Are school librarians an endangered species?

Karen Bonanno (2011) maintains that for teacher librarians (TLs) to defy this labelling of being an endangered species, they must “rise to the occasion” to meet the employment demands of their school community. She discusses the importance of TLs being visibly engaged with the education structure, which encompasses curriculum (ACARA), standards (AITSL) and services (ESA).  Building explicit connections between the role of the TL with this ‘architecture’ and making them widely known is vital. For example, TLs should use the language from the General Capabilities of ICT and Critical and Creative Thinking, to make the link with the TL role in the changing education landscape.   In her later article, Bonanno (2015) emphasizes that TLs must be proactive in building their capacity. This includes keeping abreast of educational and technological developments and being producers as well as consumers of professional conversations. In doing this, TLs can become a thriving species who are indispensable to their school community.

Australian School Library Association (ASLA) (2011). A profession at the tipping point: Time to change the game plan. Keynote presentation, Karen Bonanno. Retrieved from https://vimeo.com/31003940

Bonanno, K., (2015) A profession at the tipping point (revisited), ACCESS, March, 14-21. Retrieved from https://search.informit.com.au/fullText;dn=064399679084070;res=IELAPA