Teacher Librarians

OLJ 18 Task (Module 6) – Thoughts for the future

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(Altmann, 2018)

Write a 400 word analysis that addresses the following issues:

What is the potential for the future of an organisation you are familiar with?

What impact might the future have on us as information professionals?

Across the world, educational practices are reforming in response to the challenges and demands of a rapidly changing, globalised, and increasing technological 21st century, that delivers a complex information landscape. A school’s purpose is to prepare its students for their professional, social and personal future by providing an education that enables students to be informed citizens and successful lifelong learners (van de Oudeweetering & Voogt, 2018). Therefore, it is imperative that school libraries respond to innovation and change by providing a physical and virtual learning environment, where all learners in the community can thrive and experience success. In recent times, we have seen the types of information and resources included in collections change as well as the way users access information.

Hussain (2020) outlines some of the new cutting-edge technologies that are being adopted by libraries for learning, research and information. As I scroll through the list there are many that I can see as being a perfect fit and useful to users in a school setting. Expanding library services and programs to include mixed reality, 3D printing, code clubs, digital storytelling, makerspaces and educational streaming services are ways to move from the traditional idea of a library. Although not all being pertinent to school libraries, the likes of drones, robots and driverless cars have opened my eyes to the many possibilities that new technologies can offer information agencies and professionals and what may need to be considered in the future.

Whilst libraries need to evolve with the times, there is always an eagerness to jump onto the new best thing. I believe information professionals need to consider what is best suited to their community and question whether the new or emerging technologies will not only serve its users but also be a sustainable practice. A few years ago, my school invested in a class set, one between two, of virtual reality kits and whilst it was very exciting at the time, the sheer cost to maintain and update the software and equipment saw these kits quickly become obsolete.

Technology changes rapidly, can be costly and is not going away anytime soon. This does not mean we ignore it. The recommendations outlined in the article of experimenting, seeking a mentor, having a go, creating something as well as immersing yourself in technology to learn is sound advice for information professionals in order to be relevant, up to date and to provide a service that is appropriate now and into the future. As a teacher librarian my focus is to continue to embrace and integrate technology, collaborate with users and develop virtual environments to ensure the school library continues to evolve and provides the best services possible to meet the needs of the community. A teacher librarian’s role has never looked so good and so exciting.

References

Altmann, G. (2018). [man’s head silhouette]. Pixabay. https://tinyurl.com/mr2casep

Hussain, A. (2020). Cutting edge: Technology’s impact on library services. In Innovations in Designing and marketing of Information Services (pp. 16-27). IGI Global.

van de Oudeweetering, K., & Voogt, J. (2018). Teachers’ conceptualization and enactment of twenty-first century competences: exploring dimensions for new curricula. The Curriculum Journal, 29(1), 116-133. https://doi.org/10.1080/09585176.2017.1369136

Changing Percpetions

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I have always wanted to be recognised but what I now realise is active involvement, risk taking, initiative and confidence is required in order for this to happen.

Operating within the comfort zone of the known is not always the best approach and certainly doesn’t leave room for change which is needed in order to evolve and remain current. As society, technology and the needs of the 21st Century learners change so too must libraries and Teacher Librarians. Moving from a traditional structure or function of a library, housing books, to one where libraries are the central hub of the school, Teacher Librarians are unique in the fact that they have the ability to connect with staff, students and the wider community on many levels. Collaboration and involvement in curriculum planning, whole school events and initiatives, embracing and implementing new practices and current trends, risk taking, providing and promoting a service that meets the needs of its users  makes the Teacher Librarian an integral member of the community, not just the book keeper.

One needs to be visible in order to be recognised.

Leadership, My Initial Thoughts

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I have never really thought of becoming a leader or considered myself as one. So as I begin this subject, I know that I have a lot to learn and explore as I investigate ‘Teacher Librarian as a Leader.’

There are many ways to view what leadership is and what qualities a leader possess. Generating thought around this topic, has led to the following Acrostic poem.

Learning leader,

Educator within education.

Adventurous, acknowledging,

Decision making all part and parcel.

Evolving, your purpose, what you are responsible for.

Risk taking an element of

Servant leadership.

Hierarchy, a power structure of which you are a member.

Initiating projects and plans, seeing the potential.

Personable, a desirable quality, to lead.

I am assuming that not matter what form or type of leadership you are involved in that there would be similarities throughout organisations and leadership roles within.

Encouraged to join the Teacher Librarian Diigo group, I started to immerse myself in the literature around this topic. I found myself drawn to Smith’s blog post ‘What is Leadership?’ in relation to school librarians due to the fact that it was not defined with a definition but rather explained through real life examples of what leadership can look like in practice. The acknowledgment that, “leaders do not have to do or know everything” (Smith 2020), is somewhat comforting as I evolve as a Teacher Librarian. Instead leadership is about recognising a need and working with others to fulfil that need.

Being the first time I started reading about leadership and exploring the terminology around it, in this particular case, I found the terms to describe leadership both thought provoking and relevant. In the first subject of this course we were asked, “What is the role of a Teacher Librarian?’ to which my response was, not one dimensional and complex. Just like Braxton’s blog ‘500 Hats’ (n.d.), which explores the many hats a Teacher Librarian wears, through this blog post, I can see that a Teacher Librarian as leader is multifaceted and has varying layers of responsibility.  Smith explains that in order to evolve as an organisation, leaders need to become uncomfortable by putting oneself out there and convincing others of your vision or the need, to make change. Recognising potential in others to help fulfil that vision or need and acknowledging teamwork throughout the journey is what leadership is all about.  Once a task is accomplished or a need has been met that provokes change then as a leader you will feel rewarded. 

As I move through this subject I am sure there will be many more terms, ideas, characteristics, strategies, approaches and practices that will emerge. Watch this space!

References

Braxton, B., (n.d.). 500 hats the teacher librarian in the 21st century. Retrieved from https://500hats.edublogs.org/

Smith, D., (2020, February 26). What is leadership? [Blog post]. Retrieved from https://knowledgequest.aasl.org/what-is-leadership/.

Collaborator, Steward and Thinker

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Collaborator, steward and thinker, three terms used to describe a good budget manager.  I can see how all three need to be employed in order to manage a budget effectively. In the fast paced society in which we live, the demands of the curriculum and the new trends and processes that institutions are implementing for planning and teaching, teachers rely on Teacher Librarians to offer suggestions or find resources that support the need. Sometimes there is no collaboration with the Teacher Librarian as teachers want or need a resource ASAP.  When being a collaborator it is important that there is a balance. One way is showing initiative, being involved in planning sessions to help resource and support teaching and learning.  Another way is to look at the current collections to see if there is a similar resource.  This does not only apply to teachers but all community members.  Due to tight budgets, Teacher Librarians can not simply buy everything every community member would like.  They need to monitor and assess what best suits the needs of the community.

The roll out of the new Senior Syllabus is a prime example of how a Teacher Librarian shows leadership and stewardship.  Liaising with the principal and subject coordinators to move through the costly yet essential process is essential in order to provide a collection thats caters for the needs of the community.  One needs to be organised, monitor and assess and keep track of all expenditure.

Being creative and thinking outside of the box is also important when managing a budget.  Negotiating with others and being resourceful on how to access other funds can offer opportunities to support the library collection and budget.  A resource that is multiple purposeful opens up conversations and negotiation as to which budget it can come out of.  It is also important that one does not spend all the budget at once or early in the year.  That it is thought out to allow for special events, redesign or new products or trends that occur.

To manage a budget effectively one needs to plan, record, consider, collaborate, lead, initiate, and reflect on all purchases to be made and those that are made.

 

How can teacher librarians effectively collaborate with the school community in the selection of resources?

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According to Hughes-Hassell and Mancall, (2005) providing a collaborative access environment requires that “school library media specialists, teachers, and other members of the learning community enter into a collaborative relationship and share authority for collection and access decisions” (p. 48).  No longer is it the sole responsibility of the teacher librarian to develop the library collection.

Doughty, (2017) explains that collaboration with all library users contributes to a great library service. Ways in which a collaborative relationship can be built with the learning community is by attending planning and team meetings to inform what parts of the curriculum are currently being studied and to offer suggestions of resources that may support the learning.  Student involvement in the selection process can also be established by having students offer suggestions.  These can be simply based on interest or a suggestion that supports their learning.  By giving students an active role to play in the library it offers them a greater sense of ownership (Doughty, 2017).  Relationships with parents and the wider community are equally important and can be achieved through offering a collection that parents can borrow from and by having connections with local libraries and resources that can be accessed for your community.

Doughty, K. (2017). Collaboration is the name of the game. Incite, 38 (11/12), 25. Retrieved from https://search-informit-com-au.ezproxy.csu.edu.au/fullText;dn=220458073962485;res=IELAPA

Hughes-Hassell,. S. & Mancall, J. (2005). Collection management for youth: responding to the needs of learners. Chicago: ALA Editions.  Retrieved from https://ebookcentral.proquest.com/lib/csuau/reader.action?docID=289075&ppg=48

Evidence Guides

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There has been a lot of discussion among Queensland Teacher Librarians recently and whether they are eligible to apply for Highly Accomplished Teacher (HAT) or LEAD teacher positions.  Some Teacher Librarians have been told that they are unable to apply for this role due to not having regular classes where they are monitoring, providing feedback and conducting and reporting on formal assessment.  Although Teacher Librarians are planning, teaching and supporting assessment, it seems that the responsibility of the assessment and ultimately the mark, lies with the classroom teacher.  The Evidence Guide however suggest ways in which Teacher Librarians can meet professional standards in this area.

These guides are a great way to define your position as well as inform you of the possible ways you can fulfill your role and meet the standard.  I will be using these documents to help guide my practice.

 

Are School Librarians an endangered species?

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My take home message is that Teacher Librarians will only become endangered if you allow them to.

Teacher Librarians need to be active members of the school community and have STRENGTH OF CHARACTER. They need to be different. The recognition of those differences, the LITTLE THINGS THAT COUNT, how they help and support students and teachers is what makes them unique. Teacher Librarians need to build RELATIONSHIPS with people who are willing to work with them. They need to be true to the BRAND, meet the standards and be an advocate for what they stand for. Teacher Librarians need to have a FOCUS, set goals and achieve them.

When Teacher Librarians implement and make connections between the National Education architecture – there will always be a need for School Librarians.

Assessment 1: The Role of a Teacher Librarian

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As a classroom teacher, having not ever worked in a school library before, I would have to say my knowledge and understanding of a Teacher Librarian was very limited. Now having had some experience in a school library, I have quickly discovered that the role of a Teacher Librarian is not one dimensional but in fact quite complex.  There are many layers to this role.

Teacher librarians play an integral part in schools.  Not only are they the keepers of books, Teacher Librarians themselves are a walking and talking resource with a diverse set of skills which are shared regularly with students, staff and the wider community. Not any given day is the same, which to me makes this role so exciting and enjoyable.  Do we have..?  Can you fix…?  Where can I find…?  Can we use…? What do you think about…? Are just some of the questions a teacher librarian can be asked each day.  I must admit, I do not have all the answers to these questions yet but I am working on it.

I am very new to this role and know that I have a lot to learn and that there is plenty of room for growth and development.  The following are my initial thoughts about the role of a Teacher Librarian.

  • First and foremost, Teacher Librarians need to provide a multipurpose space where people feel safe and comfortable to visit. By building this learning environment, students will engage in a range of learning opportunities and have a space where they feel welcomed and supported.

 

  • The promotion of reading and reading for enjoyment is another important component. At times, this can be challenging especially for reluctant readers. However,  I believe it is important to expose students to range of quality literature, to hopefully spark students interests and get them hooked on reading and to also challenge students to broaden and extend their reading.

 

  • In focused lessons each week, along with the sharing and appreciation of literature, I view Teacher Librarians as skill builders. It is very important to teach information literacy to empower students to be able to access information and research with precision and confidence. Just as important, is the teaching of digital skills and processes. Now that we live in a digital world, we need to equip students with the knowledge and skills on how to access and safely use technology.

 

  • Developing and managing a collection of resources that are relevant to the curriculum is another important aspect of the role. Current resources and an update system is vital for providing both students and staff a rich learning experience.

 

  • Another layer of the role is working collaboratively with others, managing staff and being responsible for a budget.

 

  • Finally Teacher Librarians need to be current and up to date with professional knowledge and practice in order to contribute to the school community.

 

I lost a remarkable colleague this week.  This wonderful woman has taught me that above all this, it is essential to be approachable, open, positive and passionate about what you do.  I  aspire to be all these things in my new role.