Browsed by
Tag: Advocacy

Photo by Johnny McClung on Unsplash
ETL503: A Reflection On Learning

ETL503: A Reflection On Learning

Comments 0 Comment

‘Mirrors and windows’ is an analogy that I first encountered during my studies in ETL503. It means students must be able to see themselves reflected in the school’s library collection (the mirrors) and be provided with opportunities to learn about the lives and experiences of others (the windows) (Adam, 2023, p. 1). This analogy has underpinned much of my thinking as I worked through this unit, further developing my understanding of the nature of school library collections and the practical applications of a collection development policy. In this blog post, I take the time to reflect upon how my learning has progressed around the topics of student-led collection development policies, censorship, advocacy and future-proofing the collection.

 

In module 2.1, I was inspired by the success of Melba Copeland Secondary School’s library incorporating a student-led collection development policy to empower students when it comes to the selection of books within the library’s collection (Jorm, 2022). I used this as a launching pad to research ways in which I could emulate their success in my own future library. Implementing strategies, such as suggestion boxes, request books, and automatic patron-driven acquisition systems, will give me the ability to tailor my collection to meet the teaching and learning needs of my school community (Wilson, 2023, March 15). In taking this approach to collection development, I hope to increase engagement and circulation statistics within my future library.

 

I have come to learn that a collection development policy can protect a collection through clearly articulated policies around censorship. My initial understanding of censorship was the active and conscious suppression of materials, but through module 4.1 I learned that censorship could come in many subtle and overt forms. One subtle form is the teacher librarian pre-emptively excluding a resource from the collection to avoid dealing with a challenge from the learning community, known as self-censorship (Johnson, 2018, p. 133). A collection development policy gives me the courage to select a diverse range of resources, knowing that my decisions are guided by the policies upholding the need for students to have free access to information without interference (Wilson, 2023, April 19).

 

Compiling an annual report articulating how the library worked towards the policies and goals set out in the Collection Development Policy can be used as evidence when advocating for the library (McKenzie, 2009, para. 13). The Australian School Library Survey Report 2021 (Softlink, 2022) found that 26% of school libraries were receiving a low to very low level of support from their school’s Senior Leadership Team (p. 4). Considering this statistic, I am aware that I may end up in a school library that does not receive an adequate amount of support. Investing time into the creation of an annual report is an effective way to engage the senior leadership team with the library. Presenting qualitative and quantitative data on the impact the school’s Collection Development Policy has on teaching and learning has the power to make the invisible achievements of the library visible (Wilson, 2023, April 29). This can raise the profile of the school library within the school, making advocating for appropriate resourcing an easier task and ensuring that the library remains a valuable component of the school into the future.

 

Not all libraries have a collection development policy (Gregory, 2019, p. 29), therefore it is a real possibility in the future that I may need to take the initiative to create one from scratch. With the understanding I have gained from ETL503, I feel confident in approaching this task, knowing how crucial it is in tailoring the collection, confronting censorship, boosting the library’s standing through advocacy and future-proofing the collection. Through this I will be able to develop a collection that is the ‘mirrors and windows’ my learning community requires.

 

References

Adam, H. (2023). Is your library the window and mirror all children need?. Connections, 125, 1-3. https://www.scisdata.com/connections/issue-125/is-your-library-the-window-and-mirror-all-children-need

Gregory, V. L. (2019). Collection Development and Management for 21st Century Libraries and Collections : An Introduction (2nd ed.). American Library Association.

Johnson, P. (2018). Fundamentals of Collection Development and Management (4th ed.). ALA Editions.

Jorm, M. (2022). Photo story: Student-led library collection development. Teacher. https://www.teachermagazine.com/au_en/articles/photo-story-student-led-library-collection-development

McKenzie, D. (2009). Importance of creating an annual report. [blog]. Library Grits. http://librarygrits.blogspot.com.au/2009/06/importance-of-creating-annual-report.html

Softlink. (2022). Australian School Library Survey Report 2021. https://www.softlinkint.com/downloads/2021_Softlink_School_Library_Survey_-_Australian_Report.pdf

Annual Reporting: Making the Invisible Visible

Annual Reporting: Making the Invisible Visible

Comments 0 Comment

An annual report can be a powerful tool that gives a teacher librarian the ability to provide transparency, take accountability and advocate for their library. In this blog post I elaborate on these three concepts, detailing some of the ways an annual report can be beneficial to a school library and to the role of a teacher librarian.

 

For transparency:

Creating an annual report plays a part in making the invisible visible. Karen Bonanno (2011) describes how teacher librarians were viewed during the Australian Government’s Inquiry into school libraries and teacher librarians in Australian schools (House of Representatives Standing Committee on Education and Employment, 2011), stating that many stakeholders:

“…referred to the profession as an invisible profession. They didn’t know what you did. They didn’t know who you were. They considered that you did not have any significant contribution to the learning experiences and the academic excellence of students because they could not see any direct evidence of that” (Bonanno, 2011).

An annual report gives a teacher librarian an opportunity to articulate and demonstrate the integral part a school library has in the teaching and learning of a school. It also brings to light other “invisible” areas that may go unnoticed, such as the impact volunteers have in the day-to-day functioning of library processes (McKenzie, 2009).

 

For accountability:

If teacher librarians are to convince school leadership to financially invest in their school library, they need to demonstrate how the allocated funds are used effectively and the impact on teaching and learning. The National Library of New Zealand (n.d.) has detailed some ideas on information to include within the report, such as highlights of the year, usage statistics, how your library has engaged students as readers, and how you have supported inquiry learning and digital literacy.

 

Teacher librarians are reflective practitioners and an annual report is a valuable opportunity to provide personal accountability by reflecting upon the achievements of the school library and your impact as the teacher librarian. In doing so, teacher librarians can identify areas of strength and areas of improvement to enact upon in the following year. This can also be used to demonstrate proficiency against the Australian Professional Standards for Teachers (Australian Institute for Teaching and School Leadership, 2011), specifically the standards: 3.6 Evaluate and improve teaching programs, and 6.3 Engage with colleagues and improve practice.

 

For advocacy:

Advocacy is integral to the role of a teacher librarian. Having the data to demonstrate how your school library impacts the teaching and learning within your school is crucial in advocating for its importance, and an annual report provides key evidence of this. An annual report can be distributed to the executive leadership team. It can be repackaged using more community-friendly language and distributed to other stakeholders such as teachers, parents, carers and other community members.

 

Although it may be time consuming to create, an annual report has multiple capabilities to demonstrate the strengths of a school library and the teacher librarian. It brings to the forefront the invisible attributes and can also act as a way for a teacher librarian to embed reflective practice within their role, which can then be subsequently used for advocacy.

 

References:

Australian Institute for Teaching and School Leadership. (2011). Australian Professional Standards for Teachers. AITSL.  https://www.aitsl.edu.au/teach/standards

 

Bonanno, K. (2011). ASLA 2011. Karen Bonanno, Keynote speaker: A profession at the tipping point: Time to change the game plan. https://vimeo.com/31003940

 

House of Representatives Standing Committee on Education and Employment. (2011). School libraries and teacher librarians in 21st century Australia. Commonwealth of Australia. https://www.aph.gov.au/parliamentary_business/committees/house_of_representatives_committees?url=ee/schoollibraries/report.htm

 

McKenzie, D. (2009). Importance of creating an annual report. [blog]. Library Grits. http://librarygrits.blogspot.com.au/2009/06/importance-of-creating-annual-report.html

 

National Library of New Zealand. (n.d.). Annual Report. https://natlib.govt.nz/schools/school-libraries/leading-and-managing/managing-your-school-library/annual-report

Step 1 of 2
Please sign in first
You are on your way to create a site.

Log in

Skip to toolbar