Digital Citizenship and the School Library

All nine elements of digital citizenship merit inclusion into Plano’s Acceptable Use Policy (AUP).  Because the current policy tends to be stronger in chronicling prohibited actions and their consequences, an updated AUP would include many positive guidelines for digital media; in other words, an AUP should suggest the many capabilities of electronic tools for students and staff who use them appropriately and ethically.     
    As a matter of course, libraries must both teach and model digital citizenship in partnership with all members of a school’s staff.  Librarians must:

1.  Advocate and promote access to digital media for all students and their families.
2.  Provide training to students regarding smart practices of digital commerce.
3.  Equip students with the know-how needed to communicate appropriately in form, content, and mechanics via the many forms of digital media.
4.  Underscore the importance of extending general principles of manners and etiquette to the electronic setting.
5.  Encourage digital health and wellness by monitoring students’ form in using technology, evaluating workstations for ergonomic soundness, and addressing related social and emotional issues.
6.  Further the digital literacy of students in understanding technology, accessing its professional potential, and discerning credible resources.
7.  Inform students about digital law, the legal repercussions of plagiarism and intellectual property theft, and accurate, responsible citation of sources.
8. Educate students on their rights as users of digital resources and of their responsibilities in response to these privileges.
9. Stress the importance of digital security from malware, identity theft, and thoughtless posting.   

Librarians should conduct seminars for faculty, demonstrate openness in addressing staff questions, and moderate an ongoing campus discussion about a district’s AUP, perhaps through a wiki, blog, or discussion group. Through collaboration and teamwork, librarians play a vital role in keeping faculty abreast of new technological developments and of the promise that appropriate technologies hold for classrooms and students.