ILTS Library Information Specialist (220) common mistakes
ILTS Library Information Specialist (220) · Understand the traps and how to avoid them.
Plans library lessons as stand-alone "library skills" units-Dewey order, parts of a book, worksheet scavenger hunts-without connecting them to grade-level content or a research assignment.
It is easier to reuse familiar lessons than to co-plan, and candidates often misread the library role as support rather than instruction.
What to do instead
Backward-design one inquiry unit per grading period with a content teacher, map AASL/Illinois standards to the unit, and replace skill worksheets with embedded mini-lessons taught at the point of need.
Waits for teachers to request collaboration and does not attend PLCs, grade-level meetings, or curriculum mapping; collaboration is limited to scheduling classes in the library.
Fixed schedules and isolation make the library feel separate, and candidates may fear imposing on teachers.
What to do instead
Publish a collaboration menu, attend one PLC per grade or content team, propose a co-taught research unit tied to an upcoming standard, and document the plan and outcomes.
Responds to a parent challenge by removing the book from the shelf immediately or arguing with the parent, without a written reconsideration form or committee.
Conflict avoidance and the absence of a board-approved policy lead candidates to resolve the issue quickly and informally.
What to do instead
Adopt a board-approved selection and reconsideration policy, keep the item in circulation during review, use a reconsideration form and committee, and follow the district process.
Weeds by copyright date alone-discarding anything older than 10–15 years-or keeps everything to avoid controversy, without checking curriculum use, circulation, or diverse representation.
Simple date rules are easy to apply, while fear of removing classics or diverse titles causes either over-weeding or under-weeding.
What to do instead
Use CREW/MUSTIE criteria plus local data; retain curriculum-needed and diverse titles; document decisions; conduct a diversity audit before large discards.
Spends the library budget in one late order, does not track encumbrances, and buys from a single familiar vendor without a needs assessment.
There is no budget calendar or collection analysis, and candidates treat the budget as an annual shopping task rather than a planning cycle.
What to do instead
Create a budget calendar, tie purchases to collection gaps and program goals, track purchase orders and encumbrances monthly, and compare vendors and contracts.
Shares circulation records, posts student photos or work, or adopts unvetted apps without checking privacy terms; treats library records as public information.
Casual library culture and enthusiasm for new tools lead candidates to underestimate FERPA, COPPA, and board policy.
What to do instead
Apply district privacy policy, keep circulation records confidential, vet tools for data practices, obtain permissions before posting, and teach students their privacy rights.
Treats inquiry as either totally free choice ("pick any topic") or a rigid step-by-step recipe, with no formative checkpoints for question development.
Inquiry is confused with unstructured exploration or with the traditional research paper, so scaffolding is skipped.
What to do instead
Use a guided-inquiry model such as Guided Inquiry Design, scaffold question formulation, schedule checkpoints and rubrics, and co-assess both process and product.
Uses technology as a reward or substitution-online worksheets, free-choice games-without checking accessibility, licensing, or whether the tool changes learning.
Device pressure and lack of evaluation time lead candidates to equate any tool use with technology integration.
What to do instead
Apply SAMR or TPACK, review privacy and accessibility, align tools to standards, and ensure equitable access and assistive features before adopting a tool.
Plans one-level instruction and print-only resources for a class with ELL, IEP/504, and gifted students; does not consult specialists or provide captions, audiobooks, or choice.
A general-education lens and time pressure lead candidates to overlook universal design for learning.
What to do instead
Co-plan with EL and special education staff, build UDL options such as multiple representations, varied text levels, captions, and choice, and use assistive technology.
Copies entire workbooks or streams commercial films for class use, ignores license terms for databases and e-books, and does not model citation or permission-seeking.
Fair use is overstated, and candidates rely on "educational use" without applying the four factors or checking licenses.
What to do instead
Apply the four fair-use factors, check license terms, seek permission when needed, and teach ethical use and citation as part of research instruction.