The Resilient School Library

Resilience is the capacity of children to grow up successful, content, and competent even though they are faced with adversities like poverty, violence, illness, or neglect. Schools can create environments that help these children succeed. provides information about resilience and suggests specific strategies school library media specialists can use to support children who are at risk. These same strategies will also strengthen the resilience of those children who are already functioning well. After a brief introduction to the six elements of resilience, each element is addressed in greater detail in chapters focusing on academic efficacy, self-selected learning goals, behavioral self-control, positive relationships with peers, a positive relationship with a caring adult, and creating a family situation that supports what happens in school. A chapter on pedagogical strategies supplements comments in the six main chapters, while a chapter on action research will help readers document the effect of the plans they enact to support resilience.