Professor Emeritus
Reading & Literacy
National College of Education
Courses approved by Illinois State Board of Education leading to School Library Endorsement:
RLS 510 Introduction to School Libraries
RLS 511 School Library Collection Development
RLS 512 Administration and Advocacy in School Libraries
RLS 513 Organization of Knowledge for Materials for Children and Adolescents
RLS 514 Teaching Research to Children and Adolescents
RLS 591 Supervised Field Experiences in School Libraries
RLL 595 School Library Leadership Seminar: CPS Striving Readers Grant Schools
RLL 595 Special Topics/Literacy: Grant Writing for Literacy and Library Programs
RLL 595 Differentiated Instruction for School Librarians Seminar:CPS Striving Readers Grant Schools
Areas of Expertise:
Gail’s research includes educator collaboration and the development of professional dispositions. Her areas of intellectual engagement are social justice, creativity, poetry, serving youth through literature, and all aspects of fostering literacy through equity and access.
Biography:
Gail Bush, Ph.D., is Professor Emeritus at the National College of Education of National Louis University. Gail’s academic background includes a bachelor’s degree in anthropology, master’s degree in library science, and doctorate in educational psychology. In 2002 Gail followed her tenure as a library practitioner by moving into academia as director of the Dominican University Graduate School of Library and Information Science School Library Media Program; and then founder of the School Library Program and co-founder of the Center for Teaching Through Children’s Books in the Department of Reading and Language in the National College of Education of National Louis University. After a career in libraries that included the National School Library Media Program of the Year award, Gail was recognized as the University of Illinois Champaign-Urbana Graduate School of Library and Information Science Distinguished Alumnae of 2008. In 2010 she was elected the president of the Illinois Library Association. Gail completed her term as the United States delegate to the School Libraries Committee of the International Federation of Library Associations (IFLA) in 2014. She served as a trustee of the Poetry Foundation from 2010 – 2015 and was inducted as an Illinois Library Luminary Honoree in July 2015.
Education:
Ph.D., Loyola University Chicago, educational psychology, with distinction, 2001
M.S., University of Illinois at Urbana, library science, Beta Phi Mu, 1977
B.A., University of Illinois at Urbana, anthropology, magna cum laude, 1973
Research and Interests:
Research interests include topics in the academic learning environment: educators as role models of inquiry learning, creativity, and lifelong literacy; children’s and adolescents’ multicultural and international literature and reading behaviors; school learning community, culture and climate; information literacy, equitable access to resources, and social justice; educator preparation for collaboration; professional dispositions; poetry; and the power of story.
Recent Publications:
Books
- Bush, G. & Meyer, R. (2013). (Ed.) Indivisible: Poems for social justice. Chicago, IL: Norwood House Press.
- Bush, G. & Jones, J.L. (2010) Tales out of the school library: Developing professional dispositions. Santa Barbara, CA: ABC-CLIO.
Chapters
- Bush, G. (2013). The creative tapestry: Collaborative partnerships. In J. Jones & L. Flint (Eds.), The creative imperative: School librarians and teachers cultivating curiosity together. (pp. 97-108). Englewood, CO: Libraries Unlimited.
- Bush, G. & Jones, J. (2013). Exploring professional dispositions of school librarians. In M.
- Dow (Ed.). School Libraries Matter: Views from the research. (pp. 1-18). Englewood, CO: Libraries Unlimited.
- Bush, G. (2012). The promise of libraries: A theoretical foundation for activism. In D. Levitov (Ed.). Activism and the school librarian: Tools for advocacy and survival. (pp. 1-12).Englewood, CO: Libraries Unlimited.
- Jones, J. & Bush, G. (2011). Towards an understanding of professional dispositions ofexemplary school librarians.In M. Orey, S.A. Jones, & R.M. Branch (Eds.). Educational media and technology yearbook (36) (pp. 209-219). New York, NY: Springer.
Articles
- Bush, G. (2014). Fear no creativity. Knowledge Quest, 42(5), 20.
- Bush, G. (2012). The transliterate learner. School Library Monthly, 29(1), 5-7.
- Bush, G. (2012). ILA collective voice initiative: We’re on a mission. Illinois Library Association Reporter, 30(1), 24.
- Bush, G. & Jones, J. (2011). Revisiting professional dispositions: Research redux. School Library Monthly, 28(2), 14-16.
- Bush, G. & Jones, J. (2011). Forecasting professional dispositions of school librarians. School Library Monthly, 27(4), 54-56.
- Lehman, B.A., Logan, C.L., Pellowski, A., & Bush, G. (2011). Life and literacy in Haiti: A conversation with Jocelyne Trouillot. Language Arts, 88(4), 298-303.
- Bush, G. & Jones, J. (2010). Exploration to identify professional dispositions of school librarians. School Library Media Research: American Association of School Librarians Referred Research Journal, 13. Available online June 2010: http://www.ala.org/ala/mgrps/divs/aasl/aaslpubsandjournals/slmrb/schoollibrary.cfm
Essay
- Bush, G. (2013). Whither the candleflame or whither the well. Great Lakes Cultural Review, 2(1).
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