Category: Assignments

The Australian School Library Association (2019) states that the role of the teacher librarian must be a qualified one recognised by the Australian Library and Information Association (ALIA). This was news to me before I began looking into the position. On speaking with numerous people both within the education field and outside of it the common reaction was “Why do you need a degree to be a Librarian? Don’t they just read stories and check books in and out?” I must admit I too hadn’t thought too deeply about what else the role entailed but having a better understanding now of the role I absolutely see the need for the qualification and am excited to be involved in study related to such a dynamic role. ASLA (2019) outlines a TL’s three key roles as being curriculum leaders, information specialists and information service managers with each of these roles having numerous responsibilities with specific skill sets. It’s this unique set of skills that I believe will secure our profession in the rapidly changing information and educational landscape.

Librarians play a pivotal role in 21st Century teaching and the positive outcomes of student learning are directly connected to the work of qualified teacher librarians. (Brown, K., & Malenfant K. 2017). (Godfree, H., & Neilson O. 2018) refer to the role of the teacher librarian as being the “missing piece of the education puzzle” and demonstrate the links between the roles of the librarian with student’s access to 21st skills. This makes sense to me as I have just stepped out of the role of classroom teacher where teaching and learning was being driven with a heavy focus on developing students 21st Century skills. ACARA (2019) has recognised the importance of critical and creative thinking and ICT skills and has embedded these components into the current capabilities framework of the Australian Curriculum to increase learning outcomes. “The ultimate goal of teachers and librarians is to help students develop 21st-Century skills and grow as empathic, global citizens.” (Copeland & Jacobs, p.22., 2017). As an aspiring teacher librarian, I see being able to facilitate opportunities for students to experience and acquire these 21st century skills as being limitless. A huge motivation for me to pursue this role.

The library is more than a room full of books!
This has been my mantra since I started this year. No qualified librarian has stepped foot inside my current school library for years and I have inherited a ramshackle room full of books and have found myself working around the clock to not only transform the library but the perception of others, as to what a library is, and should be. My aim is for the library to become a learning hub of the school, a place students’, teachers and the wider community can engage in rich learning experiences. A place for the ‘bookworms’ to work alongside the ‘tech nerds’ A place that fosters innovative collaborations amongst a diverse group of learners. A library that inspires life-long learning and creativity with access to quality literature, relevant technologies and information.

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ACARA; Australian Curriculum, Assessment and Reporting Authority. (2019). Retrieved from: https://www.australiancurriculum.edu.au/f-10-curriculum/general-capabilities/

Australian School Library Association [ASLA], (2019), What is a teacher librarian?, Retrieved from: https://asla.org.au/what-is-a-teacher-librarian

Association of College and Research Libraries. Academic Library Impact on Student Learning and Success: Findings from Assessment in Action Team Projects. Prepared by Karen Brown with contributions by Kara J. Malenfant. Chicago: Association of College and Research Libraries, 2017.

Copeland, A., & Jacobs, L. (2017). The Power of Collaboration between School Librarian and Classroom Teacher. Teacher Librarian, 45 (2), pp.22-27.

Godfree, H., & Neilson O. (2018). School Libraries Matter! The missing piece in the education puzzle. Access, March 2018, 28-40.