Voices (ISL Stories)

Meet Amanda Björling

Could you please introduce yourself and tell us about your role at ISL?

In the Upper School library, I oversee research assistance, Extended Essays, Reader advisory, and literacy programming throughout the Upper School. I act as a helping hand or guide, especially at the beginning of the year for students as they settle into the school year. One of my favourite things to do is talk great books or go hunting for a new book for an avid reader.

As the Upper School Librarian and an active member of the DEIJ committee, how do you integrate these roles into your work?

Supporting diverse authors and diverse literature has been a central part of my collection development plan for the Upper School Library as it is so important to offer opportunities to walk in the shoes of other cultures, history, and unfamiliar places. As George R.R. Martin said, “A reader lives a thousand lives before he dies. The man who never reads lives only one.” It is so important to support opportunities for celebrating all the amazing diversity within our community.

What did you do prior to working at ISL, and what brought you to our school?

I worked for seven years in the US public school system before moving to work at a boarding school in Switzerland for three years. Now I've been in Luxembourg for seven years and I came to Luxembourg because I was excited for the possibilities of working with a forward-thinking school that included the library in the educational technology department. I thought, “Here is a school that was looking towards the future!”

What does your typical day look like, especially when managing the library and promoting DEIJ initiatives?

My work in the front of the house on a normal day is spent meeting with students about citation, talking about life, research sources, and potentially CAS projects. Behind the scenes I’m working on budgets, book promotion, author events, website development, and trying to help support teachers/students wherever I can.

What do you love most about your work at ISL?

The students- hands down. I get to come to work every day and help build a haven for the curious, the dreamers, future scientists, and leaders. I get the chance to go exploring with them on topics from sting ray migration patterns to the anti-bacterial qualities of dog saliva. Every day is a new adventure and I’m most definitely never bored.

You are also working with the Library Council. Can you tell us more about the Library Council and its mission? 

This year, I started to build the library council, which has been a terrific opportunity for students to be more involved in running the library and feel a sense of community with other readers.

What events have you been involved in to promote diversity and literature, and how have they impacted the school community?

One of the main focuses of our past author visits has been a focus on diversity. We have had a British Jamaican playwright/storyteller, an Indian storyteller all the way from Chennai, Shakespearian expert from the UK, African American adventure author that came to give us a writing workshop, and a Kenyan-Scottish storyteller who all opened our eyes to new ideas, stories, and ways of life. This coming year we will be doing a Storytelling and Puppetry Workshop with the middle school with an Indian storyteller as well as a talented British puppeteer.  I am so excited to see what stories our students create.

What do you think is unique about ISL?

ISL reflects the diversity of Luxembourg where so many people from around the world gather and get the chance to learn together. As a librarian I feel so blessed because we have access to almost all the resources of the University of Luxembourg through the Bibliotheque Nationale. This has been such a fantastic opportunity for specialization and access to primary resources and statistics.

What are some of the most important skills a student should acquire today?

I have always loved the quote by Clay Shirky where he said, “There is no such thing as information overload. There is only filter failure." In my opinion, critical thinking, deductive reasoning, and self-reflection are the three top skills students need to succeed in the world today.

How do you define the success of a student in both academics and their personal growth in areas such as diversity and inclusion?

Success to me is being able to debate not argue and grow comfortable with the phrase “I don’t know, but I want to learn.” When teaching, I have often used this quote by Ghandi to talk to my students about inclusion, “I do not want my house to be walled in on all sides and my windows to be stuffed. I want the cultures of all lands to be blown about my house as freely as possible. But I refuse to be blown off my feet by any. I refuse to live in other people's houses as an interloper, a beggar or a slave.”

You have been instrumental in curating a diverse collection of books for the library. Can you share a recommendation or two that you believe are essential reads for our community?

First of all, aww thank you!  The world is full of such wonderful authors and authentic stories- we as adventurers and explorers  I love books that take my mind travelling. Two books that I think are wonderful reads are:

The Old Drift, a historical fiction and science fiction novel by Zambian author Namwali Serpell that was hailed the great Zambian novel

Bangkok Wakes to Rain: A Novel by Pitchaya Sudbanthad a beautiful and gorgeous story that makes you feel like you are there.

Describe ISL in five words.

Opportunity. International. Creative. Innovative. Modern.