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● Doug Johnson is a dynamic educator who wears many hats. For the past twenty years, his current “day job” has been as the Director of Media and Technology for the Mankato (MN) Public Schools,  but Johnson is also a writer, speaker and consultant on school technology and library issues.  Johnson has also taught junior high school English and been a K-8 and high school media specialist. Johnson has been involved in education in some capacity since the late 1970s, but he seems to have found his voice as an advocate for school libraries in the last decade. ● Johnson’s writings include a blog he started in 2005, entitled the Blue Skunk Blog,  in addition to several columns and articles in school media periodicals that have appeared for many years. His current column is  “Head for the Edge,”  which has run in //Library Media Connection// since 1995. His columns (and blog) focus on the intersection of libraries and technology;  for example, Johnson’s most recent //LMC// column is entitled “Google Apps and Librarians” and discusses the need for schools to have Google Apps for Education, or a similar platform, which enables students to easily access their work 24/7 while learning cutting-edge technology skills  concurrently. He also writes on <span style="color: #c00000; font-family: 'Arial','sans-serif';">ethics <span style="font-family: 'Arial','sans-serif';"> as it relates to school libraries. Johnson is the author of six books and his forthcoming book, // The Classroom Teacher’s Survival Guide to Technology, // is scheduled for release next February. <span style="color: #c00000; font-family: 'Arial','sans-serif'; font-size: 16px;">● <span style="font-family: 'Arial','sans-serif';">Johnson is a leader in the school library media field because he is at the forefront of asserting <span style="color: #c00000; font-family: 'Arial','sans-serif';">the need for technology to be fully integrated into schools <span style="font-family: 'Arial','sans-serif';"> (and especially the library media center). Also, Johnson’s ideas are widely accessible, via his “personal” website ( <span style="font-family: 'Arial','sans-serif';">[|www.doug-johnson.com] <span style="font-family: 'Arial','sans-serif';">), his //LMC// columns, his blog and his in-person presentations and workshops. Johnson travels extensively throughout the country giving presentations and workshops at the local, state and national level. I view Johnson as an important <span style="color: #c00000; font-family: 'Arial','sans-serif';">advocate for the integral role school libraries serve <span style="font-family: 'Arial','sans-serif';"> and as a spokesperson of sorts for the effectiveness of school libraries. He also does not sugarcoat what school librarians need to do immediately and in the future to stay relevant.
 * <span style="color: #c00000; font-family: 'Arial','sans-serif'; font-size: 37.3333px;">Doug Johnson **

__<span style="font-family: 'Arial','sans-serif';">Educational and Professional Timeline __ <span style="color: #c00000; font-family: 'Arial','sans-serif'; font-size: 16px;">● <span style="font-family: 'Arial','sans-serif';">1976: Receives B.A. in English Education, University of Northern Colorado <span style="color: #c00000; font-family: 'Arial','sans-serif'; font-size: 16px;">● <span style="font-family: 'Arial','sans-serif';">1979: Receives M.A. in Library Science, University of Iowa <span style="color: #c00000; font-family: 'Arial','sans-serif'; font-size: 16px;">● <span style="font-family: 'Arial','sans-serif';">1990: Becomes an adjunct faculty member of Minnesota State University <span style="color: #c00000; font-family: 'Arial','sans-serif'; font-size: 16px;">● <span style="font-family: 'Arial','sans-serif';">1991: Becomes Director of Media and Technology for Mankato (MN) Public Schools

__<span style="font-family: 'Arial','sans-serif';">References __ <span style="font-family: 'Arial','sans-serif';">Johnson, D. (n.d.). //The blue skunk blog//. Retrieved from http://doug-johnson.squarespace.com <span style="font-family: 'Arial','sans-serif';">Johnson, D. (n.d.). //Doug johnson//. Retrieved from http://www.doug-johnson.com/ <span style="font-family: 'Arial','sans-serif';">Johnson, D. (2011). Google Apps and Librarians. //Library Media Connection//, //29//(6), 106. <span style="font-family: 'Arial','sans-serif';">Valenza, J., & Johnson, D. (2009). Things That Keep Us Up at Night. //School Library Journal//, //55//(10), 29-32.

•“Head for the Edge” column, //Library Media Connection// •Blue Skunk Blog || •focuses on the intersection of libraries and technology || •current Dir. of Library Services, NYC Dept. of Education (until 2012) •professor at Syracuse Univ. School of Info. Studies (Jan. 2012) || •past AASL president •running for ALA president, 2013-14 •advocates for the importance of school libraries || •over 20 years experience in elementary and middle schools •author of Practically Paradise blog on slj.com || •former ALA executive board member •“advocates for practical advocacy and participatory culture for school libraries” (slj.com) || •professor of Library & Info. Science at San Jose State Univ. •blogger at davidloerstscher.wordpress.com • author of //Taxonomies of the School Library Media Program// || •past AASL president •advocates for a library learning commons to replace traditional school libraries || •professor of Library & Info. Science, LIU •author of //Action Research// || •focuses on school libraries; advocacy; collaboration; information literacy; and action research || •online instructor for intellectual freedom courses at Mansfield Univ. in PA •has written extensively on IF and censorship issues || •past AASL president •chair of AASL Intellectual Freedom Committee •AASL liaison to Freedom to Read Foundation Board ||
 * Charting the Leaders in Our Field:**
 * || **Leader** || **Time Period** || **Contributions** || **Notes** ||
 * || Doug Johnson || 1979-present || •Dir. Media & Tech., Mankato (MN) Public Schools
 * || Barbara Stripling || 1977-present || •former head of New Visions for Public Schools
 * || Diane Chen (//Practically Paradise// blog for SLJ) || 1989-present || •middle school LMS in Nashville
 * || David Loertscher || ?-present || •former SLMS at elementary & secondary levels
 * || Jody Howard || 1975-present || •former high school, jr. high school & elementary librarian
 * || Helen Adams || ?-present || •former SLMS & tech. coordinator in Wisconsin

Posted 9/25/11