the context of their work that school library media librarians encourage and support students, teachers, administrators and staff in their development as information literate individuals and as self-directed, life-long learners.

As stated, INFORMATION POWER: GUIDELINES FOR SCHOOL LIBRARY MEDIA PROGRAMS addresses school library media specialists as involved members of a curriculum team. "A fundamental responsibility of the library media specialist is to provide the leadership and expertise necessary to ensure that the library media program is an integral part of the instructional program of the school (AASL/AECT, 1988).”

The librarian can affect the whole school in a way which is positive and quite substantial. They are involved in every aspect of what occurs in the school, and need to be ready to take on any or many roles at any given time. It is a dynamic job, with changes occurring rapidly and the librarian needs to be prepared to meet these changes through workshops and other professional development.