My studies in ETL501 have demonstrated how important the role of the teacher librarian (TL) is in utilising technology for the creation of locally produced resources and learning objects in schools to promote greater information literacy. I found the task of creating a research guide for this subject challenging. As a teacher I have wrongly become accustomed to prioritising the content over information literacy skills (Upton, 2024, October 1). Teachers often feel overwhelmed by having to meet the content requirements of the curriculum and don’t always make the time to explicitly teach information literacy skills (Clarkson, 2024, September 14). By using the NSW Information Skills Process as a framework for my research guide, I was able to ensure that key skills such as locating, selecting, evaluating and organising information were the focal point of the guide and that the content was the vehicle to develop these skills and not the driving force (Upton, 2024, October 1).

Oddone states that “collecting is additive and curating is subtractive” (2020, para. 16). This statement greatly influenced the process that I used to curate the resources for my research guide. A heavy reliance on the use of search engines to locate and select information means that students often do not go beyond the surface level of the search process. In fact, a study into Google user behaviour found that only 0.44% of searchers ventured to the second page of results (Dean, 2020, para. 14). Therefore, the inclusion of the “Informit: Explore” database and the “Britannica” general reference was essential to instruct students to identify keywords that will help them to use effective search strategies to locate quality information often unable to be retrieved via search engines.

The prevalence of information in the modern world also influenced the creation and design of my research guide. The information seeker is no longer the agent but rather information seeks students via algorithms and the rise of social media (Bull et al., 2021). The CRAAP (Currency, Relevancy, Authority, Accuracy and Purpose) test that was seen as an effective evaluation tool in the once static information environment is now under review. The inclusion of lateral reading skills instruction in my research guide using the ART acronym (Author, Reliability, Target) teaches students to critique a resource by using other sources to investigate its reliability. By using lateral reading techniques in my research guide students learn to go beyond the evaluation of a single website in isolation and use strategies that better reflect the “complex, networked information system” (Oddone, 2022) in which they are a part.

Studying ETL501 has transformed the way that I view the role of the TL in the twenty-first century. The assumption that students are “digital natives” and are inherently “tech-savvy” has been debunked (De Bruyckere, 2015), but this misguided assumption has contributed to the “haphazard” approach to teaching information literacy skills in schools (Edwards, 2024, September 18) and the lack of a school-wide approach.

TLs need to work collaboratively with students and teachers to design and deliver lessons that integrate key information literacy skills through the creation of locally produced resources and learning objects. The emergence of AI technology means that the role of the TL is even more pivotal in teaching students how to use information ethically and developing critical thinking and evaluation skills that students will need to navigate the complexities of the twenty-first century information landscape.

Resources

Bull, A., MacMillan, M., & Head, A.J. (2021). Dismantling the evaluation framework. In the library with a lead pipe. https://www.inthelibrarywiththeleadpipe.org/2021/dismantling-evaluation/

Dean, B. (2020). How people use Google search (new behavior study). Backlinko. https://backlinko.com/google-user-behavior

De Bruyckere, P., Kirschner, P. A., & Hulshof, C. D. (2015). Urban myths about learning and education. Academic Press. https://search-ebscohost-com.ezproxy.csu.edu.au/login.aspx?direct=true&db=nlebk&AN=963972&site=ehost-live&ebv=EB&ppid=pp_135

Oddone, K. (2020). Digital content curation: How to do it right! SCIS. https://scis.edublogs.org/2020/04/03/digital-content-curation-how-to-do-it-right/?sbe-%20followsubs=true

Oddone, K. (2022, June 8). Is CRAAP…crap? [Video]. YouTube. https://youtu.be/07v2Q-Cmfs0

At the school that I am currently working at, the teaching of information literacy is haphazard and lacks a coordinated whole-school approach. My school is a ECC-Year 12 school and the teaching of information literacy in the junior school takes place during their weekly library lesson. Students up to Year 8 have a scheduled weekly library lesson in which they learn key information literacy skills and our teacher librarian tries, where she can, to link the skill to what the students may currently be studying in their other subjects.

Unfortunately, beyond Year 8 there are no longer weekly visits to the library and it is simply “assumed” that the students possess strong literacy skills. Students who have always had technology in their lives are assumed to be “tech-savvy” and therefore the belief of their subject teachers is that they can solely focus on the content in their subject.

My school has set up a “Literacy Committe” in the attempt to develop a whole school approach to literacy. However, its scope is far too narrow. Its focus is primarily on ensuring that teachers are teaching their students to understand the NESA glossary terms and that teachers are explicitly teaching writing skills.

We need to expand our understanding of literacy if we are to successfully equip students with the necessary information skills to succeed in the information-rich world of the twentieth century. My school needs to consider the fact that literacy is multimodal in today’s learning environment and understand that our students, who admittedly are very at home with their technological devices and social media platforms, may not have the skills to critically analyse these sources of information for reliability and credibility.

At my school there is a stong focus on meeting the curriculum demands in regards to subject content but less so on skill development. Teachers, sadly myself included, often plough through the content at the expense of taking the time to develop key information literacy skills. So much so that most lessons are planned around the content and rarely delve into skills that will become important lifelong skills. Teachers do set research tasks but there is the expectation that they don’t need to explicitly teach students how to define what is being asked of them, how to employ successful search strategies to locate quality information or how to organise and present their information. Teachers are either unsure of how to perform these skills themselves or just assume that somewhere along the line (perhaps in their English classes) they have already been taught to do this.

A way to progess in the future would be to expand out the role of the whole-school “Literacy Committee”. It needs to plan beyond ensuring an understanding of glossary terms in the secondary school and go beyond the sole focus of writing skills. Our subjects need to be planned around the information literacy skill that we want to focus on and the content needs to be the vehicle for teaching this skill and not the driving force. We as teachers need to utilise our teacher librarian more and involve her in planning lessons and assessment tasks to ensure that we are explicitly teaching the information skills and that we are mapping these skills out year-by-year to ensure that there is a logical and developmentally-appropriate progression of skill acquisition.

I preferred the idea of using surveys to inform the design process for a new, renovated or refurbished library. The UK Design Council’s Double Diamond Model had many merits including the advice to firstly encourage reflection on the current library space before undergoing a refurbishment, renovation or rebuild of the school library. Often, we want to completely throw out the old and embrace the new, but I think that it is important to first consider what aspects of the current design already work.

By using surveys, stakeholders such as students, teachers, members of the Executive and parents could identify how often they currently use the school library and their reasons for doing so before suggesting improvements that they would like to see in the future. I think that participatory design is not only essential to ensuring feelings of ownership and inclusion but also ensures that students continue to use the library in the future as they see the relevancy of it for their needs.

In my current school context, both junior school and senior school students share the same library space. A combination of survey style data collection for the older students, teachers, the leadership team and parents are appropriate combined with data gathered from student-designed projects for the younger students who are less likely to be able to articulate their thoughts and ideas in writing and would benefit from a more visual task to communicate their ideas. Junior school students would best be able to communicate their ideas with a physical style survey or design project but in order to improve response participation in older students and their parents, I would consider the use of digital data collection such as a Google survey to encourage participation in the design process.

The best way to communicate and keep members of the school community updated about the library design process in my current school context would be to utilise the school’s FaceBook and Instagram accounts to reach parents and their children as most students and parents admit to not reading the school’s newsletter that is published fortnightly. I would also suggest using the weekly scheduled school assemblies to announce news of the upgrades to update and keep the student body and teachers informed.

References

Design Council. (2024). The Double Diamond: a universally accepted depiction of the design process. Liquid Light. https://www.designcouncil.org.uk/our-resources/the-double-diamond/

Wegner and Zemsky argue that libraries have evolved from what was simply regarded as “respositories of knowledge’ to active leaders and participants in the digital transformation of information management and services (2006). School libraries are often at the forefront of innovation and are defined as being inclusive, adaptable, future-ready and sustainable places for all.

School libraries are seen as welcoming and inclusive places outside of the four walls of the traditional classroom. They provide a safe, comfortable place for students to gather, collaborate, study and socialise. Gone are the days of school libraries being silent and static. School libraries are now considered social and cultural hubs that promote a sense of community and belonging.  The design of the library partly transforms the traditional perception of the library into a dynamic space. According to the Loh’s 2018 article, dynamic libraries perform a range of purposes and, therefore, purpose-built areas of the library need to be devoted to activities such as research, private study, collaboration and hands-on activities.

These spaces within the library are also important in creating a dynamic environment that is adaptable to the needs of all school users. School libraries have had to become both adaptable and future-ready to ensure that they stay relevant to today’s users. Whilst physical books and resources will never truly become obselete, the ubiquity of digital information has presented both challenges and opportunities to school libraries and for the information professionals who work in them. Loh describes the new school library as a “cybrary” and this couldn’t be more fitting for the role of the school library in the 21st century (2018, p.7).

School libraries are indeed dynamic environments. They are at the forefront of adopting changes in the creation, management and dissemination of information in today’s world and the teacher librarians themselves serve an important function in providing links to digital information (both within the library and beyond the school library) to students and teachers. With the growing volume of digital information, the teaching of information literacy skills has never been so important.

Teacher librarians have had to adapt and become more future-ready themselves in order to evolve in the dynamic digital age of information literacy. Boyer’s article “Designer Librarian: Embedded in K12 Learning” discusses the importance of teacher librarians becoming “embedded librarians” (2015). An embedded librarian is  defined as an active member of the teaching staff who collaborates with various subject faculties to plan and develop educational materials and teach information literacy skills as part of the course. This is an important part of the evolution of libraries and library staff in the 21st century.

The rise of digital information has also expanded library services and offerings. Libraries are dynamic environments that no longer need to have patrons come to them to benefit from the resources and services provided. School libraries can now offer online databases that provide access to public library resources or even university resources, access to eBooks and both hardware and software that supports various subjects and learning styles. “Embedded librarians” are now far more comfortable instructing classes or specialised groups in the library or team teaching in the classroom.

The role of the school library has never been more important. Far from becoming an outdated service, school libraries are dynamic environments that have evolved quickly and successfully to meet the changing needs of their users in a more technology-driven landscape. Libraries are dynamic environments that are adaptable and inclusive spaces and teacher librarians are at the cutting edge of this change. By being at the forefront of information literacy and offering students and teachers a place to research, study, collaborate and come together, teacher librarians can future-proof school libraries and ensure that they are sustainable and crucial places into the future.

Y Chart of what a dynamic school library looks, sounds and feels like to me.

Y chart created using Canva

References.

Boyer, B. (2015). Designer Librarian: Embedded in K12 Online Learning. TechTrends, 59(3), 71-76. https://search-ebscohost-com.ezproxy.csu.edu.au/login.aspx?direct=true&db=a2h&AN=102276170&site=ehost-live

Loh, C. E. (2018). Envisioning the school library of the future: A 21st century framework. Office of Education Research National Institute of Education. https://repository.nie.edu.sg/server/api/core/bitstreams/c3e6186c-3beb-419e-b602-b54c874963aa/content

Wegner, G. & Zemsky, R. (2007). Changing roles of academic and research libraries. American Library Association. https://www.ala.org/acrl/issues/value/changingroles

It is inarguable that digital collections are vital in a 21st century library collection. The question is not “Should library collections include digital resources?” but, rather, “How can library collections manage the inclusion of digital resources?” Digital collections are essential to bring the content of a school library collection to the user. No longer must students physically enter the school library to be able to benefit from the resources it includes in its library collection. Current students or “digital children” as they are referred to in the Newsum journal article are adaptable, technologically capable and demand information in a fast-paced and efficient manner. The inclusion of digital resources in a school’s library collection can meet those needs. However, the management of digital resources in the current library collection can pose many challenges.

Firstly, many digital materials are accessed rather than owned. This poses difficulty in both the selection and acquisition of these resources but also in how they can be used and promoted. Teacher librarians need to be careful when leasing or subscribing to these types of materials as often the vendor will offer a bundle of resources that may not be suitable to school needs. Subscription fees need to be managed and factored into the overall budget and this can be problematic if costs go up or the resource is no longer readily available. Teacher librarians also need to be aware of accessibility restrictions when leasing, subscribing or purchasing digital resources. Considerations of how students will access digital materials (whether the school has the hardware/software to support this resource) as well as how many people can make use of this resource at any given time and under what conditions is also a point of consideration.

Promoting digital resources can also be one of the challenges that the inclusion of digital resources poses for teacher librarians. Unlike physical resources, digital materials do not exist on a tangible level so a teacher librarian needs to ensure that these resources are discoverable in the same library catalogue as physical resources and also think creatively about how these digital resources can be displayed and promoted.

The inclusion of digital resources in school library collections can be problematic on a practical level as well. In one of the slides in Pru Mitchell’s presentation, a column graph representing the number of trained library staff in both primary and secondary libraries in 2016 indicates that 40% of staff in primary school libraries and approximately 28% of staff working in secondary school libraries do not hold qualifications in teacher librarianship. This poses an additional challenge for the inclusion of digital resources in library collections as these resources require professional expertise to be able to manage them and to demonstrate the use of these resources to library patrons. It is essential that all staff working in school libraries are trained in the access and use of digital materials.

Digital resources are becoming far more prevalent as sources of information and knowledge. In a school library context they are particularly pertinent to meet the needs of 21st century teachers and learners. Despite the challenges that they pose, digital resources have an important place in all library collections.

Collection evaluation in a school setting is never easy, however, it is a must to maintain the relevancy of the collection to users. It is essential to semi-regularly evaluate both the print and electronic collection to identify strengths and weaknesses in the collection and to also assess how well the collection meets the curriculum requirements as well as the goals and priorities of the school. It can be a slow and cumbersome process though and when to schedule a collection evaluation can be tricky. Collection management requires staff to shift focus and potentially redirect their attention away from their daily tasks and towards evaluation. It also places restrictions on the functioning of the library whilst this process is being carried out. Library loans may have to be halted and access to library services may be temporarily unavailable whilst library staff are evaluating a collection.

As K. Grigg’s chapter “Assessment and evaluation of e-book collections” points out, no one methodology for collection evaluation is perfect. Usage statistics have a role in evaluation but, in a school setting, it is impossible to know whether library titles that are borrowed or accessed are even being used or whether this type of statistical measurement offers insight into the usefulness of a resource. Using qualitative measures such as surveying and focus groups may provide a better evaluation of existing resources and their use, however, school students can often be apathetic and disengaged and therefore these methods may either appeal only to certain types of students or provide skewed results that can’t be relied upon for collection evaluation. Perhaps a better methodology in the school context is to use the benchmark method of evaluation. This may be preferable as schools can compare their collection and its usage to similar types and size schools within their local area (provided comparison data is freely available or TLs have developed strong networks with other school TLs).

Current priority areas for evaluation in my school would be the non-fiction reference materials. My school does not hold a lot of these resources in a physical format due to space restrictions. The school holds an abundance of fiction resources and picture books to meet the needs of the junior library users. My school does subscribe to a number of online databases and electronic resources to be used for reference and research purposes but the glaring absence of these types of resources in a physical format is a weakness of the school library where I work.

The inclusion of eBooks in public, academic and school libraries is an area of rapid growth. The article “eBooks and elending issues paper” states that 43% of Australians had downloaded digital content in the last quarter of 2011 and the first quarter of 2012. Given that this paper was published in 2013 we can presume that the rates of digital content downloading has significantly increased since this paper’s publication ten years ago.

My current library provides access to eBooks via a portal on the LibPaths homepage. The eBook collection does not appear to be fully integrated in the cataloguing system but rather is offered via a separate search engine. Students and teachers have access to all materials by using their student/staff login and downloading the ePlatform app on their device. Loans are available for a two week period. My school library appears to use a specialist school library supplier (Wheeler’s) to supply all their eBooks and audiobooks and there are far more fiction books than non-fiction books available on this platform. My school also provides eTextbooks via the platform “Box of Books” and this is accessible to teachers and students via our learning platform “Canvas” rather than through the school library portal.

The inclusion of eBooks in library collections poses many challenges with regard to content. In many instances the publication of a physical resource and the access to an eBook is not always simultaneous. Often there is a lag time of some months. This poses a problem with access to information which is a fundamental role of the teacher librarian. Some publishers will also restrict the access to content for patrons or make the purchase of eBooks far more expensive than their hardcopy counterparts which impacts on the ability of the library to provide these resources and the patrons’ ability to access digital resources.

Another consideration when including eBooks in library collections is licensing considerations. Some publishing houses and aggregators will allow libraries to purchase single copies of items whilst others insist on providing a subscription package. Whilst this may be a more economical method to build a collection it does interfere with the librarians selection process.

Procurement of digital resources can also pose serious challenges. Procurement needs to be flexible enough for libraries to have a number of different options to meet patrons’ needs. Libraries need to be able to purchase single titles, subscribe to packages of eBooks, pay per use of eBooks or offer patron-driven acquisition to ensure that the collection meets the needs of the community. Often this is challenged by the providers as they have a monopoly over certain titles, can delete certain items and prevent material from being able to be accessed after a certain time period.

How eBooks are incorporated into the existing library collection is yet another area that can be problematic. eBooks should include high-quality metadata but often the publishing houses provide poor quality metadata and it is difficult for the library to use this data to correctly catalogue these items. Digital resources need to be effectively integrated into library cataloguing systems in order to make them easily discoverable to patrons. Greater standardisation and interoperability is needed so that these resources are able to be accessed across a range of devices to ensure that librarians meet their responsibilities in providing access to information for all and to bridge the digital divide.

Poor interoperability not only affects the patrons’ ability to access information but licensing agreements can also impact the free access to information. Publishers are understandably worried that breaches of copyright, piracy and other examples of misuse is easier with regards to digital content. Digital rights management policies have been put in place to place limits on the number of times an eBook can be accessed before the library is required to repurchase, place limits on the number of patrons who can download an eBook at any one time and also restrict the time that patrons can access eBook content.

These issues will all need to be taken into account in my future role as a teacher librarian. eBooks are already becoming the new norm in library collections and I foresee a time when these resources will potentially replace hardcopy versions.

Firstly, I must start by stating that I am not yet working in the library environment so my understanding of how censorship affects the selection, acquisition and categorisation in my school library is extremely limited.

After reading Moody’s paper on covert censorship in libraries it really did resonate with me just how difficult it is, even for the most well-intentioned librarian, to completely eradicate censorship and to develop a school library collection that truly reflects the rights of all to freedom of information. Firstly, it is my understanding that resources are often selected from the promotions and publications of major publishing houses. I think that this is partly due to the fact that most resources acquired in this way is to serve the recreational needs of the school community as opposed to the educational needs or to resource the curriculum. My school library is only a small space so much of the shelving is devoted to fiction books and many educational resources are either purchased in electronic forms or purchased for teachers and stored in their respective faculty offices for use in their classroom.

Another factor that impacts how resources are selected is the limited time given to the teacher librarian to source materials. As we only have two librarians (one who is primary-based and one who is secondary-based), I feel that they do not have the time to peruse alternative book publishing companies to source materials that offer alternative viewpoints on an issue. As stated in Moody’s discussion paper, “you don’t know what you don’t know” so I would question if our teacher librarians are even aware of some of the less mainstream resources available for purchase.

A big consideration in my school that would affect the censorship of books and other resources is the considerations of the School Board and the parent body. My school is a conservative private school and the students and their parents are very much seen as “clients”. Therefore, I think that the purchase of books considered “controversial” would very much be influenced by the ethos and agenda of the Board of Governors and particularly by the fee-paying parents.

I found the section in the Moody article about the inclusion of resources that perhaps include violence or opposing viewpoints on controversial topics such as the Holocaust an interesting one. This section of the paper was disappointingly brief and perhaps raised more questions than answers but did lead me to consider the debate over whether to include these kinds of resources in a school library where students are young, impressionable and perhaps emotionally too immature to fully understand or process the content in some of these types of books and resources.

Censorship in school libraries (and in any other library) is not something that I had ever considered until studying for my masters in teacher librarianship and now that I am aware of it I see examples and debates around this issue frequently. I found the Jenkinson article very thought-provoking and it forced me to assess where I sit on this issue now and how I will deal with it when I am eventually responsible for the selection and inclusion of materials in a school library.

The article was set in a Canadian school context but I definitely think that Australian schools are facing the same challenges. I was recently made aware of a case in which a primary-aged child had borrowed a book entitled “The Fall” and the teacher librarian who had loaned the book to him had faced a book challenge from the parent of this boy. It turns out that this boy’s father had had a catastrophic fall a couple of years ago that had led to his death and the mother was upset that the boy’s history had not come into consideration when the book was loaned to him. I was shocked to hear that such a benign book could result in a book challenge. However, when I asked why the boy himself would want to borrow such a book the teacher librarian explained to me that often children gravitate to books that contain subjects that are familiar to them.

This leads me to consider how important it is to include books on a range of previously seen as “controversial” topics. Young children and young adults do need to read about characters and situations that reflect what they are currently going through and to be able to seek possible comfort or solutions to their worries and anxieties. I am not sure yet how I would go about including such materials though. Should I just have them generally included in the collection or would I have the spines labelled according to their category or even in a special section? The future teacher librarian in me suggests that they should be included in the mainstream collection but the mother in me suggests that these books still need to be loaned out to students with care.

I feel that preventing censorship in libraries is very important in an age when we have recently debated and, in some cases, called for the removal of some Roald Dahl’s books that are now considered racist and inappropriate for school-aged students by today’s standards. It is imperative that the censorship that prevails now in the 21st century and some people’s attempts to re-write our history to suit their own narrative is not transferred into the selection process for school libraries. Students need to have access to books about all kinds of topics and be able to debate the content of these books freely in order to receive a well-rounded and balanced education.