Collaboration is the connecting between two educators to build upon their unique strengths towards a common goal of increasing student achievement.  This broad definition can be something as simple and informal as a school librarian talking with a fifth grade teacher about a new book that relates to the animal unit she usually has students complete. Often collaboration starts out casually and unstructured (Johnson 22).  Collaboration however like a young plant needs to be watered and fed in order to mature fully into increased student achievement. Collaboration is accomplished in several ways. Teachers may collaborate with a school library media specialist (SLMS) in regards to a certain resource needed to enhance the classroom lesson. There could be a new type of technology that the SLMS wants to share with the teaching staff, so she holds a workshop to assist teachers with the operation of the equipment.   Collaboration can be more formal and intricate with the right combination of educators.   However, there are several obstacles to collaboration that the SLMS may have to overcome before putting a plan into place.   One main obstacle is that a teacher does not see that he has the time to do one more thing. This could mean preparation time or it could me class time.  In regards to preparation time, the SLMS may have the flexibility to leave the library during the teacher's prep time to ease this problem. The SLMS may find that she needs to attend subject department meetings or grade-level team meetings to find the time that teachers are already collaborating with each other.  Next, one consideration that the SLMS can show the subject teacher is where in the current curriculum there is an opening for integration of information literacy components without having to add more units, projects, or grading to the already busy teaching schedule (Hickel 30).   Often times teachers just do not realize they could do the same thing with a SLMS and achieve much better results than they can do alone.         Steps of Collaboration Implementation 1.  Introduction--As a new SLMS, it is wise to offer an informal "Get Acquianted" meeting with the enticement of food which informally spotlights the new resources of the library media center. It is wise to have out new books, new technology, and examples of information and services that the will be provided as well as a schedule of informational workshops going on during teacher in-service days. Teachers who are willing to attend and further to talk with the new SLMS are often good candidates for collaboration. 2.  Workshop--During the back to school orientation, offer workshops to new and experienced teachers on a variety of topics such as Fair Use, creating web pages, using Smart Boards, and podcasting.  Each workshop should emphasize that the SLMS will be available for collaboration in use of the technology or to answer questions. 3. Know your Standards--An informed SLMS who knows what teachers have to accomplish in their classrooms as far as what state standards they need to teach in a year can go a long way to being able to target the collaboration (AASL). It is important that the SLMS still ask the teacher what standards they would like help with instead of telling them (Hickel 30).  However, by having a depth of knowledge to anticipate needs will go a long way to building a collaborative and empathetic relationship. 4. It's New to You Notice--As the SLMS discovers what teachers are doing, it is a good idea to send a notice to the teacher of a book title or article that relates to a topic they will be covering soon.  The notice could be slipped into their mailbox or delivered in person.  This can also be a great way to keep administrators informed as to what is new in the library as well as articles that inform the administration on what the library can do for the school community.   5. Planning Meetings--It is a good idea if possible for the SLMS to attend as many planning meetings as possible to get an idea of what the teachers are planning and to interject what resources the library has for these plans.  The SLMS will appear interested as well as informed by attending meetings and is more likely to be seen as a teaching partner. 6.Initiating Contact--By using this form that outlines a series of collaborative planning meetings, the SLMS is able to stay organized and maintain the needs of the library media center and the classroom simultaneously. The lesson is not complete until the teacher has provided feedback to the SLMS concerning future collaboration and changes to make to produce better results in collaboration. 7. Perpetuating the Cycle of Collaboration--Once the first collaborative lesson was completed, the SLMS now has a resource for planning future lessons. The SLMS can refer other teachers to the experience of collaboration that has already taken place. It is hopeful that one successful collaboration or at least the willingness to adapt to constructive feedback will help in winning new collaborative converts.     The SLMS who stays in the library is the one who is not going to be successful at collaboration. Instead the SLMS needs to be actively seeking opportunities for collaboration with teachers and presenting professional tools for teachers (Lowe).  In the era where companies are moving from individual achievement to teams of associates, hopefully schools will begin to form more of a collaborative effort utilizing everyone’s talents which will make the students the ultimate winners (Montiel-Overall).                                   Works Cited American Association of School Librarians. "Position Statement on Appropriate Staffing for School Library Media Centers." Position Statements. 10 July 2006. American Library Association. 22 Aug. 2007 <http://www.ala. org/ala/aasl/aaslproftools/positionstatements/aaslpositionstatemen tappropriate.cfm>. Buzzeo, Toni. "Collaboration how it looks and who benefits." Collaboration to  Meet  Standards: Teacher Librarian Partnerships for 7-12. Worthington: Linworth Publishing, 2002. 7- 11. North Hall Library E-Reserves. 2007. Mansfield University. 25 Aug. 2007 <http://ereserves.mansfield.edu.ezproxy.mansfield. edu/Files/schreiter_lsc5501_04.pdf>. Hickel, Dorian. "A Formula for Achieving Collaboration." Library Media Connection. (Nov/Dec 2006): 30-31. Academic Search Complete. EBSCO. North Hall Lib., Mansfield, PA. 17 Jan. 2008 <http://search.ebscohost.com/>. Johnson, Mary J. "Collaborating to Improve Social Studies Instruction: A Case Study." Library Media Connection. (Jan. 2005): 22-26. Academic Search Complete. EBSCO. North Hall Lib., Mansfield, PA. 17 Jan. 2008 <http://search.ebscohost.com/>. Lowe, Carrie A. "The Role of the School Library Media Specialist in the 21st  Century." ERIC Digest (2000). ERIC. EBSCO. ERIC Clearing House on Information & Technology, Syracuse, NY. 25 Aug.2007 <http://search.ebscohost.com/>. Millbury, Peter. "Collaboration." Knowledge Quest. (May/June 2005): 30-32. Academic Search Complete. EBSCO. North Hall Lib., Mansfield, PA. 17 Jan. 2008 <http://search.ebscohost.com/>.