I have been a History and Geography teacher for twenty years and in my time in the classroom I have had the privilege of teaching students from Years 7-12. Working in the Humanities Faculty means that I have always understood the importance of literacy for students of all ages and I have designed my teaching programs to include a strong literacy focus. Despite my passion for reading and inquiry learning, I am ashamed to say that I have previously downplayed the role of the teacher librarian in schools and not utilised their incredible experience in the fields of literacy and research to help support me in my role as a teacher. Rather than seeing the role of the teacher librarian as being one that could assist me, I treated this option as a “luxury” that I was too busy to take advantage of.

I have always loved the feeling that comes over me when I enter my local community library or the school library space. There is always something so calming about being surrounded by books and having the soft whispers of the library staff fill my ears. One of the roles of the teacher librarian is to make the library an inviting and safe space for students and teachers alike. The library serves so many purposes; a quiet place to read or study, a classroom to teach students important literacy skills, a place for students to go at lunch to play board games, build LEGO and complete last-minute homework and so it is essential that this place feels welcoming and is easy to navigate.

However, the role of the teacher librarian is so much more than just designing the physical space of the library. Teacher librarians work with all students and classes across the school to foster a love of reading and inquiry learning, develop information literacy and promote creative and critical thinking. A report published in 2014 by the Young Adult Literacy Services Association states that adolescents in the 21^st century “need a much more expanded skill set”. Skills which include “communication, problem solving, information/media/digital and ICT literacy” are considered pre-requisites for student success in today’s education and work environments (Bonanno, K., 2015). Being dual qualified means that the teacher librarian is best placed to help students acquire these skills. They are the gateway between their schools and the enormous world of digital literacy and can provide specialist assistance for navigating library systems, resourcing the curriculum and working directly with classroom teachers to embed important skills and technology into teaching programs.

One of the biggest misconceptions (and one that I personally held prior to beginning my studies as a teacher librarian) is that teacher librarians work in an isolated environment and that the school library only has relevance to the students and teachers who choose to use that space. Before beginning my studies in teacher librarianship, I did not realise that the role of the teacher librarian was to foster links between the school, students, parents and the wider community. The teacher librarian, far from being isolated from the school environment, is a critical part of the school community. I have learnt so much in the short time I have been training to become a teacher librarian and have a new appreciation for the multi-faceted role that the school librarian plays.

References:

Bonanno, K. (2015). A profession at the tipping point (revisited). Access, 29(1), 14-21.