Reflection on the role of Teacher Librarians (prior to my interest in becoming a Teacher Librarian).
I must be honest and admit that prior to 2018, I had a very limited understanding of the role of Teacher Librarians (TLs) in schools.
My first teaching position was in Jakarta, Indonesia in 2000. Looking back, I can barely remember the school library. I suspect that being new to the profession and a new country, I used the scheduled library sessions as a “dump and run”. Desperate for some breathing space and planning time, I had little interest in what the TL’s were doing with the students. I then moved to Singapore. From my observations, the TLs did not leave the library space and I identified their roles as the following: role #1_the ‘guardian of the library space’ and role #2:_the scanner of books.
My next job took me to an international school in Germany, and I added another TL role to my list: role #3 :_the provider of books related to current units I was teaching. There was very little dialogue between myself and the TL, I would simply state what topic we were investigating. This is a far cry from the comprehensive role outlined by the Australian School Library Association (ASLA) in regards to the TL being a leader in curriculum development (ASLA, 2014).
I started work in my current international school in Seoul and my experience of the role of TLs utterly changed. In Middle School I met a TL who was the antithesis of every other TL I had come across. He knew the students well. No shushing. Instead, laughter and animated discussions over books. He would do a ‘book pitch’ at the beginning of each library time – I have never seen students move SO FAST to literally dive on one of the ‘pitch’ books once he had finished. His role went well beyond what I had experienced before and extended to what ASLA (2014) has identified as information service manager and information specialist.
Two years ago, I moved to the High school section. At some point teaching a rigorous higher level History program, I ran into a conundrum with some referencing issues and a few elusive research topics and sought help from the TL, Judith. It was clear from our first meeting that Judith was not only an information manager and specialist but also a leader in curriculum development.
You could find Judith in the library, but just as likely, she would be talking to students in the halls and classrooms, or attending meetings. At this point, I was Head of Department of Individuals & Societies and I wondered why Judith attended these meetings. Then I realised that she brought a different perspective to our discussions. It became obvious that she had taken on a leadership role within the High School with the full support of the Principal. She transcended departments and grade levels. The library linked all of us together.
Judith has had a profound impact on my understanding of the role of a TL. I had never before witnessed the combination of teacher and librarian and someone who was willing to partner me in the classroom. It was only after this experience that I began to quietly wonder of the possibility of becoming a TL too.
References
Australian School Library Association. (2014). What is a Teacher Librarian? https://asla.org.au/what-is-a-teacher-librarian.